Happiness is within yourself

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The Korea Times

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Asia

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The Korea Times

National

Fri, February 3, 2023 | 07:13

Happiness is within yourself

Posted : 2011-02-11 21:03

Updated : 2011-02-11 21:03

Happiness is something everyone yearns for throughout their lifetime. People search near and far, high and low for contentment, but nobody seems to know what it takes to achieve the ultimate state of true happiness.

Buddhist master Yongey
Mingyur Rinpoche

By Han Sang-hee

Happiness is something everyone yearns for throughout their lifetime. People search near and far, high and low for contentment, but nobody seems to know what it takes to achieve the ultimate state of true happiness.

Perhaps Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, dubbed “the happiest man in the world,” can let us in on the secret as a rising star among the modern generation of Tibetan Buddhist masters.

Rinpoche, also the author of bestselling books, is visiting Korea to give lectures and hopefully let Koreans pick his brain about his expertise: happiness and the soulful and scientific aspect of meditation.

“When I was young, I experienced panic attacks but overcame them through meditation.

I am here to share that experience with Koreans and help those who are in need of peace of mind,” Rinpoche said during an interview after a press event in Insa-dong, Wednesday.

Born in a small Himalayan village in 1975, Rinpoche was raised by his father, meditation master Tulku Urhyen Rinpoche, who helped him learn and appreciate the meaning of meditation from a young age.

The panic attacks lingered for a long time, but he knew he had to overcome them by himself. And he succeeded through meditation.

“I learned a lot from my panic attacks: it was my best teacher and friend,” he said.

He entered the traditional three-year retreat at the age of 13, and for the past 10 years he has aimed to share his experience and lessons with the world.

Along with his extensive interest and expertise in Buddhist philosophy and meditation, Rinpoche has been deeply curious about the world of physics, neurology and psychology.

In 2002, he joined some other long-term meditators for a brain research program at the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin and helped discover something that was thought to be impossible.

To test the effect of meditation they underwent brain imaging scans and found the organ went through significant changes during the process. The gamma synchronicity, the synchronicity of brain waves associated with perception and consciousness, turned out to be very high. This indicates that meditation was an example of the ability of the brain to alter, which was believed to be a myth.

“They thought something was wrong with the machine,” he said.

“This means you can train your mind, control your mind. It means the freedom of the mind.” Controlling the mind would be a great development in achieving happiness, but considering human nature, won’t people start to want more once they achieve what they thought was happiness? “Develop awareness,” Rinpoche advised. “Say you have a room with beautiful furniture but without light, what is the use? Turn the light on. It doesn’t change the room or the furniture, it simply makes it clearer. Awareness is the light.

It will help you see clearer.” The master will start another three-year retreat this year, but before he does, he is planning a two day workshop program with the message, “transforming suffering into happiness.” “It will start in Korea soon too,” he went on.

When asked if he had any advice for busy Koreans seeking meaning in their lives, Rinpoche nodded and smiled.

“Happiness must be found within yourself. If it depends on the outside material, then it becomes like a stock market: it goes up and down. And appreciate what you have. You have all the basic goodness in you: wisdom, love and compassion.”

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr