Note: In this writing, I will often use "joy." Frequently, in writings, I have used "bliss" instead, as understood in Hinduism. In the West, joy is often equated with happiness. Also, often Buddhists texts, where joy is mentioned, are translated by the English "happiness." To me, this is misleading. For more clarification, see below.
The deeper you go [into Spirit], the more joy sprouts forth. The actions we do, can't be erased.
*Guru Nanak. Poems from the Sikh Sacred Tradition. Trans. Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh.
A taste of joy stimulates an aspiration for joy. We recognize joy is our native birthright.
Certain actions lead to an increase of joy, some not. Discern wisely, act wisely.
Act for joy, even before feeling joy.
Move toward what brings you joy - step-by-step - don't delay.
Plant seeds before the growth is seen.
When seen, plant more seeds.
You are the gardener of your heart, what you choose, becomes.
The direction you walk, decides everything.
*
During Gautama Buddha's time, he chose monks to carry the message of Buddhism from place to place. One such monk was Sadhonna.
Sadhonna was returning to the Deer Park, where the Buddha was staying and had delivered his first talk. He met a monk practicing asceticism, or self-denial. The monk resembled cobwebs stretched over a skeleton. He was sitting on an anthill in the Lotus posture. Ants pulled at his flesh, but he did not flinch, such was his resolve to overcome the flesh.
Sadhonna called to the ascetic, "Fellow monk, I'm on my way to visit the Buddha. Is there any message you'd like me to share with him?" The monk grimaced and said, "Ask the Buddha how many more lifetimes I'll have to endure before achieving Buddhahood." Sadhonna assured the monk he would ask, and he continued on his way.
Near nightfall, Sadhonna heard someone singing a little off-key. He saw someone dressed as a monk. The man was clumsily dancing in a small clearing in the woods. He called out, saying, "Fellow monk, I'm on my way to visit the Buddha. Is there any message you'd like me to share with him?" The monk thought for a moment and said, "Yes, ask him when I'll reach my enlightenment." Sadhonna assured the dancing monk he would ask, and he walked on.
A few months later, Sadhonna returned and met the self-denying monk. His flesh was so emaciated his bones were visible. "The Buddha answered your question," Sadhonna said. "How long until I reach my enlightenment?" whispered the weakened monk. "Four more lifetimes," replied Sadhonna. The self-denying monk grimaced.
Sadhonna traveled on and met the monk who danced clumsily. Sadhonna said, "The Buddha has answered your question." "How many more lifetimes until enlightenment?" asked the monk. Sadhonna pointed to a large tree with thousands of leaves shimmering in the sunlight. He said, "As many as the leaves on that tree." The dancing monk laughed and instantly received enlightenment.
*
What if Western religions had valued and encouraged joy as much as they have right beliefs, self-denial, and the importance of suffering?
Buddhism is founded on the Four Noble Truths. The first is, "Life is suffering." Yet, the Truths provide a way out of this psychological suffering. This is like a Christian looking at Christ's crucifixion as not the end, but pointing to the resurrection. Such a Christian would likely not want to sing the old hymn popular in Protestant conservatism, "The Old Rugged Cross," with the lyrics, "I will cling to the old rugged cross."
A Buddhist does not cling to "Life is suffering." The cross points not to the cross, but to the resurrection - to new life, not life stuck on a tree.
*
Once, I was surprised when, in the offices of an Episcopal church, one where my Spiritual Mentor served as pastor. On the wall was a print of Jesus laughing. In all my life, I had seen nothing like it in a Christian setting. I had been very familiar, however, with prints of Jesus in agony on a cross. It was as though the Jesus of my native religion could not smile or laugh, let alone dance, even clumsily. I had been indoctrinated, in conservative Christianity, to focus on dogma, self-denial, and suffering. I was to join in Christ's sufferings, I was told, but no one said, "You're to join in Christ's joy" or, "Enjoy a hearty laugh with God."
Many years later, I was staying in Silence at a Catholic retreat. Again, on the walls, prints of Jesus in pain, suffering. I was taken aback. I could feel how what I had once been drawn to, no longer did so. I felt repelled by the images. Not that the cross is unimportant, but glorifying suffering runs counter to where Life has led me. In the early centuries of Christianity, by the way, the Church's art concentrated on the empty tomb, not the bloody tree.
*
In midlife, I began to grow out of my native faith. In this, I saw how the suffering of my own life had been encouraged by how I had been raised to glorify pain and suffering. I listened to Christian music and noticed how suffering was a prominent theme, as it was in my upbringing, as though Christianity entailed an addiction to self-flagellation.
One of the favorite evangelical hymns I was raised on was "There's Power in the Blood." No one ever told me how that was possible, however.
*
The spiritual Way entails pain and suffering. Pain is part of life and arises from the body. As long as we have a body, we will be subject to pain, and more so as the body ages.
Suffering is psychological. This arises from disconnection with Spirit. It arises, too, as the person we have been begins to awaken to the person we are. This is a reason assuming a spiritual path will lead one into suffering, for, as Christian Scripture reads, "The spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak." The "flesh" is a concrete term for the old self - egocentricity, self turned in on itself - inclined away from its native place in union with Spirit, and serving the purpose of Spirit.
Yet, glorifying pain is not spiritual and leads to useless suffering. The message, "God wants you in pain to glorify him," is shady. It is a dangerous message.
*
In the Christian Scriptures, nine qualities are given as the Fruit of Spirit. The Fruit is - for it is singular in the original language - love, joy, peace, patience (or perseverance), kindness, goodness (or generosity), faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Joy is listed. Is pain? Suffering? Self-denial? Dogma? Correct belief? This Fruit is the nature of True Nature. This Fruit is our natural being. To deny it is to deny ourselves. As the sunshine arises from the Sun, joy, and all the Qualities, emanate from Pure Spirit.
*
We are spirit, flowing ceaselessly out of Spirit, outside time-and-space, to manifest Spirit, in joy, in time-and-space. Spirit meets itself, celebrating itself through its luminosity, which includes you and me. Being is being bliss, for Being is bliss.
*
The solitude and silence of Prayerfulness introduces us to a joy native to ourselves: not apart from, not an object to get to, to deserve. Joy arises spontaneously, when the conditions inwardly are aligned with True Nature. Your joy is the same as God's joy. If you dance gladfully, God is dancing.
This joy is not happiness - based on happenings. Joy is an interior contentment and gladness arising from Spirit, not from self as a person, or personality. Outward conditions can stimulate the arising of joy, but they are not the source of joy.
In this sense, joy is never personal, but always transpersonal - not impersonal. Our spirits rejoice for Spirit is joyful.
Joy comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. This joy is not the opposite of sadness, not opposite of anything. This joy is a quality of the Whole, of God, Goddess, you.
*
The Buddhist nun Chayan -
Above the highest peak of Mount Wu, the round moon is alone, Cold and bland, pure and poor, it doesn't possess a single thing. If someone should come along and ask what this nun is doing. She sits for long hours on her meditation mat enjoying herself.
*Ben Connelly. Inside the Flower Garland Sutra: Huayan Buddhism and the Modern World. Quote from Beata Grant. Daughters of Emptiness: Poems of Chinese Buddhist Nuns.
To enjoy (be-in-joy-with) yourself is to enjoy (be-in-joy-with) God.
