Happiness is a very poor measure because it's too subjective

People are good at getting used to stuff. Given the most horrible circumstances, people will still get used to them and report that they're happy! Even that they wouldn't change a thing, particularly in the case of parents with a severely disabled child, I've noted.

And more power to them. Given that these are their circumstances and they can't really change them, not in any way they're willing to, the fact that they can adjust to them and find enjoyment and contentment despite the daunting details is a true testimony to the resilience and splendor of the human spirit.

People serving out life sentences in prison adjust and are able to find new meaning for their lives and find enjoyment. They make friends, learn new interests through libraries and outside outreach groups, and find new purposes for their lives. In prison!!

I remember once, back years ago, in some SGI meeting or other, we were watching a video on happiness. While UNhappiness had been widely studied at that point, happiness was rather a new field. The video we were watching had been taped off some program; two "happiness researchers" were interviewed if memory serves (but don't quote me because it was many years ago). One of them said:

"If you give me a person who has just won a mulitmillion dollar lottery and a person who's just been paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident, I won't be able to accurately predict which one will be happier in a year."

O_O

That's really saying something, isn't it? So what are we supposed to think when we see THIS?

Even a man who has great wealth, social recognition and many awards may still be shadowed by indescribable suffering deep in his heart. On the other hand, an elderly woman who is not fortunate financially, leading a simple life alone, may feel the sun of joy and happiness rising in her heart each day. Ikeda

Especially when we compare it to THIS??

In this lifetime, to demonstrate the power of faith in the Mystic Law to others, some of you have been born into poverty so that you can show actual proof by gaining secure and comfortable lives. Some of you have been born with ill health so that you can show proof by growing strong and healthy. Irrespective of your situations, however, the light of faith in the depths of your beings will continue to shine eternally with diamond-like brilliance. Ikeda

What happens, though, is that those individuals adjust to their situations and report that they're happy even though nothing has changed. This is so commonplace as to be ubiquitous and mundane.

"Ichinen means to pray without doubt. Whenever you pray without doubt, all of your prayers will be answered. This is the kind of prayer Nichiren Daishonin is talking about. Buddhism equals actual proof. He was strict with us. If you're not showing actual proof, you are not practicing correctly." Ikeda

Oh, and there's an other squish-term - "actual proof". What is that, anyhow?? Something measurable, like moving from a $100,000 house to a $600,000 house? Oh, no, that's shallow! How selfish and superficial!! O_O

You're supposed to focus on treasures of the heart, remember??

How can we live happily in this world and enjoy life? If anyone says he enjoys life without being rich and even when he is sick - he is a liar. We've got to have money and physical vigor, and underneath all we need is life force. This we cannot get by theorizing or mere efforts as such. You can't get it unless you worship a gohonzon...It may be irreverent to use this figure of speech, but a gohonzon is a machine that makes you happy. How to use this machine? You conduct five sittings of prayer in the morning and three sittings in the evening and shakubuku ten people. Let's make money and build health and enjoy life to our hearts' content before we die! - Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda

Oh dear :(

Someone needed to school President Toda on how he misunderstood "actual proof" - he seems to think it should be something tangible and measurable! Then again, he died at only age 58 because of his alcoholism and other unhealthy habits - the magic chant didn't do diddly to overrule those O_O

So watch out whenever any group is trying to lure you in by dangling the bait of "happiness" in front of you (hint: ALL the cults do this).

If SGI tried to recruit people by telling them, "You're going to get used to whatever's going on in your life and adjust to it anyway at some point, and then you'll describe yourself as 'happy' even though you haven't changed a thing and we'll take the credit for it", would that gain them more recruits??