Читать книгу Living a Peaceful Life - Dr. Robert Puff - Страница 4

MY PERSONAL SEARCH

I’ve always had an innate curiosity about what brings people true happiness. Was it religion? Spirituality? Material things? I had my first epiphany while on a trip to Egypt when I was a graduate student at one of the finest universities in the world. At school, I was surrounded by the wealthiest, smartest, and, potentially, most influential people in the world. Yet by living in this environment, I had discovered these factors did not equate with happiness and peacefulness. There was pain, insecurity, and fear, along with a drive that was insatiable. I had arrived at the Ivy Tower, and all wasn’t well.

It was during this awakening, that I visited a village where some of Egypt’s poorest people lived. They were the garbage collectors, the lowest societal class in the country. Their small houses were constructed from pieces of discarded wood, cardboard, corrugated tin, and other items rescued from the piles of garbage strewn around the area.

I was welcomed into the home of a family of twelve: husband, wife, and ten children. I remember thinking that here was an impoverished family, who sorted through garbage as a way to barely earn enough money to survive. They lived in a tiny, ramshackle shack. And yet, they were kind, loving people. In spite of their circumstances, this family – seemed to be extremely happy and enjoying life.