Mudita (as one of 4 brahma-vihara)
Bodhi translates as: altruistic joy (agreeing with an earlier old PTS translator)
Thanissaro has: empathetic joy
Sujato has: rejoicing
Other translations: sympathetic joy
Sujato isn't necessarily guilty of
TITWOW here. It depends on how he interprets 'mudita' in the suttas. If he think mudita is vague in the suttas, then he's correct in keeping the english translation and interpretation vague.
I'm of the opinion, and many EBT passages and Vimuttimagga supports me on this, that the joy of mudita is not vague, is specific in that it is the joy that comes from appreciating oneself or others doing virtuous, skillful wholesome actions of the body, speech, or mind. Thanissaro and Bodhi seem to agree it's not just any kind of joy, there's a specific quality that must be met to qualify as mudita.
Visuddhimagga definition of mudita is absolutely wrong, in contradiction with EBT
https://lucid24.org/sted/ebt/not/vism/single/index.html#9.3
Vism. goes off some twisted tangent on developing non-jealousy for other beings.
Sacepissa so soṇḍasahāyo vā piyapuggalo vā atīte sukhito ahosi, sampati pana duggato durūpeto, atītameva cassa sukhitabhāvaṃ anussaritvā "esa atīte evaṃ mahābhogo mahāparivāro niccappamudito ahosī"ti tamevassa muditākāraṃ gahetvā muditā uppādetabbā "anāgate vā pana puna taṃ sampattiṃ labhitvā hatthikkhandhaassapiṭṭhisuvaṇṇasivikādīhi vicarissatī"ti anāgatampissa muditākāraṃ gahetvā muditā uppādetabbā. | 86.But if his boon companion or the dear person was happy in the past but is now unlucky and unfortunate, then gladness can still be aroused by remembering his past happiness and apprehending the glad aspect in this way: “In the past he had great wealth, a great following and he was always glad.” Or gladness can be aroused by apprehending the future glad aspect in him in this way: “In the future he will again enjoy similar success and will go about in gold palanquins, on the backs of elephants or on horseback, and so on.” |
Evaṃ piyapuggale muditaṃ uppādetvā atha majjhatte tato verimhīti anukkamena muditā pavattetabbā. | Having thus aroused gladness with respect to a dear person, he can then direct it successively towards a neutral one, and after that towards a hostile one. |
Why is Vism. so wrong?
According to Vism., mudita means you should arouse gladness if your enemy experiences happiness from being successful in their job as a drug dealer, murderer, winnings at gambling in street fights and dog fighting (to the death), success at womanizing, etc.
That is absolutely not what mudita is about.
Thanissaro's 'empathetic joy' has the same kind of loophole that can be exploited with Vism. mudita.
'Sympathetic joy' has the same problem as 'empthaetic joy', but has additional problems because the first definition of 'sympathy' in oxford dictionary is: feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
Bodhi's mudita as 'altruistic joy' corrects this gross Vism. error but...
Altruism means that one acts for the welfare of others, sometimes at the cost of one's own welfare.
This kind of gives brahmavihara a mahayana kind of slant, worried about other beings instead of working one's own liberation.
There's also an ambiguity here. Which part is altruistic? The person doing the mudita, or the person who is the object of attention must be doing something altruistic? Or both?
Altruistic joy is certainly much better than Vism.'s indiscriminate gladness at anything your enemy does that makes them happy, but it's still too restrictive and not explained that way in the EBT.
Perhaps the pre-Buddhist Brahma vihara mudita my have focused more on 'altruistic joy', but once we're under the EBT purview of the Buddha, then 'arahant', 'brahmin', 'dukkha', 'mudita', all take on a Buddhist spin and must be understood on the Buddha's terms.
Vimuttimagga definition of mudita agrees with Buddha's EBT
Note that Vimt. specifically weeds out the loophole that's present in Vism's mudita.
What's truly baffling, is the blatant incompetence of Vism. They based their book in Vimuttimagga, large parts of Vism. were almost straight quotes out of Vimt., but how could they screw up the mudita section so badly?
Vimutti-magga section on mudita
What is the procedure ?
The new yogin enters a place of solitude and sits down with mind collected and undisturbed. When one sees or hears that some person's qualities are esteemed by others, and that he is at peace and is joyful, one thinks thus: "sadhu! sadhu! may he continue joyful for a long time!".
And again, when one sees or hears that a certain person does not follow demeri- torious doctrines, or that he does not follow undesirable doctrines and that he follows desirable doctrines, one thinks thus: "sadhu! sadhu! may he continue joyful for a long time!".
