Thipsungnoen, J., Bunchua, K., & Takaew R. (2021). The Happiness in Buddhist Philosophy and Philosophy of Paradigm. In Proceeding of the 12th National and International Conference and Research Presentation, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University 2021 (pp. 159-164). Bangkok: Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University.

ABSTRACT
The people in the present day have their own paradigm to understand and apply the Buddhist teaching on happiness. This research had objectives to study the concept of happiness in Buddhist philosophy and to interpret according to philosophy of paradigm. This research employed the method of postmodernist interpretation. The findings of this research indicated that Buddhism emphasis on happiness is a state of liberation of all passions and the happiness of Nirvana to be the highest. So Buddhist happiness could be divided into 2 level, such as worldly-level happiness and transcendental happiness. The interpret according to the philosophy of paradigm could be 1) the primitive paradigm has given domain in the bodily level happiness, 2) the ancient paradigm was varied the bodily level, mind-level and intellectual happiness, according to each 6 schools of thought, 3) the medieval paradigm was preferred the transcendental happiness, 4) the modern paradigm was not believed in the transcendental happiness but accepted all worldly-level happiness, and 5) the postmodern paradigm was accepted the worldly-level happiness is the good to be done and religious supreme happiness such as transcendental happiness is re-acceptance to practice under the domain of the supporting factor to the world tranquility. These findings can serve as a rationale for and guidelines to the development individual happiness and could apply to Buddhist moral and virtue training program to layman.

Keywords: Happiness, Buddhist Philosophy, Postmodern Philosophy

Introduction
According to Buddhist thinking, happiness and sorrow are our own responsibility and completely within our control. Buddhism has a lot to offer on the topic of happiness. For Buddha, the path to happiness starts from an understanding of the root causes of suffering that made some thoughts consider Buddha a pessimist because of his concern with suffering but it is the missing point. There is a clear concept that happiness in Buddhist philosophy argued about the happiness and it differs from the main idea of hedonism. But rather than the happiness of a self-satisfied, materially-rich or celebrated man, Buddha’s happiness comes from a deep equanimity from within. The journey to the happiness requires a face to face with the reality where all life is seen as dukkha and sees a way out through higher consciousness and mindful practice. The ideas contained in Buddha’s teachings point to a thorough engagement with the self, the world and the reality that one is able to achieve a transcendent happiness. However, the people in the present day have their own paradigm to understand and apply the Buddhist teaching to their life that need more clear to what is different and what diversity that is possible.

Objective
To study the concept of happiness in Buddhist philosophy and to interpret according to philosophy of paradigm.

Scope of research

1. The researcher sets up a framework for research the Buddhist happiness and the hermeneutics with philosophical paradigm.
2. Research duration
   • Duration of 12 months from January 2019-December 2019

Research Methodology

1. Research method
   This research is a qualitative research (documentary research) to study the
   Buddhist happiness.
2. Research process
   This research was held on the interpretation of text and postmodernist
   interpretation with philosophy of paradigm for the new concept.

Literature Review

1. Buddhist philosophy aims mainly at spiritual liberation and soteriological goals. A theme in Buddhist philosophy has been the reification of concepts, and the Buddhist Middle Way.
2. The philosophy of paradigm is the fundamental belief in every human mind, varying by gender, age, environmental, education and decision. The paradigm is not the decision abilities, but it is the understanding abilities and persuades the will to decide. Philosophical paradigm can be categorized into 5 paradigms as follows (Bunchua, 2018, Page
   15-22):
   1) The primitive paradigm believes that everything comes from the supernatural.
   2) The ancient paradigm believes that the world has the law of nature and the man will be happy in the world lug following that laws.
   3) The medieval paradigm believes that we are doing as the means to the next world. To get heaven as the highest goal of each religious we must be temperance and do good, purify sin and avoid evil.
   4) The modern paradigm believes that the scientific knowledge network is all around us and could overcome any problem and make paradise on this world.
   5) The postmodern paradigm asks for detachment the knowledge network, principle and rule. Critical thinking is a tool to comprehension and processes as analysis, appreciation, and application those for the quality of life according to reality.

Research Finding
Concepts of happiness in Buddhist philosophy or Buddhism emphasis on happiness is a state of liberation of all passions, liberation from greed, anger and delusion. Buddhist Philosophy considers the happiness of Nirvana to be the highest (Onkom, 1980). Buddhism teaches to understand suffering (Phra Natthapat Kiccakaro (Charoenrak), Phramaha Surasak Paccantaseno., 2019), be aware of the suffering, and live happily. For example, eating rice, in this metaphor, Buddha will not teach that this is edible rice. But the Buddha taught what before it was rice, what it was and how to be rice, So the teaching about the happiness is the same. The Buddha taught what had to be happy would have been through suffering. Like the saying that If you don’t see suffering, you will not find happiness. Buddha believed that dukkha ultimately arose from ignorance and false knowledge. Buddhism pursues happiness by using knowledge and practice to achieve mental equanimity. In Buddhism, the
peace of mind is achieved by detaching oneself from the cycle of craving that produces dukkha. Free yourself and achieve a state of transcendent bliss and well-being. So Buddhist happiness could be divided into 2 level, such as worldly-level happiness and transcendental happiness. In worldly-level happiness could be categorized as 1) bodily-level happiness 2) mind-level happiness and 3) intellectual happiness.

