Surprise

Surprise is a profound emotion having to do with the perception of novelty. The more perceptive we are, the more capable we become of being delighted by surprise. The more our senses come alive in meditation, the more we can perceive freshness, interest, and value in the simple dynamics of life such as breathing. When you are really there, really perceiving, each breath has news to tell you.


Surprise can be pleasant or unpleasant, and we can retroactively invent unpleasantness – if life throws us something we do not expect, we can feel unhappy even if what is happening is better than our expectations.