How many times have you reached for that piece of chocolate, not because of habit, but because you truly feel it is the chocolate that gives you pleasure or happiness? Bhante challenges the strongly held view that happiness is in the external object i.e. the piece of chocolate. Chocolate is made of ingredients such as milk, sugar, cocoa… but where is the ingredient of happiness? It can come as fair game to say happiness is in the sugar but then again not everyone is a sweet tooth. Also if chocolate was to contain happiness, should it not give happiness to every single person in this world, the fact that it doesnt means its not in the chocolate but its in ones perception. The issue with this is as bhante explains is that this perception of pleasure/happiness experienced is being extrapolated to the chocolate i.e. the happiness is in the chocolate. This leads to attachment to the chocolate with the wrongly held idea that happiness is out there. As bhante says, all things out there are neutral, it is this mind which creates pleasure or displeasure. One thing I’m wondering is where does the expectation that bhante talks about come into all of this? Would love to hear your thoughts

Thanks 😀