Rating: 
Summary: Happiness is the birthright of every human being.
Review: This Buddhist leader and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize brings to a general audience his teachings of the Buddha Nature, which is the state of mind, present in all human beings, that is completely untainted by negative emotions and thoughts. He teaches the basis of being happy is to gain access to the warm and compassionate states of mind, that we all possess the potential for compassion, and our basic nature is gentleness. Often during his interviews, the Dalai Lama would break into a robust laugh, revealing his marvelous and gentle sense of humor. This book brings about a meeting of psychology and Buddhism, and shows us a way to defeat ordinary depression, anger, and anxiety. The Art of Happiness crosses the boundaries of all religious traditions to help readers with difficulties common to all of us, with discussions based on 25 centuries of Buddhist meditations. When I finished reading this book, I felt a strong longing to someday meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and until then, look at everything I could find on television and on the Internet about the author. (If you have a chance, watch CNN's documentary, "The Dalai Lama: At Home in Exile" which originally aired August 8, 1999, 9:00 PM E.T.)
Rating:
Summary: We are all artists, and this is the medium to start with!
Review: I have never found a book more enlightening or enriching to the soul as this one. I enjoyed Howard Cutler's flow of writing, and his style of presenting the Dalai Lama's message. He provides a great combination of the traditional Buddhist theories, enforced with common sense and practical scientific studies. I also admire the fact that ANYONE could relate to the teachings this book offers, regardless of their religion (or lack there of), age, or background. I have been interested in Buddhism, and would like to learn more on the religion, though I didn't feel the book pushed the religious system upon its readers. I liked the objective stance the book presented; it made for easy reading for a non-affiliated, yet spiritual, person like myself. I found myself reading it slowly, even reviewing the chapters, in an attempt to absorb the full meaning of the text. Each chapter reveals a piece of the puzzle, a small ingredient to the overall message: We can create lasting happiness for ourselves, and this goal is the tie that unites all of us on Earth. A truly inspirational book, it will bring out the artist in all who read it.
Rating: 
Summary: The dalai Lama is a babbling idiot.
Review: I agree with the crazy Christian weirdo.
Rating: 
Summary: The Art of Happiness: A Critical Review
Review: Stephanie Brothers
Philosophy 211
Kevin Browne
Book Review
Fall 2002 Living enjoyable, happy lives is something that most try to strive for; however, the path to "happiness" is not always readily apparent. The Art of Happiness: a Handbook for Living, by Howard C. Cutler, MD and His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a collection of insight and conversations from the authors. The Dalai Lama gave public talks in Arizona, which Mr. Cutler attended, and they also had many private conversations both in America and while traveling in India. Based on these conversations, Mr. Cutler composed his text, which is intended to be a guide to eliminating the obstacles to and finding happiness. They feel that happiness is determined more by one's state of mind rather than external events, and you can train yourself to change the common practices that lead to an unhappy state of mind.
I found the ideas in this book very interesting as well as practical and logically consistent. I think that this text defends their point very strongly. They argue the premise that through having a positive outlook and avoiding, or gaining a new perspective on, negative events, we can personally control our level of happiness.
The authors provide a good, inductively strong argument. I say this because although the reasoning is good, it is possible to imagine some situations in which a person could not successfully employ these practices. I believe that the basic premise is true; your perspective does strongly shape your level of contentment. The Dalai Lama explains, "While undergoing rigorous training, an athlete may suffer a lot... but the athlete doesn't see it as a painful experience. The athlete would take it as a great accomplishment... but if the same person were subject to some other physical work that was not part of his athletic training, then the athlete would think, 'Oh, why have I been subjected to this terrible ordeal?' So the mental attitude makes a tremendous difference" (Cutler 118).
The Dalai Lama offers several more suggestions for cultivating a better outlook. One is to act with compassion toward every person that you meet. He suggests trying to relate to them on the basic level that you are both human. Connecting on this level opens doors to other connections, and it is one basic quality that we all have. Learning to connect with others on this level will allow you to have a happier outlook. He explains the idea in the following passage. "In generating compassion, you start by recognizing that you do not want suffering and you have a right to have happiness. This can be verified or validated by your own experience. You recognize then that other people, just like yourself, also do not want to suffer and that they have a right to have happiness. So this becomes the basis of your beginning to generate compassion" (Cutler 128).
Suffering and problems in our lives are one of the obstacles to happiness. This too, he suggests, can be controlled by outlook. Accepting that suffering will be a part of your life can prepare you for it; it will make you more tolerant, less overwhelmed when bad events come about. "Without a certain degree of tolerance toward suffering, your life becomes miserable; the it becomes like having a very bad night. That night seems eternal, it never seems to end" (Cutler 141).
