How to Find True Joy Through Understanding the Unity of the Creator
Looking to find true joy in your life? In our bustling and anxious environment, we often search for sources of genuine happiness. What if true happiness isn’t found in external circumstances, but in a deep awareness of the fundamental truth of existence? Let’s explore ancient wisdom that can transform your worldview and fill your life with enduring joy.
How True Unity Helps You Find True Joy
Imagine a world where everything is interconnected, where every particle of existence is permeated by a single energy. In Hasidic philosophy, this is called “the true unity of the Creator.” This isn’t just an abstract idea that there is one God – it’s a profound understanding that only He truly exists, and everything else is merely a manifestation of His presence.
When we begin to grasp this truth, something amazing happens: our hearts fill with a special joy. This joy doesn’t depend on external circumstances – it comes from a deep understanding of our connection to the source of all existence.
The Analogy of Sunlight: A Key to Understanding
How can we understand this unity? Think of the sun and its rays. When we see a ray of light, we perceive it as something separate from the sun. But if we trace this ray back to its source, it “dissolves” into the sun itself.
Similarly, the entire world and all its creations, in relation to their Source, are like rays of light relative to the sun. They appear to exist separately, but in reality, they are merely manifestations of a single Source.
Interesting fact: The expression “what good is a candle in daylight” aptly illustrates this idea. The candle doesn’t become less bright during the day, but its light ceases to be perceived as a separate source of illumination in the brilliance of the sun.
Why Contemplating Unity Helps Find True Joy
When a person deeply contemplates the true unity of the Creator, their heart begins to experience extraordinary joy. This happens for two reasons:
- Awareness of closeness to the Source of everything – it’s as if an ordinary person suddenly found themselves in the company of a great king.
- Joy from participating in fulfilling the purpose of creation – understanding that through this awareness of unity, we are fulfilling the very reason why the entire world was created.
Practical Ways to Find True Joy in Everyday Life
Here’s what happens when we apply this understanding in everyday life:
1. Overcoming Obstacles
When the heart is filled with joy from the awareness of the Creator’s unity, the soul gains special strength. This strength allows us to overcome any internal or external obstacles on the path of spiritual growth. Imagine that an obstacle appears in your path – how can it stand against the realization that in reality, only the Creator exists?
2. Double Joy
The special quality of this joy is that it’s twofold: a person rejoices in their closeness to the Creator, and at the same time rejoices that their faith brings joy to the Creator Himself. This creates a unique mutual amplification of feelings.
3. Transforming Darkness into Light
This understanding is especially important in places where spiritual darkness seems most dense. When a person realizes the unity of the Creator even in such places, a real miracle occurs: darkness turns into light.
“There is no greater pleasure for the Creator than light that emerges specifically from darkness.”
Joy That Revives
“The righteous shall live by his faith” – this expression can be understood literally: faith in the unity of the Creator literally revives a person. As in resurrection from the dead, a person’s soul comes alive thanks to this great joy.
The sages said that of the 613 commandments, the fundamental one is faith. Why? Because through faith in the unity of the Creator, a person naturally comes to fulfill all other commandments. They become not a burden, but a natural expression of one’s awareness of the unity of all existence.
Our Great Inheritance
Every morning in prayer, we say: “How good it is for us! How beautiful our inheritance is!” This is an expression of deep gratitude for the great spiritual wealth we have received – understanding the unity of the Creator that allows us to find true joy in all situations.
Just as a person rejoices upon receiving a huge inheritance without any effort on their part, so too – and immeasurably more – should we rejoice in our spiritual inheritance, which is the key to find true joy regardless of circumstances.
5 Steps to Find True Joy Through Unity
- Set aside time to contemplate the unity of the Creator – how He fills all worlds and all space.
- Visualize this truth, imagining how everything around is filled with a unified presence.
- Find joy in realizing that your soul is capable of perceiving this profound truth.
- Remember the double joy – your joy from closeness to the Creator and the Creator’s joy from your awareness.
- Apply this understanding especially in difficult situations, when it seems that darkness prevails.
This article is based on Chapter 33 of the book “Likutei Amarim — Tanya” by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, one of the greatest Hasidic thinkers. His teaching about joy through awareness of Divine unity remains relevant in today’s world.
Afterword: This text has not been approved by any sage, Torah scholar, or rabbi and is merely a simplified adaptation of the sacred text for general understanding. For comprehension of true wisdom and a deeper understanding of the original text, you should refer to the sources.
