WE cannot make ourselves happy by accumulating possessions or watching TV.

That is the view of the Odiyana Kadampa Meditation Centre, which is running a nine-week course at Holmes Chapel.

The Buddhist centre is based at Northwich, and the course is based on the ‘8 Verses of Training the Mind’, which was composed in the 11th century.

The course takes place on Monday nights at 7.30pm at Holmes Chapel Library, and runs from January 14 until March 11.

Each class comprises two meditations, a talk and discussion over tea and biscuits.

A centre spokesman said: “When we think about happiness it seems quite a simple subject. It seems very attainable, yet very few people are truly happy.

“This isn’t through lack of trying, every day millions of people work very hard and spend large sums of money, yet don’t become any happier.

“Why is happiness so elusive? It’s because we are looking for it in the wrong places.

“Happiness is a state of mind. We cannot make ourselves happy by accumulating possessions, watching TV or continuously making changes in our life.

“People have tried this approach year after year, generation after generation and it has never worked.

“There are more and more depressed people about than ever, and stress and anxiety are reaching epidemic proportions.

“We need a different approach in our search for happiness. Pieces of plastic and metal cannot make us happiness.

“Our happiness needs to come from within our minds. We can’t rely on external objects for our happiness, we need to learn to cultivate happy states of mind for ourselves.”

For further details call 01606 77034.