RIGHT INTENTION
Cultivating Appreciative Joy
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Whatever you intend,
whatever you plan, and whatever you have a tendency toward, that will
become the basis on which your mind is established. (SN 12.40) Develop
meditation on appreciative joy, for when you develop meditation on
appreciative joy, any discontent will be abandoned. (MN 62)
The proximate cause of appreciative joy is seeing the success of other beings. (Vm 9.95)
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It comes
naturally to us, for the most part, to feel good about good things
happening to us. But this does not necessarily happen all the time. What
if we could feel good twice as often or more? Why not experience that
same emotion of appreciative joy when other people meet with success or
good fortune? Instead of feeling jealousy or resentment, we can develop
the skill of sharing in the good fortune of others.
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Look around you
for examples of good things happening to other people. It can seem hard
to find because of the negative bias of our news sources, but if you
search a little you can find good news. When you do, allow yourself to
feel gladness and joy for the good fortune of those people. Share in the
appreciation and gratitude. You can only feel appreciative joy when you
see or think about the success of others, so look for it.
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Tomorrow: Refraining from Harsh Speech
One week from today: Cultivating Equanimity
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