The Foundation for Happiness

From the Legacy of the Divine Tarot, the Ten of Cups; from the Tea Leaf Reading Cards, the Chair:

          Both cards seem to suggest rest today - not just the physical kind, but also the kind that allows the heart to relax and open rather than constrict. I've been reading a book by Devon and Craig Hase, and an excerpt from the introduction speaks to this longing for contentment:

Mindfulness is not enough to live a level-headed existence right in the middle of the storm that is contemporary life. When the Buddha taught mindfulness, he always taught it as part of a whole. He never said, “Pay attention to your breath and you will be free of suffering.” More like, “Pay attention to your breath as a way of steadying the mind, and then look at your life.” Look at your life. Closely. Notice your mind states. Notice your heart states. And, also, if you want to be happy, make sure you’re really taking care of things. Like goodness, and sweetness, and love, and compassion. In fact, the Buddha said, goodness, not mindfulness, is the foundation for a happy life.