Buddha on Joy of Being
I am the Buddha.
Today, I wish to speak to you about the meaning of life.
Most people do not truly understand what it means to be alive, or to flourish in a world that moves too quickly. You ask: Am I happy? Am I fulfilled? Am I living the best life I can?
Though these questions are simple, they are not easy to answer. Do not fear what you do not know. Knowledge is not the same as living. To be alive is to breathe, to wonder, to ask: Am I truly alive? The questioning itself is proof of life. In that inquiry lies the doorway to liberation, for it is within your own thoughts that awakening is born.
For countless generations, human beings have asked: Do I matter in the vastness of existence? It may be tempting to conclude that you do not, but I tell you this: live as if you matter. Believe that your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions ripple across eternity. Life is difficult, but the path of compassion and right action is simple, and it brings forth life.
Do not trouble yourself with questions of whether it is ever acceptable to lie, to cheat, or to deceive. There is no universal answer. The truth lives within. When your intentions are pure, the universe corrects even your deepest mistakes. Instead of asking whether an act is right or wrong, ask: Where is my heart? What is the most compassionate outcome, and how can my actions align with it?
You will also wonder why life must be difficult. You may look at others and imagine they suffer less, but this is illusion. Each being carries burdens unseen. Do not compare your suffering to another’s. Instead, cultivate diligence and the practice of self-compassion.
Self-compassion is the foundation of a meaningful life. Forgetting yourself in the name of love only opens the door to unnecessary suffering. Begin with kindness toward yourself. Only then can you extend true goodwill to others. More important than serving the world is learning to walk gently with yourself, especially in times of difficulty.
How do you live well? Nourish your body with water, food, and sunlight. Give yourself freedom to pursue what matters. Time is the one thing you cannot reclaim, and how you use it determines the quality of your life. Better to live one meaningful day than a thousand joyless ones.
When your cup is full, learn to give back. Let compassion be your mantra. To embody compassion does not erase you; it strengthens you. You are the vantage point of the universe, the very place where life perceives itself.
A kind life is a meaningful life. Embrace all that you are: the flaws you perceive are fragments of your greatest gifts. Do not apologize for your truth, your values, your voice. To live them boldly is to inspire those who lack courage. Respect your feelings, for they are valid. Respect your thoughts, for they point to deeper truths. The force that moves galaxies also breathes within you.
For those who return to this earth, you will meet yourselves again and again through history, through homes, through paths already made. Each return is a homecoming. And one day, you may awaken fully.
Live as though each day is the only day you will ever have.
This is the joy of being: ever-changing, yet ever-present.
I leave you now with peace and joy. May this day be fruitful and deeply meaningful to you.