Radical Joy
An easy meditative connecting with rejoicing then radically wishing to those perceived as less than desirable -- who we may likely never meet -- all the joy their hearts desire. (I openly invite feedback for utmost skillfulness and wisdom)
Transcript
Welcome to this guided meditation on radical joy.
An easy meditative connecting with rejoicing than radically wishing to those perceived as less than desirable who we may never likely ever meet all the joy their hearts desire.
So let's all take a seat,
Comfortable place to meditate.
And while we're doing that I'll mention these brahma viharas,
These sublime abidings,
These sublime abodes.
And the one that doesn't get as much attention is this what's known in Pali as mudita,
Altruistic joy,
Sympathetic joy.
I like vicarious joy,
So being happy for the happiness of others and just rejoicing.
That's another translation I like.
So as we settle into our meditation posture and perhaps close our eyes,
Let's tune in to someone where joy comes naturally,
Rejoicing,
Being happy for their happiness comes easy.
So bring to mind someone where joy flows easily,
Like maybe your children,
It could be a niece and nephew,
It could be pets,
Certain animals,
Nature,
Trees,
Where there's no complicated relationships.
It's really simple and easy to show happiness for their happiness,
Rejoice in their happiness and just rejoice in general.
You can bring an image of them to mind and there's also some phrases you can say to strengthen that.
And feel into the heart and how it feels when we bring their happiness to mind.
There's no limit on this.
Just because someone's happy doesn't mean there's a shortage or that I'm not happy or that I can't have happiness because they're happy.
In fact,
We can be happy for their happiness.
And the traditional phrases are,
Or some of the phrases are,
May your happiness continue,
May your happiness increase,
And may it never cease.
So again,
Bring the loved ones to mind where it's really easy to bring joy,
Happiness for their happiness,
And may your happiness and joy and joy increase.
May it continue and may it never cease.
Again,
May your joy and happiness and well-being increase.
May your joy continue and may it never cease.
So this isn't about realism and logic.
It's bringing the most of the situation to what's there.
And even if they're not in a state of that now,
We can draw on past times when they were.
And we can recall those moments when they were really happy and joyful,
Wishing their happiness and joy continue.
Happiness and joy continue.
May it increase.
May it never cease.
So if there's anyone else you'd like to invite to the party here,
Including ourselves,
To our moments of joy and happiness,
May they continue.
May those moments of joy,
Well-being and happiness increase and may they never cease.
Again,
There is no limit or bounds to this.
In fact,
Every human on the planet,
There's a potential and beyond of tapping into their happiness,
Wishing them happiness.
May their joy increase.
May our joy increase.
May it continue.
May it never cease.
Okay,
So we're sitting in this energy.
You can continue doing this.
And if you want to continue to more of the radical joy that I've mentioned in the description,
Before we do that,
I just want to have some checks and balances on this.
So tuning in specifically to those that may seem less than desirable.
Or things in the news we hear about,
These nefarious villains who are probably not going to meet politically charged people,
If you're up for it.
Just start dredging up these characters,
Right?
These boogie men.
Or,
You know,
People that remain in the fringes behind the scenes who stay in secrecy.
And that's how their power is continued.
And once they're known and their secrets are known and what they're doing,
Well,
Then their power and their activity wouldn't be as strong.
So if there are folks like that out there,
We can bring them to mind too.
And it's not that we're approving of any of these actions or anything.
Where this comes from is that we're trying to bring them to mind.
Where this comes from is a place that,
If their heart had all the joy that they could desire,
Then there'd be no need to do what they do in the world.
This is a wonderment that we have to check out for ourselves.
I don't ask anyone to believe or disbelieve this,
Necessarily.
But imagine if their hearts had all the joy they could possibly ever imagine,
Would they behave in the same way they do?
And so for a further check on this,
I just want to make sure that this at least doesn't come from a place of righteousness.
That I'm better than them.
Or that I know better and they're doing wrong in judgmentalism.
So things are playing out due to causes and conditions.
And I just want to put a check on this.
So if there is some righteousness present,
Just notice that and acknowledge that.
Some other things to check for is if there's any degree of messiahhood.
Like,
Oh this is going to save the world,
Right?
This is really going to do it.
But on the other hand too,
So if there's that,
Acknowledge that.
On the opposite end of that,
There's doubt.
Oh,
This doesn't matter.
This is woo-woo,
Fluffy,
Doesn't make any difference.
You know,
What good is this going to do?
So,
You know,
Our actions and actions with intent matter.
Skillful actions with intent,
They do matter.
They do have effects.
So we see what degree of doubt is present in our intent for doing this.
So if there is that,
And just acknowledge it,
And we'll go from here.
So again,
Bring those folks to mind.
The folks that are boogeymen,
The challenging folks we have,
Maybe those doing nefarious things in secret,
Those blocking the awareness,
Greater awareness and progression of humanity.
We're going to hold them as close as we can to our hearts,
If we can,
If you want to.
And may their happiness increase.
May their happiness continue.
And may their happiness never cease.
So notice this might be a little more challenging.
May their happiness increase.
May it continue.
And may it never cease.
May those,
All beings,
Even those who are perpetrating less than desirable actions and deeds,
May they too experience all the joy their heart desires.
May their happiness and joy continue.
May it increase.
And may it never cease.
And may it never cease.
Notice what is going on in the heart,
The minds,
The body.
Our hearts and minds and bodies,
Why we're doing this challenging,
Radical joy of wishing these sometimes nefarious characters joy,
Right?
The same ones that some people might even retaliate with the same things they're doing.
But we know that hatred is never overcome by hatred.
Only non-hatred can overcome that.
This is an ancient and eternal law.
Non-harm can only overcome harm.
So again,
Shoring up a little bit,
Bringing them to mind again.
Tuning into our intention here.
Checking it with wisdom for any righteousness or if there's any victimhood.
I feel victimized by these groups and I want to bully them.
So seeing if that's there.
Checking,
Doubt that this is a pointless practice or this won't affect anything.
But it can affect our own hearts too.
And then checking to see if there's any kind of messiahhood,
Like this is all we need to do all the time.
Kind of distortion as well.
Then bringing them to mind.
Bringing these folks to mind and wishing all the joy their heart desires.
May their joy and happiness increase.
May it continue and may it never cease.
A few more times before we wrap this up.
A few more times before we wrap this up.
Just use the royal your,
May your hearts be filled with all the joy they could possibly desire.
And may that joy and happiness increase.
May it continue and may it never cease.
Again,
Not approving of any of the actions they do.
This is simply on the level of wishing joy for them in order that there's no need anymore to do actions such as they're doing.
Because when the heart is filled with joy,
There's not much reason to behave in nefarious ways.
And this is again nothing to believe.
There's no need to disbelieve it either.
Just we check this out in our own experience and we can wish them joy and happiness.
And for whatever joy and happiness they have,
May it increase.
May it continue.
May it never cease.
And just as we wish this for our loved ones and for ourselves,
Anything that we want for ourselves,
It seems wise to also wish it for all beings everywhere.
For all beings everywhere.
May all beings everywhere know joy in their heart of hearts.
And may it increase.
May it continue.
And may it never cease.
When you're ready,
You can start returning to your body if you're not already there.
And slowly open your eyes.
Bring yourself back to the space you're in.
And I wish you all continued joy.
And may it increase.
May it continue.
And may it never cease.
Thank you for joining and you're welcome to continue this if you'd like.
Going right back into it.
Be well.
