Tears of Joy

There are times in our lives when we experience something so meaningful to us that we are overwhelmed emotionally and we start to cry with tears of joy. It is in these moments that we can't help but have overwhelming gratitude for life itself, let alone the thing or circumstance which makes us feel this way. The meaning of life itself, what some would call the Divine, is that which includes all of our meaningful moments, one which transcends and informs them all. For that reason it is deeply meaningful, so meaningful that if we realized it we would be deeply moved, so as to shed tears of joy. One practice we can adopt is that of recognizing the meaning of life in this way. This is not so easy at first, since we usually need to experience something meaningful before we are so moved. Using nature as a basis for this experience is effective in inducing this experience. For example, on a nice day try looking at the clouds, especially around sunset. This experience naturally can feel very meaningful. If you keep in mind that the meaning of the beautiful clouds is an example of the meaning of life, you can connect to the experience of seeing the clouds on a deeper and deeper level. Let yourself dive so deep into the meaningfulness of the experience that you feel overwhelmed, as if you would shed tears of joy. This is an expression of the meaning of your life. Let it become a part of you. Know it to your core. Know that you ultimately are this deep meaningfulness. This practice can be done not just by gazing at the clouds or nature, but also at people. Just celebrating the preciousness of every person you see and their many stories can overwhelm you with joy. In meditation we try to cultivate a deep understanding of the meaning of life, what we call the meaning of the moment. This meaning is so wonderful and vast that we can sometimes feel overwhelmed with joy. This experience means that we are on the right track to feeling the depths of our being. The experience of bliss associated with this feeling is not however something to be attached to, but rather it is a good way to point at what is ultimately beyond all experiences. May you come to know the meaningfulness of your life, so much so that you cry tears of joy.