The cultivation of joy: practices from the Buddhist tradition, positive psychology, and yogic philosophy

摘要

The emotion of joy is often thought of as the result of an external stimulus. Few traditions explicitly instruct on how to cultivate joy from within. There are a few exceptions to this. First, in the Buddhist tradition, exist several practices by which to cultivate joy. Second, in positive psychology, specific interventions may be gateways to joy. Third, the practice and philosophy of traditional yoga is believed to lead to a state of ultimate joy. We can postulate what joy is and demonstrate why joy is beneficial, but it's equally important to understand the how of joy. As such, future scholarship on the subject of joy must include the exploration of various modalities whichfacilitate the cultivation of joy in our lives and in the lives of others.