Self-worth, according to the Dalai Lama, is having a source of affection, compassion, and a sense of dignity (32). For example, we can find more happiness with ourselves through self-worth. We are born into a certain state of mind about happiness, but we can change our outlook by being happier in each moment. According to the Dalai Lama, “If you harbor hateful thoughts or intense anger deep within yourself, then it ruins your health thus it destroys one of the factors for happiness” (25). The book explains how we compare incomes and success, which leads to unhappiness, but we need to flip this state of mind to compare with the less fortunate to appreciate what we have (22–23). Relating to the baseline theory, we have very comparing minds with one another and within ourselves. This baseline level is described in the book as how we react to life-changing news even then our lives will reach a normal baseline again (21). Being at a life's high, winning the lottery, or being at a low, diagnosed with cancer, we eventually get back to our baseline level. These two examples in the book help explain how “happiness is determined more by one’s state of mind than by external events” (20). Compared to this story, a man is told he's HIV positive, which brings him to a lower level of happiness, but he soon begins to appreciate every day life more (19–20).
This chapter starts by explaining how a woman being able to retire at age 32 is at a higher level of happiness, but she soon returns to her happiness level before early retirement.
The Dalai Lama sees happiness as an objective: people setting goals and working to achieve them thus creating happiness in oneself.Ĭhapter 2: The Sources of Happiness Ĭhapter 1 talks about how to train the mind to become happier with Chapter 2, we can figure out our sources of happiness or unhappiness. “On the other hand, happy people tend to be more sociable, flexible, and creative and are able to tolerate life’s daily frustrations more easily than unhappy people.” (16) After later examining some previous experiments, he came to this conclusion: unhappy people tend to be self-focused, withdrawn, brooding and even antagonistic. The purpose of our life is to seek happiness was the phrase that stuck with him out of every other word the Dalai Lama spoke. By bringing about a certain inner discipline we can undergo a transformation of our attitude, our entire outlook and approach to living" (15). Rather I'm using the term in the sense of the Tibetan word Sem, it includes intellect and feeling, heart and mind. “When I say ‘training the mind,’ in this context I'm not referring to ‘mind’ merely as one's cognitive ability or intellect. His stance on happiness changed after spending some time with this peace leader. He also noted that the word ‘happy’ was derived from the term luck or chance (14). Cutler, as well as many of his patients, believed that happiness was “ill defined, elusive, and ungraspable” (14). Psychiatrist Howard Cutler followed the Dalai Lama around on this tour. Chapter one, The Right to Happiness, introduces what the book the Art of Happiness is about. The Dalai Lama spoke this powerful statement at a conference in Arizona among a crowd of people. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness…” (13). That is clear, whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. "I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness.
The Purpose of Life Chapter 1: The Right to Happiness 1.5.1 Chapter 15: Basic Spiritual ValuesĬhapter summaries Part I.Closing Reflections on Living a Spiritual Life
1.4.3 Chapter 14: Dealing with Anxiety and Building Self-Esteem.1.4.2 Chapter 13: Dealing with Anger and Hatred.1.4.1 Chapter 12: Bringing About Change.1.3.4 Chapter 11: Finding Meaning in Pain and Suffering.1.3.2 Chapter 9: Self-Created Suffering.1.2.3 Chapter 7: The Value and Benefits of Compassion.1.2.2 Chapter 6: Deepening Our Connection to Others.1.2.1 Chapter 5: A New Model for Intimacy.1.1.4 Chapter 4: Reclaiming our Innate State of Happiness.1.1.3 Chapter 3: Training the Mind for Happiness.1.1.2 Chapter 2: The Sources of Happiness.1.1.1 Chapter 1: The Right to Happiness.