The Art of Happiness - the Dalai Lama - A Short Summary & Review
The Art of Happiness - the Dalai Lama - A Short Summary & Review
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review
The Buddhist method for achieving lasting happiness, as expressed by the Dalai Lama.
A Short Summary:
The Art of Happiness presents the Buddhist approach to cultivating lasting happiness, as explained by the Dalai Lama through a series of conversations and reflections. Rather than promising instant joy or an escape from suffering, the book offers a steady, compassionate framework for understanding the mind, emotions, and our relationship to the world.
Happiness, the Dalai Lama argues, is not dependent on external success, wealth, or circumstance, but on inner discipline: training the mind toward compassion, awareness, patience, and ethical responsibility. Through concepts such as mindfulness, detachment, and empathy, the book reframes happiness as a practice—something built gradually through intention and attention rather than stumbled upon by chance.
The teachings are accessible even to readers unfamiliar with Buddhism, emphasizing universal human concerns: anxiety, anger, grief, and the desire for peace.
My favorite quote from the book:
The Art of Happiness presents the Buddhist approach to cultivating lasting happiness, as explained by the Dalai Lama through a series of conversations and reflections. Rather than promising instant joy or an escape from suffering, the book offers a steady, compassionate framework for understanding the mind, emotions, and our relationship to the world.
Happiness, the Dalai Lama argues, is not dependent on external success, wealth, or circumstance, but on inner discipline: training the mind toward compassion, awareness, patience, and ethical responsibility. Through concepts such as mindfulness, detachment, and empathy, the book reframes happiness as a practice—something built gradually through intention and attention rather than stumbled upon by chance.
The teachings are accessible even to readers unfamiliar with Buddhism, emphasizing universal human concerns: anxiety, anger, grief, and the desire for peace.
Questions to ponder while reading:
My review:
The Art of Happiness is a gentle but firm invitation to slow down and pay attention, especially to the mind we carry with us everywhere.
This book doesn’t dismiss suffering or pretend that happiness is easy. Instead, it offers a grounded starting point for cultivating peace of mind in an imperfect world. The Dalai Lama’s perspective is practical rather than mystical, focusing on everyday habits of thought, emotional regulation, and compassion toward others.
If you are new to meditation or reflective practice, this book is an excellent entry point. If you are already familiar with mindfulness or Buddhist philosophy, it serves as a steady reminder to remain present, intentional, and kind.
There is something profoundly refreshing about a philosophy that insists happiness is not something you chase, but something you practice, moment by moment.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
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