Searching for Happiness

I want to have a happy life, yet confronted with illness, old age, and death, suffering is inevitable.
I want to have a happy life, yet modern science confirms that happiness is short-lived, followed by a craving for its return.  Dissatisfaction is inevitable.
Are we (Am I) condemned to a life of fear and emptiness?
Some people respond by looking for the "Meaning of Life."  I believe there is no such thing.  Others narrowly define happiness as the "Absence of Pain."  I  find no appeal in this approach.  More to my liking is Buddha practical manual for overcoming Dukkha (Suffering, Impermanence).  I started to follow his teachings, and one day I will continue.  Meditation is probably the most robust approach to a better life, but the path is long.  However, while looking, I may have stumbled on a shortcut.  The shortcut does only a partial job, but I hope it does not conflict with Buddha's path.   I realized that by changing the object of my search from Happiness to Contentment, I could reduce (not eliminate) suffering, and dissatisfaction.

To me, striving for contentment, means, building it into my life.  I believe that a stable platform of contentment will fortify me against the inevitable suffering.  Furthermore, in my experience, the building process itself, is a source of challenging fun.  Although contentment will be achieved gradually, I recognized three distinct levels which form a hierarchy of contentment.

1. Comfort
2. Passion
3. Creativity

Comfort 
Comfort is the lowest level I would aim for.  Below that level, one is probably struggling with more urgent problems than achieving happiness.  It is supported by three pillars:

• Healthy Body
• Active Mind
• Love and Friendship

These pillars do not occur on their own.  Their construction requires intent, planning, and effort of execution.  Even after their construction, they require continuous upkeep and improvement.  However, once in place, they support a platform of resilience that will aid in enduring any hardship.  Not all three need to be of equal strength.  Life will inevitably weaken one or the other, but the other two will carry the weight until it can be rebuilt.  Even though this is the basic level, I would not mind spending the rest of my life in that state.

Passion
Passion is the second tier in the contentment hierarchy.  It adds content and meaning, but I do not expect it to provide the "Meaning of Life".  It is a happy distraction from fear and craving.  It too requires the building of foundations, of which, I counted two

• Talent
• Dedication

Both talent and dedication are required for developing a passion, and they are both within us.  We are all born with some talents, and it is our job to find the one that gives us joy,  Once found, dedication is required to develop it. While at first, dedication may seem like a chore, it becomes easier as we progress, until it turns into a passion.  I consider dedication as the parallel effort to meditation.  Passion is not the equivalent of striving for excellence.  The latter implies a high level of competitiveness which, while not contrary, is not necessary for my definition of passion.

Creativity
At the highest level of the hierarchy stands creativity.  Unfortunately, I do not have the personal experience, nor the required research, to describe the path to get there.  I am sure though, that it requires Passion.

Note
This hierarchy is an initial, and probably temporary model.  I am not even sure if at applies to others.  I hope to draw on you (the reader) to critique, offer edits, and allow me to refine this approach.

Sleeping With Monkeys

Location:
Brazil, Amazonas Province, Palmari Community,  a short hike into the primary forest.

♫ Somewhere over the forest, way up high,
sits a treetop platform, there we will spend the nigh(t)

But how do we get up there?

Not to worry:  Gear and rope, a short lesson, and you are ready.

Really?

Up you go
    Sit
    Pull feet up
    Stand, pull harness up 
Repeat 200 times

Easy to say!

Almost there...

We made it

Almost gave up

Time to enjoy the view.

A night visitor.  A porcupine seeking salt.

Did not sleep much.  Too cold.

Woke up to monkey howls, and an Amazon Sunrise

Coming down.

A zip line, then rappelle

Kilometer 17 (A Bora village)

"I am the boss here!  Who are you?"

She was not an amazon, but we were deep in the Amazon forest, and she carried a machete.

Kobi and I, walked a long way to get here, and we were not ready to turn back.

We quickly resolved the mutual misunderstandings, and she escorted us to the maloca (The community central hut)













                   
"Pease sit down" said Henry, her son.