That yogin by these means and through these activities develops the thought of appreciative joy and repeats it. Having by these means and through these activities developed the thought of appreciative joy and repeated it, he makes his mind pliant, and capable of bearing the object.
Thereafter he gradually develops appreciative joy for an indifferent person and an enemy. The rest is as was fully taught above. Thus with appreciative joy he fills the four directions.
Vimutti-magga mudita matches up perfectly with AN 5.162, which lists 4 ways of doing mudita
162.1 – (body impure, speech pure ↔ mudita simile: salvage good part of rag)
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Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṃ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro parisuddhavacīsamācāro, kathaṃ tasmiṃ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo? | How should you get rid of resentment for a person whose behavior by way of body is impure, but whose behavior by way of speech is pure? |
Seyyathāpi, āvuso, bhikkhu paṃsukūliko rathiyāya nantakaṃ disvā vāmena pādena niggaṇhitvā dakkhiṇena pādena pattharitvā, yo tattha sāro taṃ paripātetvā ādāya pakkameyya; | Suppose a monk wearing rag robes sees a rag by the side of the road. They’d hold it down with the left foot, spread it out with the right foot, tear out what was intact, and take it away with them. |
evamevaṃ khvāvuso, yvāyaṃ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro parisuddhavacīsamācāro, yāssa aparisuddhakāyasamācāratā na sāssa tasmiṃ samaye manasi kātabbā, yā ca khvassa parisuddhavacīsamācāratā sāssa tasmiṃ samaye manasi kātabbā. | In the same way, at that time you should ignore that person’s impure behavior by way of body and focus on their pure behavior by way of speech. |
Evaṃ tasmiṃ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo. (1) | That’s how to get rid of resentment for that person. |
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162.2 – (speech impure, body pure ↔ mudita simile: lotus pond sweep aside moss)
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Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṃ puggalo aparisuddhavacīsamācāro parisuddhakāyasamācāro, kathaṃ tasmiṃ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo? | How should you get rid of resentment for a person whose behavior by way of speech is impure, but whose behavior by way of body is pure? |
Seyyathāpi, āvuso, pokkharaṇī sevālapaṇakapariyonaddhā. | Suppose there was a lotus pond covered with moss and aquatic plants. |
Atha puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito. | Then along comes a person struggling in the oppressive heat, weary, thirsty, and parched. |
So taṃ pokkharaṇiṃ ogāhetvā ubhohi hatthehi iticiti ca sevālapaṇakaṃ apaviyūhitvā añjalinā pivitvā pakkameyya. | They’d plunge into the lotus pond, sweep apart the moss and aquatic plants, drink from their cupped hands, and be on their way. |
Evamevaṃ kho, āvuso, yvāyaṃ puggalo aparisuddhavacīsamācāro parisuddhakāyasamācāro, yāssa aparisuddhavacīsamācāratā na sāssa tasmiṃ samaye manasi kātabbā, yā ca khvassa parisuddhakāyasamācāratā sāssa tasmiṃ samaye manasi kātabbā. | In the same way, at that time you should ignore that person’s impure behavior by way of speech and focus on their pure behavior by way of body. |
Evaṃ tasmiṃ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo. (2) | That’s how to get rid of resentment for that person. |
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162.3 – (speech impure, body impure, mind sometimes pure ↔ mudita simile: water in cow’s hoof print)
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Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṃ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro aparisuddhavacīsamācāro labhati ca kālena kālaṃ cetaso vivaraṃ cetaso pasādaṃ, kathaṃ tasmiṃ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo? | How should you get rid of resentment for a person whose behavior by way of body and speech is impure, but who gets an openness and clarity of heart from time to time? |
Seyyathāpi, āvuso, parittaṃ gopade udakaṃ. | Suppose there was a little water in a cow’s hoofprint. |
Atha puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito. | Then along comes a person struggling in the oppressive heat, weary, thirsty, and parched. |
Tassa evamassa: | They might think: |
‘idaṃ kho parittaṃ gopade udakaṃ. | ‘This little bit of water is in a cow’s hoofprint. |
Sacāhaṃ añjalinā vā pivissāmi bhājanena vā khobhessāmipi taṃ loḷessāmipi taṃ apeyyampi taṃ karissāmi. | If I drink it with my cupped hands or a bowl, I’ll stir it and disturb it, making it undrinkable. |
Yannūnāhaṃ catukkuṇḍiko nipatitvā gopītakaṃ pivitvā pakkameyyan’ti. | Why don’t I get down on all fours and drink it up like a cow, then be on my way?’ |
So catukkuṇḍiko nipatitvā gopītakaṃ pivitvā pakkameyya. | So that’s what they do. |
