How to be happy youtube Videos

Wow! So true and liberating :) Thank you for this!

+Naropa Ananda Thank you. Wishing you only well.

+JAKE AWAKE  As long as you are happy with your aspirations, that's what matters.  Have a good journey.... Metta

+Naropa Ananda  I have had time time think and I now believe he is doing more good than bad and that is all that counts.

"He does seem to enjoy all the attention he gets from his roles." In this situation perhaps he should re-evaluate hi motive and go back to the isolation of meditation..?

Thanks Jake, I try to be.

+Tommy Davies  Be well.

Yeah dude I got where you were at when i read your comment, he has his place that's for sure.

+Tommy Davies I agree with you. You can see my whole view above. But it was him that got me started in Buddhism in the first place.I thank him for that.

Yep the scanning the room comment was nit-picking in retrospect. I am wholeheartedly an admirer of his straightforward no nonsense approach as it shows a lack of pretence or false meekness that many gurus display, and i think its important in Buddhism to be that way, and is entirely appropriate, I just become unsure of him at times, like I said he seems a confused or a bit caught up in the mire of duality, maybe I notice it in my own self, but overall his talks have raised my spirits and inspired me into practicing metta towards myself without any guilt about doing it.He is controversial and intense in comparison to traditional teachers, and maybe we need someone like him to 'shake the nest up' a little bit and bring it to the western lay people in his unique and very open and honest style.So overall, as a monk I see him as a bit rough around the edges, but as a force that works to bring buddhism to the masses i believe his presence on the world stage is a very positive thing, it could just be that all the mixing with westerners and media involvement may have disturbed his own Path, but thats an honourable sacrifice to make, if i'm anywhere near accurate in that assessment, thanks for replying.

+Tommy Davies It's funny how different our perceptions of the same person can be. What I like about him the most is what you called the "no nonsense approach". I noticed how he rarely has to correct or explain himself, rarely loses the thread, his talks just flow, which for me was always a sign that he has no agenda and must actually have pretty good meditations himself.I'll have to look for the "scanning the room" thing you're talking about next time I watch his talk. I never noticed it. But if it happens, wouldn't it be pretty natural? I mean the audience are the most important part of any talk. What's a joke worth if people don't get it? Maybe he checks their reactions to adjust his future talks if necessary.

Personally I see him in the simplest terms as part good part fettered, he seems a bit confused about how to present himself, what to say, when not to crack a joke or be a bit more sensible, etc.

I see what you mean, his talks are a third story time, third comedy hour and a third real dhamma wisdom, and I noticed he scans the room after telling a joke as if to check if it went down well, and he does seem a bit showman and i wonder if he got most of his wisdom via texts etc as opposed to gaining it through meditative contemplation (thats just a feeling i get and based on no evidence) his talks have their place, they cheer me up anyway, and inspired me to start meditating on metta towards myself as compassion needs to start inside us to be kind to others. I also like his no nonsense, direct approach and find him kind of endearing, but i know what you're saying there.

+rurzan  Wishing you the best. I'm not going on with this. 

Wondering what?

+rurzan  Well, you will have to keep wondering. I have watched most of his videos and remember most of what he says.

+JAKE AWAKE I'm still trying to understand what you think is wrong with his behaviour. I googled images for "Ajahn Brahm". He gets some "special treatment", like any guest. He gets a central place in a room, like any person giving a talk. People get to take photographs with him, I remember him saying something like "I don't understand this, I'm old and fat, but if it makes people happy...". And yes he is famous, because he's a good teacher. If he decided to keep his helpful talks away from the public just to avoid popularity, would it be better?

+Maciej C I would enjoy all the special treatment also.

I think he's just happy :)

+rurzan  I'm sure another person does it for Ajahn Brahm. I do know other monks in robes managing a facebook account, a Google plus account and a twitter account! One was also using these to suggest donations  for new video equipment! Clearly, this must be breaking the precepts.

+JAKE AWAKE Does Ajahn Brahm actually manage a YouTube account? I always thought somebody uploads those videos for him.

