Sun worship

We have been sun worshippers since we got here. The Egyptians worshipped the sun and thought that it sailed across the sky on a huge solar barge. Hinduism is choc-packed full of solar dieties. In Chinese mythology, there were originally ten suns in the sky, who were brothers. When they played together in the sky the earth became too hot and so, a hero came and shot down nine of them, leaving just the one sun that we know today. Buddhists recognise a boddhisattva of the sun, who is called Ri Gong Ri Guang. The Aztecs considered the sun god Tonatiuh to be the leader of heaven. They believed that this god represented the fifth cosmic era and that the previous four suns had represented four cosmic eras that had ended. In Indonesia, the sun is sometimes considered to be the 'father' or 'founder' of the tribe. The sun plays an important part in many Indonesian initiation rites.

It is no wonder that we have been so long infatuated by the most dominant star in our skies. The sun's energy is the principal driver of our weather systems and it effects both living and non-living things, in that it feeds the living things and its energies are often stored in non-living things such as peat and coal, to be released later.

Until recently, western society worshipped the sun as a fountain of beauty. Today, many people fear the sun's rays and think of it as a harmful and damaging force. Like almost all things, balance should be the governing force in our relationship with sunshine - too much will not only make us look old and haggard, it might actually make us very sick or even kill us. Likewise, too little sun can result in vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with rickets, auto-immune problems and depression.

From my own point of view I can report that feeling the sun play on my skin improves my mood no end and looking upon a clear skied day never fails to lift my mood. I've traveled across the globe chasing summer from country to country, at considerable cost - every penny of which was worth the expense.

I might scoff at the belief systems of ancient Egyptians and label these to be irrational and ill informed, but the reality is that when it comes to sun worship, I am up there with the best of them. We're creatures of sunlight and we thrive best when dosed liberally and regularly in its kindest rays. Our obsession with the sun is more than an irrational belief system, it's a matter of survival and for that reason, I believe that our relationship with the sun can only become more complex and important as time goes on, rather than less so.

That sunshine feeling

The sun has certainly had its hat on for the past few days and Dublin has been infused with an atmosphere of celebration. We enjoy so few sunny days in Ireland that when the clouds break for a day or two, most people make a dash into the outdoors in order to soak up all the sunshine that they can.

There's something wonderful about the play of sunshine on the skin and the feeling of light in one's eyes that brings a smile to one's face. This weekend, it felt as if the recession had loosened its grip on the country and people were thrilled to sit in the parks, play on the beaches and exercise outdoors.

I've been thinking about sunshine this morning. This is partly due to the continuing good weather but also due to the fact that I've spent most of my morning writing an article about Vanuatu. Several years ago Vanuatu topped the polls to be named the happiest place on earth. The collective contentment of its citizens is attributed to a variety of characteristics of life on Vanuatu. For one, many people who live on this archipelago of volcanic islands are self sufficient and no-one goes hungry thanks to the fertile soil and abundance of fruit and vegetables. Secondly, life on Vanuatu is about as far removed from a consumer society as one can imagine. The spoils of economic life are not favoured as much stability, family and relaxation. This is not to say that people are lazy, but rather that they take more joy from spending time with family and friends than they do from buying the latest gadget or purchasing expensive clothes or accommodation.

And then there's the sunshine factor...

Vanuatu is located in a sub-tropical region of the south pacific. The sun shines for nine glorious months of every year and no one lives more than a few minutes from a beach.

There can be no denying it, sunshine makes us happy. Maybe it's the vitamin D, possibly it's the fact that sunlight makes the world look clearer and more beautiful but, whatever causes it, when the sun smiles upon us and we enjoy it in small doses, we usually end up smiling too.

This morning I've begun my article by suggesting that Vanuatu is a location where someone could find happiness. I certainly enjoyed my visit there last year but today, in usually grey Dublin, when the skies are blue and the air warm, this seems like as perfect a location as almost any.

If the meaning of life is to find happiness, a good blast of sunshine is likely to bring us closer to finding that meaning. Sometimes the answers are more simple than the questions and in this case it seems to be the case. Looking for the meaning of life? Just step outdoors.