Just saw a movie called Enlighten Up. A very good documentary on one person's search (actually two, the subject and the director) for a transformative experience though the practice of yoga. If it comes to your area and you're at all curious about yoga then you should check it out. If you're the type who thinks about spirituality in general, then there's some darn good points being made here, worth a look.
It really got me to thinking about what is it to have a spiritual quest guiding your sense of purpose, that is, to feel that some portion of your life is spent searching for meaning. I've been struggling with this lately. I'm not even sure what the question is though I know from the feeling of non satiation within that I need something more out of this life than what I learned in school and from my peers and parents.
I have a friend who idea of bliss is to sit out on his back porch tossing down beers and listening to conservative talk radio. This is what makes him happy. He's put in a hard day of work, he has a great relationship with his wife and children and is a pillar in his community. He knows what his life is about and he's happy. He's accomplished what he set out to do. In no way can I fault him, though our political views are quite diametric. In fact, I thoroughly admire him for the strength of his convictions.
As I was going to a meeting this morning I passed a man on the street, a small, gnome of a man with wispy white hair and and grey stubble across his face. He was in fatigues and a t-shirt, bent a bit by a large pack on his back filled to the brim with clothing and a sleeping bag. Around his waist was a utility belt garnished by the accoutrements of one who lives off the land - knife, flashlight, canteen. At first I thought, ok, another homeless guy; the streets of Boston are filled with them, especially near the financial district. But as I passed, I looked at him and we locked eyes for some time. In a flash, I realized, this was not a homeless person, rather this was someone who carried his home with him wherever he traveled. He was completely comfortable with who he was and he was laughing at us, I could tell by the glint in his eye, as we passed by, dressed up in our suits and ties.
All day I thought about this. The little guy on the street seemed happy, my friend, the conservative, a very happy person. What do they have that so many of us don't or at least feel we need to search for? What makes them happy? It occurs to me that these are two individuals who have been successful at defining the boundaries of their being and in doing so are now capable of filling themselves up and taking measurement. Perhaps, happiness is thinking that you're full or near full with experience and you've done what you can to reach the edges of your defined existence. That's not to say that they not capable of experiencing more and newer things but each fresh cognizant tickle now falls neatly into a belief structure that they have built and maintain.
And what of the rest of us, the restless and discombobulated, those who seem to be seeking, yet never quite finding, that inner peace? Are we a different breed or are we missing the boat entirely? Should we just hang our hat on something and say, that's it, I measure everything against this and my degree of happiness is now set to the meniscus of experiences I may have.
My gut (and translate this to mean my ego) says that no, we're searchers and there's a holiness in this act, a justification in terms of the universe keeping an accounting of our endeavors. At some point we get payed back for all this and we get that thing, that stuff, that enlightenment moment, and that, of course, is a neon sign in hot pink pointing to HAPPINESS.
Are you buying this? As I write it out I'm not so sure. What is the end result of this archaeology of the soul? A friend asked me the other day - don't you want to be happy? In truth, I couldn't answer. Would you give up the journey if you knew that at any point you chose to stop, you could plant your flag, set up camp, and happiness would find you. Is it a trade off?
Posts
1 comment:
I think about the movie, 'Spanglish', where the housekeeper asks her employer, Adam Sandler, to 'be Heppy' ( 'be happy' with a Spanish accent). The reminder is cause for repose because so often in our questing and daily grind to make money, search for a relationship, search for something more than what we already are gifted to have, we lose sight of ourselves. If we aren't working for 'the man', aren't working for ourselves ( who for ourselves become 'the man') or aren't making ourselves, 'better' or aren't questioning all things, then evidently we are not succeeding. -but what is success? Being happy, can sometimes be construed as being a weakness but sometimes the enlightment or the quest to be happy is all about appreciating that the journey , but realizing that everything that you had was right there if you stopped a second to take a breath and look and realize what gifts are right there at your feet.
Post a Comment