David Cumes Surgeon/Sangoma (Zulu for Shaman)

FINDING HAPPINESS IN DARK TIMES #1

HAPPY, HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!

Below is last weeks aborted blog.

Problem solved thanks to - my computer expert - He can also fix - on line - anything, for those with ailing Macs. I like to get his name out there because his prices are so friendly.

The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of Buddha's teachings. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. The First noble truth is that of uncontrolled birth, aging, sickness and death. Buddhism has solutions for these suffering truths and maintain they are the true hedonists because their path will lead to equanimity. Other ancient wisdoms have similar solutions. The Ancestors say; "you are to find the one for you." The bible and Kierkegard reinforce the concept of the First Truth.

"Therefore the Lord banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. ...

In the sweat of your face will you eat bread, until you return to the ground; out of it you were taken: for dust you are, and to dust you will return." Genesis

"Listen to the cry of a woman in labor at the hour of giving birth - look at the dying man's struggle at his last extremity and then tell me whether something that begins and ends thus could be intended for enjoyment." Kierkegaard

When it comes to happiness we seem to be looking in the wrong places! Happiness has many synonyms such as;

joy, equanimity, serenity, balance, harmony, well-being. Joy, however, has a different energy to it. Joy is happiness "on steroids" and except for those few individuals who seem to maintain a joyful disposition, it is fleeting for most of us. What we are aiming for in our practice is well-being which is equivalent to happiness. Ecstasy is usually a spiritual experience described by some wisdom traditions as samadhi, nirvana, sartori ... This has also been called the oneness experience or unity consciousness. It occurs when the Knower (say you,) the Known (what you are observing - say a rainbow,) and the Process of Knowing fuse into One thing, i.e. you become the rainbow. This experience is unusual and often come by grace.

Life is a question of polarity balance that resides between the energies of joy and sorrow. This balance requires spiritual knowledge -

"The value of information is in its use for transformation"

and a diligent spiritual practice in order to stay in harmony. The unplanned, unexpected, unfamiliar are opportunities that arise to challenge this equanimity. It is in the tension between the sacred and profane that we can find spiritual perfection.

It's all about joy, sorrow and innocence. Our task is to try and maintain a childlike innocence amidst the chaos and turmoil and at the moment there is plenty of that - we are swimming in it. Folks may say it could be worse, it has been worse - look at what has happened with two world wars, depressions recessions etc., be grateful that we are not suffering as much as in some of those times. Gratitude unquestionably does bring happiness.

This intellectual rationalization helps somewhat but is not a long lasting solution in making us feel better. Pain is pain and it is highly personal. We all have differing thresholds for it. The only solution is to look for equanimity in the present moment, knowing that everything is a test of our spiritual practice and maturity.

If we imagine ourselves navigating our "boat" down the river of life we should be steering with love and having our True Self and Destiny with us. We must leave fear and the adverse cards we were dealt in life or our fate behind. Also picture the two banks of the river being Sorrow or Grief and Happiness or Joy. Our aim is to remain in the midstream of Well-Being. When we bump into the bank of Joy/Happiness we should enjoy the moment, being unattached, and realizing its impermanence, move back again into the middle. Similarly when we bump into the bank of Sorrow/Grief we should move away as quickly as possible and never set up camp. A diligent spiritual practice will allow us to find the middle way.

Realizing that ...

"No matter how long the night, the dawn is sure to come." African proverb

Spiritual practice is critical for us to get out of survival mode and into a transformational vibration and for ...

Our Good Inclination to overcome the our Evil Inclination or Shadow.

Our Higher Self to subordinate our Ego.

Our Spacious or Big mind to supersede Monkey Mind.

Our Guides to prevail over the Tricksters.

There are three aspects to the ego complex;

Desirous Attachment or attachment to the objects of our desires i.e. to our wants not needs.

The chameleon like nature of Ego itself - pride, persona, power etc.

Judgment of others and of ourselves,

all of which get in the way of true happiness. The ego is never satisfied and always wants more. When it gets it, there is momentary satisfaction until the next desire takes over. In this, lies the trickery of samsara.