Hi Davi Miller,

Great thought and thank you for asking me. I’ve thought a bit about the Buddhist path to happiness — the idea of removing one’s yearnings — and I’ve found one pro and two cons thus far:

(I’m not an expert in Buddhism, so please overlook any reductionisms)

Pro — Happiness comes from an internal configuration, not an external ‘curation’ of one’s circumstances. Buddha hit this nail on the head. I strive to be grateful, pray, and reflect on how blessed I am and this certainly helps generate feelings of happiness.

Con — Buddhism places the locus of external control outside of oneself and in the hands of the universe, allowing one to be “happy” regardless of what the universe exacts. To me, this disarms one’s personal agency. People are creators, movers, and reformers based on our perspectives and values. We seek to impact the world, but if the outcome is always, “I’m at peace” then there is no real cost. There must be a cost, a sacrifice, a pain, to make a true impact in the world. I believe there’s a healthy tension between “going with the flow” and creating one’s flow. Buddhism seems to encourage an intellectual attitude of passivity because ultimately we are not in control.

Con 2 — I just (finally) read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and two counter-Buddhist principles stick out. The importance of a “burning desire” and a “definiteness of purpose.” These are the first two steps in Hill’s philosophy of achieving greatness (ambition). Yet Buddhism, by removing yearnings, excludes this foundation — a burning desire, and without which will lead to an indefiniteness of purpose, a.k.a. meaninglessness. The idea of merely ‘continuing’ sounds Nihilistic and ineffectual. While true, this is also what makes many people unhappy, myself included. The solution, according to Hill’s philosophy, is to start with a burning desire. But, based on my limited knowledge, Buddhism seeks to remove burning desires, which is why I find it to be incomplete.

In my mind, there is a tension between two opposing poles: intensely pursuing a passion (causing suffering) and mindfully resting in gratitude (causing passivity). It’s not one or the other, it’s in between.