10% Happier with Beth Upton (Dan Harris)

There's happiness that does not depend on external things the Budda called piti (rapture)

Beth Upton as Brit Buddhist nun in Burma

Friends, at the beginning of the year, I made a commitment to write more. Since then, I have actually done a little writing every single day. Five gold stars!

Writers tell me it is important to keep up the habit, that practice makes progress. Obviously, it’s the same with meditation, so I am humbly practicing what I preach, trusting that if I just keep writing, eventually something good will come of it.

At the same time, it would be a huge help to know what readers actually want to read about.

Awesome enlightened teacher Pa Auk Sayadaw

My strength, if I dare say so myself, is attending and attuning to the person sitting in front of me. I’ve never been great at addressing a large or anonymous audience. It’s never quite clear what’s being requested of me with such an audience.

So when I sit down to write, I’m often left with a sense of well, What do readers want to know?

A few weeks ago, I recorded a podcast (see above) with the charming Dan Harris. As one can see, I enjoyed the conversation. He asked great questions and did a wonderful job of playing proxy for the average viewer who doesn’t know too much about the world of advanced Buddhist meditation.

• How contemplating reincarnation can upgrade your life
• Journey to Pa-Auk Forest Monastery? (Pa-Auk Tawya)

The first time Pa Auk Sayadaw came to America, he was invited to California in Napa

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For me, it was my first real foray into addressing an audience I do not know. The same issue crops up here. Of all the precious and hidden gems the Dhamma (the Buddha’s Teaching) has to offer, which of them should I give this hour to? Again, instinct prompts me to ask, What does anyone want to know?

Podcast interview

Venerable Sayadaw Ashin Revata

Dan and I touch on past lives, absorption (jhana), science, and its relationship to the Buddha’s “Doctrine in Ultimate Terms” (Abhidhamma), eventually landing on a topic dear to my heart: the skillful and wholesome (kusala).

But the topic choice from my side was basically just a series of guesses. I don’t really have a clue what the average viewer of Dan’s podcast, or the average reader of my newsletter might want to know more about.

So please let me know at bethupton.com. Let me know in our next one-on-one meeting, or on a group call, or better still, in the comments below.

Also, if anyone would like for me to do more podcasts like this one with Dan Harris, please take a moment to like the video and leave a comment there.

Let us know in the comments which kinds of things the world would want to hear more from me in future videos.

Another successful Western female student of Pa Auk Sayadaw: Dr. Nikki

Happy Hour: Practicing Equanimity in Challenging Times (Dr. Mirghafori)

Where is the Buddhist hermitage they mention?

And for those of wondering where the button is to book one-on-one time with me, I am sending out monthly newsletters, interspersed with these ones that are just me writing about things. Open and read them all, just in case it’s the one with the button. 🌝

All of my work is done on a donation basis, which means that all of this is only possible because of generous voluntary support. Support this work at bethupton.com.

With much metta and gratitude, Beth Upton

What is the “Happiness Recipe,” Dan?

Recipe for happiness: unpacking kusala

There are two kinds of happiness, ecstatic (piti, rapture) and extended (sukha, blissfulness).

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I feel ecstatic!

Key takeaways: Kusala states = happy states: Kusala, drawn from the Buddhist psychology of the Abhidhamma—a system that breaks down experience into its most granular mental and emotional components—refers to a constellation of virtuous, skillful mind states.

Beth Upton calls it a “Buddhist happiness cake,” made from ingredients like generosity, mindfulness, uprightness, loving-kindness, and more.

One entry point unlocks the rest: We don’t need to cultivate them all at once—because focusing on just one quality (like loving-kindness, integrity, or gratitude) invites the rest to arise. These mental states are “best friends” who tend to show up together.

Letting go feels better than giving in: Our culture glorifies small, fast pleasures—like scrolling, snacking, and checking out—but deeper, more lasting happiness comes from subtle, wholesome states.

Letting go of ego and craving isn’t a sacrifice; it’s a relief. It’s not just for monastics: We don’t need a cave or a meditation cushion. Kusala can be woven into daily life—as we parent, commute, chop vegetables, or write emails. More

• Beth Upton, July 2025, Dan Harris (podcast), Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly