Happy Monkey??

Was just looking at the title and namesake of my blog... Happy Monkey Thinking. Didn't quite make much sense literally because it is not true that I am 'happy' ALL the time in the literal sense.

I think it only makes sense if we view it from a Buddhist perspective of the word 'happy' or 'absolute happiness'. The practice of Buddhism is to recognize, 'activate' and manifest the Buddhahood/Buddha-nature within ourselves and others. I was reading an SGI basics of Buddhism 'textbook' and two paragraph stood out to me... I'll share it with all you below:
Buddhahood may also be described as a state of absolute happiness that cannot be destroyed by external events or circumstances. The second Soka Gakkai president, Josei Toda, once described it as the "state of life in which living in and of itself becomes happiness."

In the Buddhist scriptures, Buddhas are often likened to lions. Nichiren, too, employs such similes as in this reassurance he offers a disciple: "Wherever your daughter may frolic or play, no harm will come to her; she will move about without fear like the lion king." (Reply to Kyo'o, Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, pg 412) As he explains here, Buddhahood is the state of life in which we fear nothing , regardless of our circumstances.

- The Ten Worlds, and the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds,
SGM Study Examination: Entrance-level Textbook, pg 33

I guess my life is full of ups and downs just like everybody else, but by the above definition, I believe that I am genuinely happy. Yes, I am suffering the obstacles and challenges of life; but I think I live my life true to my heart and truly challenging things around me (albeit I can improve on that... hehehe... ^.^).

So... hmmm... yeah... Happy Monkey Thinking.