A 5-Element Taxonomy of Happiness: Pick Your Sukha! | Ajahn Kovilo

Clear Mountain Monastery Project

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo suggests a 5-part taxonomy of the sukhas (happinesses & pleasures) taught by the Buddha:

1) pleasure like fire - kāma-sukha (sensual pleasures not to be pursued);

2) pleasures like fresh air - kusala/nekkhamma-sukha (wholesome/healthy pleasures to develop);

3) pleasures like space - vipassana/upasama-sukha (the pleasures of clear seeing to be made much of);

4) pleasures like water - jhāna/paviveka-sukha (the pleasures of absorption/jhāna meditation - a trainable, uncomplicated, blameless, profound mental ease);

5) pleasures like earth - magga-phala/sambodhi-sukha (the pleasures of the Paths & Fruitions of Enlightenment).


See The Araṇa-vibhaṅga Sutta for more on how to define sukha and to cultivate it internally: https://suttacentral.net/mn139/en/nyanamoli?lang=en


Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)


See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

2025-08-16 54 min

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