''Sukha'' (

Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...

and ) means

happiness Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...

pleasure Pleasure is experience that feels good, that involves the enjoyment of something. It contrasts with pain or suffering, which are forms of feeling bad. It is closely related to value, desire and action: humans and other conscious animals find ...

, ease, joy or bliss. Among the early scriptures, 'sukha' is set up as a contrast to 'preya' (प्रेय) meaning a transient pleasure, whereas the pleasure of 'sukha' has an authentic state of happiness within a being that is lasting. In the

Pāli Canon The Pāḷi Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhism, Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant Early Buddhist texts, early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from t ...

, the term is used in the context of describing laic pursuits and

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...

Etymology

According to Monier-Williams (1964), the etymology of ''sukha'' is "said to be ''su'' good'+ ''kha'' aperture'and to mean originally 'having a good axle-hole'"; thus, for instance, in the

Rig Veda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...

''sukha'' denotes "running swiftly or easily" (applied, e.g., to chariots). Monier-Williams also notes that the term might derive alternatively as "possibly a Prākrit form of ''su-stha'', q.v.; cf. ''duh̩kha''", literally meaning ''su'' good'+ ''stha'' standing' ''Sukha'' is juxtaposed with ''dukha'' (Sanskrit; Pali: '' dukkha''; often translated as "suffering"), which were established as the major motivating life principles in early Vedic religion. This theme of the centrality of dukha was developed in later years in both Vedic and Buddhist traditions. The elimination of dukha is the ''raison d'être'' of early Buddhism.

Pali literature

In the Pali Canon and related

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

, the term is used in a general sense to refer to "well-being and happiness" (''hitasukha'') in either this present life or future lives. In addition, it is a technical term associated with describing a factor of meditative absorption (

jhāna In the oldest texts of Buddhism, ''dhyāna'' () or ''jhāna'' () is a component of the training of the mind ('' bhavana''), commonly translated as meditation, to withdraw the mind from the automatic responses to sense-impressions and "burn up" ...

) and a sensory-derived feeling (

vedanā ''Vedanā'' (Pāli and Sanskrit: वेदना) is an ancient term traditionally translated as either "feeling" or "sensation." In general, ''vedanā'' refers to the pleasant, unpleasant and neutral sensations that occur when our internal sen ...

General life pursuit

In the

, the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

discusses with different lay persons "well-being and happiness" (''hitasukha'') "visible in this present life" (''diha-dhamma'') and "pertaining to the future life" (''samparāyika''), as exemplified by the following

suttas Buddhist texts are religious texts that belong to, or are associated with, Buddhism and Schools of Buddhism, its traditions. There is no single textual collection for all of Buddhism. Instead, there are three main Buddhist Canons: the Pāli C ...

Anana Sutta

In the ''Anaa Sutta'' ( AN 4.62), the Buddha describes four types of happiness for a " householder partaking of sensuality" (''gihinā

kāma ''Kama'' (Sanskrit: काम, ) is the concept of pleasure, enjoyment and desire in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It can also refer to "desire, wish, longing" in Hindu texts, Hindu, Buddhist texts, Buddhist, Jain literature, Jai ...

-bhoginā''): * the happiness of earning (''atthi-sukha'') wealth by just and righteous means * the happiness of using (''bhoga-sukha'') wealth liberally on family, friends, & on meritorious deeds * the happiness of debtlessness (''anaa-sukha'') be free from debts * the happiness of blamelessness (''anavajja-sukha''), to live a faultless and pure life without committing evil in thought, word, and deed Of these, the wise (''sumedhaso'') know that the happiness of blamelessness is by far the greatest householder happiness. Economic and material happiness is not worth one sixteenth part of the spiritual happiness arising out of a faultless and good life.

Kalama Sutta

In the '' Kālāmā Sutta'' ( AN 3.65), townspeople ask the Buddha how they are to ascertain which spiritual teaching is true. The Buddha counsels that one should "enter and dwell" (''upasampajja vihareyyātha'') in "things" or "qualities" ('' dhammā'') that are: * skillful (''kusalā''), * blameless (''anavajjā''), * praised by the wise (''viññuppasatthā''), and * when put into practice, are conducive to well-being and happiness (''samattā samādinnā hitāya sukhāya' savattantī'') Using the latter criterion, the Buddha then asks the townspeople to assess greed (''lobha''), hate (''dosa'') and delusion (''moha'') whereby it is agreed that entering and dwelling in non-greed, non-hate and non-delusion lead to well-being and happiness. The Buddha states that, given this understanding, a noble disciple (''ariyasāvako'') pervades all directions with lovingkindness,

compassion Compassion is a social feeling that motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental, or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is sensitivity to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based ...

