happiness indeed seems to be the key. the aim of a good life worth living.
our perspective on the struggles of life is warped however. stumbled upon the concept recently: herbivores and carnivores might as well be called two parallel lines of development on earth.
being a carnivore means others have to die so you might live. herbivores are not like that. cows and sheep eat the grass but leave the roots intact so that the grass may continue to grow. the also fertilize the soil, so they take a harmonious and symbiotic relationship to their environment.
carnivores end other individuals' lives, though it may be said that what looks like war at a lower level means balance at a higher. that's why in permaculture you might choose to attract predators of your fruits' pests, rather than spraying toxic chemicals on everything.
i still maintain nobody really knows what this place is. we can only really trust our own experience and listen to others on their journey.
blessings!
You are right dear. However, herbs also have to have tough competition. Grass cannot grow if the trees become too big and there is no sunlight in the ground due to their big canopies. So, nothing is free from struggle.