There is a Chinese saying that "if you want three hours of ecstasy, try gambling. For three weeks of rapture, go travelling. For three months of bliss, get married. Build a new house and you will enjoy three years of heaven. But if you want true and lasting happiness, grow and live with trees."
Much of the time we keep ourselves busy with things from the outside: friends, work, TV, shopping, and so on. We think these things are indispensable. We seek happiness from travelling, searching for delicious food, fun and excitement. But such feelings do not last.We look outward to avoid the problems inside.
People today are not happy because they cannot appreciate the good things they already have in the present. We keep looking for the happiness that lies ahead. Our heart keeps yearning for something else all the time.
The tree in our mind gets neglected. It becomes vulnerable to pests, weeds and drought. But now is the time to go back and nurture our tree.
To nurture mindfulness, to be constantly alert and awake, is to open our heart to happiness in the present. It helps our mind to reach the inner happiness, the spiritual side of us. Only then shall the wisdom arise and we will not be afraid of anything.
The tree is not afraid of the sunlight. As it grows and branches out, it can transform the sunshine into shade. Its roots are not afraid of waste, because they can transform this into nourishing food, into fragrant flowers and tasty fruit. When we look after our mind, always contemplating with mindfulness and wisdom, we will not be afraid of suffering, loss, pain and even death. We will be able to transform suffering into happiness, misfortune into a blessing. It is like the tree that can transform the heat of the sun into cooling shade, the waste into sweet fruit and flowers.
For full article, goto: True Happiness Cannot be Bought
Picture: aml®All Rights Reserved
2 comments:
beautiful, so beautiful indeed!
i loved the chinese saying. :)
It's so true, isn't it?
Peace to you.
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