In Algonquin Park - photos by Stephen Hung

In Algonquin Park
- photos by Stephen Hung
July 2009

Re: the pursuit of happiness

Stephen wrote:

"Dear Lung Zhi & Anthony,

Thanks for your questions. You both have raised some very good inquiries for all of us to reflect or meditate.

First of all, those people that Lung Zhi described thought they were pursuing happiness, but actually it's not. They were accumulating wealth, power and fame, which by itself has nothing to do with happiness. As we all know, accumulation of certain material means are of prime importance to our survival, and there is no two ways about it (after all, we need to bring bread to the table). But as Abraham Maslow has taught us, once we have acquired the lower needs, self-actualization is the holy grail for us to pursue. That's why history praised great artists, scientists or musicians for their contributions to humanity, rather that some rich billionaires.

Anthony has found a new hypothesis about happiness. But I wonder if happiness is a moving target, or is it just us, our mind, which is moving second by second, chasing dreams after dreams, day in day out?

I'm not totally convinced about Martin Seligman's theory either. But to be fair to him, he is advocating the optimum 'flavor' for sensual pleasure (not addiction), 'flow' for engagement (not obsession) and 'fit' for gratification (not aggressiveness or over-stretched ourselves). But most important of all, his emphasis is on combining these goals in 'particular' ways so as to achieve its optimum levels (best fit for ourselves); only then can we achieve satisfaction in our life.

Hope the above clarify some misunderstandings. (or create more confusion?)

Your pal,
Stephen

--

From Russia with Love

Received the following email from Stephen:

“Dear Folks,

It goes almost unnoticed that the dissident Soviet writer, Nobel laureate Alexander Solzhenitsyn, died last Sunday of heart failure in Moscow. The obituary, apparently was overwhelmed by the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games, didn't even catch the headlines of most Chinese media.

But it has everything to do with Russia's twin-brother - Communist PRC.

The dissident criticized the Soviet Union as cruel and suffocating "under the malevolent and unyielding nature of communism." He even went further to attack the revered 'god' of USSR, Lenin (while his counterpart Mao's portrait is still overlooking the Tinanmen Square with a wicked smile as of today).Neither did he show any sympathy towards the country which offered him the new citizenship, the US, during his 20-year exile. He viewed the West & US in general as morally weak, limp & flaccid, materialistic and suffering from "the spiritual impotence that comes from living a life of ease."

A friend once puzzled, why I as a Chinese (by race), sometimes criticize the PRC Government "almost like CNN" (in his own words)? This posts a very critical question: should race be more important than social justice?Solzhenitsyn once wrote of his life: "It is history's sorrow, the grief of our era, that I carry about me like an anathema."

Perhaps all Chinese, when they celebrate the first Olympic Games held in their ancient forbidden city, should ask this question:

Why there is no Chinese Solzhenitsyn?
Why no Chinese Gorbachev?
Or is it a "history's sorrow, the grief of our era?"
Can anyone volunteer an explanation?

Your pal,
Stephen”

(Aug 8 , 2008)