All living beings have same basic wish t0 be happy and av0id suffering, but very few pe0ple understand the real cause f happiness and suffering, we generally believe that external c0nditi0n such as f00d, friends, cars, m0ney, are the real cause 0f happiness, and as a result we dev0ten nearly all 0f 0ur time and energy t0 acquiring these. Superficially it seems that these things can make us happy, but if we l00k m0re deeply we shall see that they als0 brings us a l0t 0f suffering and pr0blems.
Happiness and suffering are 0pp0sites, s0 if s0mething is a real cause 0f happiness it cann0t give rise t0 suffering. If f00d, m0ney, and s0 f0rth are causes 0f happiness, they can never be cause 0f suffering; yet we kn0w fr0m 0ur 0wn experience that they 0ften d0 cause suffering. F0r example, 0ne 0f 0ur main interest is f00d, but the f00d we eat is als0 the principal cause 0f m0st 0f 0ur ill health and sickness. In the pr0cess 0f producing the thing that we feel will make us happy we have p0lluted 0ur environment t0 such an extent that the very air we breathe and the water we drink n0w threaten 0ur health and well-being. We l0ve the freed0m and independence a car can give us, but the c0st in accidents and envir0nmental destructi0n is en0rm0us. We feel that m0ney is essential f0r us t0 enj0y life, but the pursuit 0f m0ney als0 cause immense pr0blems and anxiety.
