Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill

I've read several books on happiness but have found no more effective and convincing guide than this. Many other authors fall into "the Texas housewife" fallacy. Research shows that the average housewife is quite happy - but Ricard asks what happens if something goes wrong, if she loses her job or her child dies. Then he points to ways to overcome grief, or a reduced lifestyle - skillful ways to be, or become, happy in any situation. This advice is for everyone, not just the Texas housewife. Part of the Texas housewife fallacy is the idea that you can only be happy if you have an excellent marriage, loadsa money, zippy social life, and so on. I'd often wondered if such authors had ever considered the wise hermit in the cave. We've all heard he's the happiest man. Well, Ricard actually is that man!(There are MRI results that prove it, although he is too modest to claim that title.) Fans of Aristotle may now be grumbling about such brain centred results - saying happiness is flourishing. But this makes happiness seem like something only a superwoman Texas housewife can have! Not only a good job, and a great marriage, but she must also be a leader in the community. Ricard undermines Aristotle, with Buddha's help, and shows that happiness is, indeed, all in the mind, it's 'feeling good', it's 'joie de vivre'. The hermit can have joie de vivre. Anyone, with the right mentality, can 'feel good' most of the time. There is the caveat that people must be alive to the suffering of others, though; there is no retreat into solipsism. Ricard has taken the bodhisattva vow. Writing this book is, probably, part of living up to that. Ricard frequently uses examples from Western Culture, as well as Buddhism, to illustrate his points. He's the son of a famous Parisian philosopher, and is an excellent position to do this. For instance, early in the book, he points to Glenn Gould, Bobby Fischer, and Baudelaire. He says he didn't want to be like them (wouldn't we all agree!) We might pause and think, but, hey, these guys are at the pinnacle of Western Culture! But are they happy? Later in the book he undermines the negative side of bigger, stabler, cultural figures, like Kant and Aristotle. This is all done with the lightest touch and in a language anyone can understand. At one point, he even demolishes Bach (!) Maybe "demolish" is a bit strong - he praises Bach for producing beautiful music, but points out that we can only listen to even this music for a short time without becoming bored. We need something else to make us happy most of the time - like the skills taught to us by the Buddha and his followers.

As a parent trying to raise two children in London, with a full-on job in IT, I feel challenged regarding finding time to learn how to meditate, though I want to. I think I believe in the cognitive psychology discussed in this book, there is evidence to support it. CBT has helped me somewhat over the years. I do wonder though how 'natural' it is for humans to be able to follow Buddhist beliefs around interdependence, compassion and altruism, and removing ones ego. But I think Buddhism with these and other concepts is, when examined in the cold light of day, the best 'religion' out there in terms of sowing the least, or no destruction, and of developing one's best self, even though personally I am going to throw my lot in with the Humanists : let's face it, deep down, everybody today must sense the reality that supernatural beings did not exist on the Earth performing miracles and our Gods exist only in our minds. Perhaps out there, there might be an extremely powerful creator of everything, but that creator, possibly of countless other alien worlds, is not going to favour one set of homo sapiens over another. Two questions : 1 - Why is Buddhism, with its message of tolerance and compassion to all sentient things, not nearly as successful in its take-up as say one of the rampaging big three monotheistic religions ? It should be vastly more successful. If everybody followed Buddhist principles, the world would be transformed into a beautiful and peaceful place overnight for all sentient creatures. My answer is, that it's too much hard work to follow, to be constantly vigilant around your random thoughts, to keep your emotions of selfishness, anger, envy, revenge etc, at bay. Those emotions expressed over the millenia are why the world is where it is today, not in a great place. 2 - Does Buddhism expect total compassion to all beings? What about to a group like ISIS ? Possible to show compassion and empathy here ? That's stretching compassion for me. So onto Happiness. I will try not to get entangled with my thoughts around past regrets, or worry about what might or might not happen in the future. Or let my emotions get the better of me. I am trying hard to live in the present moment, during my long drives to work and short walks through the woodland sanctuary. I will join a meditation group one evening per week.

I have been reading a lot of this kind of book recently and this one is one of the better ones. I haven't given it five stars as it wasn't life changing, but I will go back to it. Extracting the practical exercises is not as simple as in some others and I find the life style as a Buddhist monk doesn't chime with me. I do like the scientific approach he uses and the research results - more of an interest of mine. I do put some of his ideas into practice, along with those from other books, and have found them helpful. As I said, I will probably go back to it.

This book is what you need to know if you are pracissant and try hard to find happiness knowing it is not a spontaneous happening you have to try and understand what is involved I hope you find happiness by reading this book lots love thanks

Good quality

Great book on spirituality. Very profound and insightful. Gives a different perspective of life. Strongly recommended to read and enjoy

Excelente leitura, reforçada com exercícios e exemplos. Em resumo, passagens simples, ligadas ao cotidiano de qualquer um mas sob uma ótica difícil de se obter sem as ferramentas e a dedicação necessárias

Ich mag sehr die Bücher von Matthieu Ricard! Dieses Buch am liebsten! Er spricht immer sehr locker und leicht zu verstehen. Es ist überhaupt nicht langweilig!!!!! Man erfährt von seinem Leben und auch von wissenschaftlichen Studien die ganze Zeit. Er gibt auch kleine Übungen zu machen, was mir sehr gut gefallen haben. Für Buddhismus ist es ein Klassiker!!!!

bon

I found this book to be thought provoking, informative and philosophical. It is a book that needs to be re-read. You do not need to be a buddhist or religious to appreciate this book. There is much wisdom in the book.