Listen "Episode 57: Four Limitless Aspirations"
Episode Synopsis
The context for talking about happiness in the Buddhist tradition comes from an aspiration that has four parts: • may all beings enjoy happiness and the root of happiness • may they be free from suffering and the root of suffering • may they not be separated from great happiness or joy devoid of suffering • may they dwell in great equanimity, free from passion, aggression and prejudice • in the first aspiration we want both kinds of happiness for people – we want them to be healthy and happy, but there is also a wish that they uncover a deeper level of happiness, the root of happiness • the second aspiration is for people to be free from suffering, but also that they find a deeper root of well-being that is not captured by suffering • the third aspiration is about joy, which comes about from celebrating the happiness and success of others • the fourth aspiration is that we wish for others equanimity—a grounded stability, like a mountain, where you don’t cover over pain and you don’t avoid pleasure; you are just settled, stable, and content • the final point has to do with looking at limits: what do we exclude from our loving kindness, from our compassion, from our joy, from our equanimity?
More episodes of the podcast Dharma Glimpses with Judy Lief
Episode 107: The Five Elements
02/12/2025
Episode 106: Puzzles and Glimpses
25/11/2025
Episode 105: Natural Wisdom
18/11/2025
Episode 104: Speech
11/11/2025
Episode 103: Remain Like a Log
04/11/2025
Episode 102: Transmission
28/10/2025
Episode 101: Three Short Practices
21/10/2025
Episode 156: Strength and Vulnerability
30/09/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.