What is bliss?

Bliss is the experience of radiant love and joy, which emanates from the core of life itself. It doesn't replace any current sensation you may be having, but rather encompasses it.

What is the formula for bliss?

Joy + Love - Cause = Bliss. This means that contrary to everything we've come to believe, bliss is not dependent on any external circumstance. Not health, love, success, or whatever else we're driven to pursue.

Is bliss about God or religion?

No. It's available to all people, regardless of their beliefs.

If bliss comes from the core of life itself, what keeps us from experiencing it all the time?

The natural phenomena of Contraction. Contraction occurs when, consciously or otherwise, we close ourselves off from what is really happening.

Can this be avoided?

No. But when we remain contracted after the inciting event has passed, Contraction becomes Resistance.

Can Resistance be avoided?

Yes. Through a simple, two-step process called Living the Questions.

What is the first step of Living the Questions?

The first step is asking "What is happening right now?" When we ask this question without an agenda, and wait patiently for the answer to materialize, it almost always does.

Can anything prevent the answer from arising?

Yes. If we Analyze (try to find out why), Judge (try to find out what's wrong) or Bargain (try to find out so we can escape), the truest answers won't appear. Instead, we must do nothing more than simply bear witness.

What is the second step of Living the Questions?

The second step is asking "Can I be with it?" To be with something means to accept it as 100% real (the traffic jam, our pain, world hunger). Once we accept something fully, our Resistance dissolves and allows bliss to flow. Then, if necessary, we can set about changing things -- in harmony with life rather than in opposition to it.

Can it really be this simple?

Yes.

Is it as easy as it seems?

No. To accept what's happening in difficult times requires patience, practice and above all self-compassion. Often we must deal with a backlog of resistance that's been built up over the course of our lives.

Who wants to live in bliss all the time? Isn't that just navel gazing?

The bliss referred to here doesn't replace any other activity. Rather, it adds energy, vibrancy, and depth to whatever pursuits we choose.