HomeJewelryBraceletsThe Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Handbook for Living |
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 Great business Jul 27, 2010
This book came much earlier than it was expected to arrive, it was enjoyable doing business with this seller!
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Waste of Money May 27, 2010
As has been said elsewhere this is a scam. This is a Howard Cutler Book disguised as the Dalai Lama. It is without merit. Can I get my money back?
The Title speaks for itself! May 11, 2010
I bought this book when it first came out in 1998. A very good friend of mine is going through a troubling time in his life and when he confided in me his problems this book first came to mind. Not being able to find my copy after moving from California to Kansas I knew Amazon would have it in stock as they always do.
This book is not the first but is a very good teaching of Buddhism as seen through the eye's of the Dahlai Lama's eastern philosophy and a mixture of Western psychology brought together with an openness that works well with each other.
Train your mind to happiness May 09, 2010
This book is based on Dalai Lama's teachings and is written by his follower Howard Cutler. It dwelves into the Buddhist philosophy of how happiness can be built thru a calm, satisfied and a compassionate mind which can be trained to to absorb unavoidable suffering. It is all about training the mind to be happy and stable and under control. It comes as a rude awakening to most western minds which are tuned to want and aggressive behavior, and riding a roller coaster of positive and negative emotions.
Happiness is how we perceive our situation, and how satisfied we are with what we have. If our wants and desires remain unchecked, sooner or later we will run up against something that we want but cannot have. For example, Christopher Reeve trained himself to be happy with the use of his mind which he had. He did not get depressed about rest of his body which did not function. Happiness is stable and persistent, despite life's ups and downs and normal fluctuations of the mind.
Anger, jealousy, and hate are negative states of mind, while compassion, kindness, and warmness are positive states. Mind has to be trained to distinguish between healthy, wholesome states and unhealthy unwholesome states. And to gravitate towards wholesome state. Compassion can be defined in terms of a state of mind that is non-violent, non harming, non aggressive. Being compassionate towards other people does not mean developing an attachment. An example is of Josef Stalin who he became increasingly suspicious of others. His fearfulness and suspiciousness of others essentially led to massive purges. The more ruthless and powerful he became, the more unhappy he was.
Suffering is a natural fact of human existence. While some kinds are inevitable, other kinds are self created. By being overly sensitive, over reacting to minor things, and sometimes taking things personally. Thru constant brooding, we make our emotions more intense and powerful. Unhappiness is always to feel oneself imprisoned in one's skin, in one's own brain. The concept of impermanence plays a central role in Buddhist thought. This leads to the fact that life involves constant change. Acceptance of change can lead to reduction of self created suffering. Acceptance of change as a natural part of our interactions with others, can play a vital role in our relationships. Suffering is the most basic element that we share with others, the factor that unifies us with all living creatures. Excessive expectation without a proper foundation leads to problems. By the same token, without expectation and hope, without aspiration, there can be no progress. We need to strike a balance between the two.
The last part is about anger management. We might face situations like nasty behavior a traffic jam. The injury and harm has already been caused. By becoming angry, it will only create additional suffering. Enduring temporary discomfort will avoid potentially dangerous long term consequences. Patience and tolerance are antidotes here. It is more sensible to spend the energy on a solution rather than worrying about the problem. If there is no solution, then there is no point worrying anyway.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Excellent book - Definately the most enfluential. A must-read!! Mar 31, 2010
This is a fabulous book and I suggest this to anyone going thru difficult times and you need something uplifting and helpful to get you thru some tough times. The Art of happiness has helped me be more productive and motivated, as well as appreciate life and the people in it. This is by far, my favorite book. Loved it, and I find it soooo useful in everyday situations. Excellent book, from beginning to end!!!!
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