, sympathetic joy and

equanimity Equanimity is a state of psychological stability and composure which is undisturbed by the experience of or exposure to emotions, pain, or other phenomena that may otherwise cause a loss of mental balance. The virtue and value of equanimity is ...

(see the four ''

brahmavihara The (sublime attitudes, lit. "abodes of Brahma") is a series of four Buddhist virtues and the meditation practices made to cultivate them. They are also known as the four immeasurables (Pāli: ) or four infinite minds ( Chinese: ). The are: ...

s''); and, by doing so, one purifies oneself, avoids evil-induced consequences, lives a happy present life and, if there is a future karmic

rebirth Rebirth may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Film * ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film * ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film * ''Rebirth'', a 2011 documentary film produced by Project Rebirth * '' ...

, one will be born in a heavenly world.

Dighajanu Sutta

In the '' Dighajānu Sutta'' ( AN 8.54), Dighajānu approaches the Buddha and states: :"We are lay people enjoying sensuality; living crowded with spouses & children; using Kasi fabrics & sandalwood; wearing garlands, scents, & creams; handling gold & silver. May the Blessed One teach the

Dhamma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold'' or ''to support' ...

for those like us, for our happiness & well-being in this life, for our happiness & well-being in lives to come." In a manner somewhat similar to his exposition in the aforementioned ''Anaa Sutta'', the Buddha identifies four sources that lead to well-being and happiness in the current life: * productive efforts (''uhāna-sampadā'') in one's livelihood, * protective efforts (''ārakkha-sampadā'') regarding ones wealth in terms of possible theft or disaster, * virtuous friendship ( ''kalyāa-mittatā''), and * even-headed living (''sama-jīvikatā''), abstaining from womanizing, drunkenness, gambling and evil friendships. In terms of well-being and happiness in the next life, the Buddha identifies the following sources: * faith ('' saddhā'') in the fully enlightened Buddha; * virtue (''

sīla Buddhist ethics are traditionally based on the enlightened perspective of the Buddha. In Buddhism, ethics or morality are understood by the term ''śīla'' () or ''sīla'' (Pāli). ''Śīla'' is one of three sections of the Noble Eightfold Path ...

''), as exemplified by the Five Precepts; * generosity (''cāga''), giving charity and

alms Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of Charity (practice), charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving. Etymology The word ''alms'' come ...

; and, * wisdom ('' paññā''), having insight into the arising and passing of things.

Mettā practice

As indicated above, in the ''Kālāmā Sutta'', the Buddha identifies the practice of the four divine abodes (''

'') as being conducive to ''one's own'' well-being and happiness. The first of these abodes is mettā (benevolence, kindness), which is, for instance, classically expressed in the Pali canon's '' Karaniya Mettā Sutta'' ("Scripture of Compassionate Benevolence") ( Sn 1.8) by the sincere wish (in English and Pali): Similarly, the Pali commentaries ( SN- A 128) explicitly define ''mettā'' as "the desire to bring about the well-being and happiness f others (''hita-sukha-upanaya-kāmatā'') Thus, in Buddhism, to dwell wishing for others' general happiness is conducive to the development of one's own happiness.

Feeling attribute

In the Buddhist frameworks of the five aggregates (Sanskrit: ''

skandha ' (Sanskrit) or (Pāḷi) means "heaps, aggregates, collections, groupings, clusters". In Buddhism, it refers to the five aggregates of clinging (), the five material and mental factors that take part in the perpetual process of craving, cli ...

''; Pali: ''khandha'') and dependent origination (Sanskrit: ''pratītyasamutpāda''; Pali: paticcasamuppāda), "feelings" or "sensations" (''

'') arise from the contact of an external object (such as a visual object or sound) with a

sensory organ A sense is a biological system used by an organism for sensation, the process of gathering information about the surroundings through the detection of stimuli. Although, in some cultures, five human senses were traditionally identified as su ...

