The Guide to Happiness Through The Four Kinds of Nutriments

            Happiness or suffering are the direct result of the Buddhist four kinds of nutriments; edible food, sense impression, volition, intention or will and consciousness.  We learn to transform our suffering into peace, joy and liberation through Buddhism. Both happiness and suffering are good feelings to be in touch with oneself throughout all of lifetime. Suffering is good, it allows us to be in touch with ourselves and grow. “Without suffering, you cannot get the peace and joy you deserve” (5). The suffering then reveals you to the way of happiness. Happiness includes understanding, accepting, peace and joy. “When something has come to be, we have to acknowledge its presence and look deeply into its nature. When we look deeply, we will discover the kinds of nutriments that have helped it come to be and continue to feed it” (31). The four nutriments mentioned here lead to our happiness or if not thought about mindfully can lead to suffering.

Healthy foods full of nourishment

             The first nutriment is edible food. When replenishing our body with food and water we can bring about both mental and physical suffering or happiness. “We must be able to distinguish between what is healthful and what is harmful” (31). Something mentally harmful would be eating the flesh of a loved one. We could also look at a more realistic example like the use of drugs and alcohol. Something plentiful would be consuming food with protein and vitamins, such as chicken. “ We have to learn ways to eat that preserve the health and well-being of our body and spirit” (32). Consuming harmful foods will lead to suffering yet consuming healthy foods will lead to happiness. A few years ago I watched a movie that had such a huge impact on my life. Ever since seeing the movie Super Size Me I have not eaten fast food. This movie examines the process that goes into making food for fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds or Wendy’s. After seeing this movie you will be able to understand fully how terrible fast food is for your body and also the realize the consequences it can have on your health. The movie had a major influence on my food choices. I carefully select what meats I want to ingest into my body and I’m always sure to eat fruits and vegetables. This movie, which discussed health risks, has allowed me to be mindful of the foods I consume. Now I will only eat foods that replenish my body with proteins and nutrients, which then lead me to happiness. “We need to look deeply together and discuss how to eat, what to eat and what to resist” (32).  Being mindful of the foods we consume can lead to a happy and healthy individual. 

            Sense of impression is the second kind of nutriment. We have six sense organs, which are tongue, body, nose, mind, ears and eyes. These six sense organs allow us to consciously process what is going on and leave us with a certain impression. Children constantly playing violent video games are affected by harmful impressions to the conscious. These harmful impressions can affect more than one sense organ, these violent video games affect one’s mind, eyes and ears which then lead to suffering. A meditation session would be a positive healthy impression that affects all six of our sense organs, which would lead to happiness. It is important to take the time to think about how it is affecting our senses and whether it is in a positive or negative way.  Frequently in school I catch myself being very stressed out. Constantly I have homework to complete, exams to study for, hours to work for my job and so much more. With multiple negative emotions floating around in my head I find myself to be suffering sometimes. The stress from school affects a few of my six sense organs. We can say stress affects my eyes, ears, body and mind. When studying all the information I see in my notes enters my consciousness. Sometimes I feel worn out or anxious after reading material and this is because these are toxins entering my six senses. If I practice mindfulness I will be able to transform studying into happiness. Learning to appreciate an education and comprehending the dedication it takes will eliminate suffering with studying. “With the practice of mindfulness, we will know that by hearing this, looking at that, or touching this, we feel light and peaceful…” (33). I need to be able to identify from toxins and not let them affect my sense impressions. “If we are mindful, we will know whether we are ‘ingesting’ the toxins of fear, hatred, and violence or eating foods that encourage understanding, compassion, and the determination to help others” (33). It is vital we use features of conscious thinking to protect us from suffering impressions and use it to direct us in the right path towards happiness.

