Happy to Sing and Leap for Joy!

Part 4 of a series The darkness of obstacles clumps energy together gathering like a dirty snowball and clouds you. That is why the delusions are called obscurations because they obscure the lightness of your natural being. The unhappy mind has a darkness to it, a sickly darkness. To reduce the obscuration of anger begins to clear twisted energy held like a tight fist inside. As it clears, the clarity of natural mind begins to shine. This is not yet enlightened mind; this is a correct human mind and its energy life. The natural state of that mind is happiness.

As this darkness begins to lighten, the mental states associated with the stress caused by the density also dissipates and we feel encouraged by that. By feeling better, we want to reduce the dysfunctions even more. At a certain level of clarity by reducing clenched energy further, we see that old strategies were not as good as we thought. Actually, you already knew that anger was not as good a strategy as you thought it was! The strategy of getting what you want by using anger as a tool rarely works and it does not improve with practice. On the other hand, the encouragement that you gain with more space made by clarity, eventually will not only cause reduction in anger, but a complete elimination of anger. This can be done.

In the meantime, we affirm these valuable goals such as enlightenment, compassion, and elimination of delusions and obstacles, and work towards them. At the same time, we should find wholesome enjoyments and be alive to activities that gather our interest and attention to make our mind happy. Try singing to yourself just for the fun of it. We do not have to be so serious all of the time. Even if you are not good at singing, go ahead and sing!

I should not tell this, but it was too much fun. I was at a busy airport rushing between planes one day not long ago, and I came into a kind of domed area. Suddenly, I noticed there was a wonderful echo happening up over my head. “I cannot let this go,” I thought and “La la la la la la la laaaaaaaaaaaa!” I felt like I was in a fancy concert hall. I would have missed some good fun if I had not taken the opportunity to test the acoustics! As you probably guessed, I am not shy, not like in my before. I think if I was walking next to someone in a busy airport, and they suddenly burst into song-- that would make me happy! It would delight me, and so it was a win-win situation!

Paint a wall, or paint a picture to make yourself happy. Some people are not good at painting a picture; it would make them unhappy to try to paint a picture, so paint a wall! Take walks and visit the flowers. While you are waiting for enlightenment to happen and you are working toward goals, learn something new! Learn and stretch your limitations. See how far you can jump down the steps. Can you make it to Whole Foods and back in less than three minutes? Think of fun things to delight your mind. Stretch your limitations. See you many cherries you can eat…or not! Practicing the abilities you already have will definitely bring you joy and an inner sense of fun. Don’t be so serious; a smile will not break your face!

I live far out in the country at my hermitage in central Wisconsin, where the retreat facilities are located. There are many cows and horses in our area, and many Amish farms that have quite a few draft and carriage horses. One day as I was driving to town, I saw a colt, not more than a month old, leaping, jumping, and running down a fenced field. When it reached the other end, it ran back as fast as its little legs could carry it, leaping and jumping again! I am going past fifty miles an hour, watching this colt and its display of effervescent joy. Testing its legs and challenging its abilities while experiencing joy caused me to feel its joy all the way into town! To be continued…