Joy is not dependent on favorable circumstances, nor is it necessarily dependent on one's own circumstances. As an immeasurable, it is something that is interwoven with the lives of others and can be indiscriminately shared, rather than withheld and mistaken as belonging to oneself. Unselfish, non-possessive, devoid of all bias, greed, jealousy and envy, like a seed untainted by impurities, ready to sprout at a moment's notice, joy recognizes the same potential in others. It complements compassion quite well.
