BV-Mudita in Action
Tonight, we’ll be practicing mudita or sympathetic joy, one of the four Brahma Viharas or Divine Abodes that the Buddha taught to open the heart. Ironically, although it is centered around the cultivation of appreciative joy, sometimes mudita is born in the midst of tragic circumstances.
Sato Ryoki is the 28th abbot of Togenji, a 550-year-old temple in the northern part of Japan. On a trip to the nearby coast, he was one of the survivors of the tsunami that killed 20,000 people in 2011. During the 8.9 earthquake that preceded the tsunami, he climbed atop the roof of a big truck and was stranded there for over two hours, with huge waves soaking his legs. As he witnessed hundreds of people perishing in the water, he was scared that he would die. Despite 18 years in the priesthood, he regretted that he had not committed fully to his life. He remembered Dogen’s teaching about those who “spend their whole lives in vain and cannot help feeling regret when their lives are exhausted.”
For Sato Ryoki, the best way to combat survivor’s guilt was to make a full commitment to his life. Each day he reflects upon how precious it is to be alive and how all beings are interconnected. He knows that what brings him joy is to help others be happy. As he volunteered with tsunami refugees and with families of those who had died, he led a memorial service. Everybody lit two blue candles—one for a deceased loved one, and one to light the way for themselves to live fully.
Sato Ryoki envisioned a way to bring joy to people after his death. His idea of a Millennium Forest has inspired the community around the temple to plant trees. Each seedling that is planted contributes to the manifestation of a huge forest in 450 years, when the temple celebrates its millennium.
Most examples of mudita in action take far less time to come to fruition. At a recent online music therapy conference, I saw a photo of an orchestra performing during the pandemic. Instead of a human audience, the auditorium seats were filled with hundreds of green, leafy potted plants. After the performance, each healthy, music-infused plant was offered as a gift to a healthcare worker who was serving on the front lines. The musicians found a creative way to spread joy to people who especially needed to be uplifted.
Traditionally, mudita is used to develop appreciative joy for the good fortune of others. It counteracts the resentment or jealousy that we often feel when we learn about someone else’s success. This kind of vicarious joy comes from delighting in other people’s wellbeing rather than begrudging it.
The so-called“far enemy” of mudita is envy, when we covet or resent the joy and pleasure that another person is experiencing, and when we act from fear of scarcity, as if there were not enough benefits to go around. Envy occurs when we forget that everyone experiences joys and sorrows, and that all things are impermanent. To alleviate the suffering that stems from comparing our circumstances to those of people who seem to be showered with blessings, we can remember that it’s their turn to have good fortune.
An example of the mind-state of sympathetic joy is the attitude of mature, loving parents who observe a growing child’s accomplishments and successes, without feeling narcissistic pride or receiving any direct benefit for themselves.
Now sit comfortably and close your eyes. It helps to start mudita practice with the image or memory of a person who seems naturally joyous or of someone who is enjoying good fortune. As you sense the presence of this person, connect with the resonance of your heart and 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.