Review
The Art of Happiness is the result of collaboration between psychiatrist Howard Cutler and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is a blend of the Dalai Lama’s thoughts on various issues and Cutler’s personal and scientific reflections on them.
The nature and sources of happiness
Cutler had certain beliefs derived from his Western scientific background, such as that happiness is a mystery and the most we can really hope for is the avoidance of misery. The Dalai Lama convinced him happiness is not a luxury but the purpose of our existence, and that there is a definite path leading toward it. We have to identify the factors that lead to suffering and to happiness. Then we must begin eliminating the factors that cause suffering and cultivate those that cause happiness. Perhaps the most surprising point about happiness is that its achievement is ‘scientific’ and requires discipline.
Cultivating happiness
In Buddhism, wealth, worldly satisfaction, spirituality and enlightenment create the totality of an individual’s quest for happiness. Good health and a close circle of friends are also important, but the real source of happiness is control of your consciousness. A calm mind, or one engaged in meaningful work, equates to happiness.
A basic way to happiness is to cultivate affection and connections with other people. Always look for what you have in common with others and you will never be lonely.
Negative emotions and states of mind have no foundation in reality. They are distortions, stopping us from seeing things as they really are. When we experience positive states, we are generally closer to the true nature of the universe and how we could be all the time.
A positive state of mind is not merely good for you, it benefits everyone with whom you come into contact, literally changing the world. No matter how difficult it is, reduce your negative states of mind and increase your positive ones.
Wholesome rather than unwholesome actions are not a matter of morality or religion, thay are the practical difference between happiness and unhappiness. Through self-training, you can develop a ‘good heart’ that lessens the chances you will act in an unproductive way.
Do not confuse happiness with pleasure. Pleasure is of the senses and can seem like happiness, but lacks meaning. Happiness, in contrast, rests on meaning and is often felt despite negative external conditions. While pleasures are a bonus in life, happiness is a must.
Happiness is something to be developed over time. Make a decision to apply the same effort and determination you devote to worldly success to studying and practicing happiness. The student of happiness will experience ups and downs, but will be better equipped to get back to a positive state more quickly.
Over time you must try to cancel out negative emotions, particularly anger and hatred, and replace them with tolerance and patience. The Dalai Lama’s idea of countering negative thoughts with positive ones has been validated by the rise and success of cognitive therapy.
Compassion and connection
The fundamental nature of human beings, the Dalai Lama suggests, is gentleness. Science and philosophy like to portray humans as self-interested, but many studies show people like to be altruistic if they get a chance. When we see the world not as aggressive but as basically compassionate, it is easy to see the evidence.
Compassion is useful. Rather than being sentimental, it is the basis of communicating well between people. Compassion is not feeling sorry for someone, but a recognition of commonality; what someone else feels today might be what you will be feeling next week.
The antidote to loneliness is to be prepared to connect with anyone.
Distinguish between love based on attachment and love based on compassion. All human beings want to be happy and avoid suffering; instead of loving a person just so they will love you back, begin with seeing the commonality of the human condition and what you can do to increase this particular person’s happiness.
If you fail to cultivate compassion, you lose the sense of belonging to the human race that is the source of warmth and inspiration. The compassionate person experiences freedom of mind and a rare peace.
People are complex, says the Dalai Lama, but the Western way is always to find the causes of things, which can lead to a kind of agony if we do not find an answer. We will not necessarily understand why life plays out the way it does in the scope of our lifetime.
This view partly comes from his belief in reincarnation and karma, but can be appreciated separately to Buddhist doctrine. Precisely because we may not understand everything about our existence, it is all the more important to be good to others and to leave the world a slightly better place.
Tom Butler Bowden
Reference
Bowden, T. B. (2011). Book Review: The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. New model advisor. Retrieved on 2nd june, 2016 from
http://citywire.co.uk/new-model-adviser/news/book-review-the-art-of-happiness-a- handbook-for-living/a508986
