I

delight or  enchantment (a  shining kind    of  contentment)

spiritual   radiance    (a  serene  joy born    from    deep    well-being  and

benevolence)

This helpful mapping of the kingdom of joy conveys its complexity and
its subtlety. Joy can span from the pleasure of others’ good fortune, what
Buddhists call mudita, to the pleasure in others’ misfortune, what the
Germans call schadenfreude. Clearly what the Archbishop was describing
was more than mere pleasure and closer to the relief, wonder, and ecstasy
of birth. Joy certainly does embrace all of these human experiences, but
lasting joy—joy as a way of being—that one witnesses in the Archbishop
and the Dalai Lama is probably closest to the “shining contentment” or
the “spiritual radiance” born from deep well-being and benevolence.
I knew this complex topography of joy was what we were here to
discover. Research conducted at the Institute of Neuroscience and
Psychology at the University of Glasgow suggests that there are really
only four fundamental emotions, three of which are so-called negative
emotions: fear, anger, and sadness. The only positive one is joy or
happiness. Exploring joy is nothing less than exploring what makes
human experience satisfying.

•           •           •

s joy a feeling that comes and surprises us, or is it a more dependable
way of being?” I asked. “For the two of you, joy seems to be something
much more enduring. Your spiritual practice hasn’t made you somber and
serious. It’s made you more joyful. So how can people cultivate that
sense of joy as a way of being, and not just a temporary feeling?”
The Archbishop and the Dalai Lama looked at each other and the
Archbishop gestured to the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama squeezed the
Archbishop’s hand and began. “Yes, it is true. Joy is something different
from happiness. When I use the word happiness, in a sense I mean
satisfaction. Sometimes we have a painful experience, but that
experience, as you’ve said with birth, can bring great satisfaction and