The revolution will be mindful

The subtle underlying message that we’re constantly fed is that the material world can make us happy: money can in fact buy happiness; if you meet the right person and fall in love, you’ll live happily ever after; if you get the right degree and find the right career, you’ll feel satisfied in your life. Most of what we’re teaching our kids in school is ultimately geared towards being financially successful as individuals, and economically competitive as a nation. Hence the focus on STEM and the defunding of the arts and humanities. We don’t have AP classes in generosity, patience, or emotional attunement because those things don’t directly lead to any kind of material accumulation.Seeking happiness within is extremely countercultural. Humans have been trying to find happiness outside of ourselves for as long as anyone can remember. But the seismic shift in understanding we are called upon to make in this practice is that it is not possible to find real peace in the material world. In Buddhism, this is Wise View: the first of the Eightfold Path. Whenever we depend on the material world for happiness, that happiness is fragile because the world is not in our control, and besides, it’s constantly falling apart. We might get the lover, the family, the job, or win the lottery; but none of it lasts. Everyone and everything dies or is separated from us at some point, so if we hang our hat on it, we’re screwed. Big downer, right? Wrong. The only reason the Buddha pointed this out is because there’s a real kind of happiness that’s possible. One that’s not dependent on the material world, not dependent on something that’s going to fall apart and disappoint us in the end. It’s a deep kind of contentment that is alive and well within us, all the time.Your generosity makes a big difference. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The rebellious teenager in me loves how subversive this practice is. We don’t have to conform to society, quite the opposite. In fact, it doesn’t take much observation to recognize that if we go the same direction that everyone else is going, we’re not going to end up living happily ever after. The next time you find yourself comparing yourself to someone else, remember that you’re not trying to conform. Your’e trying to do something completely new and different from what most people are doing, so if you feel like a black sheep, then that’s probably a good thing.Every moment that you turn away from the getting and having of the outside world, and instead listen to the gentle wellspring of contentment within yourself, you are moving towards your highest peace. For some readers, that last sentence may be annoying. A gentle wellspring of contentment within is the opposite of hard core. It’s too feminine. But idolizing the masculine is just another way that wrong view— the culture of getting, accumulating, and competing for happiness through the material world— tries to assert itself.Now what?Stop and take a look around. What are you doing that you’re not choosing to be doing? How might you be caught up in a collective momentum that has you barreling headlong towards dissatisfaction? You’ll start to see that all around and within your own mind, there are forces that are haggling for your attention, trying to trick you into thinking you’re not ok right now and that if you watch this ad, buy this thing, or get this done: you’ll be happy. When can you decide for yourself what you want to pay attention to, what is really worth your time, and what truly matters? Now.Keep making choices that rebel against the culture and a habit of mind that promises a dream that cannot come true. More and more, you’ll develop a taste for the present moment. Eventually, it will be normal for you to find this moment more compelling and delightful than any million-dollar ad can make a cheeseburger look. Even as you read this, feel into what’s happening right now. The way the light hits the dust particles, the tingling in your feet, the sound of the wind. What was once trifling and mundane has become abundant richness in your life. This is where your deepest peace lives: wake up to it. It’s not too late to change the world. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit caralai.substack.com/subscribe