快樂

達賴喇嘛與Howard C. Cutler, M.D. 共同寫過一本書「快樂的藝術」。書中論及快樂。Cutler說：

「生存的目的在追求快樂。看起來是常識，西方的思想家從亞理斯多德到William James也都同意。但是尋求個人的快樂，難道本質上不是自私的嗎？不見得。科學調查，一而再，再而三的證實，不快樂的人比較自我中心，比較不把自己當社會的一份子，甚至憤世嫉俗。而快樂的人一般比較合羣，有彈性，有創意，比較能容忍生活中不如意的事。更重要的是他們比較有愛心，比較能原諒別人。學者不只是調查，還設計科學家實驗，也顯示了快樂的人保持開放的心胸，不吝惜伸出援手。」

美國憲法特別提起「追求幸福快樂」是天賦的人權：

「我們堅持這些天經地義的真理：人人生而平等。人人都有一些天賦的權力；這些天賦的權力包括生命、自由，和追求快樂幸福的權力。」

我想，要快樂其實不難。快樂之道有三。

其一，要主動的去追求。誠如美國開國元勳富蘭克林 （Benjamin Franklin）所說：「憲法不保證你快樂，它只保證你有追求快樂的權力。快樂靠你自己去追求。」

其二，要過中庸之道的日子。誠如作家Robert Fulghum所說：「過平衡的日子。每天學點新東西，想點新主意，畫點畫，唱唱歌，跳跳舞，玩玩耍，並做點事。」

其三，要存心快樂

人生總有不順心的時候。但不能用它做不快樂的藉口。羅素（Bertrand Russell，哲學家，數學家，作家，諾貝爾獎得主）的好。他說：

「快樂幸福有一個不可或缺的要素，那就是有所欠缺。」沒有欠缺的日子不是活生生的人過的日子。

台灣人常說「人生不如意事，十常八九」。我不喜歡它影射的嘆息聲。我喜歡的是我太太的生活態度。她曾經收集一些家居的生活照，配上愉快的音樂，將成品命名「常想一二」。即使有八九件不愉快的事，總該有一二件令我們高興，快樂之道在於個人的生活態度。

對我而言，快樂的真諦完全在電影「真善美」（The Sound of Music）七個可愛的孩子的歌聲中：

玫瑰花上的雨珠，

小貓的鬚鬚，

閃亮的水壺，

溫暖的手套，

扎著麻繩的小包裹，

這些是我喜歡的東西。

當我被狗咬了，被蜜蜂叮了，

傷心的時候，

我只要去想我喜歡的東西，

我就高興起來。

**********

1) Inspirational Quotes from The Art of Happiness by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.

On Happiness: 

“The purpose of our existence is to seek happiness.  It seems like common sense, and Western thinkers from Aristotle to William James have agreed with this idea.  But isn’t a life based on seeking personal happiness by nature self-centered, even self-indulgent?  Not necessarily.  In fact, survey after survey has shown that it is unhappy people who tend to be most self-focused and are often socially withdrawn, brooding, and event antagonistic.  Happy people, in contrast, are generally found to be more sociable, flexible, and creative and are able to tolerate life’s daily frustrations more easily than unhappy people, and, most important, they are found to be more loving and forgiving then unhappy people.  Researchers have devised some interesting experiments demonstrating that happy people exhibit a certain quality of openness, a willingness to reach out and help others.” – Howard C. Cutler, M.D.

2) American Constitution:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

3) Benjamin Franklin:  The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.

4) Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some, and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. -Robert Fulghum, author (b. 1937) 

5) To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (1872-1970) 

6) From the movie "The Sound of Music":

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,

Brown paper packages tied up with strings,

These are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling sad,

I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad.