The source of Happiness
Dear friends,
Everyone wants to be happy. Even the lowest of animals seeks to avoid pain and pursue pleasure. (Fair enough: the pleasures get pretty simple for animals. Watching a great movie does not make the list!)
But humans are more advanced. We have a neocortex in our brains, which gives us the ability to be self-aware. This further enables us to understand the source of our suffering and the source of our happiness. But it is still not that simple (I bet you knew that was coming…)
While we do have the ability, it is very easy for us to be fooled. We come to believe that it is specific outward circumstances that cause our happiness. The new car. The great job. The large savings account. The terrific dinner. The winning of the game. The list is of course endless.
A great little story comes to mind. There was a new soldier who would constantly roam the base picking up pieces of paper, look at them, and say, “This isn’t it!” He would then drop it and look for the next piece of paper, and once again yell, “This isn’t it!” Finally they sent him to the base psychiatrist where he picked up several papers one at a time off the doctor’s desk, uttering the same words. The doctor tried to ask him questions to no avail and finally decided the guy was crazy, obsessed, and not fit for duty. He signed a discharge paper and handed it to the soldier, who immediately read it and exclaimed, “This is it!”
We spend our time picking up pieces of paper and we have the sense that it’s not “it.” There is nothing at all wrong with the things of this world but if you are reading this, there’s a fair chance that you understand that outward circumstances are not the true or deepest source of happiness.
Trying to find that deep sense of fulfillment that we all seek by improving the circumstances of our lives a bit is like trying to fill a hunger by looking at a picture of food. For those who are sensitive, the hole in our hearts cannot be filled that way. There is nothing wrong with bettering our circumstances, or the things of this world, but we know there is more and that ultimately they will not do the job.
This world is a reflection of Spirit. We are here to learn our lessons. The more we can remember that fact on a deeper and deeper level, the lighter the passing challenges of this world will feel, and the more deeply the pleasures can be enjoyed without fear of losing them or of their fading.
Blessings,
David G, manager
For the gang at East West