<p>I think Buddhism recommends you focus on what's virtuous and moral instead of on what's feels pleasurable.</p>

<p>For example, lying, killing, stealing -- are all to be avoided -- and that's important.</p>

<p>Conversely, generosity, kindness, keeping your promises -- that's important too.</p>

<p>There is a word -- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukha" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sukha</a> -- which might be translated "happiness". It's used in contexts like the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.15.budd.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sukhavagga</a>.</p>

<p>I suspect it's a happiness conditioned or caused by an absence not by a presence -- for example not happiness because you have something ("a chocolate bar") but happiness because of not having something ("anger", "greed", "remorse").</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-16T16:08:08.233Z
2020-03-16T16:08:08.233Z
ChrisW
<blockquote>
  <p><strong>OP:</strong> Due to impermanance of everything, Are there anything to be happy or sad about ? Even about dhamma ?</p>
  
  <p>Are enlightened people happy ? Or neither happy nor sad ?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>From <a href="https://suttacentral.net/an9.34/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 9.34</a> (translated by Bhikkhu Sujato):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Ven: Sariputta: “Reverends, extinguishment (Nibbana) is bliss!<br>
  <em>“sukhamidaṃ, āvuso, nibbānaṃ.</em></p>
  
  <p>Ven. Udayi: “But Reverend Sāriputta, what’s blissful about it, since
  nothing is felt?”<br>
  <em>“kiṃ panettha, āvuso sāriputta, sukhaṃ yadettha
  natthi vedayitan”ti?</em></p>
  
  <p>Ven. Sariputta: “The fact that nothing is felt is precisely what’s
  blissful about it.<br>
  <em>“Etadeva khvettha, āvuso, sukhaṃ yadettha natthi
  vedayitaṃ.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Sukha or happiness for an unenlightened person is experienced when encountering pleasant feelings (from the six senses, including thoughts and the intellect) or when encountering the cessation of painful feelings (from the six senses). But for an arahat, sukha or bliss (in this context) is experienced when encountering neutral feelings, no feelings and Nibbana.</p>

<p>Please see <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/31463/471">this answer</a> for commentaries by Nyanaponika Thera. The supporting suttas are <a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn44/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 44</a>, <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn36.5/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 36.5</a> and <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an09/an09.034.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 9.34</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-16T11:44:51.940Z
2020-04-16T11:50:31.910Z
2020-04-16T11:50:31.910Z
ruben2020
<p>You can enjoy looking at a lovely flower, even though you know it will die at some point.  The colour and scent are not diminished by the fact it only lasts a few weeks/months.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-27T14:57:25.687Z
2020-07-27T14:57:25.687Z
ThirdPrize
<p>yes you can care about 4 ''karmas'', with the last one being the intention to get enlightened, ie not getting any birth</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>And of what sort, brahmin is the deed that is neither dark nor bright,
  with a result that is neither dark nor bright, which, itself a deed,
  conduces to the waning of deeds?</p>
  
  <p>In this case, brahmin the intention to abandon this dark deed with its
  dark result, the intention to abandon this bright deed with its bright
  result, the intention to abandon this deed both dark and bright with a
  its result both dark and bright, - this intention is called "the deed
  that is neither dark nor bright, with a result that is neither dark
  nor bright, which, itself a deed, conduces to the waning of deeds."</p>
  
  <p>These four deeds I have myself comprehended, realized and made known."</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://obo.genaud.net/dhamma-vinaya/pts/an/04_fours/an04.232.wood.pts.htm#p1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://obo.genaud.net/dhamma-vinaya/pts/an/04_fours/an04.232.wood.pts.htm#p1</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-16T14:39:22.767Z
2020-03-16T14:39:22.767Z
user12901
<p>Due to impermanance of everything, Are there anything to be happy or sad about ? Even about <strong>dhamma</strong> ?</p>

<p>If something seems like to be happy, there are some reasons to not to be happy.</p>

<ol>
<li>It is impermanant for sure. but also,</li>
<li>That <strong>happiness make sadness in the future (future includes next lives)</strong> (I need to be sure about this sententce, please mention about this in your answer)</li>
</ol>

<p>Are enlightened people happy ? Or neither happy nor sad ?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-16T13:27:46.000Z
both happiness and sadness make only sadness ?
Dum
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-17T01:22:07.643Z
@Dum, check out Ven. Brahm's "Joy at Last" ( ref: https://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha201.htm )
santa100
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-20T08:51:02.300Z
Thanks @santa100. Here is the [video](https://youtu.be/ex5a4a40k6s). "Knowing that there is no happiness in the world is the ultimate happiness" by Ven. Ajahn Brahm
Dum
<enlightenment><dukkha><vedana><sukha>
Are there anything to care about in this universe?
# Are there anything to care about in this universe?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-03-16)

Due to impermanance of everything, Are there anything to be happy or sad about ? Even about **dhamma** ?

