Happiness
The world we live in currently is vastly different than anyone of us could have ever imagined, even a few months ago. Our ideal of peace on earth shattered for now. Generations of people are in shock at the atrocities, shaking their heads and helplessly looking on in hope the war ends soon. Those of us whose families have experienced war know all too well the long-term scarring effects of PTSD, physical injury and displacement. How this effects the mind and body for decades, effecting generations of people.
Happiness? How do we attain this, how do we hold on to this in our current world and how do those in the war zone ever feel happiness again? This seems like an impossible question. There is no answer. In a war zone there are no treatment clinic’s open, hospitals are being bombed, no super markets open, food supply cut, no running water or electricity. In our country we still have all facilities available to us. I feel incredibly grateful and guilty at the same time that we have so much. Imagine for one moment what it must feel like to be a Ukrainian refugee right now or any refugee. To walk in their shoes for a day. Displacement. A person may never have the courage or health to travel back to their home of origin again.
Experts tell us that happiness can be attained by surrounding ourselves with familiar objects, colours, materials, photos, pets and plants? Experts tell us that talk therapy and movement therapy helps to repair, grow muscles and neural pathways. Neuropuncture can produce a positive effect on regions of the brain damaged by injury, concussion and stress. Neuropuncture research shows us that with the right stimulation specific brain regions can be targeted and a specific electro current known at a milli current can heal the brain. The frontal lobe is affected by stress. PTSD and can stop producing dopamine. Which plays a very important role in us feeling happiness. But how can the millions of displaced Ukrainians receive treatment to restore their happiness. Or their dopamine production. We pose the question again can happiness be attained after experiencing war?
Is the answer as the Dala lama says, with compassion, with honesty, sincerity and detachment? Learning to live with the horror rather than ever recovering from it? I don’t know the answer and for this reason, why I wanted to write this piece.
Traditional Chinese medicine says, if we live a modest existence, aligned to the seasons, treating the earth with respect, its inhabitants and our bodies, every living thing will prosper and we can all live in harmony. Using the 5 elements as our baseline earth, water, metal fire & wood. These elements are all the earth needs and all our bodies need to survive and thrive.
Taking this advice on board, can we attain happiness by going back to ancient Chinese medicine and starting again?
Can we prosper like the Bamboo? With just the 5 elements? And without GREED. Ancient Chinese medicine never factored in GREED.