Evamevaṃ kho, āvuso, yvāyaṃ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro aparisuddhavacīsamācāro labhati ca kālena kālaṃ cetaso vivaraṃ cetaso pasādaṃ, yāssa aparisuddhakāyasamācāratā na sāssa tasmiṃ samaye manasi kātabbā; | In the same way, at that time you should ignore that person’s impure behavior by way of speech and body, |
yāpissa aparisuddhavacīsamācāratā na sāpissa tasmiṃ samaye manasi kātabbā. | |
Yañca kho so labhati kālena kālaṃ cetaso vivaraṃ cetaso pasādaṃ, tamevassa tasmiṃ samaye manasi kātabbaṃ. | and focus on the fact that they get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time. |
Evaṃ tasmiṃ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo. (3) | That’s how to get rid of resentment for that person. |
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162.4 – (speech impure, body impure, mind impure ↔ karuna simile: gravely ill traveler far from villiage)
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Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṃ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro aparisuddhavacīsamācāro na ca labhati kālena kālaṃ cetaso vivaraṃ cetaso pasādaṃ, kathaṃ tasmiṃ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo? | How should you get rid of resentment for a person whose behavior by way of body and speech is impure, and who doesn’t get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time? |
Seyyathāpi, āvuso, puriso ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno addhānamaggappaṭipanno. | Suppose a person was traveling along a road, and they were sick, suffering, gravely ill. |
Tassa puratopissa dūre gāmo pacchatopissa dūre gāmo. | And it was a long way to a village, whether ahead or behind. |
So na labheyya sappāyāni bhojanāni, na labheyya sappāyāni bhesajjāni, na labheyya patirūpaṃ upaṭṭhākaṃ, na labheyya gāmantanāyakaṃ. | And they didn’t have any suitable food or medicine, or a competent carer, or someone to bring them to the neighborhood of a village. |
Tamenaṃ aññataro puriso passeyya addhānamaggappaṭipanno. | Then another person traveling along the road sees them, |
So tasmiṃ purise kāruññaṃyeva upaṭṭhāpeyya, anuddayaṃyeva upaṭṭhāpeyya, anukampaṃyeva upaṭṭhāpeyya: | and thinks of them with nothing but compassion, kindness, and sympathy: |
‘aho vatāyaṃ puriso labheyya sappāyāni bhojanāni, labheyya sappāyāni bhesajjāni, labheyya patirūpaṃ upaṭṭhākaṃ, labheyya gāmantanāyakaṃ. | ‘Oh, may this person get suitable food or medicine, or a competent carer, or someone to bring them to the neighborhood of a village. |
Taṃ kissa hetu? | Why is that? |
Māyaṃ puriso idheva anayabyasanaṃ āpajjī’ti. | So that they don’t come to ruin right here.’ |
Evamevaṃ kho, āvuso, yvāyaṃ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro aparisuddhavacīsamācāro na ca labhati kālena kālaṃ cetaso vivaraṃ cetaso pasādaṃ, evarūpepi, āvuso, puggale kāruññaṃyeva upaṭṭhāpetabbaṃ anuddayāyeva upaṭṭhāpetabbā anukampāyeva upaṭṭhāpetabbā: | In the same way, at that time you should ignore that person’s impure behavior by way of speech and body, and the fact that they don’t get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time, and think of them with nothing but compassion, kindness, and sympathy: |
‘aho vata ayamāyasmā kāyaduccaritaṃ pahāya kāyasucaritaṃ bhāveyya, vacīduccaritaṃ pahāya vacīsucaritaṃ bhāveyya, manoduccaritaṃ pahāya manosucaritaṃ bhāveyya. | ‘Oh, may this person give up bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and develop good conduct by way of body, speech, and mind. |
Taṃ kissa hetu? | Why is that? |
Māyaṃ āyasmā kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapajjī’ti. | So that, when their body breaks up, after death, they’re not reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.’ |
Evaṃ tasmiṃ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo. (4) | That’s how to get rid of resentment for that person. |
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162.5 – (speech pure, body pure, mind pure ↔ mudita simile: man dying of thirst finds lotus pond with clean water and shade)
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Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṃ puggalo parisuddhakāyasamācāro parisuddhavacīsamācāro labhati ca kālena kālaṃ cetaso vivaraṃ cetaso pasādaṃ, kathaṃ tasmiṃ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo? | How should you get rid of resentment for a person whose behavior by way of body and speech is pure, and who gets an openness and clarity of heart from time to time? |
Seyyathāpi, āvuso, pokkharaṇī acchodakā sātodakā sītodakā setakā supatitthā ramaṇīyā nānārukkhehi sañchannā. | Suppose there was a lotus pond with clear, sweet, cool water, clean, with smooth banks, delightful, and shaded by many trees. |
Atha puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito. | Then along comes a person struggling in the oppressive heat, weary, thirsty, and parched. |
