To experience real joy we must stop using life as a means to an end and instead be Present in this moment. To be completely present one must let go of outcomes. Our world view, or perspective, is a key element in this process of letting go. The need to control outcomes comes from the belief that ‘if I don’t take care of myself the world is going to get me because the Universe is a dark and dangerous place’.
When we begin with that perspective we need to control the future, to protect ourselves and make sure we get what we need from the world, it becomes imperative to control the present moment to guarantee a future that we project as being secure. With that mind set it is impossible to be present in the moment or to see things as they are, because the present moment has little value on its own. The present moment has instead become simply a means to a secure future.
We must therefore deliberately change our default perspective and see the universe as being benevolently disposed towards us. The reason I am alive today because the universe is deliberately keeping me alive. If the universe had been out to get me, given its vastness and my miniscule nature, I would have been annihilated a long time ago.
When we honestly and deliberately contemplate this self evident truth regarding the benevolent nature of the Universe, when we have presence, we come to develop a sense of Gratitude and Trust. It is only when these two pillars of gratitude and trust stand strong and tall that we can let go, be present in the moment, and receive the immense joy that we are designed to experience.
It is necessary that these two pillars be imbedded in a strong foundation or they will not withstand the vagaries of our day to day experience as seen from the perspective of small frightened beings. That is why this foundation we lay must be based on disciplined practice that develops both the Attention and Awareness we need to cultivate on this journey.
There are many forms of practice in many cultures and many traditions. What form we choose depends on what resonates with who we really are.