As above concept, the interpret to the philosophy of paradigm ( Bunchua, 2018) could be as follow:

1. The primitive paradigm has given the importance to the pursuit of happiness by embracing the mystical Being, pampering, and following the faith by intercession in order to give them the best possible blessing for what desire, so the bodily level happiness is the key.
2. The ancient paradigm emphasized that everything had a law. For example, law of good and evil. Happiness is the ultimate purpose of human existence and the pursuit of happiness in this paradigm could be separate into 6 schools such as sophists, hedonism, Epicureanism stoicism, cynicism, intellectualism. And also have the attitude that happiness
   depends on ourselves. So, the bodily-level, mind-level and intellectual happiness is dominance according to each school.
3. The medieval paradigm beliefs that the world had rules and laws, the happiness that obeys the rules of the world still not the authentic happiness. The religious groups have the idea that authentic happiness is only in the heaven or the next world. So, the transcendental happiness is preferred. Worldly-level happiness is right at minimum.
4. The modern paradigm beliefs that there are no next world and happiness should be created by people in this actual world and science and technology could support to all need. So, the transcendental happiness is not existing, only the delusion. And worldly-level happiness is variety and nothing wrong to be happy to life, even undergone according to the
   legal right.
5. The postmodern paradigm emphasized that people are forward to the good quality of life by detaching to all frames but re-creating the new from the old for variety and diversity upon with the human capacity. So, the worldly-level happiness is acceptable good to be done and religious supreme happiness such as transcendental happiness is reacceptance
   to practice under the domain of the supporting factor to the world tranquility.

Results and Discussion

1. The interpretation of the Buddhist happiness according to philosophy of paradigm shows a gap from promoting of well-being of mankind from the worldly level and the transcendental happiness, paradigm to paradigm, that leads to people in present day, especially modern paradigm could miss-understanding of the happiness under the deeper meaning according to the Buddhist philosophy and results in an incorrect practice by using virtues and religious rules as the reasoning to do well in daily life. In any way, it still the means to purify the mind and let imply virtue in ordinary life as the means to promoting our intellect to understand and act for a reduction of the desires and develop the mindfulness and consciousness. The researcher suggested that the faith in the religious is the steering up the soul to the higher till the highest happiness, the Nirvana.
2. The concept of happiness in Buddhist philosophy is environed with Epicureanism ( Phrakru Intarasopon ( Amornmetheewiwat) , 2015) and stoicism that is tolerated to the desired and suffering, do contemplation for mindfulness and do the middle way of life for the goodness. However, the final goal was beyond the medieval paradigm about the heaven
   that is the Nirvana, the supreme happiness.
3. The consideration starts from the facts of human nature that all men desire authentic happiness according to reality ( Kaenkaew, and Bunchua, 2018) . People are not satisfied with un-authentic happiness, nor with happiness in a dream or in an imagination, but only with authentic happiness according to reality and proper attitude according to the
   moderate postmodern paradigm as the below (Bunchua, 2014).
   Happiness on the suffering of others – is not.
   Suffering for the happiness of others – is not.
   Suffering for the suffering of others – is not.
   Happiness on the happiness of others – certainly is.

Suggestions

1. Suggestions for application to individual life and society
   For everyone in society, they all want to improve their quality of life happily. But to reach happiness is often looked at for many factors including seeking and obtaining four basic factors of life to provide the convenience of life. Because the thought about those things are true happiness, therefore emphasizes on external factors rather than participating
   in internal source such as mental health, contentment, trust, and peace (Shakya, 2019). In the other hand, the importance of religious life, philosophical and ethical life have been overlooked, and only the elegant words that are expressed as slogans still remain, but there are not truly exploitable, thus sometimes overlooked because they are thought to be far away or what is beyond the world. But in other words, society calls for peace. The campaign to develop people in any domain to have morality, virtue and ethical principles based on religious beliefs to create peace in society and the nation. Therefore, the researcher has suggested that this research summary should be used to train for the mind, including the development of life and the pursuit of happiness. By adopting Buddhist principles with an emphasis on improving quality of life for good and happiness, and open it as a training program on a regular basis, it will bring benefits, more or less.
2. Suggestions for future research
   This research answered the Buddhist happiness and its interpret with the
   philosophical paradigm that should develop the mindset of people. However, the future study will be a benefit to the Buddhist academics. The researchers suggest the following research topics:
   1) The pursuit of happiness in Buddhist postmodern philosophy.
   2) The development principle of Buddhist happiness according to moderate postmodern philosophy.

Reference

1. Bunchua, K. (2 0 1 8 ) . Introduction to philosophy and ethics. Bangkok: Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. [in Thai]
2. Bunchua, K. (2014). “84,000 Dhamma Khandhas are for scholars, not for educators”. SSRU Graduate studies Journal, 7 (1): 1-15.
3. Kaenkaew, C., Bunchua, K. (2018). Development of quality of life based on postmodern paradigm philosophy for having genuine happiness. Rommayasarn; 16(3): 473-84. [in Thai]
4. Onkom S. (1980). The concept of happiness in Buddhist philosophy. Thesis of master of art in Philosophy. Chulalongkorn University. [in Thai]
5. Phrakru Intarasopon (Amornmetheewiwat). (2015). The comparative of concept happiness in Buddhist Theravada philosophy with happiness in western philosophy. Phimoldhama research institute journal; 2(2): 151-57. [in Thai]
6. Phra Natthapat Kiccakaro(Charoenrak), Phramaha Surasak Paccantaseno. (2019). Happiness in Buddhist Philosophy. MCU Buddhist review; 3(2): 93-104. [in Thai]
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8. Shakya, R., P. (2019). Four sources of happiness in Buddhism. J international Buddhist Studies; 10(2): 167-78.