Gladness

Gladness (pāmojja) occupies a significant place in the gradual unfolding of the Buddhist path. It arises naturally as the mind becomes purified through ethical conduct, mindfulness, and insight — a quiet joy born not of external conditions, but of inner harmony and freedom from remorse.

Unlike excitement or transient pleasure, gladness is a stable, gentle happiness. It emerges as the practitioner realises increasing freedom from unwholesome states, recognising the fruits of their practice and the possibility of liberation. Gladness serves as a bridge between ethical discipline (sīla) and deeper concentration (samādhi), preparing the mind for meditative absorption.

In the sequence described in many early discourses, gladness gives rise to rapture (pīti), which in turn leads to tranquillity (passaddhi), happiness (sukha), and eventually profound concentration. Thus, gladness plays a pivotal role in transforming the restless, craving-driven mind into one capable of deep insight and equanimity.

Importantly, gladness does not arise through forced effort, but through the natural alignment of intention, action, and understanding. As unwholesome tendencies weaken, the heart grows light, and joy arises as a simple, natural response to the diminishing of suffering.

True gladness is not dependent on perfect attainment but emerges even from small victories on the path — moments of mindfulness, acts of kindness, or glimpses of insight. It sustains the practitioner through challenges, offering encouragement to continue the work of awakening.

“The bliss of a mind without remorse surpasses all worldly pleasures.”
— *Aṅguttara Nikāya* 5.29