Friends:
What is Feeding the Joy Link to Awakening!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, just as this body, is sustained by feeding, exists in dependence on
feeding
and cannot survive without food, exactly & even so are the
Seven Links to Awakening
also sustained by feeding, they can also only exist in dependence on feeding
and they
cannot survive without feeding... And what, bhikkhus, is the feeding of the
emergence
of any yet unarisen Joy Link to Awakening
and also feeding of the very completion by
advance of any already arisen Joy Link to Awakening?
There are states that are the
originator, maker, producer, root, basis & source for the
Joy Link to Awakening!!
Frequently giving
careful and rational attention to them, is feeding the arising of any
unarisen Joy Link to Awakening and also feeding
of the gradual fulfilment of any
already arisen Joy Link to Awakening... And
what, Bhikkhus, is the starving that
obstructs the emergence of any yet unarisen Joy Link
to Awakening and which also
hinders any already arisen Joy Link from reaching
sweet fulfilment by development?
There are states that are the basis & source for the
Joy Link to Awakening!!
Not giving frequent,
careful and rational attention to them; not considering them
much and often; is the starving that prevents any unarisen
Joy Link to Awakening from
arising and also blocks any already arisen Joy Link
to Awakening from reaching any
complete fulfilment by mental training and progressive development by meditation...
Comments from the classical commentaries:
Elated and
ecstatic exultation is the characteristic of the
Joy Link to Awakening
(Pīti-sambojjhanga). Motivated intentness upon is the purpose of the
quality of Joy.
Satisfaction lifting any depression is the manifestation of the
Joy Link to Awakening.
Thinking of Joy makes this state return! This can be utilized by training
it! Try now!
This reinforcement - in itself - has the capacity to gradually elevate and induce
Joy!
Therefore is the state of gladness & Joy itself mainspring, basis & source of
more Joy…
It is the deliberate directing attention
to this, again & again, that can produce Joy!!!