So taṃ pokkharaṇiṃ ogāhetvā nhātvā ca pivitvā ca paccuttaritvā tattheva rukkhacchāyāya nisīdeyya vā nipajjeyya vā. | They’d plunge into the lotus pond to bathe and drink. And after emerging they’d sit or lie down right there in the shade of the trees. |
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Evamevaṃ kho, āvuso, yvāyaṃ puggalo parisuddhakāyasamācāro parisuddhavacīsamācāro labhati ca kālena kālaṃ cetaso vivaraṃ cetaso pasādaṃ, yāpissa parisuddhakāyasamācāratā sāpissa tasmiṃ samaye manasi kātabbā; | In the same way, at that time you should focus on that person’s pure behavior by way of body and speech, and on the fact that they get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time. |
yāpissa parisuddhavacīsamācāratā sāpissa tasmiṃ samaye manasi kātabbā; | |
yampi labhati kālena kālaṃ cetaso vivaraṃ cetaso pasādaṃ, tampissa tasmiṃ samaye manasi kātabbaṃ. | |
Evaṃ tasmiṃ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo. | That’s how to get rid of resentment for that person. |
Samantapāsādikaṃ, āvuso, puggalaṃ āgamma cittaṃ pasīdati. (5) | Relying on a person who is pure all around [in bodily, verbal, and mental activity], the mind becomes pure. [And one gains confidence in that person who we formerly resented but we are overcome by their confidence inspiring conduct.] |
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Ime kho, āvuso, pañca āghātapaṭivinayā, yattha bhikkhuno uppanno āghāto sabbaso paṭivinetabbo”ti. | A monk should use these five methods to completely get rid of resentment when it has arisen toward anyone.” |
AN 4.125 and AN 4.126 show that mudita as a Brahma vihāra in the Buddha's EBT Dharma, is merged with mudita and pīti of the 7 awakening factors and 4 jhānas
Proof: we can see this must be so with how these 2 suttas conclude. The Buddha's mudita leads to nirvana of stream entry, non-return, or arahantship in the brahma realm rebirth, whereas the ordinary non-Buddhist Brahma realm rebirth ends in falling out of Brahma realm into animal or hell realm.
709“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four?
710(1) “Here, bhikkhus, some person dwells pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with friendly-kindness, [129] likewise the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Thus above, below, across, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, vast, exalted, measureless, without enmity, without ill will. He relishes it, desires it, and finds satisfaction in it.
If he is firm in it, focused on it, often dwells in it, and has not lost it when he dies, he is reborn in companionship with the devas of Brahmā’s company.817"" The life span of the devas of Brahmā’s company is an eon. The worldling remains there all his life, and when he has completed the entire life span of those devas, he goes to hell, to the animal realm, or to the sphere of afflicted spirits.
But the Blessed One’s disciple remains there all his life, and when he has completed the entire life span of those devas, he attains final nibbāna in that very same state of existence. This is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between the instructed noble disciple and the uninstructed worldling, that is, when there is future destination and rebirth.
(... similar for other 3 realms of 4bv, with different life spans ...)
AN 4.126 is similar, except leading to pure abode rebirth of non-returner
KN Pe: Petakopadesa
Pe 607: Mudita of 4bv linked to pīti and/or sukha of first three jhānas.
Tattha katamā bhāvanā? | 607. (vii) Herein, what is the keeping in being? |
Mettāsevanā abyāpādavitakkabhāvanā. | Cultivation of lovingkindness is the keeping of non-ill-will thinking in being. |
Karuṇāsevanā avihiṃsāvitakkabhāvanā. | Cultivation of compassion 1 is the keeping of non-cruelty thinking in being. |
Muditābhāvanā pīti-sukha-sampajaññā kāritā. | Keeping gladness in being is the state of one who acts with happiness, pleasure, and awareness. |
Upekkhābhāvanā passavatā upekkhābhāvanā apassavatā upekkhā ca ajjhupekkhā ca, asubhasaññābhāvanā dukkhāpaṭipadā dandhābhiññā bhavasandhābhiññā bhavasandhānaṃ, sā chabbidhā bhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā anuṭṭhitā vatthukatā yānīkatā paricitā susamāraddhā. | [There is(? )] keeping onlooking- equanimity in being as productivity(? ) 2 [and there is(? )] keeping onlooking-equanimity in being as unproductivity (? ), 2 [which are respectively(? )] onlooking-equanimity and looking on at. [There is(? )] keeping perception of ugliness 3 in being [which is(? )] the painful way with sluggish acquaintance, [such(? )] acquaintance being that tied to existence(? ) [belonging] to those tied to existence (1). 4 That keeping in being in the six ways 5 is kept in being, made much of, established, made the basis, made the vehicle, 6 consolidated, 6 and thoroughly well instigated. 6 |
Pe 1074: Mudita of 4bv linked to third jhāna.
