A Buddhist Compass To Direct You Toward Happiness | Beth Upton
Beth Upton, a former Buddhist nun and meditation teacher, delves into the Buddhist Abhidharma, focusing on "kusala" or happy mind states. She provides practical ways to cultivate these beneficial mental qualities for a happier and more fulfilling life.
Deep Dive Analysis
14 Topic Outline
Introduction to Beth Upton and the Dharma
Beth's Journey to Becoming a Buddhist Nun
Mind-Blowing Advanced Meditation Practices
The Purpose of Discerning Past and Future Lives
Rigor and Systematic Nature of Pa Auk Sayadaw's Training
Life and Practice in Caves
Reasons for Disrobing from Monastic Life
Introduction to Abhidharma: Particle Physics for the Mind
Understanding Kusala: The Recipe for Happy Mind States
Component Qualities of a Kusala Mind State
Practical Strategies for Cultivating Kusala in Daily Life
The Nature of Akusala: Unwholesome Mind States
Overcoming Addiction to Small Happiness (Akusala)
Integrating Kusala with Sense Pleasures and Daily Living
6 Key Concepts
Abhidharma
The Abhidharma is a section of the Buddha's teachings that breaks down all phenomena, both physical and mental, into their smallest possible momentary building blocks. It classifies and defines these impermanent elements of reality, akin to 'particle physics for the mind'.
Kusala
Kusala refers to a quality of mind characterized by a collection of beautiful mental qualities that always co-arise together, like best friends handcuffed. It can be translated as skillful, beneficial, wholesome, good, or happy, and is considered the medicine everyone can take to improve their quality of life.
Akusala
Akusala is the opposite of Kusala, representing unwholesome mind states. Unlike Kusala's single flavor, Akusala encompasses many different kinds of unwholesome states like anger, pride, greed, lust, fear, and sadness, stemming from an addiction to the concept of 'me and mine'.
Ehipassika
An ancient Pali word meaning 'come and see', Ehipassika describes the nature of the Dharma when well-taught. It invites investigation and does not require blind belief, appealing to a scientific approach to verify the teachings through personal experience.
Jhana States
Jhana states are eight interconnected, exquisitely refined states of deep concentration or absorption that can be accessed through advanced meditation practice. They are characterized by freedom from thought, distraction, and awareness of body or time, becoming more subtle as one progresses.
Non-Self (Anatta)
Non-self is a core Buddhist teaching that posits there is no permanent, unchanging 'me' or 'mine' at the center of experience. Practices like discerning past lives are used to deepen this understanding by revealing that all phenomena, including past and present experiences, are just momentary, causally conditioned processes.
7 Questions Answered
Beth encountered practices where meditators could discern past and future lives and causality across lifetimes, as well as access advanced Jhana states, such as the seventh Jhana (base of nothingness) for hours at a time.
The benefit is not to reify identity or increase pride, but to deepen the understanding of non-self by seeing all lives as momentary phenomena arising and passing away, conditioned by previous moments, which leads to a great unburdening.
She realized that the monastic robes allowed her to avoid aspects of life that still destabilized her, such as diverse relational experiences, suppressed parts of herself, and an aversion to money. She wanted to 'get her hands dirty' and integrate her wisdom into a more conventional life, and also teach without institutional pressure.
A Kusala mind state is a collection of co-arising qualities including faith (confidence in goodness), mindfulness, non-greed (renunciation, generosity, contentment), non-hatred (acceptance, loving kindness), morality, mental balance, tranquility, softness, lightness, flexibility, proficiency, and uprightness (authenticity).
One can cultivate Kusala by making an inventory of 'not doing anything' times and filling them with gratitude or generosity instead of distraction; bringing a Kusala frame of mind (e.g., service, gratitude, well-wishes) to autopilot activities; and for actively engaging tasks, either gradually steering away from activities that drain Kusala or consciously bringing a beautiful quality of attention (e.g., patience, loving kindness) to unavoidable ones.
Akusala arises primarily because of an addiction to the concept of 'me and mine.' Aversive Akusala protects this imagined self, while greedy Akusala nourishes it, leading to various forms of suffering.
The goal is not to avoid bodily pleasure, but to not root one's well-being in that fleeting pleasure. Instead, one can bring Kusala to the experience of pleasure, such as practicing mindfulness of its impermanence, or cultivating gratitude or loving connection with others while enjoying it, thereby elevating the quality of life.
15 Actionable Insights
1. Cultivate Kusala for Happiness
Actively cultivate Kusala (skillful, beneficial, wholesome mind states) to increase happiness, reduce suffering (e.g., depression, anxiety), and improve relationships, as it is the universal ‘medicine’ for well-being.
