The Art of Happiness (28 page)

“Now, no matter what behavior you are seeking to change, no matter what particular goal or action you are directing your efforts towards, you need to start by developing a strong willingness or wish to do it. You need to generate great enthusiasm.
And
,
here, a sense of urgency is a key factor.
This sense of urgency is a powerful factor in helping you overcome problems. For example, knowledge about the serious effects of AIDS has created a sense of urgency that has put a check on a lot of people's sexual behavior. I think that often, once you obtain the proper information, that sense of seriousness and commitment will come.

“So, this sense of urgency can be a vital factor in effecting change. It can give us tremendous energy. For instance, in a political movement, if there is a sense of desperation, there can be a tremendous sense of urgency—so much that the people may even forget that they are hungry, and there is no feeling of tiredness or exhaustion in pursuit of their objectives.

“The importance of urgency not only applies to overcoming problems on a personal level, but on a community and global level as well. When I was in St. Louis, for instance, I met the governor. There, they had recently had severe flooding. The governor told me that when the flood first happened, he was quite concerned that given the individualistic nature of society, people might not be so cooperative, that they might not commit themselves to this concerted and cooperative effort. But when the crisis happened, he was amazed by the response of the people. They were so cooperative and so committed to the concerted effort in dealing with the flood problems that he was very impressed. So to my mind, this shows that in order to accomplish important goals, we need an appreciation of the sense of urgency, like in this case
_;
the crisis was so urgent that people instinctively joined forces and responded to the crisis. Unfortunately,” he said sadly, “often we don't have that sense of urgency.”

I was surprised to hear him stress the importance of the sense of urgency given the Western stereotype of the Asian “Let it be” attitude engendered by a belief in many lifetimes
_;
if it doesn't happen now, there's always next time ...

“But then the question is, how do you develop that strong sense of enthusiasm to change or urgency in everyday life? Is there a particular Buddhist approach?” I asked.

“For a Buddhist practitioner, there are various techniques used to generate enthusiasm,” the Dalai Lama answered. “In order to generate a sense of confidence and enthusiasm, we find in the Buddha's text a discussion of the preciousness of human existence. We talk about how much potential lies within our body, how meaningful it can be, the good purposes it can be used for, the benefits and advantages of having a human form, and so on. And these discussions are there to instill a sense of confidence and courage and to induce a sense of commitment to use our human body in a positive way.

“Then, in order to generate a sense of urgency to engage in spiritual practices, the practitioner is reminded of our impermanence, of death. When we talk about impermanence in this context, we are talking in very conventional terms, not about the more subtle aspects of the concept of impermanence. In other words, we are reminded that one day, we may no longer be here. That sort of understanding. That awareness of impermanence is encouraged, so that when it is coupled with our appreciation of the enormous potential of our human existence, it will give us a sense of urgency that
we must use every precious moment.”

“That contemplation of our impermanence and death seems to be a powerful technique,” I remarked, “to help motivate one, develop a sense of urgency to effect positive changes. Couldn't that be used as a technique for non-Buddhists as well?”

“I think one might take care in the application of the various techniques to non-Buddhists,” he said thoughtfully. “Perhaps this might apply more to Buddhist practices. After all,” he laughed, “one could use the same contemplation for exactly the opposite purpose—‘Oh, there is no guarantee that I am going to be alive tomorrow, so I might as well just have lots of fun today!' ”

“Do you have any suggestions for how non-Buddhists might develop that sense of urgency?”

He replied, “Well, as I pointed out, that's where information and education come in. For example, before I met certain experts or specialists, I was unaware of the crisis about the environment. But once I met them and they explained the problems that we are facing, then I became aware of the seriousness of the situation. This can apply to other problems that we face as well.”

“But sometimes, even having information, we still might not have the energy to change. How can we overcome that?” I asked.

The Dalai Lama paused to think, then said, “I think that there might be different categories here. One kind may arise out of some biological factors that may be contributing to the apathy or lack of energy. When the cause of one's apathy or lack of energy is due to biological factors, one may need to work on one's lifestyle. So, if one tries to get sufficient sleep, eat a healthy diet, abstain from alcohol, and so on, these kinds of things will help make one's mind more alert. And in some cases one may even need to resort to medication or other physical remedies if the cause is due to illness. But then there's another kind of apathy or laziness—the kind that arises purely out of a certain weakness of mind ...”

“Yes, that's the kind I was referring to ...”

“To overcome that kind of apathy and to generate commitment and enthusiasm to overcome negative behaviors or states of mind, once again I think the most effective method, and perhaps the only solution, is to be constantly aware of the destructive effects of the negative behavior. One may need to repeatedly remind oneself of those destructive effects.”

The Dalai Lama's words rang true, yet as a psychiatrist, I was acutely aware of how strongly entrenched some negative behaviors and ways of thinking could become, how difficult it was for some people to change. Assuming that there were complex psy chodynamic factors at play, I had spent countless hours examining and dissecting patients' resistance to change. Turning this over in my mind, I asked:

“People often want to make positive changes in their lives, engage in healthier behaviors, and so on. But sometimes there just seems to be a sort of inertia or resistance ... How would you explain how that occurs?”

“That's quite easy ... ,” he began casually.

EASY
_?

“It's because we simply become habituated or accustomed to doing things in certain ways. And then, we become sort of spoiled, doing only the things that we like to do, that we are used to doing.”

“But how can we overcome that?”

