Alchemy Of Suffering

Do you know what happiness is? It’s an odd thing to think about because happiness comes so easy for most people. Happiness can be anything from a loved one smiling, a puppy stretching, or the full feeling after a yummy meal. Although, when we are down in the dumps how can we still find that happiness? We can revolutionize our own happiness along with others by using, what I like to call, the happy methods. One teaches how to stop, look, and go to become more appreciative of all the small things we have, while the other teaches how to overcome suffering. In David Steindl-Rast’s Ted Talk Want to be Happy? Be Grateful and Matthieu Ricard’s writing The Alchemy of Suffering both look at ways to be happy in different ways. Steindl-Rast has the idea that we gain happiness from being grateful. On top of where we
gain our happiness from, he adds in the formula to find those opportunities. On the other hand, Ricard has a similar but very different message. Throughout his article he explains the different types of suffering as well as a formula on how to overcome it. Both authors are talking about two very different subjects, but each work at different ends of happiness. “If you think it’s happiness that makes you grateful, think again.
It’s gratefulness that makes you happy,” explains Steindl-Rast (1:08). Throughout his talk Steindl-Rast explains that it is gratefulness that makes people happy not the other way around. He also introduces a method to use to find all the small and big things to be grateful for called the Stop, Look, and Go method. The first step is the biggest because we have to stop. We rush through life constantly trying to keep up with the fast moving world, but how do we stop? “…we have to build stop signs into our lives,” Steindl-Rast exapins (8:09). We have to make the effort to notice all the big things to small things to stop us. Next, we have to look at the opportunities but not with just our eyes. “You open all your senses for this wonderful richness that is given to us,” urges Steindl-Rast (9:02). To experience the opportunity, we have to experience every little detail that it gives. Finally, we have to go with the opportunity and be creative to make ourselves as well as others around us happy. This little stop, look, and go method can revolutionize ourselves to be grateful and in turn happier
people. On the other hand, Ricard goes more on the lesson of suffering. He basically says that we should not let suffering rule our lives. “Likewise, peace is a treasure of the mind that is not acquired without efforts,” explains Ricard (Page 41). He is basically saying that happiness does not come easily to anyone; we have to work for the happiness we want. We can reach for this happiness through the method Ricard suggests which is the Four Noble Truths. This is the first teaching of the Buddha and it is the method of destroying suffering. The first step is to recognize the suffering in its entirety or we cannot fight it. Next, we must eliminate the source of the suffering. Finally, we have to end the suffering in a physical and emotional sense. This isn’t a one-time fix it must be repeated time and time again to come back to happiness. Ricard states, “If our minds become accustomed to dwelling solely on the pain that events or people inflict on it, one day the most trivial incident will cause it infinite sorrow” (Page 41). That is why this method is needed. It helps to overcome our biggest and smallest trials to further us in happiness and as people.
The more abstract lesson I learned from the two is that these methods can revolutionize our happiness and our world. As Steindl-Rast stated, “And that little stop, look, go, is such a potent seed that it can revolutionize our world.” (10:50) This method can be taken out of just personal use to a large scale use. If we all stopped, looked for the opportunity, and went with it by creative means we could change the world. Ricard’s method can even bring about a similar revolution. Ricard states, “The path is the process of using all available means to eliminate the fundamental causes of suffering” (Page 39). He is saying that with this method all means are used to destroy suffering. Both methods run on a parallel working from different but similar ends. Steindl-Rast from the opportunity coming to you and Ricard’s coming from the want to end suffering. In conclusion, there are two keys to being happy: gratefulness and ending your own suffering. Both Steindl-Rast and Ricard teach these great revolutionary lessons in different approaches. Steindl-Rast reminds us to be happy we must first be grateful and to be grateful we must stop, look, and go with our opportunities not only for ourselves but for everyone. While Ricard teaches us that suffering will always be a thing but it’s how we react and a good way to react is to recognize, eliminate, and let go. Overall, they work on different but similar ends to improve our lives as well as the world in a fresh revolutionary way.