Harmonious Orientation (sammā-sankappa) 

This is the reorganization of one’s life, by turning in a new direction, recognizing the value of calmness of mind. It is to turn towards calmness or freedom from emotional excitements, as the solution to the problem of life. This U-turn in life has to be taken by visualizing and appreciating the harmonious goal, which is calmness. This reorientation can occur only if one understands the danger, futility and mental confusion resulting from the pursuit of sensual pleasure, and the advantage of the pursuit of renunciation, relaxation, and tranquility of mind. In the present age, this can also be seen as the understanding of the meaning and value of stress management. 
Relaxation and tranquility must be seen as the medial path between self-indulgence and self-denial. It is the way to true goodness, happiness, and wisdom. Commonly people see happiness as the gratification of emotional impulses. They see goodness as the denial of emotional impulses. Therefore being good is the opposite of being happy. This is why people prefer to be happy than to be good. They hate to be good. They even look down upon people who try to be good because they see them as cowards, who fear to gratify their emotions out of a feeling of guilt, or fear of punishment. People who often prefer to appear to be good are those who have been brought up under strict discipline during childhood. Such people often become criminals when they grow up to show off their power. 
People who turn to be bad to show off their power were shown by the Buddha that goodness is not denial of emotions and bad is not gratification of emotions. He pointed out that goodness is the way to happiness and badness is the way to unhappiness. He pointed out that gratification of emotions is not the way to happiness; nor is it the suppression of emotions or even repression. Happiness is the complete elimination of emotions. He pointed out that emotions can be eliminated and there is nothing wrong in doing so. It only makes one transcend the normal emotional level of being. It is rising up to a supernormal level, which is called the Sublime (ariya) level. 
Self-indulgence (kâma sukhallikânu yoga) is being carried away by emotional impulses, and self-denial (atta kilamatânu yoga) is the attempt to conquer the flesh by flagellation and other methods of self-torture. Avoiding these two extremes the Buddha pointed out a medial way to deal with emotions. Instead of expressing emotions in action or even suppressing or repressing emotions, one can learn to relax the body and calm the mind. 
What this means is, every emotional arousal creates muscular tension in the body. This tension makes the body uncomfortable. It is to get rid of this discomfort that the body releases tension in action, quite unconsciously, to obtain what is desired, or to get rid of what is hated, or to run away from what is feared, or even weep when nothing can be done. Every emotional action is an unconscious release of tension. If this is so, instead of unconsciously releasing tension in action, we can always learn to consciously relax the tension and be happy all the time. Happiness therefore is none other than the relaxed state of the body and the tranquil state of the mind. 
Emotion is a disturbance of the body caused by the pictures we hold in the mind. By learning to relax the body, and to hold calming images in the mind, it is possible to free the mind of emotional disturbances. This means visualizing calmness is the medial way between expression and suppression or repression of emotions to overcome emotions. To visualize calmness, is to make calmness the goal towards which we move. 
It is also helpful to understand the distinction between pleasure and happiness. Pleasure is derived from the stimulation of the senses, where as happiness is the undisturbed tranquility of mind. It is only when one has understood that calmness is the only true value of life that the body and mind will become reorganized to reach this goal. 
Pursuit of calmness is the medial path between the pursuit of pleasure and the pursuit of goodness. Being carried away by emotions is the pursuit of pleasure (kâma sukhallikânu yoga). Attempting to suppress the emotions is the pursuit of goodness (atta kilamatânu yoga). Learning to relax is the pursuit of calm or tranquility of mind (adhi cittanu yoga), or the pursuit of the Supernormal Mind – NIRVANA. 
This means, when properly oriented, we begin to gain control over our emotions, instead of being carried away by them, and we begin to act rationally. In other words, we begin to stop reacting to situations in life, and start responding to them. A reaction is unconscious and emotional, while a response is conscious and rational. This means we think, feel, and act rationally instead of emotionally, which is to maintain a good disposition that maintains happiness within oneself, as well as in others, wherever we go. 
This is the perfect orientation, which is to be oriented towards the new and supreme goal of imperturbable serenity of mind (akuppā-ceto-vimutti), called Nirvāna. This healthy orientation results in the withdrawal from bad dispositions and the cultivation of good dispositions.


With this healthy orientation comes a complete reorganization of one’s life, where one’s speech, action, and lifestyle changes to calm and composed way of life that is pleasant to oneself as well as to all others that one encounters.