(such as the eye or ear) and consciousness. In the

Pali Canon The Pāḷi Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhism, Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant Early Buddhist texts, early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from t ...

, such feelings are generally described to be of one of three types: pleasant (''sukha''), unpleasant (''dukkha''), or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant (''adukkha-asukha'').

Mental factor in meditation

In the commentarial tradition on

Buddhist meditation Buddhist meditation is the practice of meditation in Buddhism. The closest words for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism are ''bhavana, bhāvanā'' ("mental development") and ''Dhyāna in Buddhism, jhāna/dhyāna'' (a state of me ...

, the development of ''jhāna'' (Sanskrit: ''dhyāna'') is described as the development of five mental factors (Sanskrit: ''caitasika''; Pali: ''cetasika'') that counteract the

five hindrances In the Buddhist tradition, the five hindrances (; Pali: ') are identified as mental factors that hinder progress in meditation and in daily life. In the Theravada tradition, these factors are identified specifically as obstacles to the jhānas ...

: # '' vitakka'' ("applied thought") counteracts sloth and torpor (lethargy and drowsiness) # '' vicāra'' ("sustained thought") counteracts doubt (uncertainty) # ''

pīti ''Pīti'' in Pali (Sanskrit: ''Prīti'') is a Mental factors (Buddhism), mental factor (Pali:''cetasika'', Sanskrit: ''caitasika'') associated with the development of ''Dhyāna in Buddhism, jhāna'' (Sanskrit: ''dhyāna'') in Buddhist meditation ...

'' (rapture) counteracts ill-will (malice) # ''sukha'' ("non-sensual pleasure") counteracts restlessness-worry (excitation and anxiety) # ''

ekaggata Ekaggatā (Pali; Sanskrit: '' ekāgratā'', एकाग्रता, "one-pointedness") is a Pali Buddhist term, meaning tranquility of mind or one-pointedness, but also "unification of mind." According to the Theravada-tradition, in their reint ...

'' (one-pointedness) counteracts sensory desire Both ''pīti'' and ''sukha'' are born of bodily seclusion and mental quietude in first ''jhāna'', but both are then born of focused concentration (''samādhi'') in the second ''jhāna'' and only ''sukha'' is sustained in the third ''jhāna'' until it is abandoned for pure, mindful

(''upekkhāsatipārisuddhi'') in the fourth ''jhāna''. The ''

Visuddhimagga The ''Visuddhimagga'' (Pali; English: ''The Path of Purification''; ), is the 'great treatise' on Buddhism, Buddhist practice and Theravāda Abhidhamma written by Buddhaghosa approximately in the 5th century in Sri Lanka. It is a manual condens ...

'' distinguishes between ''pīti'' and ''sukha'' in the following experiential manner: :And wherever the two are associated, happiness ere, Ñāamoli's translation of ''pīti''is the contentedness at getting a desirable object, and bliss 'sukha''is the actual experiencing of it when got. Where there is happiness 'pīti''there is bliss (pleasure) 'sukha'' but where there is bliss 'sukha''there is not necessarily happiness 'pīti'' Happiness is included in the formations aggregate; bliss is included in the

feeling According to the '' APA Dictionary of Psychology'', a feeling is "a self-contained phenomenal experience"; feelings are "subjective, evaluative, and independent of the sensations, thoughts, or images evoking them". The term ''feeling'' is closel ...

aggregate. If a man exhausted in a desert saw or heard about a pond on the edge of a wood, he would have happiness; if he went into the wood's shade and used the water, he would have bliss.... Providing a bare-bones conditional chain of events that overlaps the above more narrative exposition, the ''Upanisa Sutta'' ( SN 12.23) states that ''sukha'' arises from tranquillity (''

passaddhi ''Passaddhi'' is a Pali noun (Sanskrit: prasrabhi, Tibetan: ཤིན་ཏུ་སྦྱང་བ་, Tibetan Wylie: shin tu sbyang ba) that has been translated as "calmness", "tranquillity", "repose" and "serenity." The associated verb is ''p ...

