What is Happiness?

Many people want to be happy because they feel life is full of suffering and sadness. However, in Taoism, we understand that chasing happiness as a goal can actually lead you in the wrong direction! In this article, I will explain why and how you should focus your life with a better mindset that benefits you in the long run.

Why Do We Feel Happy?

In Taoism, happiness comes when the heart is open, accepting, and fulfilled. In other words, when your heart gets what it wants, it feels happy. But is that always a good thing? Think about a baby—when they want something and get it, they are happy. But what if they pick up plastic or garbage and try to eat it? Should we let them be happy, or should we stop them? Of course, we should stop them! This shows that happiness is not always good. If you always let your heart chase happiness without wisdom, you will get into trouble.

This is why modern ideas like "follow your heart" or "listen to your inner voice" are dangerous. If your heart has not learned the right things, it will lead you to make bad choices. As a Taoist master, I always correct my disciples on these common mistakes.

Why Do We Make Wrong Choices?

One of my disciples asked me, "Why do humans know how to do wrong things? How did we learn to do wrong things?" This is an important question.

The truth is, humans are not born knowing right from wrong. We start with an open mind, like a car on the road with no driving experience. The road has rules and signs, but if you don’t know them, you will drive however you want—cutting lanes, reversing, speeding, or even going in circles. If everyone does this, the roads will be full of chaos and collisions!

This is why we cannot just "follow our heart" when we have not learned the right way to live. First, we must learn the rules, etch them into our heart, and then follow them. If you drive with proper training, you will reach your destination safely. The same goes for life—without proper teachings, following your heart will lead to disaster.

What Are the Rules and Guidelines in Life?

For Taoists, we have the wisdom of the Tao as our rules and guidelines. These teachings help us live in harmony with nature. If we ignore them, we will crash and suffer the consequences.

So what are some basic rules that everyone can follow, even if they are not Taoists? Let me introduce theFive Virtues in Taoism. These are fundamental principles we live by:

1. Focus on the Tao

2. See no evil

3. Hear no evil

4. Do no evil

5. Believe, accept, and apply the Tao’s teachings

Since you may not be a Taoist yet, let’s focus on the three in the middle:See no evil, hear no evil, and do no evil.

What is Evil?

Evil is anything that pulls you away from your goal, like a force dragging you backward. For example, if your goal is to finish homework in two hours, then anything that interrupts you is evil—your friend calling to chat, someone asking you to go eat a snack, or even music that distracts you. Once you know your goal, anything that stops you from achieving it is evil.

Another common mistake is self-bashing. Many people say things like, "I'm so stupid! I can never do anything right!" Ask yourself—do you want this to be your future? If not, then don’t say it! Every word you say is teaching your heart, programming it like a computer. If you keep telling yourself negative things, your heart will believe it, and you will live by it. This is like feeding poison to a baby—eventually, it will get sick.

True Happiness Comes from Wisdom

If you have a good set of guidelines in life, your heart will learn to want what is beneficial and reject what is harmful. Then, when your heart feels happy, it will be for the right reasons. Without proper education, your heart might be happy doing bad things, and that will lead to disaster.

This is why I always tell my disciples—don’t act based on feelings, don’t chase happiness blindly. If you are influenced by evil spirits or bad energies, your heart will start rejecting things that are actually good for you. For example, a baby might hate taking medicine, but you know they need it to heal. Would you let the baby decide? No! You force them to take the medicine because it is for their benefit.

In today’s world, people care too much about how they "feel." Parents wait for the baby to be happy before giving them medicine, wasting time while the sickness gets worse. This is foolish! Real wisdom is knowing when to act, even if it doesn’t feel good in the moment.

How Taoism Can Help You

At the end of the day, if you want to live a more aligned life, you should get ordained and learn Taoism from us. This will give you clear guidance, a positive way to live, and bring youtrue happiness—the kind that actually benefits you, not just temporary pleasure.

When your heart is properly trained, it will naturally want what is good for you. But you cannot do this alone. You need a good master who cares about you, corrects your mistakes, and teaches you continuously. If you only see a master once a week, you won’t get enough correction to grow.

With ourTin Yat Dragon Taoism, I teach my disciples24/7, in real-time, online. If they make a mistake, I correct them immediately before it grows into a big problem. This kind of close guidance is rare, but it is exactly what you need to cultivate your heart properly.

Try Our Magic Decree for Cleansing

I also recommend you try ourMagic Decree and Channelling Decree combo. Pick thecleansing decree and pair it with any channelling decree. This way, you can cleanse yourself when your heart is affected by negative energies.

For example, if you wake up one day and feel the urge to do something bad to yourself, don’t ignore it! That is a sign of your heart being polluted. Use the decree magic to cleanse yourself immediately before the negativity grows stronger.

Don’t chase happiness blindly! Happiness is not always good. Train your heart with wisdom, and true happiness will come naturally.