Muni's PlayIn this series of suttas, the Buddha contrasts various pairs of happiness (सुख - sukha). In every pairing, he identifies the latter (or the more refined, spiritual form) as the superior, supreme (एतदग्गं - etadaggaṃ) happiness.
The Hierarchy of Happiness
The table below summarizes each comparison, categorizing them into the “Inferior” and “Superior” forms of happiness according to the Buddha’s declarations.
| Sutta | Inferior Happiness | Superior (Supreme) Happiness |
|---|---|---|
| AN 2.64 | Happiness of Lay Life Pali: गिहिसुख (gihisukha) Skt: गृहिसुख (gṛhisukha) | Happiness of Monastic Life Pali: पब्बजितसुख (pabbajitasukha) Skt: प्रव्रजितसुख (pravrajitasukha) |
| AN 2.65 | Happiness of Sensuality Pali: कामसुख (kāmasukha) Skt: कामसुख (kāmasukha) | Happiness of Renunciation Pali: नेक्खम्मसुख (nekkhamma-sukha) Skt: नैष्क्रम्यसुख (naiṣkramya-sukha) |
| AN 2.66 | Happiness with Attachments Pali: उपधिसुख (upadhisukha) Skt: उपधिसुख (upadhisukha) | Happiness without Attachments Pali: निरुपधिसुख (nirupadhisukha) Skt: निरुपधिसुख (nirupadhisukha) |
| AN 2.67 | Happiness with Taints Pali: सासवसुख (sāsavasukha) Skt: सास्त्रवसुख (sāsravasukha) | Happiness without Taints Pali: अनासवसुख (anāsavasukha) Skt: अनास्त्रवसुख (anāsravasukha) |
| AN 2.68 | Worldly / Material Happiness Pali: सामिसं सुखं (sāmisaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: सामिषं सुखम् (sāmiṣaṃ sukham) | Unworldly / Spiritual Happiness Pali: निरामिसं सुखं (nirāmisaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: निरामिषं सुखम् (nirāmiṣaṃ sukham) |
| AN 2.69 | Ignoble Happiness Pali: अनरियसुख (anariyasukha) Skt: अनार्यसुख (anāryasukha) | Noble Happiness Pali: अरियसुख (ariyasukha) Skt: आर्यसुख (āryasukha) |
| AN 2.70 | Physical Happiness Pali: कायिकं सुखं (kāyikaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: कायिकं सुखम् (kāyikaṃ sukham) | Mental Happiness Pali: चेतसिकं सुखं (cetasikaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: चैतसिकं सुखम् (caitasikaṃ sukham) |
| AN 2.71 | Happiness with Rapture Pali: सप्पीतिकं सुखं (sappītikaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: सप्रीतिकं सुखम् (saprītikaṃ sukham) | Happiness without Rapture Pali: निप्पीतिकं सुखं (nippītikaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: निष्प्रीतिकं सुखम् (niṣprītikaṃ sukham) |
| AN 2.72 | Pleasant Happiness Pali: सातसुख (sātasukha) Skt: सातसुख (sātasukha) | Equanimous Happiness Pali: उपेक्खासुख (upekkhāsukha) Skt: उपेक्षासुख (upekṣāsukha) |
| AN 2.73 | Unconcentrated Happiness Pali: असमाधिसुख (asamādhisukha) Skt: असमाधिसुख (asamādhisukha) | Concentrated Happiness Pali: समाधिसुख (samādhisukha) Skt: समाधिसुख (samādhisukha) |
| AN 2.74 | Happiness with Rapture as Object Pali: सप्पीतिकारम्मणं सुखं (sappītikārammaṇaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: सप्रीतिकालम्बनं सुखम् (saprītikālambanaṃ sukham) | Happiness without Rapture as Object Pali: निप्पीतिकारम्मणं सुखं (nippītikārammaṇaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: निष्प्रीतिकालम्बनं सुखम् (niṣprītikālambanaṃ sukham) |
| AN 2.75 | Happiness with Pleasure as Object Pali: सातारम्मणं सुखं (sātārammaṇaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: सातालम्बनं सुखम् (sātālambanaṃ sukham) | Happiness with Equanimity as Object Pali: उपेक्खारम्मणं सुखं (upekkhārammaṇaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: उपेक्षालम्बनं सुखम् (upekṣālambanaṃ sukham) |
| AN 2.76 | Happiness with Form as Object Pali: रूपारम्मणं सुखं (rūpārammaṇaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: रूपालम्बनं सुखम् (rūpālambanaṃ sukham) | Happiness with the Formless as Object Pali: अरूपारम्मणं सुखं (arūpārammaṇaṃ sukhaṃ) Skt: अरूपालम्बनं सुखम् (arūpālambanaṃ sukham) |
(Note: The Buddha consistently praises states that are more subtle, internal, mental, and devoid of worldly attachments or intense energetic disturbances like rapture.)