Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill » (Reprint)

A molecular biologist turned Buddhist monk, described by scientists as "the happiest man alive," demonstrates how to develop the inner conditions for true happiness.

Publishers Weekly

For millennia, philosophers, writers and artists have sought the key to human happiness. A Buddhist monk and former cell biologist, Ricard offers his own musings about the nature of happiness and tips on how to attain it in his sometimes tedious, sometimes dynamic guide. Happiness, for Ricard, cannot be found in fleeting experiences of pleasure-the joy of a sunny day, the refreshing taste of an ice cream cone, the ecstasy of sex-but only in the depths of an individual's being. Happiness is not self-interested, but rather compassionate, seeking the well-being of others. If we are truly happy, writes Ricard, we can change the world because of our compassion for others and our desire to end hatred and bring happiness even to those we don't like. For Ricard, happiness is a deep state of well-being and wisdom that flourishes in every moment of life, despite the inevitability of suffering. Individuals can, however, learn to minimize suffering in life by practicing moderation in all things, as well as meditation. Meditative exercises that individuals can practice to achieve happiness appear in each chapter. Ricard (Tibet: A Compassionate Eye) doesn't have much new to tell us about his subject, but he imbues these reflections with his own deep sense of happiness and verve. (Apr. 12) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Foreword     xiii
Introduction     3
Talking About Happiness     17
Is Happiness the Purpose of Life?     26
A Two-Way Mirror: Looking Within, Looking Without     33
False Friends     40
Is Happiness Possible?     49
The Alchemy of Suffering     59
The Veils of the Ego     80
When Our Thoughts Become Our Worst Enemies     97
The River of Emotion     108
Disturbing Emotions: The Remedies     120
Desire     137
Hatred     146
Envy     157
The Great Leap to Freedom     160
A Sociology of Happiness     169
Happiness in the Lab     186
Happiness and Altruism: Does Happiness Make Us Kind or Does Being Kind Make Us Happy?     202
Happiness and Humility     211
Optimism, Pessimism, and Naivete     215
Golden Time, Leaden Time, Wasted Time     227
One with the Flow of Time     233
Ethics as the Science of Happiness     239
Happiness in the Presence of Death     253
A Path     258
Acknowledgments     267
Notes     269