Kindness and Joy

This chapter focuses on Buddhist practices that aim to change one's feeling about good and bad events in one's life. These practices aim to change one's usual way of relating to others. In particular, they develop a pair of responses called metta and mudita. Metta is often translated as “loving kindness” and is a genuine concern for the happiness of others. Mudita is often translated as “sympathetic joy” and means feeling happy when good things happen to others. Though metta is similar to much of what can be called love or kindness, it is more specific than either. It is a sincere and selfless concern for others, for their happiness and well-being. Mudita is a similarly selfless response toward someone, but it is felt in response to a particular event.