Good health and inner peace are crucial. While the search for happiness frequently directs us towards external markers of success like wealth and status, it’s health and peace that are commonly missing in today’s society. I often say, “The greatest assets in life are a healthy body and mind, and the best investment one can make is in self-cultivation.”
康宁，即身体健康，内心安宁，这点非常重要。虽然人人都在追求幸福，但我们的追求往往偏向外在的财富和地位，而康宁是现代人普遍缺乏的。我经常说：“身心健康是人生的第一财富，修身养性是人生最有价值的投资。”
Without these, we are akin to a leaky ship; no matter the grandeur of its decorations, they hold little value. For someone bedridden and suffering from chronic illnesses, life may seem more daunting than death. In such cases, how can wealth and titles bring us happiness? A compromised mental state poses even greater challenges. Many people today navigate a pervasive sense of unrest and chaos.
如果没有健康的身心，就像一艘四处漏水的破船，无论装饰得多么华丽，也没有多少意义。如果没有健康的身体，整日缠绵病榻，生不如死，即使再富有，地位再高，有幸福可言吗？没有健康的心灵更是麻烦。现代人最大的特点，就是浮躁、混乱、不得安宁。
This sentiment is effectively captured in the lyrics of a Chinese pop song: “I’ve been feeling quite upset lately, quite upset indeed.” Such words mirror the extensive unease felt by many. Derived from Buddhism, the term fan-nao – with fan signifying disturbance and nao denoting unrest – encapsulates the factors that cloud and disrupt inner peace.
曾经有首流行歌曲，叫“最近有点烦，有点烦，有点烦……”这个无处不在的“烦”，正是很多人的真实写照。其实，“烦恼”一词就来自佛教。烦是扰的意思，恼是乱的意思，烦恼就是扰乱内心安宁的因素。一旦陷入烦恼和负面情绪时，幸福就被自动屏蔽了。
Given that happiness is an emotional state, it is highly susceptible to being overshadowed by afflictions and negativity. Neither wealth nor prestige can spawn joy when tinged with such disturbances. True happiness, effortless and unforced like the cloudless sky, is attainable only when the mind is liberated from afflictions. Thus, dispelling these afflictions is crucial for attaining a state of complete tranquility and, consequently, genuine happiness.
因为幸福是一种感觉，当内心被烦恼占据，幸福就没有立足之地了。哪怕你拥有别人艳羡的富贵荣华，也不会带来幸福感。因为在你心中，它们都被烦恼打上了烙印。只有当内心没有烦恼，像一片无云晴空时，幸福才会不请而至。所以，解除烦恼才能身心自在，这是幸福的重要前提。
摘自《心灵创造幸福》
版权所有：济群法师
Excerpted from:
Happiness Comes from the Mind
by Master Jiqun