'') of the body and mind, and in turn gives rise to concentration (''samādhi''). Citing traditional post-canonical Pali literature related to this discourse, Bodhi (1980) adds the following functional definition of ''sukha'': :The subcommentary to the ''Upanisa Sutta'' explains ''sukha'' as the happiness of the access to absorption. The term 'access' (upacara) denotes the stage in the cultivation of serenity immediately preceding full absorption, the intended goal of serenity meditation. Access is characterized by the abandonment of the

and the arising of the 'counterpart sign,' the self-luminous object of interior perception which is the focal point for the higher stages of concentration.

As a characterization of awakening

Nibbāna Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

(Sanskrit: ''Nirvāṇa'') entails the foundational extinction or "blowing out" of the processes of unwholesome desire, aversion, and delusion. From the perspective of awakened experience, the latter deleterious processes are appreciated as "agitations" of the mind. In comparative contrast to such agitation, ''sukha'' and its cognates are at places in the

used to characterize the calm of Nibbāna, the "Unconditioned," as a bliss: :The born, come-to-be, produced, :The made, the conditioned, the transient, :Conjoined with decay and death, :A nest of disease, perishable, :Sprung from nutriment and craving's cord — :That is not fit to take delight in. :The escape from that, the peaceful, :Beyond reasoning, everlasting, :The not-born, the unproduced, :The sorrowless state that is void of stain, :The cessation of states linked to suffering, :The stilling of the conditioned — bliss.

Sanskrit literature

Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; ), often referred to as the Gita (), is a Hindu texts, Hindu scripture, dated to the second or first century BCE, which forms part of the Hindu epic, epic poem Mahabharata. The Gita is a synthesis of various strands of Ind ...

verses 6.21-23, the term sukha''' is used to define the boundless happiness that characterizes yoga. It states that when the yogi attains this happiness, understood by the discriminative faculty (''

buddhi ''Buddhi'' (Sanskrit: बुद्धि) refers to the intellectual faculty and the power to "form and retain concepts, reason, discern, judge, comprehend, understand". Etymology ''Buddhi'' () is derived from the Vedic Sanskrit root ''Budh'' ...

'') but beyond the senses, he becomes firmly established in this state, free from suffering, and does not waver from it, a state known as yoga. The

Taittiriya Upanishad The Taittiriya Upanishad (, ) is a Vedic era Sanskrit text, embedded as three chapters (''adhyāya'') of the Yajurveda. It is a '' mukhya'' (primary, principal) Upanishad, and likely composed about 6th century BCE. The Taittirīya Upanishad is ...

figuratively quantifies the bliss of Brahman, starting with the bliss of humans: In the Yoga Sūtras, Patañjali uses the term 'sukha' in verse II.46, where he defines asana as the balance between "sukha" and "sthira" (strength, steadiness, firmness). In Sutra I.33, sukha refers to those who are happy, and suggests fostering friendship towards them to promote mental lucidity. In

Tattvartha Sutra ''Tattvārthasūtra'', meaning "On the Nature 'artha''of Reality 'tattva'' (also known as ''Tattvarth-adhigama-sutra'' or ''Moksha-shastra'') is an ancient Jain text written by ''Acharya (Jainism), Acharya'' Umaswami in Sanskrit betwee ...

, Jain scholar

Umaswati Vācaka Umāsvāti, also spelled as Vācaka Umasvati and known as Vācaka Umāsvāmī, was an Indian scholar, possibly between the 2nd and 5th centuries CE, known for his foundational writings on Jainism. He authored the Jainatext '' Tattvartha ...

explains the concept of sukha in context of spiritual liberation from

karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...

. Umaswati explains four different meanings of sukha: as the quality of objects, as freedom from pain, as happiness resulting from meritorious actions, and as the ultimate sukha in the state of liberation (''

moksha ''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...

'').

Neuro-scientific basis

Some researchers have proposed that a "shift" in the activity of the medial prefrontal cortex is what supports a state of inner fulfillment and equanimity.

Etymology

Pali literature

General life pursuit

Anana Sutta

Kalama Sutta

Dighajanu Sutta

Mettā practice

Feeling attribute

Mental factor in meditation

As a characterization of awakening

Sanskrit literature

Neuro-scientific basis

See also

Notes

References

Sources

Further reading

External links