BV-Mudita & Freudenfreude
Tonight, we will practice the brahma vihara or divine abode of mudita or sympathetic joy. Recently I read an article in the Houston Chronicle that mentioned two German terms. The first one, “schadenfreude,” means taking pleasure in others’ misfortunes. For example, if Putin is raging about Russian setbacks during the war that he initiated in Ukraine, I may feel schadenfreude. The second term, “freudenfreude” refers to the bliss that we feel when someone else is joyful or successful.
I’ll describe an experience of fredenfreude. Through the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, I’m enrolled in a Commit to Sit course that features weekly dharma talks by various meditation teachers in the United States and Japan. A Japanese monk named Ryoki Sato gave a talk that was imbued with his joyous presence. He began by taking a conscious sip of tea and sharing with us how delicious it tasted. I realized that I was happy that he was content.
Then Ryoki demonstrated how sitting meditation can attune us to enjoy nature’s timing. He asked us to close our eyes and to rock our bodies gently from side to side. (Let’s try that now.) Once you’ve established a steady rocking motion, imagine that you are a seed in the ground, rooting in the dirt. Breathe in nourishing moisture from the soil. Now sense the seed bursting open as you become a tiny sprout emerging and growing upward. Without any rush, you poke through the earth’s surface, enjoying the fresh air, and continuing to move towards the sunlight. Visualize yourself slowly transforming into your favorite plant or flower…. Gradually, let go of the imagery…. Connect fully with your breath, inhaling and exhaling deeply before opening your eyes.
*How did your internal rhythms change as you imagined becoming a plant or flower? (Embodying a fuchsia-colored bougainvillea, I felt peaceful sitting still, trusting that my natural beauty would attract birds and butterflies.) When we sit quietly in meditation, we create enough space to feel joy amidst the ups and downs of our lives.
To share his sense of joyful wonder about the Universe that we so often take for granted, Ryoki showed us a short video about a trip to outer and inner space. The film starts with the image of the smiling face of a woman who is resting, lying face up in a sunny corner of a pasture. Little by little, the camera lens widens from increasingly distant vantage points to encompass aerial views of the pasture, the surrounding farmland, and nearby towns; satellite-views of the nation, the continent, the earth-as-a-whole; and Hubble telescopic views of the inner planets, the outer planets, our galaxy neighborhood, far-away galaxies. It points towards even more remote regions of the infinitely mysterious, spiraling cosmic web. From that expansive vista, the sequence of images from outer space reverses until returning to the smiling face of the relaxed woman. Then the camera’s focus shifts to more and more detailed images of her eye, pupil, and retina. Moving deep inside, microscopic views track cells, chromosomes, genes, atoms, electrons, protons, and neutrons; and animated drawings depict infinitesimally tiny, spinning quarks within what had appeared to be her solid body. After reversing the sequence of internal imagery, the film closes with a simple photograph of the woman’s smile.
Watching that journey through outer and inner space reminded me to let go of self-centered, petty concerns and to embrace the wonder of being part of such a complex, intricately interconnected Universe. Our minds have difficulty comprehending the size of the smallest particles inside us, the dimensions of the Universe, or the distance of the farthest celestial bodies from us. When we feel self-absorbed, it may help to remember that we, every sentient being, and all matter consist of countless quarks. The radius of each quark is smaller than 43 billion-billionths of a centimeter.
If we are worried about mundane matters, we might recall that since approximately 14 billion years ago, the universe has been constantly expanding at a rate faster than the speed of light. The visible universe, which we can currently see, is 93 billion light years in diameter. Each light year is six trillion miles. Scientists estimate that the whole universe may be 250 times larger than the observable universe and at least 7 trillion light years in diameter.
Ryoki embodies a sense of wonder about not only inner and outer space, but also about simple daily routines. He teaches children who live nearby his temple a botanical approach to the Dharma. They learn from farming the land that ups and downs are natural, that periods of cold and hibernation alternate with periods of growth, and that life circulates continually. One summer, Ryoki gave the children morning glory seeds to plant. As they watered and weeded their plants, the young farmers witnessed the cycle of the flowers blooming and dying. The next summer, they were delighted to see that the decaying flowers had dropped seeds that were sprouting into new morning glory plants.
As Ryoki says, “It’s the foolishness of wanting things to always be the same that keeps our lives from being joyful. Joy is what’s going on, minus our opinion about it.” He has a radical practice called “GIFTS” to cultivate a joyous attitude of being OK.
G is for Grounding with one deep breath. I is for Insight about our essential Buddha nature. F is for Forgiveness about whatever feelings are arising. T is for Treating ourselves with care. And S is to Surprise ourselves by letting something new or unknown into our lives. Ryoki’s dharma talk ended with the sangha joining him in singing the Beatles song, “Let it Be.” After the last refrain, I felt a burst of mudita, glad that this Japanese monk is so full of joy that he shares it freely.
Now we have time for our own mudita practice. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. It helps to start with the image or memory of a person who seems naturally joyous or of someone who is enjoying good fortune. As you sense their presence, connect with the resonance of your heart. Repeat to yourself the following phrases:
May you be joyful.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
May your success and wellbeing increase.
If you notice that you’re feeling envious or comparing yourself unfavorably to this joyous person, let those thoughts pass away, returning to the sensations of your heart and the simple phrases of sympathetic joy.
May you be joyful.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
May your success and wellbeing increase.
Exhale and let go of the image of that person…. Visualize or sense the presence of a friend who is experiencing joy or good fortune, and direct the mudita phrases towards this friend:
May you be joyful.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
May your success and wellbeing increase.
Now breathe into your heart and visualize or sense this fortunate friend wishing you similar joy and good fortune:
May you be joyful.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
May your success and wellbeing increase.
Connect with your heart and your motivation to practice becoming free from suffering. Gently direct the mudita phrases towards yourself:
May I be joyful.
May my happiness and good fortune continue.
May my success and wellbeing increase.
Then bring to mind someone whom you do not know well, someone who is neutral—someone you neither love nor hate. For this category, you might choose a stranger, a person you passed on the street or in a store. With the understanding that humans share a universal wish to experience joy, start offering the neutral person appreciative phrases:
May you be joyful.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
May your success and wellbeing increase.
With a deep exhalation, shift your attention to your body and breath. Then expand the practice to include difficult people in your life and in the world—anyone you resent or exclude from your heart.
Recall that all beings wish to be met with appreciation and to experience joy—even those who are annoying, unskillful, violent, confused, and unkind. With a clear intention to free yourself from jealousy, fear, and ill will, choose as the recipient for mudita phrases someone who is a source of difficulty in your heart or mind. As you send this person the same appreciative phrases, pay close attention to your emotional responses:
May you be joyful.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
May your success and wellbeing increase.
After a few minutes of sending the phrases to a difficult person, expand the field of appreciation to include all those who are in your immediate vicinity. Gradually, expand the field to include everyone in our city and beyond, allowing the positive intention of meeting everyone with appreciation to spread out in all directions.
Imagine covering the whole world with these positive thoughts. Radiate gratitude to all beings in existence, including those being born and those who are dying. With a boundless, friendly intention, repeat the phrases of appreciative joy:
May you be joyful.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
May your success and wellbeing increase.
After a few moments of sending mudita to all beings everywhere, let go of the phrases and the imagery. As you return to sensing your body and breath, be aware of whatever sensations and emotions are now present. Whenever you are ready, let your eyes open and allow your attention to return to your surroundings.