I noticed that I go through phases when I travel…. jet lag / massive exhaustion, awake at night (frustrating), settling in and figuring out logistics of food, laundry and daily life, worrying or stressing to fill the void of work, joy at new challenges and experiences and surprises, recognizing my worry/stress and overcoming it, feeling settled in, getting to know the city, opening to the people, and inevitably, feeling guilty for having such an amazing life. I worked my ass off for this life. I sacrificed, made mistakes, suffered at every level, paid my dues to get here. It’s an old issue that goes back to the dawn of humanity. How to be at peace and feel joy while knowing that somewhere, others are suffering?
The Buddha tried suffering with the people. It does not work. So instead he found his own way out of suffering and taught it to others and in so doing got them out too. In the Hindu faith, each person has their own path. If your path is to suffer, it is because you need to learn something or to repay something. If your path is to not suffer then to impose suffering on yourself is to diverge from the universe’s plan for you. To each his own.
But here is the real thing…. what you feel multiplies that feeling in others. If I get angry, that will multiply the anger of others. If I get sad, that will multiply the sadness of others. But if I am at peace and have joy then THAT and only that will multiply the peace and joy of others and help them find peace and joy as well. I cannot guide others out of suffering if I am also suffering. But I have been there and I found a path out and I can light the way.
I have to accept that there will always be people suffering in the world, because there will always be people in stages 2-5 making themselves and others miserable. But I CAN help those who want to be helped, to find peace and joy and an amazing life – whatever that means to them.
They say, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I say, FEEL the joy you want to see in others.
