Why Should I Go Within To Find Happiness?

“Why should I want to go within to find happiness?
I enjoy music, science, art – that is happiness to me.”

What is it that is enjoying this music, science, art?
We are aware of the mind and body feeling a sensation of pleasure, but that is just a temporary condition. We ignore that which actually perceives the pleasure … and displeasure … and satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

Going ‘within’ is a misnomer; what is within is already looking out. We/consciousness cannot look within as there is no thing there but cognition; it is that which is doing the seeing. This is what we are. Our mistake is becoming so attached to outer phenomena and intellectualisation that we ignore the very essence of this perception, which is consciousness – pure consciousness. What else can it be be? Before that pleasure of enjoying, there is a moment of awareness, and then a decision is made about whether something is pleasant or unpleasant.

Beauty is in the pure perception.

Even though music, science and art may be beautiful and pleasing, they are but a distraction that we can become addicted to; it’s something to hold on to, and addiction creates suffering.

What one person finds attractive is another person’s poison. Wisdom turns this saying on its head; what is poison to one is beauty to another.

What does this mean? The very moment when an emotion arises, the mind brightens up and illuminates. That is pure seeing, pure perception, pure consciousness, which is the pure beauty, before we identify and fall into emotions.

Pure consciousness is the natural happiness common to all sentient beings
which does not rely on conditions.

The conditions are there to teach us.
🙂