Next month, the Dharma Reflections group I attend will be focusing on Mudita (joy with others or sympathetic joy) — the third of the Divine Abodes (also known as the Four Immeasurables or Brahmaviharas). And — kismet — this morning I happened across the following quote:
The more we turn toward others, the more joy we experience, and the more joy we experience, the more we can bring joy to others. The goal is not just to create joy for ourselves but to be a reservoir of joy, an oasis of peace, a pool of serenity that can ripple out to all those around you. Joy is in fact quite contagious. As is love, compassion, and generosity.
~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu [emphasis mine]
This is from one of my all-time favorites: The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams (2016).
So inspiring. May we all follow in the Archbishop’s footsteps, tapping into our reservoirs of joy.