What is Your Bliss?

I wanted to tell a story from the Jewish Hasidic tradition. I might not get it all completely right, as I only heard the story once. If you are a Hasidic Jew, I promise I am doing my best to tell the story as accurately as I can remember.

A rabbi in Prague had a dream. He dreamt that there was a bridge in Istanbul and that under this bridge he would find buried treasure. He ignored his dream because he did not think that it meant anything. However, after having the same dream for many nights, he decided that he would travel to Istanbul to find whatever it was that was waiting for him. He packed a bag and began the long walk to Istanbul.

When he got to Istanbul he could not believe his eyes. The bridge from his dream was there! However, there were guards standing watch night and day over the bridge. He could not go anywhere near it. After trying to find a way to get near the bridge for three days, he finally decided to go talk to one of the guards. He explained why he was there and that he had come because he had a dream.

"My dear man," replied the soldier. "You should not have come this far. There is no treasure buried here. You cannot always go chasing after your dreams. Why, just the other day I had a dream that I should travel to Prague and find the house of a rabbi and that if I dug under his stove I would find buried treasure!"

"Thank you!" replied the rabbi, and he left Istanbul. He returned to his home in Prague, moved his stove, and began digging under it. He soon found the buried treasure that the soldier had dreamt about.

As the rabbi found, you should always follow your dreams because they may pay off, and you should look close to home for great treasure.

This concept is sort of like the concept of bliss. We should look for what makes us happy and do that which makes us happy. However, the search for bliss does not have to be a great one. Bliss can be found nearby and in everyday life.

My question for everyone is what is your bliss and where do you go to find it?

That is a wonderful story. My bliss would be the little moments where I feel completely at one with a given situation, especially when I feel at one with nature. When the realization really hits me of how large everything and how small I am compared to it, but that I am still a very important part of it. I live very close to the Erie Canal in New York state and I can go there often to experience this. I find myself quite lucky in this regard. Just yesterday I stood on the main bridge in my hometown of Brockport and stared out at the Erie Canal for over forty five minutes. This was my bliss. I was completely at peace. It was slightly rainy, I was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt and was extremely comfortable and everything just fit into place perfectly. Simply thinking about puts me in a peaceful frame of mind, and for that I thank you.

May the Force be with you,
Rai

Sleep and dreams.

I found mine as a younger man, sitting on a sumemr day beside a gas station. I heard the cicadas and felt the warm sun on my shoulders and everything seemed right. I forget sometimes, but that feeling is mostly with me. Life is blissful.

Music. I spend endless amounts of money to buy things I can make amazing sonic worlds with. I am a composer, and I go to find it in many things in my life.

I got involved in Show Choir, Choir, and musicals when I was younger. Now, I'm in operas and singing in college. I tend to let my passions show me what I love, and through that, I choose to follow them. I have A LOT of passions, as well. Music is only one. But, I find my bliss when I find ways to express my passions in healthy ways.