#1 Life is Messy but Perfect

So here it is, the inspiration for my blog as well as the running theme I've adopted for my life.

"When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky" -Buddha/Longchenpa

It's a beautiful quote and truly helps me on my journey towards finding joy in the mess of life. Here's the interesting thing though; through some research, I found that this quote is quite possibly falsely attributed to the Buddha. It seems he never actually said these words, but the quote has been attributed to him through the philosophy of his teachings.

The quote can most likely be traced more accurately to a teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. His name was Longchenpa and he lived during the 14th century. In his work, "The Natural Freedom of the Nature of Mind", Longchenpa wrote:

"Since everything is but an apparition, perfect in being what it is, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter."

It seems throughout the centuries, Longchenpa was misquoted and then the misquote was attributed to the Buddha himself. Though Longchenpa may have been the originator of the idea for the quote (or at least the originator of the written evidence for it), the philosophy and values of Buddhism are seen quite strongly in the former quote. And so, I use the quote giving both men credit.

Either way, the quote is quite lovely. Here's the main gist of it. It's the idea that we are all searching for things that are already right there inside us. Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh said,

"I laugh when I think how I once sought paradise as a realm outside of the world of birth. It is right in the world of birth and death that the miraculous truth is revealed. But this is not the laughter of someone who suddenly acquires a great fortune; neither is it the laughter of one who has won a victory. It is, rather, the laughter of one who; after having painfully searched for something for a long time, finds it one morning in the pocket of his coat."

To me, this sentiment is absolutely beautiful. The search for happiness, peace, joy, perfection, or whatever else it is you're searching for, is simple because it's all around you. The mess of life is perfection and realizing that life shouldn't be too serious; it's all a beautiful way of finding the joy in the mess and smiling.

The philosophy is that everything in the world is temporary. If we take things too seriously, it all just leads to suffering. Isn't it true that we often get so worked up about things we can't change, that it ends up manifesting in truly negative feelings inside us? So the idea is that we should look at things with humor. This has helped me with my own path towards dissolving my anxiety. I really began to question why I was feeling anxious. What is so terrible in my life that I need to feel terrible all the time? Instead of seeing that the kids toys are all over, the sink is full of dishes, there are 6 loads of laundry that need to be done and folded, needing to figure out what's for dinner in 30 minutes...I need to be seeing the perfection in this. These "messes" aren't meant to make me feel unaccomplished or anxious to get them done. They are meant to show me the beauty of what it is to have two little humans who love me more than anything and a husband who is passionate about me and works hard so I can stay home and attend to these beautiful little messes. Maybe if I start realizing the beauty in these "imperfections", the anxiety will cease and I'll realize these things are truly perfect.

And I realize that "perfection" is a misnomer. Maybe the most "perfect" people are the ones who can laugh and not take things too seriously. Isn't it the comedians who can show us the harsh truth of reality while still being able to laugh about it? I'm sure that's why many Buddhist monks laugh and smile all the time; because they realize life isn't meant to be taken seriously, but rather, with joy. Just being alive is joy. Being anxious and worried about living or dying is absurd. It's a fact that we all are born, we all live, we all grow up, and we all die. There shouldn't be anxiety or fear of these things; it's just life. So laugh, smile, and appreciate the beauty of this amazing thing we are doing...living! And maybe along the way, with all that laughing and joy, we'll realize life isn't so hard; it's rather a great and fun game.