My mother is my role model

            The third kind of nutriment is volition, intention or will. “The desire in us to obtain whatever it is that we want” (34). When we think a certain entity will make us happy our every behavior is intended toward reaching that specific goal, both consciously and unconsciously. Of course everyone wants to be happy, therefore we see everyone constantly striving for happiness 24/7. We have to be careful though, because we may also suffer from this. Wealth and success are something that we perceive would make us happy but in reality they might be obstacles that are standing in the way of our true happiness. Entering freshman year in college I was unsure of what I wanted to peruse in life, but now I believe I want to work in Human Resources when I’m older and eventually become a Human Resource Manager of a big organization. Since this realization I have put a lot of my focus towards making this goal happen. I am constantly making sure I am only taking classes that will be relevant to my job field. I made sure I got a job in the Human Resource department at my University. I am constantly looking up new internships and applying to them. Lastly, I am always talking to my mom about my future and visiting her at work because she also works in the Human Resource department for a medical device company. My mom is always bragging about me to her co-workers how I am going to follow in her footsteps and how proud she is of me. But Sometimes I find myself being stressed if I did not get accepted into a certain internship or if I find myself not liking a certain department within the human resource field. Once I take a step back from the stress of a long school day or a hard day at work, I realize I am happy where I am now. I notice my friends and family are always behind me whether I am taking another step towards completing my goal or even if I fell a couple steps behind. This is what is truly important and what is truly making me happy. As I’m laying in bed at the end of a stressful day I always think to myself that my family, especially my mom, is going to care for me and love me if I do end up following in my mom’s footsteps and working in Human Resources or if I decide to change my mind and work in a completely different field. “The Buddha advised us to look deeply into the nature of our volition to see whether it is pushing us in the direction of liberation, peace, and compassion or in the direction of suffering and unhappiness” (35/36). Thinking deeply and reasonably into our volition is the key to leading us to happiness. Completely understanding and working reasonably towards our goal will lead us to happiness.

            The fourth kind of nutriment is consciousness. Every sound, sight, image, etc. slips into our consciousness and creates our biosphere around us. “Our conscious is composed of all the seeds sown by our past actions and the past actions of our family and society”. (36) We can either nourish our consciousness or deteriorate it with poisons and toxins. Choosing carefully which nutriments to intake is the key to happiness. Intaking positive nutriments such as joy and peace into our consciousness will lead to happiness. On the other hand allowing stress or regret to slip into our consciousness we might catch ourselves suffering. “Our consciousness is eating all the time, day and night, and what it consumes becomes the substance of our life” (36). We have to be careful of what we in take because it can either turn out to be a positive outcome or very detrimental towards our lives.  The Buddha explained in the book, The Heart of The Buddha’s Teaching every time we ingest ourselves with toxins it’s like stabbing ourselves because we suffer.  If we practice the first turning of the First Noble Truth, we recognize suffering as suffering. When practicing the first turning of the Second Noble Truth we look deeply and recognize what factors and nutriments are accountable for my suffering. “Looking deeply requires courage” (37). Sometimes we need the help of our family and friends to be able to understand what is making us suffer and why. During middle school I never accepted help from my mother or sister. I thought I could deal with all my problems alone and continue to be happy. There were days when I would come home from school and be upset about a problem, whether it was academic or friend related, but I wouldn’t talk to my family I would just lock myself in my room and suffer alone. My

My sisters whom I can always count on for advice

problems never went away when I kept them to myself. “But if you keep your suffering to yourself, it might grow bigger everyday” (38). Eventually in high school I was able to understand this concept. Now I tell my mother everything, she is my best friend. I go to her with all my problems, good news, bad news, accomplishments and much more. After I opened up and allowed someone to help me understand the roots of my suffering, it went away. It is very important to realize suffering won’t go away on its own. “When we are able to identify our suffering and see its cause, we will have more peace and joy, and we are already on the path to liberation” (38).  Examining mindfully and opening up will allow the suffering to transform into happiness. We have to be conscious of our surroundings and be able to use positive and negative elements in our lives to either embrace or transform into happiness.

            Learning and understanding the four kinds of nutriments is very beneficial for everyone. The four kinds of nutriments, edible food, sense impression, volition, and consciousness, allow us to embrace our happiness. When we mindfully think about the four kinds of nutriments we are able to turn any suffering into happiness. Whether you study Buddhism or not, applying Buddhist principles to everyday life can truly enhance happiness. Consuming wholesome foods while avoiding toxins will lead to a healthier and happier lifestyle. Being grateful of having the opportunity to get an education will reduce stress related to schoolwork and studying. Not always focusing on your goal in life allows you to appreciate what you have now and realize it’s not always about working harder and being the most successful. Accepting friends and family’s help can free you of your suffering. I know it’s hard to persistently practice Buddhist principles but as long as we think deeply and are mindful of certain tactics, we will be able find our own path that is full of happiness.

Nhá̂t, Hạnh. The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy & Liberation : The Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and Other Basic Buddhist Teachings.

New York: Broadway, 1999. Print.