Catalyst of Joy

[ljgeoff]

serenejournal has a lovely post going, asking what makes people joyful. She's written some poetry about the joy. I am feeling very mind-easy reading the joyfulness, and the poetry is beautiful.

Comments

[anansi133.livejournal.com]

The question that popped into my head as soon as I saw this, was about the relationship between happiness and desire. Can happiness exist without desire?

I'm thinking that Buddhism probably has something to say about this, but I doubt that desire is something to be avoided... it's attachment that's the trouble, not the wish. Right?

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

Hmm, what comes to me is that I can be happy about something with out having had a strong desire for it. And I don't think that "I desire to be happy" covers what you're talking about, either. I think that, for me, it's more about being open and accepting to happiness.

[firecat]

I doubt that desire is something to be avoided... it's attachment that's the trouble, not the wish. Right?

That's what the Buddhism I've read says.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

Well, that, and that sometimes we wish for one kind of abundance, and fail to notice that some other kind of abundance is pouring out of or around or through us.