Costa Rican’s (Ticos) have an exclusive cultural ethos, ‘Pura Vida (pronounced POO-rah VEE-dah),’ which has been prevalent in their dialect for over half a century. Not surprisingly, Costa Rica has been named one of the happiest countries in the world, mostly because the people who live there don’t worry about things the way most foreigners do. Rather, they strive to maintain a laid-back life, one that is full of happiness and low on stress. The phrase pura vida reflects the nature of this Central American country perfectly and has become a parable for the Costa Rican’s relaxed attitude and a paraphrase for thoughts that need not be said. In brief, pura vida is a philosophy.
Although it’s literal translation means ‘Pure Life’, pura vida are the powerful words of a culture who have come to appreciate a gestalt significance- that is, a meaning far more substantial and deeply profound than the sum of each utterance. It’s not a gimmick or a ploy. It’s an expression of eternal optimism, on the lips of every laborer working 12 hours a day, every green grocer hawking fruit on the corner, every field worker, gardener, shopkeeper, lawyer and judge. Because in Costa Rica, that’s all there is: pura vida. The true meaning of those two words is ultimately that, no matter how much of a mess your life may seem, there is always someone else who’s life would make yours look like a holiday in paradise. And honestly, the more people who are able to really grasp this concept, the better.
In Taoism, pura vida is considered “the uncarved block,” and refers to a state of pure potential which is the mind’s embryonic state, in absence of experience. It is the idea of perception without prejudice i.e. there is no right/wrong, good/bad, black/white, beautiful/ugly. It’s the infinite possibility of the positive. Seen through this lens, our potential is what we might be, and reality is the shape we actually carve out for ourselves. The metaphor suggests that each of us is born with a personality like an uncarved block of wood. Ideally, we want to leave our shape untouched and unformed, so that we can experience life fully. But everything we experience and all that we’re taught carves away pieces of that original simplicity. Taoists try to regain the early sense of unlimited possibility by trying to “unlearn” things until everything becomes a new experience.
Pura Vida is transient in meaning, relevance and purpose and therefore, I believe that to simplify the phrase with it’s direct translation is to misunderstand the term. To me, pura vida translates to “Another day of Grace,” a statement about life, how it is and how it should be. It is a synonym for Hakuna Matata” and contextually symbolizes the idea of simply enjoying life and being happy. It means living a peaceful, simple, uncluttered life with a deep appreciation for nature, family and friends. It means that no matter what your current situation is, life for someone else can always be less fortunate than your own. So you need to consider that maybe…just maybe, your situation isn’t all that bad and that no matter how little or how much you have in life, we are all here together and life is short…so be grateful and start experiencing it properly.