Comments on: The Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness

By: Ian Paul Marshall

Ian Paul Marshall — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:34:11 +0000

Great post!

I just picked up the Dalai Lama’s The Art of Happiness and this post has got my fired up to crack it open and dive right in. (Maybe after dinner first..insert stomach growl here)

I think 7. Know the Meaning of Suffering is pretty interesting.

if we just shift our perspective and see our suffering as a blessing not a curse that our world is transformed.

By: Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D.

Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:58:42 +0000

This post touches at the heart of all human yearnings. We certainly all want happiness, but get distracted by all the doctrines that seek to divide us. At bottom all religions are different routes(though some are very circuitous) to the same goal: happiness.

The most critical roadblock to our happiness is flawed thinking, about wealth, possessions, relationships, and so many more of our human experiences. That’s why training the mind is first, foremost and continuing to bring about personal development.

Thanks for sharing the Art of Happiness with us. Lifelong learning fosters lifelong happiness.

Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D.´s last blog post: The Simplest Kindness

By: Evita

Evita — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:31:00 +0000

This post is fantastic. It is one of those articles that will be so valuable to people for months and years to come.

The 3 days you worked on it was well worth it as you beautifully put together the beauty of life and how great it truly can be.
There is no surprise that most of us are surrounded by people who think life is a struggle or to prove something or the likes. When in fact it is not to suffer and struggle but to find and create joy.

The recommendations too that you give are so richly applicable – well done!

Evita´s last blog post: The Universe Is Your Playground

By: Myrko

Myrko — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:18:49 +0000

Hey Brian :) It took me 3 days to assemble this post, as I extracted the essence out of the Dalai Lama’s teachings about happiness, especially from “The Art of Happiness”. They may not be the easiest ones, for instance the points about discipline and suffering, but they are what the Dalai Lama is saying that builds up to happiness. But then again, nobody said that the path to happiness is easy, otherwise everybody would be totally happy. It is not filled with much tools or specific actions. In my opinion it is more like a general framework for personal growth.

If I look at the intro statement “What leads to happiness?” I can see that there is the road to success and fulfilling desires (1. Wealth, 2. Wordly Satisfcation) and then there is spirituality (3. Spirituality, 4. Enlightenment). It is funny but I just realize that the blog is about exactly these two topics.

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:18:56 +0000

I really found this post to be great. So many things rang true when I read them. I especially liked these three points…

1. A calm mind is a very developed mind and one that has strength and inner space to choose the right reaction.

2. The key is to get into the river of life and direct the course of positive change. Then the fear of change also vanishes.

3. …to build a truly satisfying relationship it’s best to get to know another persons deeper nature and relate to her/him on that level, instead of on superficial characteristics.

They are things that I need to remember to help me push on through troubled times. I need to have a calm mind and not allow my buttons to be pushed. Then it should be easier for me to get into the river of change and direct the course instead of trying to hold the river back. If I let it flow with my gentle direction, I may get back to a place where my wife and I can reconnect on that deeper level. We will at the very least not have the tension that seems to follow us. I need to carry these thoughts in my heart and need to keep trying to achieve them in order to be able to find happiness.

Thanks Myrko…

Brian

Brian´s last blog post: Down by the river…

By: Davina

Davina — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 06:54:45 +0000

Absolutely spectacular! Dugg. Train your mind, cultivate good habits and develop compassion… all great advice. Thanks!

Davina´s last blog post: Free Spirit My Ass!

By: Psiplex

Psiplex — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 06:37:04 +0000

Attachments leads to suffering and a missidentification with the true self, the timeless awareness. The source of the physical world is not the physical world. The world you think you see is an illusion that is in play. See a short clip at: http://www.vimeo.com/1807759

One Love

Psiplex´s last blog post: Of First Cause and Origination

By: Myrko

Myrko — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 01:09:38 +0000

Evelyn, I can remember Eckhart Tolle saying that spirituality lies at the heart of every religion, if you look very closely you can find it. But on the survace it is overshadowed by doctrines and all the different belief-systems. I have the feeling that experiencing spirituality is not really at the center of everyday religious pratice. But then again, how could it?

On the other hand, it is fascinating how similar the buddhist way is to the way of personal growth, isn’t it?!

By: Evelyn Lim

Evelyn Lim — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:57:40 +0000

I totally agree that there is a difference between religion and spirituality. Far too many people are accepting a religion first rather than explore spirituality and the direct experience of it. Having a religion can boxed ourselves in; our mind becomes confined by the doctrines that it espouses. It does not encourage a deeper level of investigation.

Evelyn Lim´s last blog post: Building The Businesses Of Our Dreams

By: D00dikov

D00dikov — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:25:32 +0000

Pretty close to western ideas with training the mind and positive thinking. Others are more unlikely to be seen in a western civilization like compassion or welcoming change and suffering.