The Here & Now- More than Enough

So within this week 3 persons have related to me their dukkha (sanskrit for dissatisfaction or stress).

One is feeling kind of lost without a job after his  contract ended. In his late fifties and being financially independent, he doesn't really need to work for a living. Yet the lack of response from employers upsets him.

Another, the boss of a small manufacturing company in her sixties, laments that her son lacks the full commitment to take over the business. She feels trapped and burdened, not able to have a lifestyle she desired even at this age.

Yet another is struggling to make sense of the politicking happening in her religious institution which she is working in.

Yesterday I had a dream. In my dream I recently joined a small company. I was asked to attend a meeting by the CEO. There was only 1 other senior executive at the meeting which was about expanding the company overseas and hence the need to seek financing, engage the banks and prepare a set of prospectus. In my dream I was rather disturbed that the CFO was not present and I was tasked to take on some of the CFO's duties. I told myself I took this job because it was supposed to be a relaxing one  When the CFO and some other executives returned from lunch they were upset for being left out of this "inner circle" meeting. At this point I felt rather pleased that I was being valued by the CEO but was upset with the amount of work to be done.

So my dream kind of embodied the dukkha of the 3 persons and how we are invariably dissatisfied no matter the situation. Would the 1st person envy the 2nd's predicament and vice versa? We always think that "if only this and this happens, I would be happy". Thich Nhat Hanh said : "It is possible to live happily in the here and now. So many conditions of happiness are available- more than enough for you to be happy right now. You don't have to run into the future in order to get more".

In a workshop which I attended, we were told to sit in groups of 4. Each of us was given a piece of paper and told to divide it into 4 sections. We were then asked to draw an unpleasant encounter or feeling which took place during the day or of late. We then passed our paper to the next person to draw something in another section of the paper after looking at what the first person has drawn. The paper then goes to the 3rd and 4th person to fill the remaining sections. When finished there would be 4 pieces of papers, each showing the origin of a problem followed by 3 responses. Amongst many lessons learnt from this exercise was the observation that it is quite easy to offer solution when detached or put it in another way you can see the silver lining in other's situation readily but not your own.

My own dream may be serving myself a reminder.

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