Continuing
our “mirror-image” series. The alternative view of a quality or a situation
which is generally regarded as a Good Thing or as a Bad Thing. In DL8, we
featured the serious subject of Humour. Now we consider Happiness:
THE GREAT ILLUSION
Are you
happy?
Well, it depends what you mean by
happy.
So, how
could we define happiness?
The
dictionary says: “Lucky; fortunate; contented with one’s lot”. To be lucky
would induce a temporary happiness, but even the euphoria of winning the pools
is transitory. To be permanently happy is to be contented with one’s lot, and
that means to have no ambitions, no plans, no dreams. In other words, happiness
is stagnation.
Yet “the
pursuit of happiness” is put forward as one of humanity’s ideals. It is easy to
see why a sensible government would like its people to be happy.
What
would make you happy? To have more money, a better job, to achieve a good
relationship with another person? Such attainments, however desirable they may
seem, would increase your responsibilities, you would seek to expand them
further. Ambition would ensure that you never rested content.
Can you
recall the last time you were truly happy? Not a care in the world? Was it a
sudden stroke of good fortune; or had you had one glass of wine too many?
Either way, it was ephemeral.
We are
told that becoming an Adept means that one will never be happy again. Perhaps
because of the awesome responsibilities, perhaps because one sees things too
clearly. I believe that every aspiring Occultist has said goodbye to the
illusion called happiness. Contentment does not co-exist with ambition.
Further contributions to this
“Alternative View” series, or comments on the opinions expressed, are invited.
Anonymous
article taken from the Dark Lily Journal No 9, Society of Dark Lily (London
1989).