Be Happy With What You Have (The Mangy Dog Mindset)

Apr 22, 2024

How to be happy with what you have?

It’s not a question many of us actually ask ourselves.

In this modern world of always wanting more, we collect so much physical and mental baggage that we just don’t need.

We forget that the simpler our lives are the less stressful they can be.

And the more stop controlling and judging the HAPPIER they can be…

We’ve all been there – feeling superior to others, thinking we know better, and finding faults in everything around us.

It’s a toxic mindset that can ruin our relationships, stunt our growth, and leave us perpetually dissatisfied with life.

Today, I’m going to share a true story from Thailand that shows you how simplicity can solve so many of your problems, and how you can learn to be happy with what you have.

dog with  skin disease sitting in a thai temple

The Mangy Dog & The Abbot

The story begins with the son of a famous Thai businessman.

After graduating with an MBA from a prestigious UK university and speaking five languages fluently, he was expected to jump into the family business.

However, his mother had one request – to first ordain as a Buddhist monk, following the Thai cultural tradition.

Reluctantly, the accomplished young man became ordained at a large temple in Bangkok.

But his mother then took things a step further by arranging for him to live at a remote forest monastery in northeast Thailand.

And that’s where his troubles began.

two monks in the thai jungle

~ The Issue With Ego ~

You see, this highly educated aristocrat from an affluent family had a very hard time adjusting to the simple monastic life.

On his first day, he looked down on the local monks for their lack of education.

The food offered during alms rounds? He found it poor, dirty, and disgusting compared to his refined tastes.

The kerosene lamps used instead of electricity? How outdated and foolish!

His arrogance eventually reached epic proportions. 

He criticized the evening prayer routines for being too long, dreaded basic chores like cleaning the bathroom, and constantly affirmed his superiority.

Be it his smoother skin, better aura, or loftier background compared to the other monastics, he simply thought he was so much better than all the other monks.

He would smile smugly to himself, mark off days on a calendar, and countdown the days until he could leave this miserable place behind.

A monk at a desk writing a report. He doesn't understand the idea how to be happy with what you have

~ The Issue With Arrogance ~

After a while, the new monk noticed that the abbot of this forest temple rarely spoke.

He noticed that once in a while, he would come out and give a teaching speech but that was about it.

He didn’t appear to do doing anything all day, except sweep leaves, collect trash and do his own laundry.

(There were also young novices, so why didn’t he use them to do it?).

And he hardly did any teaching or managing jobs either!

The administration of the temple was given to the deputy abbot to manage everything.

The new monk saw this and thought it was incredibly annoying.

After some consideration, he felt he should give some much needed advice.

After all, he had an MBA degree from a top university and specialized in how to manage organizations.

He’d teach these country bumpkins how an organization should be run properly.

So, that morning he set to work writing a professional report along with some key recommendations.

Among many other inadequacies, the report stated that the temple was extremely outdated.

It also noted how it had many weak areas that should be improved, such as using electricity instead of lanterns.

It also advised that the abbot should teach and interact with the monks more, and that executive-level monks should not be washing their own robes, sweeping, or cleaning, etc.

He presented the lengthy report to the abbot after lunch.

An old thai monk reading a document, looking happy and smiling

~ A Lesson in Humility ~

In the evening, after finishing the prayer routine, the abbot decided to read the report to the assembled young monks and novices.

But he did not say which monk wrote it.

After reading, the abbot smiled and pointed to a rather sad-looking that was dog lying under a marble chair nearby an ashoka tree, occasionally scratching itself.

He explained that the poor creature was constantly restless.

It spent all its time running here and there, unable to get comfortable no matter where it laid down.

The explained that the dog assumed the problem was external – that each new spot was dirty or unsuitable.

But in reality, the cause of its discomfort came from within – it suffered from mange, a miserable skin condition.

Drawing a parallel between the dog and the young monk who wrote the report, the abbot explained that all he was doing was continually scratching the itch of HIS own condition.

His feelings of dissatisfaction with the monastery stemmed not from any failings of the place itself.

They came from the “mange” of arrogance, toxic attachments, and poisonous preconceptions within his own mind.

As these words sank in, the pompous aristocratic monk realized he was no different from that miserable, mangy dog!

No matter how educated, wealthy or privileged he was, true fulfilment would elude him until he treated the “mange” within.

~ A Life Lesson: How to Be Happy With What You Have ~

From that day forward, a profound shift occurred.

The once-arrogant aristocrat became quiet and humble.

He stopped finding fault in everything and turned his focus inward.

He slowly began to recognize that the only place he could find contentment and true freedom was in his own mind.

When his temporary ordination ended, his mother asked him to leave the monastery life behind and return to the family business.

But in a shocking twist, he refused.

He told her he wished to remain and continue “treating his mange” under the guidance of the wise teachers there.

His baffled mother could only wish him well, wondering why on earth her son high-born son was referring to himself as “a mangy dog” . . .

How to Be Happy With What You Have

This tale serves as a powerful reminder that no amount of wealth, education or status can bring true contentment.

Until we address the restlessness in our own minds, we’ll remain as restless and dissatisfied as that poor dog. We’ll keep scratching the itch without ever realizing the real cause.

Only by reflecting on own thoughts and letting go of our attachments can we cultivate inner peace and find the type of contentment that evades so many in this world.

Only then will we understand that one of the secrets to happiness doesn’t lie in getting what you want.

It lies in your ability to be happy with what you have.

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