“By using habituation to our advantage.
Through constant familiarity, we can definitely establish new behavior patterns.
Here's an example : In Dharamsala I usually wake up and start the day at 3:30, although here in Arizona these days I wake up at 4:30; I get one more hour's sleep,” he laughed. “At the beginning you need a little bit of effort to get used to this, but after a few months, it becomes sort of a set routine and you don't need to make any special effort. So even if you were to go to bed late, you might have a tendency to want a few more minutes' sleep, but you still get up at 3:30 without having to give special thought to it, and you can get up and do your daily practices. This is due to the force of habituation.

“So, by making a steady effort, I think we can overcome any form of negative conditioning and make positive changes in our lives. But you still need to realize that genuine change doesn't happen overnight. Now, for example, in my own case, I think if I compare my normal state of mind today to, say, twenty or thirty years ago, there's a big difference. But this difference, I came to step by step. I started to learn Buddhism around the age of five or six, but at that time I had no interest in Buddhist teachings,” he laughed, “although I was called the highest reincarnation. I think it wasn't until I was around sixteen years old that I really began to have some serious feeling about Buddhism. And I tried to start serious practice. Then, over the course of many years, I began to develop a deep appreciation of Buddhist principles, and practices, which initially seemed so impossible and almost unnatural, became much more natural and easy to relate to. This occurred through gradual familiarization. Of course, this process took more than forty years.

“So, you see, deep down, mental development takes time. If someone says, ‘Oh, through many years of hardship things have changed,' I can take that seriously. There's a greater likelihood of the changes being genuine and longlasting. If someone says, ‘Oh, within a short period, say two years, there has been a big change,' I think that is unrealistic.”

While the Dalai Lama's approach to change was unarguably reasonable, there was one matter that seemed to need to be reconciled:

“Well, you've mentioned the need for a high level of enthusiasm and determination to transform one's mind, to make positive changes. Yet at the same time we acknowledge that genuine change occurs slowly and can take a long time,” I noted. “When change takes place so slowly, it's easy to become discouraged. Haven't you ever felt discouraged by the slow rate of progress in relation to your spiritual practice or discouragement in other areas of your life?”

“Yes, certainly,” he said.

“How do you deal with that?” I asked.

“As far as my own spiritual practice goes,
if I encounter some obstacles or problems, I find it helpful to stand back and take the long-term view rather than the short-term view.
In this regard, I find that thinking about one particular verse gives me courage and helps me sustain my determination. It says:

“However, as far as the struggle for the freedom of Tibet is concerned, if I utilize that kind of belief, those verses—being prepared to wait ‘eons and eons ... as long as space endures,' and so on—then ) I think I would be foolish. Here, one needs to take more immediate or active involvement. Of course, in that situation, the struggle for freedom, when I reflect on the fourteen or fifteen years of effort at negotiation with no results, when I think about the almost fifteen years of failure, I develop a certain feeling of impatience or frustration. But this feeling of frustration doesn't discourage me to the point of losing hope.”

Pressing the issue a bit further, I asked, “But what exactly prevents you from losing hope?”

“Even in the situation with Tibet, I think that viewing the situation from a wider perspective can definitely help. So, for instance, if I look at the situation inside Tibet from a narrow perspective, focusing only on that, then the situation appears almost hopeless. However, if I look from a wider perspective, look from a world perspective, then I see the international situation in which whole communist and totalitarian systems are collapsing, where even in China there's a democracy movement, and the spirit of Tibetans remains high. So, I don't give up.”

 

 

 

Given his extensive background and training in Buddhist philosophy and meditation, it is interesting that the Dalai Lama identifies learning and education as the first step in bringing about internal transformation, rather than more transcendental or mystical spiritual practices. Although education is commonly acknowledged as important in learning new skills or securing a good job, its role as a vital factor in achieving happiness is widely overlooked. Yet studies have shown that even purely academic education is directly linked to a happier life. Numerous surveys have conclusively found that higher levels of education have a positive correlation with better health and a longer life, and even protect an individual from depression. In trying to determine the reasons for these beneficial effects of education, scientists have reasoned that better-educated individuals are more aware of health risk factors, are better able to implement healthier lifestyle choices, feel a greater sense of empowerment and self-esteem, have greater problem-solving skills and more effective coping strategies—all factors that can contribute to a happier, healthier life. So, if merely academic education is associated with a happier life, how much more powerful can be the kind of learning and education spoken of by the Dalai Lama—education that focuses specifically on understanding and implementing the full spectrum of factors that lead to lasting happiness?

The next step in the Dalai Lama's path to change involves generating “determination and enthusiasm.” This step is also widely accepted by contemporary Western science as an important factor in achieving one's goals. In one study, for instance, educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom examined the lives of some of America's most accomplished artists, athletes, and scientists. He discovered that drive and determination, not great natural talent, led to their success in their respective fields. As in any other field, one could assume that this principle would equally apply to the art of achieving happiness.

Behavioral scientists have extensively researched the mechanisms that initiate, sustain, and direct our activities, referring to this field as the study of “human motivation.” Psychologists have identified three principle types of motives. The first type,
primary motives,
are drives based on biological needs that must be met for survival. This would include, for example, needs for food, water, and air. Another category of motives involves a human being's
need for stimulation and information.
Investigators hypothesize that this is an innate need, required for proper maturation, development, and functioning of the nervous system. The final category, called
secondary motives,
are motives based on learned needs and drives. Many secondary motives are related to acquired needs for success, power, status, or achievement. At this level of motivation, one's behavior and drives can be influenced by social forces and shaped by learning. It is at this stage that the theories of modern psychology meet with the Dalai Lama's conception of developing “determination and enthusiasm.” In the Dalai Lama's system, however, the drive and determination generated are not used only in the pursuit of worldly success but develop as one gains a clearer understanding of the factors that lead to true happiness and are used in the pursuit of higher goals, such as kindness, compassion, and spiritual development.