Well we’ve finally reached the sixth and final teaching for the 52nd lojong slogan, “Don’t misinterpret.” Which is basically: don’t gloat. But first, let’s review the others.

1. Don’t misinterpret patience by applying it freely in some parts of your life and not to your spiritual practice. You need patience the most with everything that leads you toward being a more aware and awake version of yourself.
2. Don’t misinterpret your yearning. Focus on the stuff you long for that’s actually good for you. You know the difference!
3. Don’t misinterpret your enthusiasm and excitement. Don’t get all excited about stuff that is going to bring you short term delight and long term pain. This is the “honey from the razor blade”
4. Don’t misinterpret your compassion. Don’t just give it to your best friend and feel like you are an amazingly empathetic person. Offer compassion where it’s needed most…and that’s likely where you resist giving it.
5. Don’t misinterpret what is truly helpful. Or, don’t feed bad systems. Also, don’t feed bad habits- in you or other people. Be helpful by throwing your energy and your money and your time toward stuff that makes the world better.

And now it’s time for the sixth and final teaching: don’t misinterpret joy. We do this when we gloat. Any time we find joy in the suffering of someone else, we really misinterpret joy.

Unfortunately, I see so many contemporary examples. I see people laughing when an anti-vaxxer comes down with Covid and is in the hospital. Y’all. No. If we commit to care for the health of everyone, we need to mean it. Trust me, I get the frustration. But let’s not misinterpret joy. Joy means we are all healthy and safe. Don’t gloat.

We can also apply this to cancel culture. We may agree that someone needs to be held accountable. (According to the 5th teaching, I’d think accountability is a kind of benevolent helpfulness, wouldn’t you?) But we can do this without throwing a party when this person loses their job or gets bullied on the internet. We are better than that.

Shantideva wrote, “If unhappiness befalls your enemy, why should this be a cause for your rejoicing?”

Exactly. Why should it?

Gloating is a very easy emotion to slide into when the world is so crazy. It’s helpful to recast it as a misinterpretation of joy, because that really gets to the heart doesn’t it? Let’s keep our joy pure. Let’s delight and celebrate the good. That’s the true cause for our rejoicing. Right?

So, what do you need to find joy in this week?