Stark, Naked Happiness
I listened to a poem last night (Tidevann by Inger Hagerup) about a woman thinking back on her main romance in life. She was filled with love for him, and he was not filled the same way. The poem ended beautifully with the phrase "she experienced the stark, naked happiness of being with the ups and downs".
This is such a beautiful way of expressing this "groundless ground" of formless awareness - this ground empty of any characteristics - within which all experiences arise. When we find ourselves as this ground of formless awareness, there is a current of joy and bliss in experiencing whatever comes up, whether or not our human self likes it or not.
It reminded me of a deeksha event in Mt. Shasta a few weeks back. John, one of the deeksha givers, mentioned a dream he had that morning. He saw that his human self finds life as about 1/3 ups, 1/3 downs and 1/3 neutral, and yet - when he rests in/as the ground this all arises within, there is still a current of happiness and enjoyment in it all. Of just being alive and experiencing the richness of life.
When we do this, we see that it is all complete as it is. And this is how the poem ended as well, with the recognition that her overflowing with love for him and his "ebb" was just perfect as it is.