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The book of joy : lasting happiness in a changing world

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  • Date:
    Created
    2016
    Summary:

    Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships -- or, as they would say, because of them -- they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness's eightieth birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the fact of life's inevitable suffering? They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy -- from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives.

    Contents:
    • Arrival: We are fragile creatures
    • Day 1: The nature of true joy
    • Why are you not morose?
    • Nothing beautiful comes without some suffering
    • Have you renounced pleasure?
    • Our greatest joy
    • Lunch: The meeting of two mischievous people is wonderful
    • Days 2 & 3: The obstacles to joy
    • You are a masterpiece in the making
    • Fear, stress, and anxiety: I would be very nervous
    • Frustration and anger: I would shout
    • Sadness and grief: The hard times knit us more closely together
    • Despair: The world is in such turmoil
    • Loneliness: No need for introduction
    • Envy: That guy goes past yet again in his Mercedes-Benz
    • Suffering and adversity: Passing through difficulties
    • Illness and fear of death: I prefer to go to hell
    • Meditation: Now I'll tell you a secret thing
    • Days 4 & 5: The eight pillars of joy
    • Perspective: There are many different angles
    • Humility: I tried to look humble and modest
    • Humor: Laughter, joking is much better
    • Acceptance: The only place where change can begin
    • Forgiveness: Freeing ourselves from the past
    • Gratitude: I am fortunate to be alive
    • Compassion: Something we want to become
    • Generosity: We are filled with joy
    • Celebration: Dancing in the streets of Tibet
    • Departure: A final goodbye
    • Joy practices.
    Original Publisher: New York, Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House
    Language(s): English
    ISBN: 9780399185045, 0399185046