It seems like happiness should
be found in those places where everything is easy and beautiful and
perfect. I think about skiing down a mountain with the sun on my
face and feeling the rhythm of the skis and the mountain beneath my
feet. Disney creates the fantasy of a Magic Kingdom they dub “the
happiest place on earth.”
So it was a surprise when
psychologist Richard Davidson from the University of Madison began
to examine the data he compiled from studies on Buddhist monks.
He had already uncovered data
from his studies that showed positive emotions like joy, peace and
contentment coincide with higher activity in the left frontal lobes
of the brain.
Now he had access to a select
group of Buddhist monks that were experts at meditation.
He asked them to engage in a
meditation focused on developing compassion for others who suffer
while he measured the responses in their brains.
The results of this research
showed that the monks achieved levels of happiness that are
significantly higher than any previous recordings of happiness from
brain studies anywhere else in the world!
The monks were not creating a
fantasy where everything was wonderful to make themselves happy.
Quite the contrary, they were focusing on the very real suffering of
fellow human beings, and making themselves open to the pain of
others. Being open to others, and being willing to help, increased
happiness.
We have learned from other
studies that the most lasting happiness comes from simple acts of
giving generously to other people.
So the next
time you find yourself sad or afraid, rather than seeking to escape
into wishing that life was different, it might be better to look for
someone you can help. There is something about being able to bring
kindness to another person that makes life more joyful.
