Bliss

"To direct the mind towards the basic unity of all things and to divert it from the seizing of differences -- therein lies bliss." Tejo-Bindu Upanishad

Bliss.  I have never been sure what that was, so when Joseph Campbell tells us to "Follow our bliss", it has been confusing to me.  The above quote gives me some better ideas.  When our minds seize upon our differences from one another, we experience the opposite of bliss.  Many great minds have taught similar truths.  6th century Seng-Ts'an told us that the mind's worst disease is the war of against and for.  Certainly wars have been fought for those very reasons:  We are against you and for -- whatever our ideas or religions are.  Today you and I are dealing with another mind disease, dementia.  Is it possible to not be against or for that either?  Yesterday I took Dwane for PT (physical therapy) and OT (occupational therapy) evals.  The therapists had a lot of ideas:  weighted silverware so that he can eat more easily, a device for one's socks to help them go on more easily, exercises to strengthen the face muscles and help with drooling, other exercises to help him get out of a chair independently for longer.  None of these will stop the disease, of course, but perhaps that is just the point:  we cannot 'fight' against this disease; we can only finds ways to live more comfortably with it.