7 Categories of Happiness
From “A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World”, narrated by Daniel Goleman, the 7 Progressive Categories of Happiness accelerate and build on each other so we can expand our own experience of happiness.
1. Amusement
2. Fiero - Delight of meeting a challenge
3. Relief
4. Excitement - the newness of a novel nature
5. Awe/wonder
6. Sensory pleasure - taste, touch, smell, sight
7. Equanimity - Chill, calm, peacefulness of mind-body-soul, so we can explore our emotions and be in the present to truly feel our feelings and live our lives.
Moods are extended periods of emotions - a day, a week, a month. Emotions are fleeting. Emotions can feed a mood. We have the option to respond how we would like. We can choose to cultivate the emotions of happiness and practice. These 7 states of happiness are within our grasp. Bringing our awareness to them in the present is a practice that we must cultivate to have more of it in our lives. These are the emotions we want to stoke - to offset our bias toward negativity, which is human nature.
Then there is love. While we have these 7 references toward happiness, love can go beyond basic enjoyment. It refers to a deeper attachment - a longer-term commitment. It is a deeper intention, not just a momentary emotion.
The Dalai Lama breaks down three types of love: parental, loving friendship, and romantic. He explains that romantic love is fleeting. Without loving friendship, which provides the structure for the romantic love, it does not survive.
Our states are very conditioned since the day we were born. By spending time in meditation and contemplation, we can move from conditioned states to unconditioned. When we bring our awareness, we can move from unconscious to conscious. When we’re paying attention to it, we can alter our trajectory, and perhaps become a force for good.
