Discovering Happiness
 Can Buddhism and Buddhist meditation make the world a happier place? Yes! So we've assembled some of the best pieces on Buddhism and happiness published in the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma.
Featured contributors include Sharon Salzberg, Thich Nhat Hanh, Sakyong Mipham, Gaylon Ferguson, Matthieu Ricard, and more.
Just click any article's title to start reading.
A report on our special August 2009 weekend of teachings and practice at the Omega Institute. By James Kullander.
The road to happiness, says Sharon Salzberg, is actually paved with kindness. A Buddhadharma Forum featuring Andrew Olendzki, Gaylon Ferguson, and Blanche Hartman. Introduction by Glenn Wallis.
There’s No “I” in Happy
If
“What about me?” is the thought that rules our day, says Sakyong Mipham
Rinpoche, then we are setting ourselves up for a life of fearfulness
and struggle. Real happiness comes from putting others first.
A new teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh on the truth beyond our usual truths.
“Life
is so difficult, how can we be anything but kind”—it was these words
that inspired Sylvia Boorstein to follow the Buddhist path. Steve
Silberman talks with her about the challenges of life, from a rough
childhood to a post-partum depression, that helped her become such a
beloved teacher—and example—of Buddhist virtues
In
his introduction to Love’s Garden: A Guide to Mindful
Relationships, Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how we can use loving
relationships to cultivate the seeds of buddhahood inside us.
The Sun doesn’t stop shining just because there are clouds in the
sky. Our buddhanature is always present and available, even when life
gets difficult. In his book, Joyful Wisdom, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche shows us how to discover the joy and awareness that are never affected by life’s ups and downs.
Even beyond diamonds and
rubies, the most valuable gem is the compassionate, loving nature of
your own being. Sakyong Mipham on uncovering this treasure.
Are
we just too stupid to be happy? Psychologist Daniel Gilbert reveals
some of the common mental mistakes that defeat our search for happiness.
A
monk and a movie star: two very different lifestyles and so, you would
think, two different paths to happiness. But actor Richard Gere and French author and monastic Matthieu Ricard share a serious commitment
to Buddhism, and they agree that real, lasting happiness is beyond
conditions and circumstances. A lively, insightful
conversation on the true nature of happiness.
The
four noble truths tell us that to be happy we must first discover the
causes of our unhappiness. This is the approach of the renowned French
Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, who says that genuine happiness is only
possible after we understand the fundamental mistake that is the root
of our suffering.
Real
happiness is what we all want, but none of our strategies for finding
it seem to work. Maybe it's the search for happiness that makes us
unhappy. John Tarrant has some thoughts on why the Buddha smiles.
In
measuring and prescribing human skills for a good life, the new
positive psychology overlooks a vital point, says Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Lasting happiness requires that we carefully weigh the consequences of
our actions.
RELATED WEB EXCLUSIVE:
Here are some of the finest examples of Buddhist wisdom for difficult times, from the names you've come to trust — all from the pages of the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma. Includes pieces by Pema Chödrön, Sylvia Boorstein, John Tarrant, Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, and more.
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