Joy to the world : the Inner Light

How can we proclaim joy to the world at Christmas when our world is clearly full of suffering? The followers of Jesus believe that the birth of the son of God is the answer to our troubles, and should be celebrated – though the exact date of his birth is unknown.

In 623 B.C., Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born. When he grew up, inspired by similar lines of questioning, he abandoned his beloved family and his heritage of wealth, status and power, to pursue the path of spiritual cultivation which led to him becoming Buddha.

Religions are generally founded on a belief in the power of human faith to put an end to suffering. But ironically, and somewhat sadly, much human suffering throughout history is the result of vicious deeds performed in the name of a god.

Even if we ignore the dark side of religion, it’s hard to imagine a world in which everyone chooses to follow a faith and practice it in a sacred place like a church or monastery. It’s difficult to envision an environment in which everyone dedicates all their time to entering heaven or nirvana, or any similar realm of utopia, after death, instead of trying to satisfy their human needs, wants, and lusts while they are alive.     

Of course, atheists aren’t that much better at avoiding human failings. Economic recessions, financial crises, unemployment, poverty, global warming, treachery, theft, robbery, rape, killing, massacre, war, and all the rest of these man-made troubles still fill our world. Even the wrongdoers, who may be deceived with temporary gains, can’t find any real joy.

Mankind is also helpless against deadly diseases and natural disasters. So are we kidding ourselves that a Christmas carol can really bring joy to the world? If you have a sense of compassion, is it possible to be truly happy when you know for sure that there are so many people suffering at the same time?  

Let’s be realistic. Most of us are just ordinary people, we’re not saviours or saints. But although we can’t change the world easily, we can look inside ourselves and take control of our own mind. It is where joy can indeed be found, and it’s a place where we can start to build a better world – whether you believe in a god or not.

Here’s a good place to start: purge the mind of all traces of disappointment, frustration, envy, fear, anger, and all the rest of the emotions which consume our energy to the detriment of our mental health. This is a conscious choice, and is readily doable. Here are some tips to get you started.

1.      Acknowledge imperfection

It’s important to set goals and targets for everything we do in order to drive success. But even in the business world, we have to accept that there are many things outside our control which may affect the outcome of what we do.

Without finding excuses for every failure, we need to accrue the wisdom to distinguish between what we can really change and what we simply have to accept. This is preferable to tormenting ourselves with disappointments and regrets, and beating ourselves to death with what should, or could, have been.

2.      Don’t make assumptions

Unless you are developing a business plan, or setting a budget, do not form a pre-conceived idea about anyone or anything. Rather than making assumptions about people and things, it’s wiser to be truly open-minded. Accept things and people for what they are. Once you start making assumptions, you will readily confuse them with the truth. Realising the difference between perception and reality can be a cause of frustration.

3.      Don’t take things personally

I have written another article about this. Making assumptions and taking things personally are usually at the root of most of the negative thoughts we have. Once you stop making assumptions about people and things, and refuse to take things personally, no one can really fault or hurt you.

4.      Speak and act in good faith

Everything man-made starts from the mind, and what goes around comes around. Whether we are living in the best of times or the worst of times depends on how we want the world to be. The more people who are willing to make a better world, the higher the chance we shall actually have a better tomorrow.

In times of happiness, speak and act in ways that share joy. Show gratitude and congratulate the success of others. In times of trouble, act in ways to heal wounds. Show empathy, and offer condolences to others.

5.      Always do your best

To start with, you should not do anything illegal, or do anything which betrays your conscience. The only way to live every moment with no regret is to put everything you have, within your affordable resources of time and energy, into excelling in whatever you do. This doesn’t just apply to your job, but everything you do, including your hobbies. Always doing your best and accepting the results no matter what is the only reliable way to live your life purposefully, intensely and productively – but not stressfully.  It also allows you to avoid depressing thoughts about what could have been. Always do your best, accept and forgive yourself for all your imperfections, and then move on.

6.      Don’t stop learning

People tend to take knowledge for granted, and develop illusions of competence, particularly in today’s information age. But the ability to turn knowledge into wisdom and solve real-life problems requires proactive learning and constant critical thinking. This means learning in and beyond school, and on and beyond the job. Learn from your own mistakes as well as those of others. Most importantly, learn to excel in whatever you do.

True learning also humbles the mind, and makes you realise that, no matter how much you have learned, or think you have learned, how little you really know in the boundless universe. After all, along with breathing, learning is probably the only thing you can continue doing at will until your very end.

7.      Be compassionate

It is unquestionable that the compassionate hearts of Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and similarly rare figures, have influenced humanity for the better over the course of history. Even Adam Smith, widely recognised as the father of economics, who famously advocated that the market is best left alone to the working of individuals exercising their conscious choices to maximize their selfish needs, showed compassion:

"How selfish-so-ever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it."

Indeed, prior to writing the classic The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith wrote the Theory of Moral Sentiments. 

Perhaps our brain is indeed wired for us to be as compassionate as we are egoistic. While the former is certainly harmless, the latter can cause us trouble. More often than not, a person’s ego – as manifested in his urge to prove himself and be recognised – is his main source of mental pain. Too many people with too strong egos can cause all sorts of trouble – particularly in terms of rivalry, antagonism, and war.

Perhaps we should think of compassion as the candlelight and ego as the fire itself: It’s good to get enough candles to light up the darkness, but we don’t want to make a big fire that will burn the house down.

Joy to the world does not have to – and cannot possibly – only come from an ideal political system, economic prosperity, technological advances, the curing of all diseases, world peace, or any conceivable state of utopia. It can be found in each and every individual who makes an effort to search for it within.

As soon as the clouds are clear, the bright blue sky is there to be seen. It is in our very nature to find joy once all our negative sentiments are purged – just look at the innocent and beautiful smiles of babies.

To quote Vivian Greene, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass… it is about learning to dance in the rain.”