“I believe a joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude, inspiration, and faith.”
– Brene Brown
“To know yourself as the Being underneath the thinker, the stillness underneath the mental noise, the love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom, salvation, enlightenment.”
- Eckhart Tolle
The story that follows came to me from a talk presented by a monk whose monastic name is Brother Spirit. He lives at the Plum Village monastery in France (Plumvillage.org), which was founded by Thich Nhat Hanh in 1982 and run by him until his death in 2022. Plum Village continues to thrive, providing the world with an active and extensive outreach program, much of which addresses the extraordinarily difficult times in which we live, providing effective ways for us to adapt to them. Brother Spirit is the protagonist in the story.
A young monk, very newly ordained, was experiencing an array of difficult emotions, predominantly emanating from chronic pain and a dark depression which he could not shake. He turned desperately for help to one of the elders of the monastic community, another monk who had been at Plum Village for quite a while. After hearing of his young colleague’s situation, the more experienced monk apologized to Brother Spirit, explaining that he was needed to assist in a retreat that was going on and could not take time to help him. Instead, he handed Brother Spirit a book and told him to sit and look at the pictures. “Water the good seeds,” he advised his younger friend.
Brother Spirit sat with the book and followed his elder’s direction. The book contained photographs of children engaged in mindfulness practice. He took in every page and when he reached the end of the book, he was surprised to realize his problems were gone.
Why did the simple act of looking at young children meditating take Brother Spirit’s troubles away? The answer is because he did something very healthy for himself: he experienced joy witnessing their mindful practice. He felt each photo as a sweet reminder of the good in the world. The awareness of that good brought him joy.
We can all do that. We are living in an extraordinary time, the likes of which were not experienced by any of our ancestors, going all the way back to before we were even homo sapiens. Right now, we are experiencing a plethora of lovingkindness and compassion that concerns itself with the integrity of the whole world, alongside intense hatred and greed that is indifferent, if not oppositional, to the existential challenges of our time. The highest highs are there for us to consider, along with the darkest, most frightening lows. At any moment, we can experience either and we have agency over which we hold close.
What is your picture book? What reminds you of what is good in the world and allows you to feel the healing experience of joy? A walk with my dog, during which I pay close attention to the beautiful trees and other plant life in my neighborhood usually does the trick. When I see a tree that particularly touches me, I allow the feeling of encountering it to stay in my body as long as I can.
When we hold joy, it is as healing as holding rage is toxic. And just as our anger can be felt somatically, joy is a full-body experience, too. So, the idea is two-fold: We keep noticing experiences that make us feel joyful, peaceful, and happy, and we hold that good feeling as long as we can. It will likely do you more good than you expect. In times as trying as these, holding the positive is unprecedentedly crucial for us and for those with whom we can share the joy. When we water the good seeds, they grow and flourish, nourishing us and those in our lives. No matter what else is out there, the good seeds will always respond positively to our watering them.
Do you recognize yourself here? Are you trying to balance the opposites, too? It’s hard work, but it pays off big. If you feel inspired to talk about it, please hit the appointment button!
