Sharon Beckman-Brindley gave this dharma talk at IMCC on Jan 09, 2018.

"The purpose of life is to be happy." --Dalai Lama

The Buddha developed and then taught about states of happiness: those that are dependent on conditions and those that are not dependent on any conditions at all. The path that he has given us is primarily a path to the latter: a happiness that is completely independent of conditions.

Sometimes, however, when we offer the Buddha's teachings on ultimate awakening, it can appear that we are denigrating "lesser" kinds: the happiness of the simple pleasant: contact with the natural world, with belonging, with a healthy body and a mature and healthy and integrated mind.

This talk will outline how these different kinds of happiness relate to each other. It will also attempt to help practitioners diagnose which "level" of practice might currently be in need of closer attention and practice.

For more information, please visit the Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville website: imeditation.org