Meditation“People often confuse happiness with pleasure,” Ricard tells Lion’s Roar. “Yet happiness is not eating ice cream. It’s a way of being, and a way of being is not just one thing. It’s a cluster of basic human qualities, among which inner freedom is central. If you’re happy, you are not the slave of your rumination. You have freedom from hatred, obsessive craving, jealousy, arrogance, etc.
“That freedom gives you inner peace and, therefore, a confidence that’s very different from narcissistic self-esteem. Because you have the inner resources to deal with life’s ups and downs, you are less preoccupied with yourself. You know that whatever happens you’ll be fine. So not feeling vulnerable, you are not trying to overprotect yourself and you are naturally open to others.
“Selfish happiness doesn’t exist,” Ricard continues. “When you’re completely self-centered—me, me, me all day long—you push away anything that could threaten your ego, threaten your comfort. This makes life miserable. You’re constantly under threat, because the world is simply not a mail-order catalogue for all your desires.”
