The art of happiness
a handbook for living
by His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso the XIV Dalai Lama, Howard C. Cutler · first published 1998
79% recommend21% neutral
Why HN recommends it
An interview book co-written with psychologist Howard Cutler, blending Buddhist ideas with a Western scientific view of happiness. It offers a useful, practical guide to living well.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Summary:One of the world's greatest spiritual leaders teams up with a psychiatrist to share, for the first time, how he achieved his hard-won serenity and how readers can attain the same inner peace
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Vedanta books - so many good authors all saying the same thing Art of Happiness - Dalai Lama Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach Physics problems - Irodov Seven Mysteries of Life - Guy Murchie
on “What is the book that has completely changed your way of thinking?” ↗Absolutely, I always refer to coding as 'creative logic'. :) The Art of Happiness At Work by the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler is a great book. It talks about flow/being in the zone and after reading about that, I've really felt lucky to have experienced that mode of pure focus and…
on “Yes I Still Want To Be Doing This at 56” ↗Bunch of Eastern stuff...Hagakure, Book of 5 rings, art of war, tao te ching Subtle art of not giving a fuck, The art of happiness But the one book I always keep...The boy scout handbook
on “Ask HN: What books have most influenced the way you see the world?” ↗_Books for dealing with the emotional stress_ Also the following books helped me to get my mind straight about all this: 1. The Art of Happiness by HH Dalai Lama and Howard C Cutler 2. The New Earth - Eckhart Tolle You'll realize that comparing your life the outward projection of other peoples lives is pointless and is mostly useless. Also the…
on “Failed entrepreneur, broke, unemployed, now taking care of aging parents. Help.” ↗…chance for improvement. Meditation without action I would argue is meaningless. I guess my point is, there is so much much that plays a role in the overall happiness other than meditation. I read "The Art of Happiness" recently where an American psychologist interviews the Dalai Lama and juxtaposes western and eastern schools of thought on the pursuit of happiness. I highly recommend it if you haven't checked it out…
on “Buddhist monk's brain produces highest reported level of gamma waves” ↗…technology has been time very well spent for me. Here are some of my top books this year. - Currency Wars, James Rickards - The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein - What Technology Wants, Kevin Kelly - The Art Of Happiness, Dalai Lama - Lies My Teacher Told Me, James Loewen - The Four Agreements, Miguel Ruiz - Man's Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl - Understanding Power, Noam Chomsky - The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander…
on “Ask HN: book suggestions in non-tech fields (e.g. psychology, philosophy…)” ↗Read this book: The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Handbook for Living Buddhism is almost by definition compassion.
on “Ask HN: How do I practice being compassionate?” ↗Interesting/Recommended: The Snowball, Alice Schroeder Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts The Art of Happiness, HH Dalai Lama Getting Things Done (I know I'm late to the party...) Shop Class as Soulcraft, Matthew Crawford (I heard about that one here, thank-you HN) On Writing, Stephen King
on “Ask HN: Great books you read in 2009?” ↗…can do. What else is there? All I can say is to try it out and see how you feel. You can support families in Africa for $10 a month. If you want theory then you could try the following books: 1. "The Art Of Happiness" - (Interviews with Dalai Lama). 2. "A New Earth"
on “"Don't you dare waste your fucking time"” ↗Whats most striking to me is that she hasnt researched Happiness in the eastern world. The whole buddhist religion is based on trying to find happiness. The best book that I read on the subject was "The Art of Happiness" by the Dalai Lama.
on “Is your life happy or interesting?” ↗I would really recommend reading "How to Live: A Life of Montaigne" by Sarah Bakewell, "The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living" by the Dalai Lama, and "The Consolations of Philosophy" by Alain De Botton. They're not about being a "powerful man." All three are about the philosophy of leading a life that…
on “Ask HN: How to become a more powerful man?” ↗The book "Art of Happiness" surely agrees with this title, it has the points of view of science and religion (Buddhism) on it and reaches the same conclusion. Great book.
on “Being kind to others is good for your health” ↗My insight comes straight from the Dalai Lama's book "The Art of Happiness". He explains that often people mistake please for happiness, so he suggests that you contrast the two by asking yourself: "Will this bring me happiness or pleasure?" Happiness as described in the book…
on “Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?” ↗I highly recommend The Art of Happiness by Cutler.
on “Ask HN: Are you happy, well-rounded? (dealing w/ depression/lack of motivation)” ↗…Stoicism books, and anyone who's been through cognitive behavioral therapy will find Irvine's book a bit of a refresher course. Anyone have any comments about "Philosophy for Life" or "Stocism and the Art of Happiness"?
on “A Guide to the Good Life” ↗