A digest for conscious living
I took my sleeping bag and spent last night on top of one of the local mountains. I enjoy the stillness and quiet of a cold night in nature. As always when sleeping out, I woke up early and got home in time for a deep meditation before starting my day.
I think if there is any goal worth having in life, it is to be happy. The concept of happines however, is perhaps one of the most misunderstood concepts in our society. It is important to discover what real happiness is. After a lifetime of socialization and miseducation, it is not always self-evident.
Perhaps there is a better term to describe the state that I am referring to. Some might call it joy, or peace, others compassion or surrender. Whatever the term used, it is not a conditional state. It does not depend on any particular set of circumstances to exist.
One of the most important distinctions to be made is the difference between feeling good, and being happy. It might be that many people equate feeling good with being happy, but this is not so. Our feelings are transient and depend on so many things, not the least of which is our physical state. The state that I refer to may not necessarily be experienced continuously, but it is present and ready for us to accept it whenever we are ready. We are transient, it is not. Ultimately, it can not be achieved through effort- although a great deal of effort might be required to understand this. It can only be delivered through grace, and can only be received by an empty heart.
Goodnight,
Kikta