Mindfulness and Happiness Workshop for Young People

BLIA North Island YAD organised a “Mindfulness and Happiness Workshop” on 5th September, attended by 30 university students and members of the Working Young Adult Division. The workshop was opened by words of blessing from Venerable Juehao, followed by talks from BLIA North Island Director Annie Ng about her challenges with cancer and how to use “right thoughts” and “fortune”.

“What is right thought? It is living in the present and let go of complaints toward the external environment.” Annie explained that modern people living in busy cities tend to live under stress constantly, so they have lost control of their own lives. Modern people ruminate over the past too much, so isn’t it better to make things simple by facing the present? So the past becomes experiences and the future becomes goals.

They also practiced meditation through the proceedings to allow all the attending to peacefully let go of the burdens in their mind. Then the participants separated into discussion groups to share examples of happy moments during their own lives. Happiness is present during this very moment among all places, so we can use “right thoughts” to get through life!

All the young participants were deeply impressed by Buddhism’s relevance to real life.