If something seems like to be happy, there are some reasons to not to be happy.

1. It is impermanant for sure. but also,
2. That **happiness make sadness in the future (future includes next lives)** (I need to be sure about this sententce, please mention about this in your answer)

Are enlightened people happy ? Or neither happy nor sad ?

**Tags:** enlightenment, dukkha, vedana, sukha

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: both happiness and sadness make only sadness ?  
> **username_1**: @username_0, check out Ven. Brahm's "Joy at Last" ( ref: https://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha201.htm )  
> **username_0**: Thanks @username_1. Here is the [video](https://youtu.be/ex5a4a40k6s). "Knowing that there is no happiness in the world is the ultimate happiness" by Ven. Ajahn Brahm  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-03-16. Score: 1

I think Buddhism recommends you focus on what's virtuous and moral instead of on what's feels pleasurable.

For example, lying, killing, stealing -- are all to be avoided -- and that's important.

Conversely, generosity, kindness, keeping your promises -- that's important too.

There is a word -- [sukha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukha) -- which might be translated "happiness". It's used in contexts like the [Sukhavagga](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.15.budd.html).

I suspect it's a happiness conditioned or caused by an absence not by a presence -- for example not happiness because you have something ("a chocolate bar") but happiness because of not having something ("anger", "greed", "remorse").


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-04-16. Score: 1

> **OP:** Due to impermanance of everything, Are there anything to be happy or sad about ? Even about dhamma ?
>
> Are enlightened people happy ? Or neither happy nor sad ?

From [AN 9.34](https://suttacentral.net/an9.34/en/sujato) (translated by Bhikkhu Sujato):

> Ven: Sariputta: “Reverends, extinguishment (Nibbana) is bliss!  
> *“sukhamidaṃ, āvuso, nibbānaṃ.*
>
> Ven. Udayi: “But Reverend Sāriputta, what’s blissful about it, since
> nothing is felt?”  
> *“kiṃ panettha, āvuso sāriputta, sukhaṃ yadettha
> natthi vedayitan”ti?*
>
> Ven. Sariputta: “The fact that nothing is felt is precisely what’s
> blissful about it.  
> *“Etadeva khvettha, āvuso, sukhaṃ yadettha natthi
> vedayitaṃ.*

Sukha or happiness for an unenlightened person is experienced when encountering pleasant feelings (from the six senses, including thoughts and the intellect) or when encountering the cessation of painful feelings (from the six senses). But for an arahat, sukha or bliss (in this context) is experienced when encountering neutral feelings, no feelings and Nibbana.

Please see [this answer](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/31463/471) for commentaries by Nyanaponika Thera. The supporting suttas are [MN 44](https://suttacentral.net/mn44/en/sujato), [SN 36.5](https://suttacentral.net/sn36.5/en/sujato) and [AN 9.34](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an09/an09.034.than.html).


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-07-27. Score: 0

You can enjoy looking at a lovely flower, even though you know it will die at some point. The colour and scent are not diminished by the fact it only lasts a few weeks/months.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-03-16. Score: 0

yes you can care about 4 ''karmas'', with the last one being the intention to get enlightened, ie not getting any birth

> And of what sort, brahmin is the deed that is neither dark nor bright,
> with a result that is neither dark nor bright, which, itself a deed,
> conduces to the waning of deeds?
>
> In this case, brahmin the intention to abandon this dark deed with its
> dark result, the intention to abandon this bright deed with its bright
> result, the intention to abandon this deed both dark and bright with a
> its result both dark and bright, - this intention is called "the deed
> that is neither dark nor bright, with a result that is neither dark
> nor bright, which, itself a deed, conduces to the waning of deeds."
>
> These four deeds I have myself comprehended, realized and made known."

<https://obo.genaud.net/dhamma-vinaya/pts/an/04_fours/an04.232.wood.pts.htm#p1>


---