+t0mme1981  I agree with you. His talks have inspired me. You are wise to notice the obvious. I noticed another monk doing his own youtube channel. While it is good to share the Dharma. I thought he could be breaking his precepts by using the channel because he will be exposed to 'entertainment' in the form of adverts etc. We have to make our own way and there is some good stuff around. We just need not fall into the trap of believing everything we hear. Wishing you well.

Jake, I too cannot reconcile Brahm's 'celebrity' status and the way he flies all over the World with his teachings. I do enjoy his talks, but to maintain his credibility he should keep a photo of Bono handy :-)

+rurzan  Enjoy the journey. Remember, anything that feels funny...or strange should be challenged. Only you can work all this out and know what is right just for you.Washing you peace and happiness.

Haha no! I'm only on my way, still discovering. And I have listened to a few talks by Tolle and he says really similar things to what Brahm says, I like them both, just discovered Brahm earlier.

+rurzan If you have discovered "true Reality" through Brahm, I am Happy for you.However as "True & Reality" are words defined differently by different people it might be interesting for you to now listen to a talk by Tolle and see whether the Reality discovered by you and Tolle are the same

+Gayan Perera "The unique discovery of the Buddha is the method for self realization of the "true Reality"  (free of the distortions caused by the 5 senses) and the method to use "that wisdom" for liberation. The Buddha has taught us how to do it ourselves."After half a year of listening to Ajahn Brahm's talks, this is exactly what I got from them. So it would seem that he IS actually teaching the right thing.

+Gayan Perera  That is true and they do work. But the chat is about Brahm and the way he is teaching it.

+rurzan for Paragraph 2 read //www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.026.than.html . If you are short of time, search for the word "dissatisfied " and read what precedes that. Or search for the word "abiding" in //www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.008.nypo.htmlFor paragraph 3 read //www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.125.than.html  and search for "good will"The unique discovery of the Buddha is the method for self realization of the "true Reality"  (free of the distortions caused by the 5 senses) and the method to use "that wisdom" for liberation. The Buddha has taught us how to do it ourselves.

Thanks for your note.

+Gayan Perera Could you elaborate? Continue what you wrote in the second and third paragraphs of your last comment? What is it, in essence, that Buddha discovered, which other religions and philosophies (and Ajahn Brahm's teachings) lack?

+rurzan Thanks Rurzan for your detailed reply and I am happy if you have found what you have been looking for.Just for the record however, the relax and let go meditation that leads to what Brahm calls Jhana is pure Hindu meditation. These techniques had existed in India for eons before the Buddha. The Buddha to be also had learnt them upto the very highest 8th level but walked away from them with disappointment as  that was not the way to go.Similarly Compassion was and still is the core teaching of Jainism, a religion that was well established when the Buddha to be started his search. This deluded form of compassion taught by Brahm cannot lead anyone to the Buddhist Goal. Compassion in Buddhism arises naturally as a fruit of the Buddhist path. Not the other way around. Most good Hindu Swamis are in the USA with thousands of followers and making lots of money. I don't think any charismatic Hindu Swamis are there in Australia. That's the vacuum that Brahm is filling. The problem is, Brahm calls it Buddhism !

+Gayan Perera There are many so called "qualified therapists" in modern world. I prefer the actual ability to help rather than qualifications.Even if Brahm is twisting the original teachings a bit (which I'm not sure he does, I'm just relating to what you said), he teaches really well how to relax and let go. This is the most important first step for a typical, stressed person. Once you know how to do that, you can go meditate, with time you begin to see things more clearly, you see life as it is and you don't need to believe what anybody says - you can see for yourself. This is what Ajahn Brahm repeats in some of his talks: he doesn't ask you to believe anything. He shows you how to relax, meditate, and you can try it yourself and see what happens. I think this is the "permanent solution" you're missing here. It comes from within you, not from him.Again, he's not perfect. But I honestly don't see the evil that you see in him. I think one would have to try really hard to interpret the things he says in a bad way; picking maybe 1% of what he says and interpreting it in a pessimistic way, ang ignoring the 99% of undoubtedly positive stuff he says. I always considered myself a good and compassionate person, but after half a year of listening to his talks, I found even more compassion and joy in myself. I guess one finds in his talks exactly what one is looking for.

