Won Buddhism
Chapter 14: The Dharma Instruction of Suffering and Happiness
People have always said, “Be happy”, as if there is some magic trick bag you can pull happiness out of and wear it like a fresh new shirt. There is no such thing, happiness is a temporary emotion, right?
Over the last few weeks I’ve been miserable, angry and hurting so much that I’ve lost all reason for happiness. Until I met a man named Ganiou Fatau. Ganiou is Ghanian born but both parents are from Benin, the West African neighbor to Togo and immediately next to Nigeria. His life hasn’t been easy, he’s always used his last name as his first, as he grew up with the Ashanti tribe in Kumasi. Ganiou preferred using Fatau as his first name as Ghanians would know that he wasn’t born to a Ghanian father with such a surname.
What I’ve learned from Fatau (Ganiou) is that he has a kindness, gentleness & humility to let go of things easily. He to me, seems too kind & forgiving but his demeanor can teach people a lot. He is happy with what he has, possibly because he’s known a life without much. Fatau is 1 among 13 siblings to a father who has 2 wives, Muslim raised to not drink, smoke or curse, his father once beat him for simply sitting outside of a bar. Fatau at the time had never taken alcohol before.
Won Buddhism Scripture —
As a rule, once people are born into this world, there come to be things they dislike and things they like; this first type is the suffering they endure and the second is the happiness they enjoy.
When I first met Fatau he was newly employed as the care taker of the place I had called home in Ghana for over a year. Each prior care taker left, as the property owner was a genuine scammer. He refused to pay workers often, he is a liar, a thief and a wicket human. Even though he the owner Muhammad H. Naaa’ta preferred to employ Muslims like himself, Fatau and the previous care taker 50 cent (yes he told us to call…
