Pleasure is an illusion, and joy is substance. The substance is what remains after the illusions of life have been stripped away. You can be pleased without being joyful.
Pleasure is an illusion because it is momentary, like the fleeting beauty of a flower on the wind. It is also an illusion because it is constantly changing.
You can never get enough pleasure because it is continually shifting. The more you get, the more you want.
The irony of pleasure is the more you get, the less you have. It is a never-ending cycle of desire and attainment doomed from the start.
Joy, on the other hand, is constant. It does not change with time or circumstance. It is something that endures and is independent of everything around you.
Authentic joy is something that happens automatically when you are no longer seeking something outside yourself for happiness. It is not something you achieve; it is something you are.
Simply said, pleasure is like the lust of the flesh, while joy is knowing that you know that you’re okay.