Tattha paṭhamā ca paṭipadā paṭhamañca jhānaṃ paṭhamañca satipaṭṭhānaṃ paṭhamo ca vihāro paṭhamañca sammappadhānaṃ paṭhamo ca acchariyo abbhuto dhammo saccādhiṭṭhānañca chandasamādhi ca indriyasaṃvaro ca mettā ca appamāṇaṃ. | 1072. (i) Herein, the first way and first meditation and first foundation of mindfulness and first abiding and first right endeavour and first wonderful and marvellous idea, and the expression of truth, and concentration due to will, and faculty restraint, and the measureless state of lovingkindness: |
Ayaṃ paṭhamā disā. | these are the first Direction. |
Dukkhā ca [dutiyā ca (ka.)] paṭipadā khippābhiññā dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ dutiyañca satipaṭṭhānaṃ dutiyo ca vihāro dutiyañca sammappadhānaṃ dutiyo ca acchariyo abbhuto dhammo cāgādhiṭṭhānaṃ cittasamādhi cattāro iddhipādā karuṇā ca appamāṇaṃ, ayaṃ dutiyā disā. | 1073. (ii) The painful way with swift acquaintanceship and the second meditation and second foundation of mindfulness and second abiding and second right endeavour and second wonderful and marvellous idea, and the expression of generosity, and concentration due to cognizance, and ardour,1 and the measureless state of compassion : these are the second Direction. |
Sukhā ca [tatiyā ca (ka.)] paṭipadā dandhābhiññā tatiyañca jhānaṃ tatiyañca satipaṭṭhānaṃ tatiyo ca vihāro tatiyañca sammappadhānaṃ tatiyo ca acchariyo abbhuto dhammo paññādhiṭṭhānañca vīriyasamādhi ca bojjhaṅgā ca muditā ca appamāṇaṃ. | 1074. (iii) The pleasant way with sluggish acquaintanceship and the third meditation and third foundation of mindfulness and third abiding and third right endeavour and third wonderful and marvellous idea, and the expression of understanding, and concentration due to energy, and enlightenment factors, and the measureless state of gladness : |
Ayaṃ tatiyā disā. | these are the third Direction. |
Sukhā ca [catutthī ca (ka.)] paṭipadā khippābhiññā catutthaṃ jhānaṃ catutthañca satipaṭṭhānaṃ catuttho ca vihāro catutthañca sammappadhānaṃ catuttho ca acchariyo abbhuto dhammo upasamādhiṭṭhānañca vīmaṃsāsamādhi ca sabbanissaggo ca upekkhā appamāṇañca. | 1075. (iv) The pleasant way with quick acquaintanceship and the fourth meditation and fourth foundation of mindfulness and fourth abiding and fourth right endeavour and fourth wonderful and marvellous idea, and the expression of peace, and concentration due to inquiry, and relinquishment of all, and the measureless state of onlooking-equanimity : |
Ayaṃ catutthī disā. | these are the fourth Direction. |
Conclusion
Mudita as a brahma-vihara, in the Buddha's EBT, is in some ways more versatile than pre-Buddhist Mudita, but in other ways more restrictive to bring it into conformity with the Buddha's Dharma that leads to Nirvana instead of just good rebirth in Brahma realm.
✅one rejoices in virtuous, skillful Dharmas in oneself, in others, or both in oneself and others.
* virtuous skillful Dharma can be a bodily action, a verbal action, or mental action (if you're a mind reader you can rejoice in virtuous thoughts someone is thinking or about to think).
* The skillful Dharma can be from the past, present, or future.
* an action that deliberately avoids unskillful Dharmas, is also a skillful Dharma.
* the person one is observing performing virtuous Dharma is typically, but not necessarily experiencing joy. Example: someone does an action because "it's the right thing to do", but they feel pain instead of joy.
✅ Mudita is nearly synonymous or the immediate precursor to pamojja and pīti in the seven awakening factors, and pīti in the first two jhānas. (AN 4.125 and AN 4.126)
⛔ Mudita is not an indiscriminate rejoicing at someone experiencing joy, especially if they are joyful from performing unskillful Dharmas.
