The Key to the Kingdom
I had a moment of epiphany; I have realised the key to the kingdom. It is being dependent on others for your happiness.
The absence of sorrow or pain or suffering does not equal happiness; peace maybe, but happiness needs to be cultivated, and it's worth the effort.
But then this a conundrum. Does your happiness depend on the whims and fancies of another?
This is against the usual philosophy of creating a hard shell around you; so that others do not cause you pain; a sort of barrier.
People who have suffered much usually create such hard shells into which they withdraw.
The monks who denounce all and in their solitude try to find peace, do they find happiness still? Peace maybe, but not happiness.
Happiness is enjoyed as a reflection in the face of another – a smile, a laugh, a warm thought.
This is one key to the kingdom.