초기불교의 관점에서 본 행복담론

Abstract

Today, many people disregard the negative emotion like sufferings, concentrate on the behaviors which give delight and joy, and are under a delusion about that the status of giving pleasure is authentic happiness. The artificial happiness from the consumption and happiness makes us have a feeling of happiness conveniently. On the contrary, it is not connected to the lasting feeling of satisfaction and happiness, so ultimately it makes human being feel empty. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to examine the problems in the artificial happiness, and explore the happiness from the viewpoint of early Buddhism, and investigate the orientation that the happiness discourse has to proceed. In Early Buddhist Scripture, the happiness was classified with three dimensions like human happiness, happiness of heaven and ultimate happiness. Buddha never neglected the human happiness and happiness of heaven, but it focuses on that it needs to open to possibilities toward the ultimate happiness through the wisdom of insight, not immerse to the worldly happiness. With the development of wisdom and insight into the truth, the lasting peace can be maintained after removing the worldly desires completely, without being swayed at all. In addition, Buddha recommends us to find out the inside of us through the practice of Noble Eightfold Path as middle way like middle path and through the cultivation by Sati. The practice through the Noble Eightfold Path can make us forward to the balanced happiness beyond the way of happiness leaning toward to the two extremes. On the other hand, the cultivation through Sati can make us get out of obsession on the positivity and negativity completely. Such Buddha's teachings can make us perceive that everything that we are obsessed with is meaningless and suggests the possibility to achieve the authentic happiness, not an artificial happiness which is glossed over happiness and positivity.