The Pleasure Guru Speaks

The Greek philosopher Epicurus is often associated with the idea that life should at its heart be pleasant. One of his central tenants states that:

“It is impossible to live pleasantly without living wisely and honourably and justly, and it is impossible to live wisely and honourably and justly without living pleasantly.”

I never really thought about the interdependent nature of pleasure and wisdom, but as I ruminate further on it, it seems almost self-evident.

For instance, I think there is an enormous amount of pleasure to be derived from observing the play of morning light as it filters through the leaves in a canopy of trees. Or the way light moves when it bounces off lake water and onto the old wooden boards of a boathouse wall. These moments hold potential for arresting our attention and turning us inward, making us more thoughtful and aware.

So too, taking pleasure in our relationships with others, our friendships, requires a degree of maturity and wisdom, even while the pleasant experience of their company helps to ripen us into fuller, richer human beings. Their differing perspectives and experiences teach us a little more about what it means to be human, what it means to be alive in a world of complexity and contradiction.

Something as simple as food becomes a source of pleasure, especially when we make the effort to be present and take the time to craft a tasty meal, sharing it with others. The act of sharing such an experience can help mould us into individuals of dignity and respect through honouring those who are our guests, with our careful effort.

I love the idea that life at its heart should be a pleasant experience, and I believe that our efforts toward living with a certain degree of grace, integrity and self-respect are intimately tied to our ability to experience pleasure.

Pleasure wants us to go slow, to savour our moments, to respect life. It isn’t meant to be an endless succession of pain and suffering.

Again, cultivating mindfulness and a heightened awareness of both our inner realm and the outer goes far in manifesting the experience of pleasure making it both more likely and more intense. And who couldn’t use a little more of that in their life?

Something that almost instantly heightens pleasure for me is the mindset of gratitude, being grateful for my life and all I enjoy in it. 

This practice makes me more aware that there is a lot in my life that is going very well, even while I may struggle with its inherent challenges. 

So, make pleasure a priority, become more aware and it will make its presence known.