The way to achieve happiness is a vague, seemingly impossible path that many avoid simply because they do not believe that they can reach this goal. Before reading The Art of Happiness, I wasn’t convinced that a book could tell me how to be content with my life—and I was right. Every human being, I believe, has a separate path leading to the same satisfaction and it takes a lot of mistakes, risks, and lessons to get to it. What I found while reading this book, however, was that the Dalai Lama feels the same. Throughout his conversation with Howard Cutler, which is what this “handbook” is comprised of, he taught many lessons that can apply to all—but there was no arrogance included. He did not try and dictate, and quite frankly, though this can be considered a “self help” book by more technical standards, there is no doctrine present in this except for what the reader gets out of it by individual interpretation. The Dalai Lama states his opinions about happiness with a very gentle firmness and confidence that doesn’t come across as anything but sage.

I enjoyed reading this because it was new for me—I don’t read nonfiction very often, particularly books with a message like this one, but I think that now I am going to look into them more. I took a lot of lessons out of this book that I can apply to my own life, and it was a pleasure to discover new depths of happiness that I had never ventured into before. It was also a great read along with Siddhartha, Herman Hesse’s novel, because I could follow the themes in the novel more closely with the help of the teachings of the Dalai Lama, and pick out the aspects of Buddhism long before they were fully introduced. I would definitely recommend this. ( )

The format of the book is that Cutler meets and talks with the Dalai Lama both in India and in Arizona, and distills Buddhist wisdom for a Western audience through his training as a psychiatrist. I have some quibbles about the tone of Cutler's sections, he seems very impressed with himself for talking to the Dalai Lama, and presents scientific justifications for the advice in a tone of "wow, this really is justified". That aside, this interpretation of Buddhism resonated with me, not so much the cited studies (er, well, if he'd actually cited them, no full references were given, just PI and institute), but the Dalai Lama's actual words in response to promptings to phrase concepts in a way that a non Tibetan monk could internalise and apply in their daily life. I'd love to quote long passages that resonated with me, but I'll just refer to it when I need to find mental calm and clarity. I'm unsure if I can attain a state of compassion when riding my bike in Boston, but I have found that I've been less frustrated since reading it. :) ( )

Having just seen the Dalai Lama teach at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, I wanted to pick up one of his books and read further after being reinvigorated at his wonderful teaching. I picked this up partially because it was the only one available at the library I work at, and also because I bought it for my mother years ago and she'd never read it. It works as a secular meditation on the method to improve your relationship with yourself and the people around you through cultivating happiness and compassion, but of course comes from a Buddhist perspective. It was written from interviews that Howard Cutler, a psychologist, had with the Dalai Lama over the course of a few years, and Dr. Cutler brings to the table not only his professional background but his experience as a human trying to integrate the Dalai Lama's teachings into his life. At points Dr. Cutler portrays himself as being impatient and a little peevish, which is great because it provides opportunities for him to recount that it's not always easy to cultivate this type of compassion, and serves to ground the work and make it more approachable. ( )

Thoughtful discourse of life and being, from the Dalai Lama. ( )

His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s understanding of life and the pursuit of happiness on earth is incredible. In this two-time New York Times Bestseller The Art of Happiness, the Dalai Lama shows us easy ways to live our lives in a way that will effectively bring about happiness. His goal in the novel is to exemplify the importance and plausibility of happiness in every human being’s life. Dr. Howard Cutler interviews him in a respectful yet original manner, asking him questions that one would most likely stray from in an effort to find real ways for us to overcome feats like anxiety, anger, sadness and jealousy. We learn in this book that it is through life’s day-to-day obstacles and the way one approaches them that happiness will come. With topics ranging from family, work and health to love and relationships, any reader will find a personal connection to the Dalai Lama’s words of wisdom. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet and despite the undeniable hardships he has faced in his long life, he incessantly exudes a sense of calmness, kindness and patience. His composed, nonviolent approach to finding personal, national, and world peace can be likened to that of men like Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. His words in The Art of Happiness are based on the 2,500 years of Buddhist beliefs, findings and meditations but are applicable to those of any or no religious affiliation. Dr. Cutler’s interactions with His Holiness are interesting because he challenges the eastern way of life with a western and science-based perspective. Cutler did an extraordinary job taking the Dalai Lama’s words and teachings of Buddhist beliefs and applying them to our everyday lives in a way that was more understandable and practical-for-all.
The Dalai Lama assures us that every human has happiness in their nature, meaning we all have the capability of finding happiness and remaining happy. He states, though, that happiness requires study, practice, and effort. This novel, a collection of interviews between Dr. Cutler and His Holiness, serves as an inspiration to every human in a search for deep and genuine happiness. It relates to the theme Search for Self because it is ultimately a “how-to guide” on finding happiness in one’s life. One may read this when feeling lost in the world and personally depressed looking for answers, while others may read an excerpt from it on a single bad day. The Art of Happiness explores the hardships of life that so often keep us from being happy like pain, hatred and low self-confidence, and offers alter-modems to steer away from them. The book stresses the importance of a peaceful and compassionate outlook on life and offers an alternate focus during this overly-materialistic age.
While not the most exciting and page-turning novel, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Dalai Lama’s words, advice and wisdom. Having heard him speak in person to an audience, he sincerely radiates a sense of serenity that is unexplainable. This serenity is present throughout the entire novel. His search for peace is through happiness and tranquility. The book truly has made me look at aspects of life in a different way. I have always been a firm believer of asking myself before getting angry or frustrated, “Will this matter in ten years? Is it actually worth the anger and stress?” This novel pushes us to go further and before everyday choices to ask ourselves, “Will this bring me happiness?” Oftentimes, the answer is no, and it is fascinating to come to that conclusion on your own. ( )