Master Jingzong; English translation by Fomu, edited by Jingtu
I read an excellent article on the internet today titled, “There Is a Cost to Every Type of Unhappiness.” I fully agree with the premise. There are too many people who don’t understand it, for they are accustomed to being unhappy. To them unhappiness seems almost like a privilege, as though they can gain something from it.
Every time we are unhappy, we pay a price. The payment could be cash, as well as possessions, health or sound personal relationships. In short, we have to forfeit some blessing from our lives to pay for our unhappiness. Each time we are unhappy, our good fortune diminishes. There seems to be a hole in our hearts, waiting to be filled. We throw ourselves into money, health, cheerfulness and joy in order to balance temporarily the deficit of happiness. Although our check book appears balanced, our happiness bank account is depleted.
On the other hand, happiness is free because it is inherent to human nature. Life is meant to be joyful and pleasant. Happiness is not only free but rewarding. The reward is more joy and bliss. So why would we want to be unhappy? Perhaps because attaining happiness is hard. However when reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name, we become relaxed and therefore happy. So let’s try to recite Amitabha’s name! Namo Amitabha, Namo Amitabha … Live every day joyfully. Day by day, our karmic rewards and happiness index will grow exponentially.
When a person is unhappy, he also makes the world unhappy. The world does not owe you anything; therefore, you have to pay the price for unhappiness. Just as you must pay a fine for littering, this world will not accept your garbage of unhappiness free of charge. On the other hand, when we are happy, we bring pleasure into the world and make it better. Naturally, we will receive commensurate rewards.