Happiness

I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy.  Happiness comes from:

(a)  accepting unhappiness as being a part of life, not hating or fighting against it. Hate being a negative emotion causes more unhappiness. The fact that there are ups and downs in life like an electrocardiogram, is proof that one is living; without that one would flatline.

(b)  being connected to other people, even strangers. Connection comes from intimacy. Intimacy comes from sharing, whether it be in the form of communication or being of service. The keys to communication and service, are honesty and compassion. If one is honest, one has nothing to hide, and thus being fearless removes any barriers to communication. Compassion helps us see and feel things from the other person’s point of view, hence the biblical saying,

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
 

“One great question underlies our experience, whether we think about it or not: what is the purpose of life? From the moment of birth every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affects this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.”
— His Holiness The Dalai Lama XIV

“I believe the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in that religion or this religion, we are all seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness…”
— His Holiness The Dalai Lama XIV, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World