+rurzan Hi again Rurzan. With your permission I like to explain a little more using your reply above. The Buddha's teaching is NOT about understanding a MYSELF     (The CAPS are not used here for yelling. Just for emphasizing words that may otherwise get missed out)    and then accepting that Myself with happiness or joy. That is rationalization or fatalism or layman-ism. That's a non durable temporary fix.What we call Myself is in reality a collection of self definitions. All such definitions are our own foolish and ignorant definitions. The Buddha's teaching is for  escaping from all such definitions. Not about HAPPILY clinging onto them as recommended by Brahm. The escape from the Self created by ourselves is the freedom of Nibbana.My initial post was not about whether Brahm is popular, loved or seen as useful by lots of people. My post was about the damage caused to Buddhism by Brahm presenting his own  'Mickey mouse wisdom' as the teachings of the Buddha.Compared to Dr Phil who is popular, helps thousands, is professionally qualified and professionally trained, Brahm if defined, has to be defined as a Quack Therapist. Brahm does not have the required qualifications nor the training to be a therapist. But that's what people are going to him for and that's what he is pretending to do.  It's a disgrace that this is happening under the name of Theravada Buddhism.For credibility and acceptance Brahm exploits the Buddhist robe and his Thai Buddhist name. The so called Cambridge qualifications are supposed to be on some science and therefore irrelevant for counseling or therapy. But Brahm quite often feels compelled to mention this Cambridge connection. May be trying to create false credibility. I suppose no one has checked up on his Cambridge qualification and it may be a good thing to leave that can unopened.

+JAKE AWAKE Jake, the first thing you said is "I think this guy is great. I have learnt a great deal about MYSELF from this guy", and me and probably many other people can surely say the same, and this is what matters the most. When I tell my friends that I discovered meditation and tell them about some buddhist monk I'm listening to on YouTube, they get weird ideas. And surely many talks by other teachers are too raw, serious, or full of wise words that mean nothing to an average person. I'm from Poland, us westerners get bored easily. Ajahn Brahm talks in a way that gets our attention, he's funny and down to Earth, puts the wisdom of buddhism in simple words that we can understand.If you're really good at something, you get famous. There's nothing you can do about it. If you want to get your message to many people, you get on TV. If Buddha lived today and went on TV, wouldn't you like him to be escorted by the police? Eckhart Tolle is ten times more a celebrity than Brahm. Honestly, after having watched many videos of Ajahn Brahm, I can say one thing: he's not perfect. Nobody is. But still he's more rational and down to earth 99% of the time than most of the people I've heard. English is not my first language so I don't know what the opposite to "full of shit" would be, but I think Brahm would be just that.

+Gayan Perera  Thanks for your note. Actually, unlike many others looking at this path, I have never agreed that you need to sit in a certain way or even be alone in a room to meditate. I do it in many places and at ease.I think when I said about celebrity and consumerism I was feeling let down because before this point, Brahm had just been doing his talks and I was finding some peace there. But when one searches further.... Today I have seen him having a debate over science, looking more like the teacher he used to be, and looking like a 'know it all' and then this 'celebrity' looking video.In other places he mentions his police escort and going on TV etc. This is miles away from a humble monk. Yet, he is happy to play at being a humble monk when he wishes.

+JAKE AWAKE  Thanks Jake for the comment. Undoubtedly Brahm plays the role of a celebrity entertainer / do-gooder adviser. However others such as Dr. Phil and Oprah do their business and promote their celebrity careers without harming the reputation of Buddhism. Even Eckhart Tolle and Wayne Dyer who virtually teach real Buddhism, do so without abusing or taking undue advantage of the popularity of Buddhism.  Brahm on the other hand is touting his own shallow personal views surreptitiously as a substitute for the Buddha's Noble teaching. If you are seeking the escape you mention, the Buddha's teaching is truly the place to look for that. Once you discover that Noble Truth there will be no need to sit cross-legged in meditation or to run away from anything. Peace will be with you even in the midst of celebrities or consumerism. Try Eckhart Tolle and see whether you like his talks. Good luck with your discovery.

