Monks in monasteries dont look especially happy. Are they?

[mightywindr]

Am I right in presuming they feel a deep pleasurable peace feeling and high levels of serenity? (a different feeling to happy)

So this is why they dont look especially happy like say the Dalai Lama whos often laughing and you see it on his face and hear it in his tone of voice.

Alot of these hard core monks dont look especially happy.

Are they?

Why cant you hear it on their voice, see it on their face, or see laughter smiles this kind of thing? If they are hard core and high level why are the results not more obvious and visible?

[JonW]

Well, of course, there are many different kinds of monks and a world of difference between, say, a Trappist and a Zen devotee. But, generally speaking, I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head: what they feel is a deep sense of peace and tranquility, rather than what most of us would recognise as 'happiness'.
On a personal note, I would say that my mindfulness practice brings me an almost constant sense of quiet joy rather than happiness. For me, quiet joy is not dependant upon external events in the way that happiness is and the latter is more fleeting. but I guess that's a very personal distinction.
JW

[mightywindr]

Well, of course, there are many different kinds of monks and a world of difference between, say, a Trappist and a Zen devotee. But, generally speaking, I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head: what they feel is a deep sense of peace and tranquility, rather than what most of us would recognise as 'happiness'.
On a personal note, I would say that my mindfulness practice brings me an almost constant sense of quiet joy rather than happiness. For me, quiet joy is not dependant upon external events in the way that happiness is and the latter is more fleeting. but I guess that's a very personal distinction.
JW

Thanks brother and good for you glad to hear you are so wealthy inside!!! ))

[mightywindr]

Well, of course, there are many different kinds of monks and a world of difference between, say, a Trappist and a Zen devotee. But, generally speaking, I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head: what they feel is a deep sense of peace and tranquility, rather than what most of us would recognise as 'happiness'.
On a personal note, I would say that my mindfulness practice brings me an almost constant sense of quiet joy rather than happiness. For me, quiet joy is not dependant upon external events in the way that happiness is and the latter is more fleeting. but I guess that's a very personal distinction.
JW

When you have that peace/pleasure feeling, your tone of voice changes and its more peaceful too, so am I right in thinking teh truth is in the middle some of these monks are in a high amount of pleasure and you cant see it, but also some, the ones with no peaceful notes in their tone of voice etc are not in high pleasure, not at the moment of filming or recording them at least, they are in a normal bored grumpy etc state like everyone else?

I find that very surprising if true since they put so many hours in dedicate a life, but how else do you explain their tone of voice in combination with their facial expressions etc, the peaceful pleasure doesn't show up on the face or only does in a very subtle way, but it shows up in tone of voice