How We Live

Learning How To Live

Finding true happiness and achieving your personal goals in today's perplexing world is never easy. All of us are learning how to live, training to improve our selves, our relationships and our spiritual understanding. The Happy Science approach is to provide specific and practical insights, combined with tips and guidelines for putting those insights to work day by day.

We can teach you how to use meditation, study, and visualization to solve problems, and learn better ways to approach issues in your daily life, work, and relationships. By maintaining a consistently positive outlook, you can overcome obstacles to achieving your dreams.

“When people are in the depths of despair or tired of living, they tend to complain, “why does my life have to be so miserable?” However, if they were to change their perspective and adopt a different viewpoint, for instance, “how would it be if I were to regard my life as a series of test questions to be worked on?” a completely different scenario would unfold in front of them. People tend to want to be given answers to problems but this attitude is not right. If you were told that your life was a workbook of problems, or a series of test questions, what kind of attitude would you have?

Just imagine that each person is given a workbook of problems, and the thickness of the workbooks varies from person to person. While one is given a workbook of 20 pages and is destined to leave this world at the age of twenty, another person who will die at fifty is given a 50 page workbook. There are other workbooks of 70 and 80 pages. On the cover of each workbook is written, “The Workbook of Life,” and underneath is the subtitle, which is the name of the person.

On opening the first page, you find a description of the environment you were born into. As you turn the pages, you find that on each page the problems, the tests you faced at age two, three, four and so on are described. At the age of 18, for example, on the corresponding page, you find a question in the workbook about entering university; at age 22, a question about getting a job; at age 27, a question about getting married, and at age 35, a question about running a business, or a question about harmonious family relationships. The book is filled with these kinds of challenges and on every single page without exception, there is some test question. Each page represents a year of your life and there is not a single page that does not contain at least one new challenge. In this way, your whole life has been recorded in the form of a workbook.

If this workbook is for you to work with, then you must try to solve each problem yourself to develop your own strength. When you have finished solving all of life’s problems, that is to say when you leave this world, you will receive the answers. Only when you return to the heavenly world will you know how you have scored.

If we were to adopt this perspective, our attitude to life would certainly change. Sometimes you may wonder why you have to experience a particular difficulty but if you have been given a serious problem, it means that the workbook you have been given is advanced level, and you have been recognized to have sufficient ability to solve tough problems. If a junior high school student were to receive an elementary level workbook, he or she would not be challenged. If a college student were handed a high-school level workbook, he or she would consider it too easy. The workbook given to each person is always appropriate to his or her level.

If you look at your own life and ask, “why am I constantly facing serious problems?” I would advise you to think like this. “Well, it seems that Heaven has high expectations of me. I am evidently expected to solve fairly difficult problems in this life, which means I will develop strength through solving them.” Whatever age you are now, you will be looking at a particular page of your workbook and there will be specific problems written on that page. You will now be tackling these problems, and you should endeavor to solve them by analyzing them in a logical way, just as if you were solving geometry questions.

How can you solve your problems? There are actually clues to help you.”

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Harmonizing Relationships

Do you have trouble with love and relationships?

Check to see whether you have been focusing on shortcomings or what people lack. See if you are often blaming them.

Over the last week, how many wonderful points did you find in him or her? How much gratitude did you express for things he or she did for you? How much help did you offer so that the person can grow or achieve success?

People tend to think that they will be happy if they receive love or if someone does something for them. But that is a life of taking, and it leads to suffering. If you summon up your courage and choose a life of giving, your sufferings disappear. Gradually, you feel happy as you see other people’s happy faces. “The more you give, the more you are given.” True love is a love that gives.

Get Out of Depression

Do you often feel cold and depressed?

If your heart is feeling cold or down, try counting the blessings you have received from Buddha.

It could be small things... The sun through your bedroom window, a nice walk to work.

A family and children who love you. Friends, a job and a home. Health and some extra time to think and meditate.

Every day is a new day full of hope. Realizing the infinite blessing that is given to every person and knowing that you are given life -- this is the starting point of faith. Take even 5 minutes of your day to attune your mind to Buddha’s compassionate heart.

Creating Happy Homes

Is your home filled with bickering and harsh words?

Words create heaven or hell in the home. It is possible to generate disharmony, conflict, and breakup ... or a peaceful and loving haven. All based on the words you choose.

Imagine that today is the last day of your life.

What words will you use with your spouse?

Your children?

Your friends?

Your soul evolves by making an effort to create happiness in the environment you are given.

Happy Science recommends people to practice self-reflection daily. Find a quiet time each day, even if it is just 5 minutes, and reflect on what words and thoughts you have used throughout the day.

Finding Your Life Mission

Do you feel lost and without direction?

For what purpose are you trying to improve yourself?

By fulfilling that purpose, what kind of happiness can you bring to earth?

There's nothing wrong with working to become prosperous. But if you work only for your self, you will not make spiritual progress. Happy Science defines “progress” as increasing the number of people who wish to contribute and make society prosperous, as they themselves become more prosperous.