The Art of Happiness

By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Howard C. Cutler MD

Narrated by: Howard C. Cutler MD

Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

The Dalai Lama is probably one of the only people who, if you ask him if he's happy, even though he's suffered the loss of his country, will give you an unconditional "yes." What's more, he'll tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and the "the very motion of our life is toward happiness." How to get there has always been the question. He's tried to answer it before, but he's never had the help of a psychiatrist to get the message across in a context we can easily understand.

Through meditation, stories, and the meeting of Buddhism and psychology, the Dalai Lama shows us how to defeat day-to-day depression, anxiety, anger, jealousy, or just an ordinary bad mood. He discusses relationships, health, family, work, and spirituality to show us how to ride through life's obstacles on a deep, abiding source of inner peace. Based on 2,500 years of Buddhist meditations and with a healthy dose of common sense, The Art of Happiness is a program that crosses the boundaries of all traditions to help listeners with the difficulties common to all human beings.

©1998 His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., All Rights Reserved (P)1998 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"... this is one of the best how-to books a reader will ever find." (Booklist)
"[It]is not only an excellent supplement to daily self-awareness practices, it is also an indispensable educational tool." (AudioFile)

It was fantastic

What made the experience of listening to The Art of Happiness the most enjoyable?

I downloaded this book while experiencing a personal loss. It was super helpful in focusing on what is important, protecting my happiness and letting go.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I loved the tie in between the conversation between the author and the Dalai Lama and the group lectures. The alliteration was spot on and I could easily visualize scenes.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from The Art of Happiness?

I want to go back and listen to the meditations again and try them.

You can learn a lot

Where does The Art of Happiness rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best.

What other book might you compare The Art of Happiness to and why?

Matthieu Richard Skills of Happiness is a great companion for this book.

What does Howard C. Cutler bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoy the hearing the different voices in books. You can get that from reading it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I like to break down books like this so I can think about them. Its a great book to listen to over and over.

Insightful and Thought Provoking

I hold to views of Jesus Christ who is my Lord and God. Yet this book was helpful in growing my appreciation for the incredible privilege of being God's chosen servant to reach out with compassion. I was further challenged to grow my relationship with my Lord and Father God who shares His life with me by the power of His Spirit. Together we are a new creature intended to live the nature of God through humility and service to others, in love. Thanks so much for this book.

Review.

Valueable Insight. Find peace and the rest will follow. Get out of your own way and see clarity.

A mandatory book for humans

A mandatory book for humans

A mandatory book for humans

A mandatory book for humans
Give it a try.

Guide for search of inner self

This book and audio clips of his holiness definitely provide a good path to self discovery and path to inner peace.
A lot more to learn and practice.

Development of compassion.

I enjoyed listening to the entire book…it gave me a new perspective on how compassion for my self and others could contribute towards my own happiness.

I 'd recommend a text version...

While the content was good, I'd recommend a text version for 2 reasons:

1) Both narrators distracted from the content for me, albeit for opposite reasons: the author / main narrators reading was dry, dull, and non-conversational; the man reading for the Dalai Lama felt over the top, almost trying too hard to make the words sound profound.

2) For me, it helps to be able to read and re-read passages and concepts that deserve particular attention. Even with the ability to fast forward, bookmark audio passages, etc -- I feel like I would've had a more effective experience with paper and a highlighter.

Excellent Listen

This book never gets old. I've read it and listened to it several times. You can't go wrong with this purchase.

amazingly insightful

I loved this book from start to finish, lots of great advice and logic. "Our purpose on this planet is to help people and if you can't help them at least don't hurt them" one of my favorite quotes from the Dalai Lama