The Power of Joy

I’ve been reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle the last few weeks along with millions of other folks. I’m watching the video podcasts, writing in my journal, doing the exercises, discussing it with friends.   I’ve found that doors are opening in my psyche because of it, and a fresh wind is sweeping me clean.

Yesterday, during my morning devotions, I was listening to the audio file of Kim Eng’s Breath Awareness meditation.  As I watched my breath, my mind drifted over to the YouTube clip I had just watched of Brother David Steindl-Rast discussing the importance of gratefulness.  The interviewer asked him:  “Why is gratefulness important?”  Br. David answered that gratefulness brings us joy.  Many people have many things but they aren’t happy because they are not grateful for them.  “Joy,” he said, “is that happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”

His statement reminded me of Eckhart Tolle’s image of a lake.  The surface of the lake might be calm and smooth, or very rough and stormy.   But the bottom of the lake is always vast and still and peaceful.   Be like the bottom of the lake, he advises us.   Come into presence.   

I brought my attention back to my breath, and felt the energy and joy begin to course through my body.  My chakras spinned, my palms pulsed, I began to smile.  I felt full of joy.

Then a stray thought intruded.   What if the recession gets worse and our Victorian house doesn’t sell?  My heartbeat sped up, my breathing became shallow and I was suddenly in the grip of anxiety and fear.   OK.  Just noticed that!  That’s my pain body (a Tolle term).   Duly noted.   

Then I imagined (or dreamed — I’m sure I was in an alpha state) that my pain body was a huge ugly hairy monster with fangs, crouching over me.  He looked like an illustration from Maurice Sendak’s classic Where the Wild Things Are.   I remembered how parents often counsel a child who is afraid of the monsters under her bed that she has the power to scare the monster away.   So I saw myself as a little girl with a bandana tied around her head, holding a wooden sword.  I jumped up and thrust my sword at the monster.  “I HAVE THE POWER OF JOY!!!!” I yelled at him.   And the big hairy monster shriveled up, ran away, and rolled himself up into a ball.  He was terrified of me!

I turned my attention back to my breath, now with a new mantra as I breathed in and breathed out.

I have the power of joy.

Comments

[Lunaea]

I am a great admirer of David Steindl-Rast, and his statement that "It isn't the happy people who are grateful, it is the grateful people who are happy" has resonated with me for many years now. Thank you for the link!