+Karen Selig by reading what others are saying about this WONDERFUL SPIRITUAL BENG bring so joy in my heart.THEY ARE MY FAMILY TOO,AND IT MAKE ME FEEL GOOD BECAUSE I KNOW WAYNE DYER DREAM IS COMING TRUE A BETTER HUMAN RACE, A BETTER SOCIETY A BETTER LOVING HUMAN RACE, WITH NO SKIN COLORS OR DIFFERENT RACES OR HOMELESSNESS,OR HUNGRY IN WAYNE DYER'S NEW HUMAN SOCIETY..

+HardRokMiner THANK- YOU),ANYONE THAT FOLLOWS his teaching is my family of this universe.

+lisa dunthorne SO DO I

Judi Grace StoryCorps.

+Tao Ming Wow! Some very powerful knowledge right here. Thanks a lot for this, man!

I don't know

Are you okay ?

Just say fuck it , be happy with yourself , ignore what make you not happy . Believe in your self more , smile , there's always something to be happy and grateful for

+Ronn Matula I think I can live just fine being miserable. I don't think I could bear the weight of happiness.

Same to me

+Ronn Matula I understand you. Often in my life I enter in that comfort zone , which is good to have when it is needed time to time , but that's not the zone someone should stay longer than a couple of weeks or months. It's scary and difficult to break that zone , but the moment you do it you realize you made the right decision. A feeling of relieve is what you will get. Just do different small things daily and you will get the hand of it. Hope you have a great day.

what?

hes sober :)

holy shit, I saw so much of myself reflected in this vid, awesome vid this needs more views

Great speech. :)

Amazing video

& By vacation i mean buy an island, private.

+Michael Gergets You are right. I was just going to post this, but it is often confused.(from wikipedia)The term "Hobson's choice" is often misused to mean a false illusion of choice, but it is not a choice between two equivalent options, which is a Morton's fork, nor is it a choice between two undesirable options, which is a dilemma. Hobson's choice is one between something or nothing.

what? why would his friends do that? unless you mean the comments

+sluggdiddy capitalism is the greater good, leftarded child

It isn't right wing bullshit. It's a different perspective than yours. There is some truth to what you say, but you are out of your mind if you don't think capitalism and selfish desires drive innovation and invention. Colin was right when he said everything in that room arose out of selfishness. Superman wasn't invented due to government subsidies. To be honest, your post smells of left wing bullshit.

+chavo2k7 This is reminiscent of the Friends episode where Joey bets Phoebe cannot find a selfless good deed...The comment definitely wasn't selfless, in fact it was a selfish act. People don't write comments hoping no one sees it. This generation is purely about up-votes and likes. Having said that, @NikeMan4Life may be a selfless guy, however his comment was not.

+chavo2k7Yes. Yes they would.

+NikeMan4life would a truly selfless person even post this?

Return it to Ali

it's Cecil the lion. he lived in a protected environment and was murdered by a man I think he was a dentist from Florida. the man killed Cecil illegally. it's been all over the new's. you should Google it. it was horrible. animal poaching is disgusting.

African lion killed for senselessly by a white dentist.

He was a lion who was being watched because it was special but some jerk killed him

+kimberly medina his name is ali* not jali

+Andrew Chan i agree with you Yousef can't stop talking

My pleasure +Michael Andersen We all do it, it's part of being human - MIKE :-)

Hey +Vernon Nash Fancy seeing you here Sir Nash - MELISSA ( for Mike )

Search and you'll find it +Kieron Jackson :-) And thanks for sharing... it really helps.

Already shared and hopefully got you some more followers from some Facebook groups I am in. I have had a few mesages from people who feel the same as I do about my photography. I just need to find the free time and impetuous.  

My pleasure +Kieron Jackson happy it helped. Please help me make more like it by sharing it with other photographers on Forums, Facebook etc. Clicking the Thumbs Up button helps too.. :-)

Thank you +Sam Santana Everything we do begins with our thoughts.