This Joy, too, shall pass

Joy, not happiness or excitement neither ecstasy or exhilaration, a joy that comes from deep within us. A joy that is based on the recognition of the unfolding process of ourselves in the bigger process that is the universe.

A joy that is not limited or constraining, that is not conditional or conditioning. A joy that embraces the self and its existential contradiction. The self is like the Sphinx, it poses a question that if answered it will reveal the pattern of life, and those who do not find the answer will perish at the gates of the Entire City.

A joy that stands on its own, above the surface of the ocean riding the waves and embracing the storms. Good sailors know that when the White Storm comes, and it will come, you can only collect the sails and fight not against it, because like everything else, this, too, shall pass.

A joy that points you north after the storm. That indicates to you the route on the sailing charts when you have lost the stars.

A joy that is not dependant on your actions neither on your mistakes. That sees meanings and not appearances, that reads in the scrolls of the heart what has been written above the clouds. A joy that passes through vulgarity without spending a cent in it but is able to embrace it and turns it into gold.

A joy that does not ascend to the peaks of happiness because it knows that they lead to a vacuum and avoids the hollows of sadness because, they too, are empty.

A joy that is constantly overflowing because it comes from a never-ending cup. A joy that is shared because there can be no joy if it is not shared; that is inclusive and not exclusive yet is private and not public.

A joy that is found at the breakfast table, that is made out of fresh croissants and coffee or of a piece of hard bread in the forest; because the highest this world has to offer is the company of those with whom you share your food.

A joy that leads us to be content Him and He to be content with us. All of these has been indicated to us in the words of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the ayas of the Quran.

This joy that is the antidote to the gloomy landscapes of today.

And this joy, too, shall pass.