MUDITA: Unselfish Joy
Discussed
The Blessed One
said:
Here, monks, a disciple lets his mind pervade one
direction with his heart filled with unselfish joy, likewise the
second, the third and the fourth direction; extending above, below,
and across the world, everywhere and equally with his heart filled
with unselfish joy, abundant, grown great, measureless, free from
hatred and enmity.
It’s Nature
Mudita as one
of the four immeasurables, is popularly translated into English as;
Gladness, Sympathetic Joy, Altruistic Joy or Unselfish Joy.
Unfortunately, Mudita has received few attentions in its
expositions as well as in its meditative
development.
This
virtue, which is finding joy in the happiness
and success of others, also implies looking for the goods in
others. We have to be able to see some good in a person before we
can appreciate that person, otherwise, it would be difficult for us
to experience joy in the good fortune or success of the person. In
a broader sense, Mudita is also sympathy towards all
mankind.
Some Thoughts and
Observations
While the
acts of loving-kindness and compassion reaches out to all sentient
beings, altruistic joy and equanimity are inner personal mental
states of mind, something intensely personal. People are much more
ready to sympathize with the misfortunes of others than to rejoice
with them. To be able to share genuinely in another's joy,
some element of true affection or friendliness have to be present.
On the hand, it is possible to
feel compassion for suffering even without any friendliness for the
sufferer.
There is
plenty of suffering around us, with charitable organizations
existing with the purposes of alleviating the suffering of these
less fortunate. It gives volunteers of these organizations the
privilege to offer their services to assist others, which in turn,
help to grow their virtues of compassion and loving kindness. While
compassion is the inspiration for this charitable acts and social
work, unselfish joy is its close companion. Unselfish joy will
prevent compassionate action from being affected by a condescending
attitude creeping into our charitable acts. Also, when active
compassion and unselfish joy go together, it will be less likely
that this social work will turn into dead routine, performed
indifferently. Indifference, listlessness, boredom are all 'distant
enemies' of unselfish joy.
But sharing
of altruistic joys are few and far in between for most people, such
occasions are usually restrict within a narrow circle of one's
family and friends. It would also require a deliberate effort to
identify oneself with the joys and successes of others even though
the capacity to do so is inherent in our human's
nature.
Unselfish joy
is most abundantly seem in young children, usually in their
spontaneous visible smile, laughter and happiness that flow out of
their joy when for instant, seeing their schoolmate’s success in
winning a race in a sporting event. It
is a reaction which is pure, innocent, spontaneous, uncontaminated
as yet by greed, envy or jealousy. We should constantly and
continuously encourage and developed this potential in our
children, so that they can grow up to be better and happier adults.
Practices and
Cultivation
Unselfish joy
will also act as a powerful agent in helping to release other
dormant forces of the Good in the human heart, such as magnanimity,
tolerance, and generosity. When unselfish joy grows with
cultivation, many other undesirable mental states such as craving,
which gives rise to envy, jealousy, covetousness, avarice,
and greed in all of its manifestations; the craving for
possessions, for sensual pleasures, all these unprofitable mental
states will eventually be eliminated. The Blessed One had said, "If it were impossible
to cultivate the Good, I would not tell you to do
so."
We should also try and create opportunities for ourselves in the cultivation of
unselfish joy, by the active practice of
loving-kindness and compassion, in actions,
words, and in our meditation practices. In the process, we should
also arm ourselves with equanimity to protect
us from discouragement and feelings of frustration, should we
encounter difficulties in our efforts to expand the realm of
unselfish joy.
When we are able, and can reach the stage
of sharing with others their joy of possession, their financial or
social successes, etc. conceits of any kinds and craving would be
counteracted in the self. The happiness born of shared pleasures,
shared love, shared delight in another's success is indeed a
peaceful and divine way of living.
As a Focus for
Meditation
The Theravada tradition detail forty
meditation subjects that can be used in Concentration Meditation,
most of the themes used are abstract or inanimate. It is in the
cultivation of the Four Sublime States, that four different types
of living beings are used as initial subject of
meditation.
In loving-kindness, the individual self is
used. In compassion, an unlucky, unfortunate unsightly person, who
is reduced to utter misery, is a suitable subject. In altruistic
joy, one would choose a very dear close friend, and in the
meditation on equanimity, the suitable subject is a neutral
person.
The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga)
provides some details on how a meditator can go about generating
the state of altruistic joy in the self;
One who begins the development of unselfish
joy should not start with a dearly beloved person, a neutral person
or hostile person. Persons of the opposite sex and those who are
dead are also not suitable subjects for this meditation. If we used
a dearly beloved person first as the meditation subject, our
progress will stall and we will not be able to move forward. It is
easy to share our unselfish joy with a dearly beloved person, but
for such joy to flow forward to a neutral person or hostile person
would not be easy as envy, jealousy or resentment will likely
arises in the meditator’s mind and hinder further
progress.
It is thus important that a suitable
subject be selected. A very close dear friend who is always in a
joyous and happy mood would be one. Meditation will be focus on
happy and joyous occasions we have witness or heard, both present
and past about the very dear friend. Unselfish joy can thus be
aroused and he should be the first to be pervaded with unselfish
joy in our mind.
Having thus aroused unselfish joy with
respect to a dear person, the meditator can then direct it towards
a neutral one, and after that towards a hostile one.
When meditating on a hostile one and
resentment arise, the meditator should make it subside in the way
as described under the exposition of loving-kindness i.e. the
methods stated that can be used to overcome anger and
irritation.
After breaking down the barriers in
pervading the dear, neutral and hostile persons and himself with
unselfish joy, he should then go on to “lets his mind pervade one direction with his
heart filled with unselfish joy, likewise the second, the third and
the fourth direction; extending above, below, and across the world,
everywhere and equally with his heart filled with unselfish joy,
abundant, grown great, measureless, free from hatred and enmity for
all beings.”
“Breaking down the barriers” here means
that there is no more distinction separating oneself, dear person,
neutral person and hostile person. What
is experience in our meditation at this stage is total impartiality
toward oneself and the other three people.
One who have successfully reached this
stage of absorption (jhana) with a mind accompanied by unselfish
joy would have obtain the following eleven advantages: he sleeps in
comfort, wakes in comfort, and dreams no evil dreams, he is dear to
human beings, dear to non-human beings, deities guard him, fire and
poison and weapons do not affect him, his mind is easily
concentrated, the expression of his face is serene, he dies
unconfused, if he penetrates no higher he will be reborn in the
Brahma World.
Conclusion
The Ven. Nyanaponika has summed up the
interdependence of the Four Divine Abidings in the following
quotation:
Love imparts to equanimity its
selflessness, its boundless nature and even its
fervor...
Compassion guards equanimity from falling
into cold indifference and keeps it from indolent or selfish
isolation. Until equanimity has reached perfection, compassion
urges it to enter again and again into the battlefields of the
world.
Sympathetic joy gives to equanimity the
mild serenity that softens its stern appearance. It is the divine
smile on the face of the Enlightened One.