APRIL BLOG

Illustration by Miki Howenstein

Even rocks are found intriguing by the enlightened one.

JR: Living simply is often mistakenly seen as painfully sacrificial. But a life of voluntary simplicity is quite the opposite. We increasingly discover more and more joy and augmented pleasure in the miracle of our existence and the creation around us. It is the life of nourishing soulful delights, in contrast to the materialistic-based lifestyle which focuses on the accumulation of “dead things” and a dependence on outside influences to find temporary pleasures—a life where we unwittingly give up our capacity to create our own pleasures.
PP: Celebrate your being. Take five minutes simply to appreciate the countless miracles responsible for your existence (breath, blood flow, the whole shebang).

PA: In one way, I am one of the lucky ones who doesn’t get bothered that others have more than I materialistically. BUT I do fall into the trap of enviously seeing others’ “better” lives - “She’ll be financially secure the rest of her life.” “His wife doesn’t give him trouble at all.” In some ways, this type of comparing is worse than those of the materialistic kind. And, strange thing is, they are most often untrue. In most cases, it is ME (and only me) that feels financially insecure or that my wife makes me upset at times. This realization alone encourages me to take care of my own feelings and transform myself to “celebrate my being!”