‘Are you happy?’ A simple question to a Buddhist monk revealed a powerful truth about life

Happiness isn't just a word. Well, it's a subjective concept, perceived differently by different people. To you, it could be an expensive vacation on a cruise, but for someone in your neighborhood, it might be as simple as two square meals a day. When Steven Bartlett, a YouTuber, asked a monk if he was happy, his response served as a silent reminder of why we should all be chasing inner peace over temporary thrill or excitement.

"Are you happy?" Barlett asked his guest, Master Shi Heng Yi, Headmaster of Shaolin Temple Europe and author of "Shaolin Spirit." The monk paused for a moment and replied, "I am not searching for happiness. I am searching for peace." He explained the two sides of every situation. "If something can rise, something must fall. If you can attain something, there is something to lose," the monk added. Moving on, the man confessed that although he is satisfied with how things have turned out in life, that doesn't mean he doesn't have hard moments. "For me, what it is that I ultimately look for, I would call it just peace," the monk said. You can watch the full episode on Bartlett's YouTube channel, The Diary Of A CEO (@thediaryofaceo). So, the next time you feel like asking if you are happy, ask yourself if you are at peace first!

They say money can't buy happiness, and sure it can't because luxuries don't guarantee contentment and harmony. Thankfully, this isn't just a random philosophical quote but something people believe in. In fact, when a study across 12 countries asked participants to describe happiness, the majority described it in psychological terms, most notably as a state of harmony. Interestingly, under this category, over 37% of people associated happiness with inner peace. Meanwhile, reacting to the beautiful video, @whitebuffalowakangli commented, "I learned this about 15-20 years ago. Happiness is a fickle emotion that can come and go, but having internal peace is beyond the feeling of happiness, and once you get there, so many things that used to bother you no longer do; they actually seem silly, and you laugh to yourself that something like that even made you emotional." @dizzyhippysoul said, "So true. Love my peace. If a man or anyone disturbs my peace, I've learned to end it quickly. Always protect your peace."

@im-me-yes-i-am confessed, "I love hearing this man speak so much, as he just makes sense of everything he speaks about, and I'm like, 'He really gets it.' I thought like him for nearly all of my adult life and felt like nobody got me. So cool, so cool." Echoing the sentiments, @down2first said, "I found it the hard way, but at 25 years of age I finally understood it and implemented it into my life; now I can say, 'I know myself.'" @pbutterreesegaming confessed, "Honestly, hearing a monk say he has had hard moments really resonated with me. I don't know why. I’ve never really heard a monk speak about having hard moments because they are all just trying to find balance and peace. Hard moments are universal. No matter what kind of life you live. It’s human."

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