Posted by: Dhammañāṇa
« on: February 11, 2019, 10:40:30 PM »How should I express Mudita or Joy for all beings?
Quote from: Nyom Dheeraj Verma at BSE 
In Mudita meditation or Joy Meditation I am supposed to experience Joy for all beings. But I don't know which aspect of living beings is worth celebrating.
My question is : How should I express Mudita or Joy for all beings?
Venerable members of the Sangha,
walking in front Fellows in leading the holly life.
In Respect of the Triple Gems, Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, in Respect of the Elders of the community
, my person tries to answer this question. Please, may all knowledgeable Venerables and Dhammika, out of compassion, correct my person, if something is not correct and fill also graps, if something is missing.Valued Upasaka, Upasika, Aramika(inis),
dear Readers and Visitors,
- Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa -
(This is a maybe modified and expanded answer of the "original" that can be found here
.)First of all one has to associate with people who practice mudita in daily live and are joyful in sharing their merits. This is something one would not easy find in "outer lands" (i.e. outside a monastery).
Second, to not practice it wrong, one has to know and understand what is a good and a bad deed, a conductive attainment or a hindrance -- otherwise you could possibly think that looking at popstars, and people jumping while watching them, is a place for proper mudita. That's a place for karuna...
Mudita means to remember and honor good attainments of other beings -- where there are no beings who had not done good, or accumulate good, in the present or past. If dwelling under people with wrong view, if even such as appreciation is usual, one would just increase one's defilements.
There is a list of reasons and people who are incapable of mudita, mostly caused by stinginess (macchariya), and aside of mind connected with unskillfullness, traders are counted to be incapable for appreciation.
Some may think of reflecting on a "Buddhanature", but actually mudita is the right way to do that. Understanding "Buddhanature", seeing the reason what to appreciate in all beings so to develop mudita in the context of Buddha's good teachings is worthy to understand; and of course, people from a Bodhisatta background have a better training in the basics of mudita (yet often with wrong view, such as inherent goodness).
For more and detail explaining see: Sharing merits - Freude teilen (pattanumodana & pattidana) [Forum Guide]
And since maccharia (stinginess) or amudita makes it impossible to reach even Jhana, not to speak about path or fruits, this words might be useful in addition: What's the reason that stinginess (macchariya) would disappear?
My person missed that the question includes already the wise detail question, Sadhu (mudita)!
But I don't know which aspect of living beings is worth celebrating.
What ever of the real treasures, causes for such or effects by receiving the results can be seen and traced in beings.
And what are the real treasures?
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
"Monks, there are these seven treasures. Which seven? The treasure of conviction, the treasure of virtue, the treasure of conscience, the treasure of concern, the treasure of listening, the treasure of generosity, the treasure of discernment.
"And what is the treasure of conviction? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones has conviction, is convinced of the Tathagata's Awakening: 'Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed.' This is called the treasure of conviction.
"And what is the treasure of virtue? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones abstains from taking life, abstains from stealing, abstains from illicit sexual conduct, abstains from lying, abstains from taking intoxicants that cause heedlessness. This, monks, is called the treasure of virtue.
"And what is the treasure of conscience? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones feels shame at [the thought of engaging in] bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct. This is called the treasure of conscience.
"And what is the treasure of concern? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones feels concern for [the suffering that results from] bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct. This is called the treasure of concern.
"And what is the treasure of listening? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones has heard much, has retained what he/she has heard, has stored what he/she has heard. Whatever teachings are admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end, that — in their meaning and expression — proclaim the holy life that is entirely complete and pure: those he/she has listened to often, retained, discussed, accumulated, examined with his/her mind, and well-penetrated in terms of his/her views. This is called the treasure of listening.
"And what is the treasure of generosity? There is the case of a disciple of the noble ones, his awareness cleansed of the stain of stinginess, living at home, freely generous, openhanded, delighting in being magnanimous, responsive to requests, delighting in the distribution of alms. This is called the treasure of generosity.
"And what is the treasure of discernment? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising & passing away — noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress. This is called the treasure of discernment."
These, monks, are the seven treasures.
The treasure of conviction,
the treasure of virtue,
the treasure of conscience & concern,
the treasure of listening, generosity,
& discernment as the seventh treasure.
Whoever, man or woman, has these treasures
is said not to be poor, has not lived in vain.
So conviction & virtue, confidence & Dhamma-vision
should be cultivated by the wise,
remembering the Buddhas' instruction.