Living simple – simply living happy

 In our society it is the norm to always strive for more. Not just more money and more possessions, but more adventures, more experiences and more love as well, even more spirituality and personal development.

We have been educated in a way that makes us think that whatever we have, whatever we do, whatever we are, it is never good enough. Everything has to be improved. 

Our house, our garden, our job, our partner, our children, our body, our personality, if only it would be a little better, we could be happy.

So we are running around all the time gathering stuff, gathering experiences and trying to change everything about ourselves and around us, so that we might be content and happy one day.

The only problem is, that once we got one aspect of our lives just right, there's another thing that pops up to stand in between us and complete happiness.

Yes, we've got the big house, but now we're arguing all day about who has to clean all those rooms.
Yes, we have the beautiful garden, but the neighbours are too noisy and snails are eating the plants.

Yes, we did marry the one we love, but (s)he has some irritating habits.
Yes, the spiritual festival was great, but this one friend will never talk to us again and our favourite clothes are ruined in the mud.
Etc. etc.

We keep running around, chasing new goals all the time, because we always feel there is just one more thing missing. We watch videos about the 'law of attraction' and, if we are modern witches, we work magic to get what we feel will make our life – us - complete.

This is what keeps a lot of businesses running and what makes new age gurus very, very rich.

What is this complete happiness that seems to be so impossible to reach?

Sages in India have pondered on this question and came up with an answer thousands of years ago. And also in modern times there are people who find this answer, all by themselves, or with some guidance of a teacher.

They found that happiness is feeling whole and complete. And that you are already whole and complete, but daily life makes you forget.

Some of us remember parts of this sometimes. For instance many modern pagans who say things like: “We are all related, we are all one”. They are on to something, without yet deeply understanding the true implication of this statement.

What does it mean that we are all one? It means that there is really nothing else but One!

This is something mind blowing, that needs time to sink in. Years, lifetimes ...

Not just people are One, all is One. Not just the Divine is One, we are One ourselves.
And if we are One, we are complete. There is nothing else to want or strive for, because we already are everything.

But we are caught up in daily life, which seems to be divided into opposites like light – dark, high - low, fast – slow, nice – bad, and so on and on...

So we all forget that we already are everything – One. We are the sky, but we can't see ourselves because the clouds of daily life block the view.

All our life we are chasing goals that will make us feel complete. The house, the lover, the job, the book, the workshop, the festival, …. And indeed if we reach the goal, the chasing stops for a moment and the clouds have disappeared.

We feel complete, we are happy. For a moment …... new clouds are gathering quickly!

If you really understand that you truly are One, the chasing stops.

Nothing can make you more whole and complete than you already are.

You are already perfect, beautiful, whole and happy and nothing, really nothing, can change that.

You can be happy while living all alone in a wooden hut, eating nothing but brussel sprouts.

But you don't have to live in such way to be happy. All you have to do is enjoy the wonders of life and to appreciate the beauty and perfection that surrounds you in whatever circumstances you are.

Don't believe the lies of society that tell you that you have to improve everything.

Just live your life following the golden rule:'Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you.' 
And be what you truly are: whole, complete and happy.

Asia - Europe

Traditional Korean gentleman's hat from the Joseon era

 

 Inspired by my contact with a very knowledgable, powerful , interesting and friendly Korean spirit, I've immersed myself in Far Eastern culture for the last few months ….. uh ….. maybe not just a few ...

Learning all about tea and tea ceremonies. Listening almost exclusively to Korean and Chinese music. Studying a little Chinese and Chinese calligraphy. Reading Mencius and Confucius. Learning to make dumplings (with not much success yet)

Very, very interesting to gain a little more understanding of this refined, very ancient culture!

This is a beautiful side of working with spirits. Learning new things, while bridging time and space.

Learning new old things that is, things that were once probably not so alien in this region either. This whole journey started when I discovered some striking similarities between Korean royal funerary customs and European bronze age burial mounts …

This morning my honourable spirit friend told me he really appreciates all my efforts to learn to understand his culture. But now it's time to do my own thing again as well, because our friendship was meant to be a two way bridge between cultures and he is also interested in the things that I do and know.

A true gentleman indeed :)