In “Nothingness” – That Elusiveness of Joy and Happiness

Joy and happiness seem everything. Yet to get to this place we have to realise some things. One of them is that most of desire, when it’s analysed introspectively, is an evading of a deeper truth—a truth that forever stands in our way—a roadblock to happiness. This desire, and the barriers of reality, must be negotiated to come into that table-land of personal, swimming glory; the place where the senses are alive to life in a positive and all-consuming way, not held back for anything.

And this sort of spiritual happiness and joy can be founded even on nothingness, but it need be said that...

A world of nothing isn’t boring when you’re weary from busyness and a raft of other life difficulties—it really seems a safe haven—even for time to rest one’s aching feet and back, like on a day trip deep in the afternoon, as solace is sought in a garden courtyard—even ten minutes rest; an image for the tired mind and catastrophically burdened heart.

The active yet peaceful mind is the perfectly attentive corrective.

It swings gracefully in a quiet comfortable peace of knowledge. This mind bathes in truth forever, it seems, in balance. The truth is not harmful at this place. The truth is welcomed. A resigned, accepting courage joins the demeanour of the soul.

For some, life appears as a game—it’s hardly real. No wonder they don’t care about the consequences—live now, pay later is the philosophy; for most of us this is the case—at least occasionally.

Bottle the mood—it’s a wonderful quietude which suffuses the soul. Smile.

Embrace the nothingness—something or someone is there. It’s only in this sweet mood we get cognisance of it. It hardly appears real—yet there’s nothing more real. In this moment, space appears, and awkwardly for a time. Yet, space is necessary for us in our ‘standing back’ activities, as we survey our lives, and consider what has gone before and what beckons now. It’s a planning moment. Nothingness now takes on “somethingness.” It is our life we’re talking about—there’s significance here! ... Right?

Mood has a lot to do with it—but even moods mature given days or weeks in the sun of mental, emotional and spiritual safety. Nurture the peace, allowing it to blossom. We must sparge it, goading and invigorating it, ripening it as if tending a garden.

Nurturing and guarding (as in gardening—the “shepherding” of the spiritual garden) are vital life attributes and activities; invest in them. It will prove our most fulfilling experience, with ‘return on investment’ higher than we could have ever thought.

Faith and fear are the opposite sides of the coin of life—we vacillate like a spinning coin between the two—but on what side will it land?

There is only one rational side for the coin to land; the fear-side faces the ground and upon the faith-side shines a reflective, all-telling light... new life—new dawn... joy, happiness and peace beckon... and out of the wilderness we trudge!

© S. J. Wickham, 2009.