Joseph Campbell is a man who needs no introduction. I followed The Power of Myth series on PBS in the late 1980’s. The series fascinated me to no end, especially after my experience with Father Eli and his mythical tales.
When I encountered the following quote, I recalled the Dalai Lama‘s answer to the question, “What is the meaning of life?” He said, “The purpose of life is happiness!” I found this in the Dalai Lama’s book, The Art of Happiness.
People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.
– Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell is essentially saying the same thing as the Dalai Lama. Feeling the “rapture of being alive” is true happiness.
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh says, “We have everything we need to be happy in the present moment.” He is quoting the Buddha on this and he continues to remind us of all the wonderful things that are available to us every day. He says that when we have eyes that are in good condition it is a wonder of life.
The monks, nuns, lay men, and lay women of Plum Village, the home of Thich Nhat Hanh, chant the following verses:
Happiness is here and now.
I have dropped my worries.
Nowhere to go.
Nothing to do.
No longer in a hurry.Happiness is here and now.
I have dropped my worries.
Somewhere to go.
Something to do.
But not in a hurry.
Myth As the Mirror for the Ego
Master Lin Chi, one of the lineage patriarchs of Thich Nhat Hanh, says, “The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on earth.”
What is the meaning of YOUR life? Please share.
The Art of Happiness – A Must Read
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