Art Of Happiness (book)

Howard C. Cutler knows how to sell a book - stick a big picture of the Dalai Lama on the cover and exploit the heck out of him. This book was very disappointing. I was expecting a book on the wisdom of the Dalai Lama's teachings. Instead I read a discouraging rendition of a psychiatrist's struggle to understand something he obviously just does not get. He blunders through interview after interview with the Dalai Lama spending much more time relating his own interpretations of "The Art of Happiness" than passing on what the Dalai Lama has taught. If you want to read a rude, arrogant psychiatrist's version of happiness, this book is for you. If you would rather hear what the expert has to say, I suggest looking somewhere else.

This is a good book to help you learn about the principles and ideas of Buddhism. Written for a Western audience, it takes up problems of daily life and how to be happy with the right mode of thinking. How to live a balanced, peaceful and happy life. Reading the book is easy. How to follow its teachings perhaps not that easy, but obviously worthwhile.

-Simon

it saddens me to think that there are people in the world who would think anything but Love and compassion for the Dalai Lama. the Dalai Lama's only purpose in life is to just love others, without exception. how can someone say he is going to hell? really? how? if you look at any world religions you will see that the qualities that are in the dalai lama are the qualities that these religions are trying to produce. I hope and pray that who ever has negative feelings for beings like the dalai lama take a good hard look at their way of thinking and work to change their mind. true happiness IS achievable, if only we opened up our hearts and minds to the words of beings like the dalai lama. I have read over 4 books by his holiness and every book I find something new. I have read the art of happiness 4 times so far and will read it many more. his holiness' favorite prayer, "as long as space endures, as long as there are beings to be found, May I continue likewise to remain, to drive away the sorrows of the world"

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book that is easy and interesting to read, understand, and most of all apply to your life.
Here are a couple of quotes from this book that shed light on His Holiness The Dalai Lama's Views:

P. 173: "The ability to look at events from different perspectives can be very helpful. Then, practicing this, one can use certain experiences, certain tragedies to develop a calmness of mind. One must realize that every phenomena, every event, has different aspects."

"It seems that often when problems arise, our outlook becomes narrow. All of our attention may be focused on worrying about the problem, and we may have a sense that we're the only one that is going through such difficulties. This can lead to a kind of self-absorption that can make the problem seem very intense. When this happens, I think seeing things from a wider perspective can definitely help - realizing for instance, that there are many other people who have gone through similar experiences, and even worse experiences."

When Howard Cutler questioned about dealing with anger, his question was: "...You might think about an event...even much later, and every time you think about it you become angry all over again. How would you suggest dealing with (this.")
The Dalai Lama had this to say on P. 175: "If you look from a different angel, then surely the person who caused this anger in you will have a lot of other positive aspects, positive qualities. If you look carefully, you will also find that the act which has made you angry has also given you certain opportunities, something which otherwise would not have been possible, even from your point of view. So with effort you'll be able to see many different angles to a single event. This will help."

By reading this book, you will gain a greater understanding of HOW to transform the difficulties in your life, by transforming your views of them. It will greatly contribute to your inner peace, as well as peaceful relations with others, along with how to deal with life's constant changes with calm and assurance.
Highly Recommended! Barbara Rose, author 'If God Was Like Man'

The book is ok .... I disagree with the retarded Christian from FL. It doesn't take a degree in rocket science to note that the Old Testament and the New Testament are of a completely different flavor. The Old Testament is full of fire and brimstone, an eye-for-an-eye kind of stuff whereas the New Testament has a distinctly Buddhist slant. Gee, I wonder if the fact that Jesus Christ spent several years in Tibet studying with the Buddhist monks had an influence on his teachings?!?!...