Comments on: On the Definition of Mudita http://www.muditajournal.com/archives/22.php Mindfulness and Individualism Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:37:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Peter Saint-Andre http://www.muditajournal.com/archives/22.php#comment-23 Peter Saint-Andre Sat, 11 Jan 2003 01:00:15 +0000 http://www.zader.com/2006/?p=22#comment-23 I like how mudita is the exact opposite of schadenfreude ("happiness at another's misfortune"). BTW, have you ever read <a href="http://folk.uio.no/thomas/po/buddhists-and-objectivists.html" rel="nofollow">http://folk.uio.no/thomas/po/buddhists-and-objectivists.html</a>? It's an essay by a Theravada Buddhist about how Objectivism could complement Buddhist insights. I haven't read much Buddhism myself (I've focused more on Taoism), although I did read "The Miracle of Mindfulness" a few years back. Looking forward to reading more in your weblog. :) I like how mudita is the exact opposite of schadenfreude (“happiness at another’s misfortune”).

BTW, have you ever read http://folk.uio.no/thomas/po/buddhists-and-objectivists.html? It’s an essay by a Theravada Buddhist about how Objectivism could complement Buddhist insights. I haven’t read much Buddhism myself (I’ve focused more on Taoism), although I did read “The Miracle of Mindfulness” a few years back.

Looking forward to reading more in your weblog. :)

]]> By: Kirez http://www.muditajournal.com/archives/22.php#comment-22 Kirez Thu, 02 Jan 2003 11:18:57 +0000 http://www.zader.com/2006/?p=22#comment-22 You already know how thrilled I am by your introducing me to this term. Perhaps I haven't expressed how glad I am that mudita resonates so strongly for both of us. The concept -- before I had a name for it -- has come to mean a lot to me in the past few years. It's something I'm glad we share. Regarding consternation over the term "fortune" -- I initially thought this was hypersensitive: The relevant term which actually appeared in your original definition, if we adhere to communicated, vernacular meaning and suspend our philosophically-contentious prejudices, is "good fortune" -- an idiom. What is relevant is not a theory about the sources and causes of goodness in life, but merely the recognition of auspiciousness, that the outcomes in someone's life serve his well-being. Indeed, even if we admit our philosophical sophistication and engage in a conceptual analysis of the term, I think we'll still arrive at this conclusion. The referents of good fortune are the life-serving, auspicious outcomes or conditions. You can leave your beliefs about their cause or source, at the door. If you are fortunate enough to encounter the man on the street who knows this emotion, mudita, he'll know perfectly well what you mean by it when you describe it as happiness at another's good fortune. But I see that 'success in life' is simple, concise, with the added value that it is more neutral regarding the source or cause of one's well-being. I think it's wonderful that this useful term can be explained so simply. You already know how thrilled I am by your introducing me to this term. Perhaps I haven’t expressed how glad I am that mudita resonates so strongly for both of us. The concept — before I had a name for it — has come to mean a lot to me in the past few years. It’s something I’m glad we share.

Regarding consternation over the term “fortune” — I initially thought this was hypersensitive:

The relevant term which actually appeared in your original definition, if we adhere to communicated, vernacular meaning and suspend our philosophically-contentious prejudices, is “good fortune” — an idiom. What is relevant is not a theory about the sources and causes of goodness in life, but merely the recognition of auspiciousness, that the outcomes in someone’s life serve his well-being.

Indeed, even if we admit our philosophical sophistication and engage in a conceptual analysis of the term, I think we’ll still arrive at this conclusion. The referents of good fortune are the life-serving, auspicious outcomes or conditions. You can leave your beliefs about their cause or source, at the door.

If you are fortunate enough to encounter the man on the street who knows this emotion, mudita, he’ll know perfectly well what you mean by it when you describe it as happiness at another’s good fortune.

But I see that ‘success in life’ is simple, concise, with the added value that it is more neutral regarding the source or cause of one’s well-being. I think it’s wonderful that this useful term can be explained so simply.

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