Ledger

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: What is joy, and why is it joy? In a literal sense, if you look it up in a dictionary, it will tell you: [Joy] is defined as a verb, meaning to love, to feel happy. As a noun, it means a fortunate event. As an adjective, it means happy, joyful. It is a type of mood, positive; it is a feeling, invisible yet actually existing. It can be sensed through a person's demeanor and facial expressions. Everyone's perception of joy may vary depending on their own values. Generally, in advanced metropolises, joy might seem somewhat unnatural. The essence of joy remains unchanged, but it may be processed or artificially colored and seasoned. If you step a bit further away, in places with fewer four-wheeled (or two-wheeled) smoke-emitting vehicles, you might see it more clearly. A person living in nature naturally establishes their joy in the purity of nature. Long, long ago, "joy" was composed of the two characters "yi" (similar to the sound of "bo") and "kou" (mouth). The character "yi" (similar to "bo") was interpreted as "drum" or a stand for musical instruments. This suggests that early people placed great importance on the relationship between music and joy. Imagine the ancient earth when people were just beginning to be born. Singing music that follows the rhythm of nature, and the feelings you hear. I believe that would be a wonderful mood, where people smile at each other and dance. When a person hears music, their mood brightens, and naturally, they open up. Two people chat happily, and that becomes "joy." This is also why musicians are often interpreted as being in the "entertainment" industry. The ancients said, "Enjoying oneself alone is not as enjoyable as enjoying with others." A person's joy is indeed joy, but it can't help but feel a bit lonely. People need companions, and joy needs to be shared and experienced together. Joy has many different levels of classification:
Ordinary joy [xihui] – Ordinary is also common, like the meaning of plain milk.
Large joy [daxi] – No need for further explanation, just like buying fries at McDonald's, which come in large, medium, and small sizes.
Ecstatic joy [kuangxi] – Considered the peak of joy, slightly dangerous. In such cases, ordinary people might behave abnormally, but it's usually just jumping around or terrifying screams, completely immersing themselves in their personal world. Be careful not to overdo it (Related reading: How to enjoy the climax, p. 54).
Surprise joy [jixi] – The ECG of a deceased person, lying flat as a straight line, suddenly starts to beat. Unexpected joy always brings extra happiness. It is the opposite of "false joy" (see later).
Action joy [gongxi] – Celebrating the joy of others.
Joy so intense it makes you cry [xijieeru] – An extreme human expression, where tears are released by the lacrimal glands when you're not sad.
Special joy [fahxi]
1. Joy from listening to the Dharma and achieving enlightenment, where the heart suddenly becomes open and clear. It can be from hearing a good song or reading a beautiful sentence. Joy obtained from external factors, spiritually.