BlissQuest: Beginning with Joseph Campbell, of course

Now I came to this idea of bliss because in Sanskrit, which is the great spiritual language of the world, there are three terms that represent the brink, the jumping-off place to the ocean of transcendence: sat-chit-ananda. The word "sat" means being. "Chit" means consciousness. "Ananda" means bliss or rapture. I thought, "I don't know whether my consciousness is proper consciousness or not; I don't know whether what I know of my being is my proper being or not; but I do know what my rapture is. So let me hang on to rapture, and that will bring me both my consciousness and my being." I think it worked.

Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

Depression. Disconnect. A feeling of emptiness -- and not that good Buddhist kind! How many people do we all know who experience these things daily? How many of us? How many of us are on medications? How many of us are always moving from place to place, changing jobs, changing mates, thinking that the next one, the next place, the next piece of cake (mmmm...cake) will bring us back to ourselves, will make us feel like we have a life?

I have come to believe that much of this has to do with an ignoring of the concrete, which I think is Joseph Campbell's point about bliss. "Follow your bliss." If you're my age, you probably think of this as some failed hippie saying -- a sort of ad campaign for self-centered behaviors.

But that's because we've watered it down. Turned it into a cliche.

In actuality, it is the whole freaking point. The Dalai Lama, for instance, says that the only reason we are here is to be happy.

To be happy makes others happy.

Ripple.

He also says that if we were each to do the very things that make us happy, that are good for us -- and he means truly good for us, not just good for us in the moment -- if we do this, we will also be doing what is good for others and for the planet.

Bliss begets bliss.

Simple, really, but oh so difficult. Take a first step, do something -- just one thing today -- that brings a smile to your face, that doesn't make you feel obligated to anyone. If you start with the small stuff, eventually you'll move to the big stuff.

When was the last time you picked up crayons, even though you love to draw? When was the last time you turned the music up really loud and danced in your living room until you sweat? When was the last time you ignored email and cell phones and instead just sat and listened for the small whispers of your heart?

And check out the new Joseph Campbell Foundation website. There's a blog and everything! Joseph Campbell rocks!