Where the Mountain Meets the Moon: The Story of the Paper of Happiness

Life is filled with many mysteries, one of which are whether certain events are coincidental or fateful. An excerpt from Where the Mountain Meets the Moon portrays this very well. In the story of the paper of happiness, a grouchy magistrate is denied access to the secret of happiness. The lack of revelation did not only frustrate him; it also frustrated me. Why couldn't I know what was written on the paper of happiness? I thought about it, and the conclusion I came up with was disappointing on one hand, but enlightening on the other. In the story, there was an answer, which was summed up into one single character. However, I believe the book had an overall purpose for keeping the information hidden. Not everyone is the same, and all people have their own ways to be happy. Success is the answer to some; love is the answer to others. One person could get excited over a shiny new car, while another could get excited over a shiny diamond ring or a bouquet of flowers or even a hug. This is why, even though the story provided one, there is no true paper of happiness. Only we can write down the answer to what makes us happy, others cannot write it for us.

This may have been the moral of the story as well. Why was the magistrate unable to read the secret that was written on the paper? Was it a coincidence or was he simply meant to find it on his own?...

HOWEVER: I did some research just for fun and looked up Japanese characters that had to do with happiness. I looked down the list for an expression that was translated into only one character, just as the story stated...and that expression was love. It makes complete and total sense. It may have been the answer; it may not have been, but it's very fitting for the nature of the story. If the magistrate would have seen it, he might've laughed and ripped it up, not taking it seriously. There are some things people just need to find out on their own. And maybe one day, if the magistrate is able to experience love (or whatever else provides him with never-ending happiness), he too will know the secret. And he'll keep it to himself, so others can experience all of the thrills on their own.

Site: http://japanese.about.com/library/bl50kanji_ai.htm

-thedoctormoreau.blogspot.com