There are many studies that show attending religious services can lead to longer, happier lives. The funny thing is, our most revered religious figures don’t promise happiness. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword,” and Buddha’s second noble truth essentially says that happiness inevitably leads to sadness because it never sticks around. Even modern spiritual teachers like Adyashanti say, “Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier.”
