Context: To enjoy anything, we cannot be attached to it. William Blake understood this beautifully: He who binds to himself a Joy, Doth the winged life destroy; But he who kisses the Joy as it flies / Lives in Eternity's sunrise. What we usually try to do is capture any joy that comes our way before it can escape. We have our butterfly net and go after the joy like a hunter stalking his prey. We hide and wait, pounce on it, catch it, and take it home to put on our wall. When our friends come to visit, we say, "Hey, Stu, would you like to see my joy?" There it is on the wall - dead. We try to cling to pleasure, but all we succeed in doing is making ourselves frustrated because, whatever it promises, pleasure simply cannot last. But if I am willing to kiss the joy as it flies, I say, 'Yes, this moment is beautiful. I won't grab it. I'll let it go.'
Works
Original Goodness
Eknath EaswaranFamous Eknath Easwaran Quotes
“To enjoy anything, we cannot be attached to it.”
Context: To enjoy anything, we cannot be attached to it. William Blake understood this beautifully: He who binds to himself a Joy, Doth the winged life destroy; But he who kisses the Joy as it flies / Lives in Eternity's sunrise. What we usually try to do is capture any joy that comes our way before it can escape. We have our butterfly net and go after the joy like a hunter stalking his prey. We hide and wait, pounce on it, catch it, and take it home to put on our wall. When our friends come to visit, we say, "Hey, Stu, would you like to see my joy?" There it is on the wall - dead. We try to cling to pleasure, but all we succeed in doing is making ourselves frustrated because, whatever it promises, pleasure simply cannot last. But if I am willing to kiss the joy as it flies, I say, 'Yes, this moment is beautiful. I won't grab it. I'll let it go.'
[Original goodness: On the beatitudes of the sermon on the mount, Easwaran, Eknath, w:Eknath Easwaran, 1996, Nilgiri Press, Tomales, CA, 0915132923, http://books.google.com/books?id=EVMJXI4pJFMC&pg=PT155&lpg=PT155&dq=%22Love+is+so+exquisitely+elusive.+It+cannot+be+bought,+cannot+be+badgered,+cannot+be+hijacked.+It+is+available+only+in+one+rare+form:+as+the+natural+response+of+a+healthy+mind+and+healthy+heart.+%22+eknath+easwaran&source=bl&ots=p9woVsJ6yV&sig=tbv5qJjAiu6YNqt8luZX4RM0rFg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tdSdT7f9IOi9iwLF5NhU&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false] (p. 155) (book originally published 1989: p. 131)
[Your life is your message: Finding harmony with yourself, others, and the earth, Easwaran, Eknath, w:Eknath Easwaran, 1997, Hyperion, New York, 0786882662, http://books.google.com/books?id=xKlCo3suzTkC&pg=PA42&dq=Patience+can%27t+be+acquired+overnight.+It+is+just+like+building+up+a+muscle.+Every+day+you+need+to+work+on+it+inauthor:eknath+inauthor:easwaran&hl=en&ei=9UCVTqyUKuKsiAKB1oy6CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Patience%20can%27t%20be%20acquired%20overnight.%20It%20is%20just%20like%20building%20up%20a%20muscle.%20Every%20day%20you%20need%20to%20work%20on%20it%20inauthor%3Aeknath%20inauthor%3Aeaswaran&f=false] (p. 42) (work originally published 1992)
“We all need joy, and we can all receive joy in only one way, by adding to the joy of others.”
[The end of sorrow <nowiki>[vol 1 of the Bhagavad Gita for daily living]</nowiki>, Easwaran, Eknath, w:Eknath Easwaran, 1993, Nilgiri, Tomales, CA, 9780915132171, http://books.google.com/books?id=3S4fEjh40AUC&pg=PA109&dq=%22We+all+need+joy,+and+we+can+all+receive+joy+in+only+one+way,+by+adding+to+the+joy+of+others.%22&hl=en&ei=4qmfTuKjO4LliALiucFt&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22We%20all%20need%20joy%2C%20and%20we%20can%20all%20receive%20joy%20in%20only%20one%20way%2C%20by%20adding%20to%20the%20joy%20of%20others.%22&f=false] (p. 109). (work originally published 1975)
“By giving full attention to one thing at a time, we can learn to direct attention where we choose.”
[Words to live by: A daily guide to leading an exceptional life, Easwaran, Eknath, w:Eknath Easwaran, 2005, Nilgiri, Tomales, CA, 978-1-58638-016-8] (page 12: comment for Jan. 3 on quote by Shelley) (work originally published 1990)
