Joy and Gladness

A comparison of joy (chara) in the Bible and mudita (喜) in Buddhist scriptures. We explore how both traditions teach the nature of true joy and its practice.

The Source of True Joy

Bible

Χαίρετε ἐν κυρίῳ πάντοτε· πάλιν ἐρῶ, χαίρετε.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Sutra

若無世間愛，便無有憂苦，一切憂苦患，皆從愛欲生

“If one has no attachment to the world, there will be no sorrow and suffering; all sorrow, suffering, and affliction arise from craving and desire.”

Comparison

Paul's joy and the Dhammapada's happiness both agree in transcending external conditions. Christian joy is rooted in the transcendent source of a relationship with God, while Buddhist joy springs from the inner freedom of the cessation of attachment. Paul could rejoice even in prison, and the Buddha found joy in the place of having let go of everything. Both traditions say that true joy is something that does not depend on conditions.

Joy in Suffering

Bible

Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις, γινώσκοντες ὅτι τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως κατεργάζεται ὑπομονήν.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

Sutra

色不異空，空不異色，色即是空，空即是色

“Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form is exactly emptiness, emptiness is exactly form.”

Comparison

The joy in trials of James and the insight of emptiness (空) from the Heart Sutra share a shift in attitude toward suffering. James discovers joy in suffering by reinterpreting trials as instruments of growth, while the Heart Sutra attains freedom from being bound by suffering by seeing through its empty nature. Christianity arrives at transcendent joy through the 'purpose' of suffering; Buddhism arrives through the 'nature' of suffering.

Rejoicing with Others

Bible

χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων, κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

Sutra

爲善則喜，念善則安，善者善報，惡者惡報

“When one does good, one rejoices; when one thinks of good, one is at peace. The good receives good reward; the evil receives evil reward.”

Comparison

Paul's 'rejoice with those who rejoice' and the Buddhist sympathetic joy (隨喜, mudita) correspond with remarkable precision. Both traditions place rejoicing in the joy of others as a high spiritual virtue and teach that this is the path to healing envy and jealousy. In Christianity this is solidarity within the body of Christ; in Buddhism this is the practice of the non-duality of self and other (自他不二).