2. Activate All Kusala Qualities
Focus on cultivating any single Kusala quality (e.g., faith, mindfulness, generosity, acceptance, morality, tranquility, uprightness) to automatically activate all other Kusala qualities simultaneously, as they always co-arise.
3. Integrate Kusala into Autopilot
Consciously bring Kusala qualities (e.g., mindfulness, loving-kindness, gratitude, service) to routine, autopilot activities like chores, commuting, or emails, to compound positive habits over time.
4. Transform Downtime with Kusala
During unproductive downtime (e.g., scrolling on your phone), intentionally engage in Kusala practices like gratitude, planning acts of generosity for others, or meditation, instead of defaulting to distraction.
5. Bring Kusala to Engaging Tasks
For unavoidable, actively engaging tasks (e.g., work, parenting), consciously choose and bring a specific Kusala quality (e.g., service, patience, loving-kindness, tranquility) to the activity.
6. Steer Away from Draining Activities
Identify activities that consistently drain your Kusala (i.e., you hate doing them and find it impossible to do them with a wholesome mind) and gradually steer your life away from having to engage in them.
7. Practice Renunciation for Happiness
Recognize that unwholesome actions (akusala) provide coarse, temporary pleasures driven by attachment to self; practice renunciation (non-addiction) by giving up these small pleasures to access a larger, more refined happiness.
8. Shift Well-being Source
Re-root your sense of well-being from fleeting bodily pleasures to the quality of attention and Kusala mind states you bring to any experience, whether pleasurable or painful.
9. Mindful Consumption for Kusala
When experiencing sense pleasures like eating, practice mindfulness to observe the impermanence of the pleasure and any underlying suffering, thereby transforming the experience into a Kusala moment and cultivating ‘disenchantment’.
10. Acknowledge All Arising Thoughts
In meditation, acknowledge and work with all arising thoughts, emotions, and sensations (e.g., hunger, irritation, sadness, habits of mind) rather than trying to suppress or bulldoze them.
11. Approach Teachings with Investigation
Approach spiritual or meditative teachings with an attitude of ‘come and see’ (ehipassika), inviting investigation rather than requiring blind belief, especially for advanced practices.
12. Integrate Wisdom through Engagement
Re-engage with challenging or previously avoided aspects of life to apply and integrate wisdom, allowing different parts of yourself to ‘come out to play’ for deeper practice.
13. Deepen Non-Self Understanding
Utilize advanced practices like discerning past lives to deepen your understanding of non-self, recognizing all experiences as momentary causal processes rather than reifying a fixed identity.
14. Commit to Deep Practice
When impressed by the potential of a practice or teaching, commit to staying with it and learning deeply until you have mastered what is being taught.
15. Orient Towards Internal Quality
Shift your fundamental orientation towards improving your quality of life by focusing on internal work and what’s happening on the inside, rather than seeking happiness solely from external factors.
5 Key Quotes
There's so much that nobody even ever told me was possible in this human experience. There's so much on the menu that nobody's even ever mentioned to me that will do me so much better than the things that I've already been taught.
Beth Upton
The whole of the nature of the Dharma when it's being well taught is what we call ehipassika, which is another Pali word. And it means come and see. So like ehipassika to see, come and see. So it's inviting your investigation. It's not requiring your blind belief.
Beth Upton
The name of your podcast is 10% happier. What do you do if you want to be 10% happier? Do more Kusala. What do you do if you want to take one step out of your depression? Do more Kusala. What do you do if you're suffering from anxiety and you want to ease it one step? Do more Kusala.
Beth Upton
It's like a basic law of how everybody's mind works. It's happening in everybody. It's like a law of the mind and we don't know. To me, that's a tragedy. That's a tragedy.
Beth Upton
If you want big happiness, give up the small happiness. Give it up. We're addicted to this small happiness of the akusala, which is like gratification to our ego, gratification to our senses, and so we keep on missing the opportunity to do the akusala.
Beth Upton
1 Protocols
Cultivating Kusala in Daily Life
Beth Upton- Identify times in your day when you are 'not doing anything' (e.g., waiting, downtime). Instead of filling these with distraction, commit to a Kusala practice like gratitude or generosity.
- For autopilot activities (e.g., laundry, commute, chopping vegetables, emails), consciously bring a Kusala frame of mind. For example, chop vegetables as a service, or offer well-wishes to others during your commute.
- For activities requiring active engagement (e.g., work, parenting), first evaluate if any consistently drain your Kusala. If so, gradually steer your life away from them. For unavoidable tasks, ask what beautiful quality of attention (e.g., patience, service, loving kindness) you can bring to the activity.