Why Can't I Be Happy? The Heart Sutra's Answer to Endless Chasing
A Journey from Philosophy to the Profound Teachings of Venerable Beopsang
It wasn't a sudden flash of light or a magic answer.
It was the gentle, profound realization that the ultimate truth, sought out of curiosity through a long journey into philosophy and the cosmos, is not a distant goal, but is instantly present, here and now.
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| Photo by now-waker |
Introduction: My Unexpected Path to the Buddha
From Western Philosophy to the Authentic Heart of Dharma
For years, my greatest passion was exploring the vastness of the cosmos and the deepest questions of philosophy.
I dove into the works of Eastern and Western thinkers—from Lao Tzu to Hegel, Deleuze, and Derrida—always searching for the fundamental truth of existence.
Though my mother was a devout Buddhist, the tradition felt distant, a subject I simply hadn't prioritized.
My first encounter was purely intellectual. Reading a book like "Intellectual Conversations for Shallow but Wide Knowledge" led me to the figure of Siddhartha, generating a deep, intellectual respect.
Then came a truly pivotal moment: a close friend recommended a book, "Rich Class", written by a monk, Venerable Beopsang.
A monk writing about wealth? Curiosity compelled me to buy it.
The book resonated so deeply that when I heard the Venerable was giving a Dharma talk at the Buddhist Broadcasting System (BBS) in Seoul, I went, simply out of sheer intrigue. What unfolded was astonishing.
The Venerable was answering every single question I had accumulated from years of reading complex philosophical texts about the universe, existence, and the nature of mind.
It felt as if a lifetime of searching had been resolved in a single sitting. Overwhelmed, I turned to my Buddhist friend and asked, "Is this what Buddhism is truly about?"
That day, I realized my profound oversight. Why had I read so many philosophers but never seriously studied the Buddha?
Since June of last year, this initial spark has grown into a devoted practice.
This essay is built on a sincere story: the journey of a person who loved the cosmos and philosophy but had no religious affiliation, who became a Buddhist student and now shares the subsequent insight: permission to stop chasing happiness.
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| Photo by now-waker |
The First Great Wisdom: When the Root of Suffering Vanishes
The Moment of Realizing Our Own Interpretations are Not Real
Venerable Beopsang teaches that all suffering—the entire chain of the Twelve Links of Suffering (12 Nidānas), which includes old age, sickness, and death—begins with Ignorance, which is our delusion or discriminative thinking.
The core teaching is this: the countless problems of our world stem from the internal delusion that all subjective distinctions—"this is good," "that is bad," "I am successful," "I am lacking"—are actually real and substantial.
When the Venerable first presented this core idea—that our subjective distinctions are not actually real—it can be deely shocking.
How many people wouldn't initially respond, "Wait, the things right in front of me aren't real?"
Yet, as the study of Dharma deepens, one realizes the truth of this essential teaching.
As the Diamond Sutra teaches: "All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, a phantom, a bubble, a shadow, like dew, and like lightning. Thus should one contemplate them."
The wisdom is knowing that while these distinctions (long/short, good/bad) must be used functionally in daily life, they lack an enduring substance.
They are merely conditioned by causes and conditions, arising and passing away.
Wisdom is realizing the fundamental lack of substance in all phenomena.
The Problem: Inherent ignorance causes people to mistakenly believe these transient events are real and permanent.
One creates a separate world inside the mind, constantly interpreting and judging.
The Key Insight: "Every event simply rises and passes before your eyes! It has no substance."
The Venerable reminds the audience that thoughts only create suffering and worry. "Do not trust your thoughts!"
All 8 billion people on Earth live in 8 billion separate worlds, each created by their own experience and discriminative delusion.
This truth confirms that one inhabits a self-created reality.
The moment this truth is realized and Ignorance is eliminated, the entire chain of suffering collapses.
This is the meaning of "No Ignorance, and thus No Old Age and Death (無無明 乃至 無老死)."
Even while the world remains noisy, if the mind is tranquil, nothing is wrong.
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| Photo by now-waker |
My Quiet Practice: How to Just 'Let Be'
One Breath to Break the Chain
The practice of non-reaction sounds simple, but it is incredibly challenging at first.
