Altruistic Joy

1. Part 3 of 4 Brahma Viharas, Immeasurables

2. Caring without attachment

3. Definition: Happy that others are happy! No self
interest in other’s happiness.
Example: Mother happy that her daughter got top
in class
Near enemy: Party high, exhilaration
Far enemy: Envy, Jealousy

4. Usually towards the top in class, or whenever
there is competition. Beauty, girls, boys,
career, exam marks, clothes, etc.
Underlying thoughts: only I deserve to get
happiness, if others get it, they deprive me of
my chance, so I do not like them.

5. This is joy from the sense of lacking, rather
than genuinely being happy for others.
Example: asking friends to go to sing karaoke
together, or play video games together, or go
to night club, bars, party…
There maybe joy, but there is no peace in the
joy. There is craving for more of those party
high.

6. Practice Metta first!
Metta is wishing others to be happy, when meeting
happy people, means your wish comes true.
Think: I seek happiness for myself. Other seek
happiness too. If others have success, why should I
feel bad? I can rejoice in their success instead, that
they got what they wish for.
Go team humans!
Mudita is the hardest so far to cultivate.

7. An aspiring writer. What’s your feeling when
seeing other people’s successful books?
A.) Jealous, more books out means less market
share for my books. My books will be better than
theirs.
B. ) Rejoice, they had worked hard and deserved
their success. May they be happy!
Can replace writer with actor/ your dream career/
other’s people’s company/ other sports team.

8. Project Like other’s success
Method 1: Find happiness in others, take those
pictures. Capture their happiness, put it on
Facebook/Instagram/social media, and be happy
that they are happy!
Method 2: Whenever you see on social media other
people’s good news, happiness, success stories, like
with a mind of mudita, not to show off that you
have mudita, but genuinely be happy for their
success without thinking bad of them.