One of the happiest small moments of my life was sharing an instant coffee with an old man who didn’t speak my language.
I was in South Korea staying in a meditation center in the countryside.
In my room, there was a kind old man who didn’t speak any English.
Even though he didn’t speak my language (and I didn’t speak his) I could feel his warmth.
He called out and showed me an instant coffee, using his body language, he asked me if I wanted one.
I nodded and he boiled the kettle making a coffee for us. We laughed even though we didn’t understand each other.
We didn’t need to speak to communicate.
These small events make me think of our material lives.
We put so much time and energy into trying to attain material things. And we think that that is what happiness is.
Whether it be a nice car, expensive object, a house – we unconsciously think that having these things will enrich our lives.
But, when I think about the happiest moments of my life, none of the deeply happy moments came from when I attained something grand.
The deepest happiness I have experienced has been shared between people and often with simple things.
I hope we can return home and deepen our happiness 🌄