The maloca was nice an cool.

Henry partook of some mambe, and proceeded to tell his family's story.

Twenty years ago, his mother Aurelia, established this community. 

Living here are:

• Five sons (and family)
• A brother
• An ex-husband
• A boyfriend.

(She was the boss) 




He talked about mambe.


The Bora use it to sharpen the senses and enhance their connection to nature.

To prepare it, Coca leaves are roasted...

combined with the ash of another plant...

and filtered, to form a very fine powder.

Henry invited us to try it.
First, we smeared a dab of concentrated tobacco juice on our tongue: It was bitter.
Then, we placed a teaspoon of mambe powder in our cheek. (The regular quantity is a heaped tablespoon).

The fine powder floated in my mouth, and landed on my throat, causing sharp irritation and a feeling of suffocation.  Fortunately, a gulp of water cleared the discomfort.  With repetition, my skill improved, and I could mambe larger quantities without distress. 

My tongue and lips grew numb, yet my fatigue disappeared, and I became a more active participant in the conversation.  I don't know about the connection to nature.

Lunch was served in Aurelia's kitchen,














The kitchen is the gathering place for the community women.  (The maloca is for men)

(Hiding, is Kobi's adopted granddaughter.)

Left: Unfamiliar tropical fruit juice
On the plate:
    Fish in banana leaves
    Fried yucca
    Casabe (Yucca bread)
Right:  Farini (Ground yucca)

Despite the mambe, our appetite was not affected.

I love yucca!



For dessert, we walked outside, picked a ripe pineapple, smashed it into a tree trunk, and dipped our fingers into its honey-sweet flesh.

To Health. Part 1: Vigorous Exercise

Yael wrote, asking for details of my health habits.  I made the assumption that others may be interested too, and I am responding here, and possibly some following, posts.

Exercise, is first on my "To Health" list, not because it is easy (although I do enjoy it), but because it is so effective.  Several studies have shown that exercise mitigates the damage of many lifestyle errors.  People who smoke, or are overweight, or ... pick-your-sin, AND exercise, are at the same risk for disease and death, as the rest of the population.  Exercise achieves this by reducing inflammation, reducing insulin resistance, slowing down several markers of aging, and rejuvenating muscles.  As an extra benefit, it also makes you look good.   

However, an occasional stroll around the park will not do.  To achieve these benefits, we have to stress our muscles to the point in which their energy stores are fully depleted.  To get there, we can choose between two, equally effective, exercise modalities.  The first, usually known as Aerobic Exercise, entails a moderate level of intensity, extended over four to five hours a week.  The second is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which depending on our choices, could last less than an hour a week.  I chose the latter because I don't mind the pain (yes there is), and I can use the extra time.  A good reference for this method and the science behind it, can be found in The One Minute Workout, by Dr. Martin Gibala.

I aim to train five times a week, alternating between three exercise modalities, all three following HIIT principles.

1. Resistance training (Once or twice a week).  I consider RT as my primary exercise.  The HIIT version is described in Body by Science , by Doug McGuff M.D.   He claims that one, fifteen-minute, session per week, is all you need to be fit and healthy.  Adi, after a short adjustment period, now loves the challenge, and is proud of her improving body shape.
2. Other (Once or twice a week).  I do a variety of exercises.  Stationary bike, burpees, situps etc.  These supplement RT, just in case McGuff is not totally correct.  BTW, a Tabata routine takes four! minutes.
3. Swimming (Once to three times a week).  A few years ago, due to deteriorating knees, I substituted running with swimming.  Now, I eliminated the endurance sessions and incorporated HIIT.  I continue to swim because I am challenged to improve my technique, and I love open-water swims.

This plan could result in overtraining, but when I feel tired, I take an extra rest day.

Final observation.  A HIIT session can produce anxiety and discomfort, especially in a beginner, but it lasts only a short time, and delivers a lot of satisfaction.

Labriut