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Our Appointment with Life
Extreme poverty and extreme wealth both bring suffering; true happiness arises when we release our “cows”—the attachments we believe are necessary for joy. Monks in the time of the Buddha, a distressed farmer free of cows, and Bhaddiya’s ex-governor-turned-monk story all show that without possessions to lose, fear and worry fall away.
Wealth itself isn’t the enemy: Anāthapiṇḍika remained joyful by sharing generously and practising the Dharma, and today business leaders, police officers, actors and healthcare professionals rediscover peace through retreats that root them in the only moment when we can truly live—the present.
The talk offers four concrete exercises for freedom and happiness:
- Mindful breathing to reunite body and mind
- Mindful walking to stop running and arrive in the here and now
- Mindful eating to nourish ourselves with every bite
- Mindful looking to heal the past and plan for the future
