The Value of Wisdom

At a very young age, I have discovered the impermanence of emotions. It bothered me how one moment as a little boy, I can be running around with my friends having the time of my life then down on the floor crying my eyes out because of leaving them a few moments later. Since then, I've searched for an answer or rather a solution. My problem was I wanted to just be happy and never experience sadness. Although I wouldn't say I've found a solution to my problem, I could say I've learned things that makes it rather obsolete. Here are the first two, I'll share them in hopes of enlightening some readers.

The Right View

This lesson I learned right after I discovered that emotions are not permanent. That's what the right view means. It means understanding reality for what it is. Accepting the wonderful things in life as well as the ugly ones. Realizing that the people we meet, the things we have, the feelings we feel will someday change. That is the meaning of having the right view.

Simply put, if happiness is the goal of an individual, one must start by obtaining the right view. By obtaining the right view and recognizing the world for what it is, then the person can work towards acceptance of the world.

The Right Intention

This lesson I learned much later. The right intention means controlling our actions to cause benefits not to cause damage. The right intention is implemented when the person fully embraces the right view. The person with right intentions has a deep understanding of himself and the world around him. It is at that point that the person realizes that the most logical way to live a happy fulfilling life is to control their actions in such a way to cause benefits to his surroundings.


An example of the right intention is controlling your emotions. Knowing the nature of emotions is critical so that actions aren't hazed by faulty decisions blurred by bad emotions.

Conclusion

The simple answer to my problem is that there is no solution. Happiness and sadness is part of life, it's part of nature. However, with understanding of the self and what is external to the self, one can learn to enjoy both states. 

Notice

You may have noticed this is the first two of the Buddha's Eightfold Path. That is because it is. I only wrote about the first two because it is what is relevant to the topic. The right view and the right intentions is often referred to as the development of wisdom. I intend to cover all the eightfold path, just not all in one post.