The claims that the authors make are very well supported, and they are explained very clearly and thoroughly. This book does a particularly good job of taking all evidence into account and addressing opposing arguments and views. In the beginning, Mr. Cutler is a skeptic of the method as well. He assails the Dalai Lama with endless questions, turning his theory inside and out. However, the Dalai Lama responds each time with well thought out, logically consistent replies. This makes the argument particularly convincing; you are able to follow Mr. Cutler in his thought process of eventually accepting this theory.
Overall, I found this argument to be very sound, with no real logical fallacies. The authors do an excellent job of explaining the basic premise that our perception controls our mood, and they are fair in taking into account that some people may not be able to control their mood. They also address that cultivating this new outlook and making real changes takes a long period of time; it will always be a developing process. The authors provide a very solid argument that finding happiness is something that is possible for us all. References
H.H. the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, MD. The Art of Happiness: a Handbook for Living. Riverhead Books, New York, 1998.
Rating:
Summary: HAPPINESS IS FOUND WITHIN ONE'S SELF!
Review: What is happiness - true happiness? Is it finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Sharing a life with someone you love? Finding peace and contentment within yourself? Is it being the best that you can possibly become and achieving your full potential? (Most of us never reach that one.) Do you rely on others to make and keep you happy? True happiness comes not from the actions of others or the external, materialistic world around us; it comes from deep within us. Unfortunately, many people wander through their entire life never completely understanding that. They have not become enlightened. When I first learned of Buddhist philosophies and heard of the Dalai Lama, I found those philosophies far removed from the theories of Freud studied in psychology classes. However, the longer I followed and practised those beliefs, the more simplistic and enriched my life became - material possessions were of no significant importance, time on this Earth became irrelevant, the hassles of everyday living became minor inconsequential matters in the overall journey, and happiness became a way of life, not a destination. The Dalai Lama is a wise, inspirational, humble and intensely thought-provoking man. He teaches us the true meaning of what is important in this life and what is not. "The Art of Happiness" is far more deserving of a five-star rating, but at least for the purpose of evaluating a book, the stars do not go any higher. I hope you will read the book; it will lift your spirits and soothe your soul.
Rating:
Summary: The Art of Happiness Explained By The Dalai Lama
Review: This is a thoroughly enjoyable book that is easy and interesting to read, understand, and most of all apply to your life.
Here are a couple of quotes from this book that shed light on His Holiness The Dalai Lama's Views: P. 173: "The ability to look at events from different perspectives can be very helpful. Then, practicing this, one can use certain experiences, certain tragedies to develop a calmness of mind. One must realize that every phenomena, every event, has different aspects." "It seems that often when problems arise, our outlook becomes narrow. All of our attention may be focused on worrying about the problem, and we may have a sense that we're the only one that is going through such difficulties. This can lead to a kind of self-absorption that can make the problem seem very intense. When this happens, I think seeing things from a wider perspective can definitely help - realizing for instance, that there are many other people who have gone through similar experiences, and even worse experiences." When Howard Cutler questioned about dealing with anger, his question was: "...You might think about an event...even much later, and every time you think about it you become angry all over again. How would you suggest dealing with (this.")
The Dalai Lama had this to say on P. 175: "If you look from a different angel, then surely the person who caused this anger in you will have a lot of other positive aspects, positive qualities. If you look carefully, you will also find that the act which has made you angry has also given you certain opportunities, something which otherwise would not have been possible, even from your point of view. So with effort you'll be able to see many different angles to a single event. This will help." By reading this book, you will gain a greater understanding of HOW to transform the difficulties in your life, by transforming your views of them. It will greatly contribute to your inner peace, as well as peaceful relations with others, along with how to deal with life's constant changes with calm and assurance.
Highly Recommended! Barbara Rose, author 'If God Was Like Man'
Rating:
Summary: The Art of Happiness: A Critical Review
Review: Stephanie Brothers
Philosophy 211
Kevin Browne
Book Review
Fall 2002 Living enjoyable, happy lives is something that most try to strive for; however, the path to "happiness" is not always readily apparent. The Art of Happiness: a Handbook for Living, by Howard C. Cutler, MD and His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a collection of insight and conversations from the authors. The Dalai Lama gave public talks in Arizona, which Mr. Cutler attended, and they also had many private conversations both in America and while traveling in India. Based on these conversations, Mr. Cutler composed his text, which is intended to be a guide to eliminating the obstacles to and finding happiness. They feel that happiness is determined more by one's state of mind rather than external events, and you can train yourself to change the common practices that lead to an unhappy state of mind.
