The Alchemy of shifting struggles into Joy

by Julia Tiffin on February 14, 2024 with No Comments

Experiencing two great teachers on Joy

When I was 19, having been disillusioned by religion as well as New Age spiritual practitioners, I found myself drawn to an event at the City Hall in Cape Town, South Africa. It was a conversation between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I couldn’t explain why I had to be there, other than I was pulled there.

I was expecting a pretty serious event, after all it was an imposing, austere stage with a grand organ dominating the backdrop (see image below right). I settled into my seat waiting, for what? – some serious conversation about religion?

[Enter left of stage] His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu as if ‘sneaking’ onto the stage, giggling like two naughty, little boys teasing each other. In fact, throughout the entire discussion (?), of which I remember zilch, the fits of naughty schoolboy giggles is about all I remember.

Again and again, these two wonderful men appear together, giggling. It is no wonder they co-authored a book together on JOY. You may want to check out The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World.

Why is Joy important?

In the seven ancient mystery schools, JOY is the goal of all teachings. It makes sense therefore that His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is the head of the (hidden) Tibetan Mystery School, talks about JOY. (If you’ve ever watched Batman Begins (2005) – there are visual references pointing to the hidden Tibetan Mystery School.)

Talking about JOY is definitely one of the most intangible discussions I’ve attempted to have with people often in reference to the Life Activation or the Empower Thyself Initiation, and yet this is the leading discussion of spiritual greats.

I also often feel as if people are rolling their eyes at me when I mention JOY, because of the negative experiences or traumas they have experienced or are going through. Or, people have glazed eyes interested keenly on how to increase their bank balance and their material life with no interest in joy (?). The topic of JOY seems so far out of reach, or simply, irrelevant.

Below is one of my favourite transcripts of a video between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which hints at a clue about the importance of JOY.

[His Holiness the Dalai Lama]: “Everybody seeks happiness, joyfulness, BUT FROM OUTSIDE, from money, from power, from material, from big car, from big house. The ultimate source of happiness is from within ourselves: love, kindness, not machine, not technology, not money, not power.”

[Archbishop Desmond Tutu]: “We find a DEEP, DEEP dissatisfaction in out and out materialism because we are made for something greater than this. We are meant for the INFINITE.”

Joy is something not obtained from the outside, not from outer markers of success, but from something within, that connects us to the infinite. The truth is from my experience of working with people from all walks of like, including highly successful people, is that outer markers of success are not everything, there IS something intangible that has even more value. This is found, within.

So then what is Joy?

JOY, by (spiritual) definition, is not happiness; happiness is temporary. In fact, JOY is what we call THE GOLD WITHIN. Just like gold which cannot be tarnished, when you find gold, it is something which cannot be corrupted, it is pure. The more ‘nuggets of JOY’ you find, the less outside stressors (read: challenges) can take you out, and the more you overcome obstacles with ease and grace.

In the Mystery School, the journey is about KNOW THYSELF, so that when you find more and more parts of yourself, it’s like you’ve been mining for gold, and you find more and more of yourself that cannot be affected or corrupted by outside negativity. This leads to JOY, also known as The Philosopher’s Stone, and Founder Gudni Gudnason talks about this in an amazing video from 2010.

The principles laid out by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu in The Book of Joy will lead you to experience more Joy but also lead you to find parts of yourself that are part of your true self. Sessions and classes like the Life Activation and Empower Thyself are huge leg-ups, or as we say in the Mystery School, lead to quantum shifts in this journey of KNOW THYSELF and in finding JOY.

Transforming struggles into JOY

To quote from the synopsis of the book:

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships–or, as they would say, because of them–they are two of the most joyful people on the planet.

They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering? … these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.

Here it is – two men who have been through violence and oppression – two contemporary heroes showing us: you too can overcome ANYTHING.

You truly can overcome anything. This is our unique gift as humans. Don’t let anything steal your JOY in your life – you have the ability to alchemically shift anything, sometimes with just a decision but always over time with tools and dedication. Ancient tools for finding JOY can be learned – just ask me about this if you want to know more.

What is interesting is that when you first mine gold from within the earth, it comes out of the ground covered in dirt and other mineral ores. The gold itself needs to go through purification processes so the pure gold is ‘extracted’. Struggles are the grit you need to overcome something lesser to find something greater. I think of my struggles aka challenges as leading me to find this rough gold ore, and all the tools I’ve had handed down in this ancient tradition as the machinery I’ve needed to ‘refine’ this gold so I could find …myself at the centre. You may want to read my article on building strength, but all struggles are indeed an opportunity to find something better. I often think of the miracle of a seed, and how a little shoot has to <push> so hard to break the shell, and <push> to grow upwards with no ‘sight’ of the light, but that it gets there and then can grow into something fruitful and beautiful. We all have our struggles and they all have the exact ingredients we need to find something better. You can do it no matter what! Whatever you are yearning for, it is possible.

JOY is the goal, and to leave you with an inspirational clip, here is His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in a sweet video that leaves you feeling amazing.

Dedication

This article is written in honour of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu known fondly as The Arch as well as Father John Oliver. I was privileged to meet The Arch in person three times in Cape Town, where he was resident, first as a young person of 19 and two more times as a Guide Initiate in the Lineage of King Salomon. The second and third meeting, the second being at an Art exhibition opening at the Castle of Good Hope, allowed me to appreciate his energy and light. The third meeting was magically orchestrated by Father John Oliver. The day I phoned to book for an Interfaith event (The Arch & Father John having both played key roles in the Interfaith charter), Father John’s ears perked up with my name and voice and he asked me “Who ARE you?”. He insisted on meeting me personally and when I entered an absolutely packed hall at this Interfaith event, Father John’s keen eyes immediately spotted me (although he hadn’t actually met me before). He shuttled me off to the very front, positioning me a metre away from The Arch when he spoke at this event. What a wonderful speaker The Arch is – his heart, his wisdom, his laughter, his compassion and understanding were palpable. Father John and I fast became friends as we discovered (to our shock) that he was the resident priest from the Anglican church across the road from my house. (We had been circling in each other’s orbits for 10 years before we met!). I was blessed to have met The Arch and to have known Father John Oliver, for too short a time. I miss both of their energies and presence, and am deeply grateful I was able to meet them both in person.

My deepest gratitude too, to The Arch as he fought an incredibly awful corrupt system that I was born into, Apartheid. As a result of his bravery as well as others, the Catholic and Anglican Churches found a way for children of all races to go to Catholic/Anglican Schools. From age 4, I was politicised and was able to choose to grow up with mixed races in a school environment where togetherness was illegal in other areas of daily living. Knowing what this man has gone through, and the joyfulness that he attained is visible evidence that Joy is possible. I hope this inspires you too.

May they both rest in peace, until we meet again.

About Julia Tiffin

Julia is a Modern Mystery School Speciality Teacher working globally to share ancient teachings to help you find your unique you & your navigational system within to live your most fulfilled life. She has trained since 2004 within the Modern Mystery School and specialises in the ancient arts of Healing & Sacred Geometry. She has a background as an international Fine Art photographer, exhibiting internationally and lecturing at tertiary institutions in South Africa.