The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

A big book because of large type. A wonderful book because of Resmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. These two old men show the way for everyone to live with joy, and revive ideas of caring and bwrothrly love in a time when those ancient attitudes seem forgotten or - even worse- hated.

This is an excellent book. A book for forgiveness and joy can be a life- changing, and acknowledging that impact of two best friend and brothers is a beautiful gesture. This principles can be incorporated into our daily life. All the people are chasing for joy and happiness, but without forgiveness, we are blocking the beautiful opportunity I recommend this book to all who really want to be happy and learn to let go. Thank you

Delightful and deep simultaneously. One of my favorite reads ever.

Informative

If I could give a copy of the book, Audible or hardcopy, to every human being in the world, I would. This book made me laugh and filled me with joy. And brought me so much wisdom from three amazing men. I now put this in the top five life-changing, favorite books of my entire life. If you find reading exhausting or not your thing, the Audible version is amazing, entertaining, uplifting, educating, and keeps you locked in and wanting more. I initially got the Audible version but soon realize I wanted a hard copy as well to take notes in, make highlights, and have for a handy reference as it has a wealth of information. But the book is so much more than what is advertised. So many hidden wonderful surprises you'll learn about the men themselves. About life. And they cite study after study. They use science to back up what they state but they don't bore you with it. I wish I could write more eloquently and compel people to at least try out the audible (if they don't read) or hard copy (if they do read). Because no matter what your religion (or even if you are an atheist), you will find something here. I know this from experience.

“I remember when we were in Seattle,” says the Christian. “There were seventy thousand people who wanted to come hear this man, and he can’t even speak English properly.” The Buddhist let out a big belly laugh. “It’s really not nice,” the Christian continues. “You really need to pray that I become a little more popular like you.” And so Archbishop Desmond Tutu, talking to the Dalai Lama, opens one of the most delightful and profound books I’ve read. “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World” reveals a week’s visit of face-to-face conversations between the two Nobel Peace Prize laureates. The retired Anglican priest flew thousands of miles to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday in his adopted home of Dharamsala, India; he was exiled from Tibet in 1959. The two, who consider each other “his mischievous spiritual brother,” collaborate with editor and writer Douglas Abrams, who’s worked with a number of spiritual teachers and scientific pioneers and who describes himself as both “secular” and “a Jew.” “From the beginning,” Abrams says, “this book was designed as a three-layer birthday cake.” The first layer: The teachings of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu on joy. The second layer: The latest science on joy and all the other qualities believed essential for enduring happiness. The third layer: The stories of being in Dharamsala with these two icons throughout this week. "The Book of Joy" is divided into three parts: Day 1—The Nature of True Joy; Days 2&3—The Obstacles to Joy; Days 4&5—The Eight Pillars of Joy. Close friends (“very close,” the Dalai Lama says), the two spiritual masters compare notes on such issues as beauty and suffering; fear, stress, and anxiety; loneliness and despair; frustration and anger; perspective and humility; humor, forgiveness and gratitude; compassion and generosity. This book is no academic dialogue. You see, hear, and feel tears and hugs, joking and teasing, prayer and meditation, and deep insights into life’s most perplexing issues. And there’s little or no discussion of “religious theologies.” Yet a pure, clear stream of mature spiritual experience flows through from front cover to back. This book reveals the ebb and flow of eighteen decades of hard-won, sometimes tragic lessons pressed into one week’s singular encounter. Here are a few teaser quotes that may whet your appetite… On unhappiness: The Dalai Lama says so much of our unhappiness originates within our own mind and heart—in how we react to the events in our life. “Mental immunity is just learning to avoid the destructive emotions and to develop the positive ones. First, we must understand the mind—the diverse thoughts and emotions we experience on a daily basis. Some of these thoughts and emotions are harmful, even toxic, while others are healthy and healing. The former disturb our mind and cause much mental pain. The latter bring us true joyfulness.” On hope vs. optimism: “I say to people I’m not an optimist, because that is something that depends on feelings more than the actual reality,” says Archbishop Tutu. “We feel optimistic, or we feel pessimistic. Now, hope is different in that it is based not on the ephemerality of feelings but on the firm ground of conviction. I believe with a steadfast faith that there can never be a situation that is utterly, totally hopeless. Hope is deeper and very, very close to unshakable. It’s in the pit of your tummy. It’s not in your head. It’s all here,” he says, pointing to his abdomen. On anger: Underlying anger, according to the Dalai Lama, is a fear that we will not get what we need, that we are not loved, that we are not respected, that we will not be included. “Now medical scientists say that constant fear, constant anger, constant hatred harms our immune system.” On suffering and adversity: The Archbishop was asked: So how did Nelson Mandela survive twenty-seven years of impoverishment and imprisonment and emerge as someone of immense magnanimity? Why do you think he was able to see his suffering as ennobling rather than embittering? “He didn’t see it. It happened,” says the Archbishop, who earlier explained that suffering can either embitter us or ennoble us and that the difference lies in whether we are able to find meaning in our suffering. “It seems almost without fail that generosity of spirit requires that we will have experienced, if not suffering then at least frustrations…It is probably something like your muscle. If you want a good muscle tone, you work against it, offering it resistance, and it will grow. You can’t expand the volume of your chest just by sitting. You have to walk up mountains.” On humor and laughter: “It is much better when there’s not too much seriousness,” says the Dalai Lama. “Laughter, joking is much better. Then we can be completely relaxed. I met some scientists in Japan, and they explained that wholehearted laughter—not artificial laughter—is very good for your heart and your health in general. (People who laugh) are less likely to have a heart attack than those people who are really serious and who have difficulty connecting with other people. Those serious people are in real danger.” Adds Abrams: “Having worked with many spiritual leaders, I’m tempted to see laughter and a sense of humor as a universal index of spiritual development. The Archbishop and the Dalai Lama were certainly at the top of that index, and they skewered humbug, status, injustice, and evil, all with the power of humor.” This should give you a taste of “The Book of Joy.” I’ve read it once, and I suspect I’ll read it and refer to it scores of times more. —Carlen Maddux, author of A Path Revealed: How Hope, Love and Joy Found Us Deep in a Maze Called Alzheimer's which was released October 2016.

