It is my understanding based on my experiences that deep joy comes from facing pain, suffering and hardship rather than running away from it.It is like going through the heat of the fire to experiencecoolness. It sounds counterintuitive and paradoxical. Deep joy is born in the womb of love. Mother goes through the agony and pain of birthing the baby and feels deep joy when the baby comes out from the womb. Such joy is not temporary. The flow of joy keeps on flowing when she raises her baby who goes through passages of life. Her source of deep joy is pure and unconditional love for her child.
Suffering is the first noble truthaccording to the Buddha. We all suffer physically, mentally, emotionally and relationally. I have experienced such suffering through out my life. Such experiences have been beneficial to me. By facing such experiences and by going through them I have become more
empathic, compassionate and kind to myself and to others. I know where, how and why my shoe pinches and that way I have learned where, how andwhy other's shoe pinches. Such knowing comes from facing our suffering with compassion and kindness for ourselves and for others in our lives. Denying, averting or reacting to suffering causes more suffering.
The tree of love grows by nurturing the seeds. Self nurturing and nurturing other folks in my life helps the tree not only to survive but also to flourish. Working on myself mindfully has been very helpful to me. Serving others selflessly has always brought deep joy, contentment, fulfillment, and happiness in my life. In that sense I feel the same way like the author Lynne Twist says: "The harderI work the more I love."
Namaste!
Jagdish P Dave'
On May 1, 2020 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
Suffering is the first noble truthaccording to the Buddha. We all suffer physically, mentally, emotionally and relationally. I have experienced such suffering through out my life. Such experiences have been beneficial to me. By facing such experiences and by going through them I have become more
empathic, compassionate and kind to myself and to others. I know where, how and why my shoe pinches and that way I have learned where, how andwhy other's shoe pinches. Such knowing comes from facing our suffering with compassion and kindness for ourselves and for others in our lives. Denying, averting or reacting to suffering causes more suffering.
The tree of love grows by nurturing the seeds. Self nurturing and nurturing other folks in my life helps the tree not only to survive but also to flourish. Working on myself mindfully has been very helpful to me. Serving others selflessly has always brought deep joy, contentment, fulfillment, and happiness in my life. In that sense I feel the same way like the author Lynne Twist says: "The harderI work the more I love."
Namaste!
Jagdish P Dave'