In this talk, we’ll start with a broad overview of states of happiness & joy in the tradition, and hone in on how/why the Buddha differentiates worldly joy from unworldly joy.  From there, we’ll focus more specifically on this word piti, which is often translated as rapture or joy, and as Bhikkhu Bodhi puts it, “fuses zestful interest with a sense of joyous delight.”

From there, we’ll see how it tends to revolve around meditative presence & and deepening states of awareness/concentration.  We’ll touch on the five different gradations of piti and explore its role in the Seven Factors of Awakening, as well as why it’s so essential even in the greater scheme of Buddhist practice.