Phra Suthipong Apipunyo
A long long time ago, long before your great-grandfather’s time, humans were always happy. They didn’t know what “suffering” meant, there was no such word in the dictionary.
The demons felt envious of human happiness, so they held a meeting. During the Annual Demon Meeting, it was decided that a demon volunteer would take turns to try to hide happiness from the humans.
The first demon, a powerful wizard, went to the remote mountains as far as the eye could see on the horizon, and hid happiness there. But soon the humans who liked exploring mountains and going hiking found it.
The second demon was a water ghost, who volunteered to hide happiness in the depths of the oceans.
However, humans still found it after learning to dive in the seas.
The third demon, a space alien, tried to hide happiness in outer space. But humans still learnt to build rockets and spaceships and found happiness above the planet.
Wherever the demons tried to hide happiness, humans still managed to find it in the end.
The demons were frustrated.
Finally, the demons were out of ideas when suddenly, a small voice spoke up, “I’ll volunteer to do it.”
Everyone looked around the room but couldn’t identify the source of the voice, until they saw an almost invisibly tiny demon.
The demons almost wanted to burst out laughing in disbelief. The demon leader couldn’t help but ask, “Where will you hide human happiness?”
“I’ll hide it in the hearts of humans. If you hide it there, they will never find it,” the little demon replied.
And so as time passed, it has been proven that the little demon was right. Because how many people will find true happiness?
If you think happiness is in the sea…go to the beach.
If you think happiness is in the mountains…go for a hike.
If you think happiness lies in having a lot of money…then devote your life to making money.
If you think happiness lies in being famous…then do whatever it takes to become famous.
But even if you go to the sea, the mountains, have all the money or fame in the world, you still won’t be happy when you suffer from depression or disease.
Even all kinds of beautiful treasures cannot fill the emptiness of the heart. They only bring short-lived satisfaction. Finally, it ends up in stress and exhaustion.
Fortunately, all human beings are born with this one ability, to be a generator of happiness for oneself.
Happiness that doesn’t depend on others or external factors.
The source of happiness within human hearts is experiencing contentment with whatever one has at the moment and knowing what is enough.
Phra Suthipong Apipunyo
Wat Pa Si Mongkhon
Cr. https://www.facebook.com/TongTongsuthipong/
9 August 2023
