I finally got around to reading one of the Dalai Lama’s books and just reading it gave me a sense of calmness. (I know that sounds dumb but it’s true!)
In comparison most of us can only hope to reach a minuscule state of serenity and level of happiness – but the point is to keep trying!
The book is based on interviews with His Holiness and goes like this:
Journalist: Let’s not talk about difficult things like nirvana or enlightenment. But what do you want to achieve?
The Dalai Lama: To be happy. My practise helps me lead a useful life. If I can give some short moment of happiness to others, then I feel that my life has achieved some purpose. This gives me deep mental satisfaction – this feeling always comes if you serve others. So, when I help others, I feel happy. For me, the most important thing is human compassion, a sense of caring for one another.
Then it dawned on me – this is why I became a Marriage Celebrant!! So I feel helpful to others (and hopefully add a little value for them during a major life event) and has the added bonus that it makes me happy! And it’s alot of fun, as you can see from this photo (taken after I performed my official duties, of course!)
What could be a more incredibly rewarding ‘job’ than this?!