I found the ideas in this book very interesting as well as practical and logically consistent. I think that this text defends their point very strongly. They argue the premise that through having a positive outlook and avoiding, or gaining a new perspective on, negative events, we can personally control our level of happiness.
The authors provide a good, inductively strong argument. I say this because although the reasoning is good, it is possible to imagine some situations in which a person could not successfully employ these practices. I believe that the basic premise is true; your perspective does strongly shape your level of contentment. The Dalai Lama explains, "While undergoing rigorous training, an athlete may suffer a lot... but the athlete doesn't see it as a painful experience. The athlete would take it as a great accomplishment... but if the same person were subject to some other physical work that was not part of his athletic training, then the athlete would think, 'Oh, why have I been subjected to this terrible ordeal?' So the mental attitude makes a tremendous difference" (Cutler 118).
The Dalai Lama offers several more suggestions for cultivating a better outlook. One is to act with compassion toward every person that you meet. He suggests trying to relate to them on the basic level that you are both human. Connecting on this level opens doors to other connections, and it is one basic quality that we all have. Learning to connect with others on this level will allow you to have a happier outlook. He explains the idea in the following passage. "In generating compassion, you start by recognizing that you do not want suffering and you have a right to have happiness. This can be verified or validated by your own experience. You recognize then that other people, just like yourself, also do not want to suffer and that they have a right to have happiness. So this becomes the basis of your beginning to generate compassion" (Cutler 128).
Suffering and problems in our lives are one of the obstacles to happiness. This too, he suggests, can be controlled by outlook. Accepting that suffering will be a part of your life can prepare you for it; it will make you more tolerant, less overwhelmed when bad events come about. "Without a certain degree of tolerance toward suffering, your life becomes miserable; the it becomes like having a very bad night. That night seems eternal, it never seems to end" (Cutler 141).
The claims that the authors make are very well supported, and they are explained very clearly and thoroughly. This book does a particularly good job of taking all evidence into account and addressing opposing arguments and views. In the beginning, Mr. Cutler is a skeptic of the method as well. He assails the Dalai Lama with endless questions, turning his theory inside and out. However, the Dalai Lama responds each time with well thought out, logically consistent replies. This makes the argument particularly convincing; you are able to follow Mr. Cutler in his thought process of eventually accepting this theory.
Overall, I found this argument to be very sound, with no real logical fallacies. The authors do an excellent job of explaining the basic premise that our perception controls our mood, and they are fair in taking into account that some people may not be able to control their mood. They also address that cultivating this new outlook and making real changes takes a long period of time; it will always be a developing process. The authors provide a very solid argument that finding happiness is something that is possible for us all. References
H.H. the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, MD. The Art of Happiness: a Handbook for Living. Riverhead Books, New York, 1998.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Introduction to Eastern Thought for Western Audience
Review: If you consider yourself spiritual but not religious, this is an ideal book for you to gain an understanding of the principles and ideas of Buddhism. It is written for a Western audience without any goal of converting people to Buddhism. Instead, it shows how anyone, regardless of beliefs, can apply the ideas of Buddhism to their daily life in order to live a more balanced, peaceful and happy life. None of these practices and ideas are particularly foreign or difficult to apply to daily life. Instead they are all based on common sense and the ability to use the mind to look more objectively and less emotionally at our own lives in order to improve them. I came away thinking of the Dalai Lama as a rare public figure who can serve as a role model without drawing a cynical response. He is someone who truly lives and believes the ideas he discusses in the book, and he is truly believable because of that.
Rating: 
Summary: FACT: Teachings in New Testament have Buddhist roots
Review: The book is ok .... I disagree with the retarded Christian from FL. It doesn't take a degree in rocket science to note that the Old Testament and the New Testament are of a completely different flavor. The Old Testament is full of fire and brimstone, an eye-for-an-eye kind of stuff whereas the New Testament has a distinctly Buddhist slant. Gee, I wonder if the fact that Jesus Christ spent several years in Tibet studying with the Buddhist monks had an influence on his teachings?!?!...
Rating: 
Summary: Powerful lessons harmed by a dreary psychiatrist
Review: This book sadly fails to convey much of the wisdom and insight of Buddhism. Instead, as many other reviewers have commented, you get a dreary book written by a very dull psychiatrist. He seems totally insensitive to what he is hearing. He frequently drifts off into his own pet diatribes, apparently regarding is own views as on par with those of the Dalai Lama and Buddha. He is clearly struggling with the material. Often he just completely misses the point, as even he admits at times. There are so many better Buddhist books available. The Dalai Lama has to take some blame for lending his name as co-author.
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