Having gained a PhD degree in molecular genetics, Matthieu Ricard changed his path from science to become a
The answer is, of course, that the monks have worked very hard to become happy, peaceful people. They spend hours a day meditating and quieting the mind, and they also work hard to maintain a philosophy of compassion for all human beings.
What turns a devout scientist into Buddhist monk? Born in France in 1946, Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk who left a career in cellular genetics to study Buddhism and live a largely monastic life in the Himalayas over 45 years ago.
Among 146 countries ranked by the report, Afghanistan scores the lowest point of 2.523 and was ranked as the least 'happy' country in the world in 2022.
The unhappiest countries in the world
This year, the lowest-scoring country in the World Happiness Report is war-torn Afghanistan for another year running. Afghanistan's low life expectancy rate, paired with low gross domestic product rates per capita are the key reasons for its low ranking.
From what I gather by looking at schedules of different monasteries and sesshins and the few books I have read on Buddhism, it seems that monk sleep from 5 to 7 hours but very rarely did I see the usually recommended 8 hours. Most monks wake up early and meditate for 1 to 3 hours and do the same at night.
Monks, to be sure, must embody these qualities even more than ordinary individuals; and undoubtedly, the ability to overcome anger in everyday life is one of the hallmarks of a Buddhist monk. An angry monk, on the other hand, is inherently in the wrong.
These preliminary results confirm the existence of a survival advantage for nuns and monks compared to the total population, an advantage that is more evident if the survival is considered on a longer period. This advantage is generally larger for monks compared to nuns.
Couples who have strong communication skills, mutual respect, and a deep emotional connection tend to be happier in their marriages than those who do not. Additionally, individuals who are naturally more optimistic and have a positive outlook on life may find it easier to maintain a happy marriage.
Hang out with happy people.
It turns out that feelings can be transferred from one person to another, and the more we share experiences with one another, the more our emotions and behaviors become synchronized. One secret to long-term happiness is surrounding yourself with others who also have a happy mindset.
According to many researchers, strong social relationships are the most important contributor to enduring happiness for most people. Those who are happiest generally devote a great amount of time to their family and friends. They nurture and enjoy those relationships.
On first impression, Mingyur Rinpoche seemed to have everything well set up for a high profile career as a globe-trotting meditation teacher in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
Matthieu Ricard, 69, is a Tibetan Buddhist monk originally from France who has been called "the world's happiest man."
Figures of the Laughing Buddha at the Salar Jung Museum are popular with the visitors. According to Chinese tradition, 'Budai' was an eccentric Chinese Zen monk who lived during the later Liang dynasty (907-923 AD) of China. He was a native of Fenghua and his Buddhist name was Qieci (Chinese : Pinyin).
One of the five precepts these monks are supposed to adhere to is to abstain from intoxicants that cloud the mind, meaning that getting drunk is not allowed.
A number of monks have over the years given a variety of excuses why alcohol is not a problem, likening it to medicine or saying it is permissible if one drinks only 'just a little bit', or 'as long as you don't get drunk'. Many Buddhists would disagree, but the matter is not as clear-cut as we might suspect.
The practice of silence is observed during different parts of the day; practitioners talk when they need to but maintain a sense of silence or a sense of prayer when talking. The rules of silence apply to both vowed practitioners and non-vowed guests.
Traditionally, those alms are calorie-rich foods, either processed or homemade – with the Buddhist faithful wanting to offer something of high value and taste. The monks are also forbidden from eating anything after 12 p.m., having only one or two meals a day between the hours of 6 a.m. and noon.
Services. The daily round of services usually commenced with Matins at midnight, Lauds at daybreak, and Prime at about 6.00am. Terce, Sext, and None were said before dinner and Vespers at 6.00pm. The monks retired to bed at about 8.00pm in winter and 9.00pm in summer.
4.00 am - The monks wake up and meditate for one hour, followed by one hour of chanting. 6.00 am - The monks walk barefoot around the neighbourhood while the local people make merit by offering them food. 8.00 am - Returning to the temple, the monks sit together to eat breakfast, then make a blessing for world peace.
Happiness is U-shaped – it declines and bottoms out in your 40s, so report countless studies, until it starts to inch its way up again in the 50s. This is a remarkably consistent finding, across countries and cultures.
1. Finland: For the sixth year in a row, Finland is the world's happiest country, according to the World Happiness Report.
War-torn Afghanistan and Lebanon remain the two unhappiest countries in the survey, with average life evaluations more than five points lower (on a scale running from 0 to 10) than in the ten happiest countries.