buddhist centre and 'happiness hacks'
📜 I'm doing Blaugust this year. This is 10/?. I started writing this post in January 2026.
I've been to a couple of courses at the Buddhist centre this year. I've been aware of it before, and having some spare time I decided to check it out. This is part of a vague desire to return to meditating.
The centre is in an old vicarage, a pretty old building with a garden (not relevant at this time of year) and a wood burning stove (quite relevant) in a little sitting / café / shop area.
The meditation room is white, with one decoration - a giant Buddha statue that sits in front of the window, facing into the room. Glimpsed from outside the building, it makes you do a double take.
The following are transcripts of notes I took after the meditation sessions, largely so I can reflect on them later.
Lunchtime meditation - this was 30 minute guided meditation. Settle in - and approach distractions with light-heartedness. If your mind was a river, how would it look? Your consciousness is big (how big is a thought?) and it can hold all these things [that you are feeling]. You are the observer watching the river / the artist stepping back from the canvas. Focus on the breath -> let the thoughts dissolve. Practice patience.
Evening class - 'happiness hacks'. This class was run by a Buddhist nun. It started with a meditation with a guided element, then moved on to discussion of the topic of the class "Breaking negative mindsets".
After a v unproductive meditation [because I was finding it difficult], we started the class, which was a lecture from the nun to the room.
Inappropriate attention on negative aspects of things -> the thing/person "becomes" the negative trait [in our perception]. The is a delusion which makes us unhappy. In reality, there is balance and an "appropriate" amount of attention to direct. Inappropriate attention on positive things is also undesirable - pinning all our hopes for happiness on one person, for example. The delusions becomes that our happiness is dependent on that person, or thing, which leads to disappointment and unhappiness.
Note: we do this to aspects of ourselves as well - direct inappropriate attention to positive and negative traits.
Q: what am I directing inappropriate attention to? Can I notice this and balance it?
(One struggle I have with this is how to address "important" things using this formula - sometimes it feels like you're gaslighting yourself into thinking things are fine? What do you do when you should act? Trust that this approach will eventually lead you to the right solution? Accept there is no right solution?)