HERE ARE THE WORDS
This contemplation is on happiness...
The one thing we all want.
There seems to be three types of happiness,
but it's the least known one of these that is everlasting.
The most common form of happiness and the quickest to leave us,
is the kind that is the excited, elated type.
And it's great to experience.
It comes when we're having fun,
achieve a goal, acquire something or when our
life seems finally on track.
This type of happiness is always associated to things we experience, whether material or mind-made.
Every thing, every object comes and goes, so this type of happiness is constantly in a state of change.
It can disappear in a blink of an eye.
The second type of happiness is deeper.
You might say it's from the heart,
and it can include being happy with, and for others.
When someone close to you is happy, you feel it for them and with them,
or we feel happiness in an enduring relationship that is built on trust, respect, love.
Or it can have its roots in gratitude and appreciation.
This kind of happiness is more like a love feeling, and it radiates from us.
The third kind of happiness is not based on an external object or experience.
We all feel or glimpse it occasionally.
A kind of profound lightness.
When it's felt most strongly, it's better described as joy or even ecstasy.
It emanates from somewhere we cannot define.
It just arises as if from nowhere.
It may be brought into our awareness by something we experience.
But then it wells up...
It's like a wave of openness, peace and love.
The flowing expression that arises can even bring tears.
It is pure happiness.
It comes over us when there is space for it inside, when our mind is open enough to let it in.
Once we've tasted it, we sense that it has its origin somewhere that we want to deepen our connection to.
Eventually it's realised that this connection is actually to the eternal.
This happiness is discovered to be always there...
...often just in the background...
...but always there.
If you found this interesting, you might like to ask some questions...
I'll answer anything you'd like to put to me.
And if you enjoyed this, of course, feel free to share it.
John