I loved this book from the beginning. Douglas Carlton Abrams does an excellent job of drawing together the different elements of this weeklong meeting of the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. He paints the setting so that we can imagine being there and includes enough about these two amazing men to enable us to feel that we know them and understand their relationship. The love, humor and joy between them was evident, even in their most serious moments. Thus, while a book on one of the most serious spiritual issues of our times (how to be joyful amidst hardship), it was enjoyable to read. It actually brought me feelings of joy to read and enabled me to feel that I was sharing in their experience. And I believe this was part of what they were trying to accomplish - creating a book that most people could read and relate to, in hopes of increasing the experience and sharing of joy in our troubled world. It was also heartening that these two men, from very different cultures and spiritual traditions, could model for us how love transcends the particulars of what we believe. While they, like many of us, have strong beliefs that have been at the core of their own struggles with adversity, they could disagree with complete respect and love for each other. I have recommended this book to many people. So I'll recommend it to you too - read it and live the truth it contains! Then pass it on.

This book is exceptional. It will no doubt appeal to Christians and Buddhists, but has such valuable wisdom to share for people of all religions and none. Humility and humour light up pretty well every page. The Dalai Lama and Archbishop share stories and laughter, despite it being very clear that Archbishop Tutu is very close to the end of his life. There are practical suggestions on meditation too.. and photos (even on the Kindle edition) of this heart-warming meeting. This is a book to treasure.

Loved this book. It is good to read about joy and a realistic take on happiness

Reading this really helped me to solidify and understand some of the thoughts running around in my own head as my anxiety got worse. I'm still working on implementing the ideas taught in the book, but having them there as a guide or jumping off point for understanding myself and others has helped me to feel much better about myself and my place in this world.

Dos de los máximos líderes espirituales de nuestros tiempos comparten consejos y sus experiencias para vivir con alegría. Muy inspirador :)

Every page is just a wonderful with full of information, love, compassion, happiness, kindness