The Buddhist conception of happiness = freedom from suffering by overcoming and denying all forms of desire and craving.
The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism:
1. Life as we know it ultimately is or leads to suffering/uneasiness (dukkha) in one way or another.
2. Suffering is caused by craving. This is often expressed as a deluded clinging to a certain sense of existence, to selfhood, or to the things or phenomena that we consider the cause of happiness or unhappiness. Craving also has its negative aspect, i.e. one craves that a certain state of affairs not exist.
3. Suffering ends when craving ends. This is achieved by eliminating delusion, thereby reaching a liberated state of Enlightenment (bodhi)
4. Reaching this liberated state is achieved by following the path laid out by the Buddha.
The Christian conception of happiness = not denying ALL desires, but involves recognition of what is truly and eternally valuable and pursuing that as life’s priority, rather than the pursuit of fleeting and empty sources of potential happiness.
When a rich young man, sought out Jesus’ direction for eternal happiness, Jesus replied:
“You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21).
The Buddha taught that nothing lasts, so be attached to nothing. Jesus taught that One Thing lasts, so at all cost, be attached to that!
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:45)
Jesus and the Buddha agree that pursuing happiness in transient things is futile, but they direct us to opposite solutions.
The Buddha says suffering is caused by desire and “happiness” is overcoming all desire and treasuring nothing.
Jesus says desire is not the cause of suffering per se, but is in part due to desiring the wrong things. True happiness is discovering, pursuing and treasuring what is truly important in the Kingdom of God.