When one attempts to simply observe without interpreting, the mind immediately rushes in, eager to label everything.
The breakthrough comes with the realization that the goal is not perfect stillness, but consistent gentleness.
The practice is to simply notice the interpretive thought (the delusion) without judging it, and then gently let it go.
This patient returning to the present moment is the true meaning of uncontrived action (non-striving); it is the gentle process that truly breaks the old patterns of suffering.
Three Practical Steps to Non-Striving (The "How-To")
To make this practice immediately actionable, try these three simple steps:
1. Stop Seeking Removal (Observe, Don't Eliminate): When a strong emotion (anger, worry, craving) arises, do not push it away.
Simply label the sensation (e.g., "A wave of irritation") and observe its nature, remembering that Klesha is Bodhi.
By observing it without resistance, you break the cycle of Ignorance, and its power instantly disappears.
2. The Gentle Return: If swept away by a strong emotional surge (like anger or rage), stop striving. Allow for a brief 90-second pause for the emotion to pass.
Gently return your attention to the physical sensation of your breathing (the rise and fall at the nostril) to anchor yourself in the present moment.
3. The "Already Free" Check: The moment you feel the pressure to "try harder" to be peaceful, stop.
The core principle is: If there is nothing to attain, there is nothing to fear.
Realize: "You are already complete, whole, and unconditionally free."
This natural state is revealed the moment you cease all striving (Mu Deuk).
The shift is from discriminative thinking to true wisdom.
This moment-by-moment letting go brings the profound inner stillness known as Tranquil Extinction, which the Venerable defines as the realization that this world is, in its original nature, Nirvana itself.
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| Photo by now-waker |
The Ultimate Freedom: Why the Path Vanishes
When the Medicine is No Longer Needed
Venerable Beopsang clarifies that when the state of freedom from suffering is reached, even the essential teachings of the Buddha—the Four Noble Truths—are no longer necessary.
They were given as medicine for those who are suffering. Once the illness is completely cured, the medicine is obsolete.
The truth is that the original nature of the mind has no place for suffering.
Therefore, there is no need to discuss the method to extinguish suffering (Do Truth) or the state of extinguished suffering (Myeol Truth) itself.
This is the meaning of "No Suffering, No Cause of Suffering, No Extinction, No Path (無苦集滅道)."
The Final Realization: Already Perfect
Enlightenment is Not Attained; It Is Realized The phrase "No Wisdom, and also No Attainment (無智亦無得)" points to the ultimate truth.
Many set out on the Buddhist path hoping to obtain something grand like Enlightenment or Buddhahood.
The Venerable emphasizes that these states are not things to be achieved or acquired; they are merely names given to the cessation of suffering.
Nirvana is simply the state where there is no suffering, no passion (greed, hatred, ignorance), and simply "no event" occurring in the mind.
The Core Truth: The inherent wisdom (Prajna) and the perfect state (Nirvana) are already fully and originally complete within us.
One is simply unable to see it because of the constant discriminative thoughts.
The Great Reversal: The goal of Buddhist practice is not to try and become a better version of oneself, but to lay down all efforts to attain.
The moment the mind stops striving to acquire or achieve, the wisdom that has been used all along reveals itself.
One realizes that they are already the Buddha.
A Final Message to the Restless Heart
The greatest gift this teaching offers is the realization that the "problem" doesn't exist outside of interpretation.
The world is noisy, complex, and full of change. But even in the midst of life's clamor, there is a place within—a pocket of Tranquil Extinction—where absolutely nothing is wrong.
If the heart is weary from striving, allow this wisdom to sink in: Let go of the need to attain. You are already free.
The Unconditional Freedom of the Realization
This profound realization—that true inner calm is innate—is the essential Dharma.
When the mind is free from the effort of striving, this stillness naturally radiates outward.
The cessation of all seeking (Mu Deuk) is not an action, but a state of perfect, unconditional peace.
This unshakeable peace naturally offers fearlessness and comfort to the world, without the need for the self to 'give' anything.
Let this profound freedom flow freely.
The true resonance of this profound teaching lies in the sound of the Venerable's voice. Don't just read the words—experience the completion of your insight here.
