"The Art of Happiness," by His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Howard Cutler, M.D.

On a recent trip to St. Martin, I read the 10th anniversary edition of "The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living," by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D. (Riverhead Books). Sectioned into parts, and sub-sectioned into individual chapters, this book chronicled countless hours of discussions between Cutler - an American psychiatrist - and the Dalai Lama, and also included Cutler's reflections on these discussions.

When I first picked up the book, I readied myself for a sort-of "battle of wills"; Cutler brings to the book his scientific and evidence-based practice of psychology, while the Dalai Lama brings his Buddhist understanding of human life and mental health. Instead, what ensued was Cutler's critical and insightful analysis of the Dalai Lama's views on human happiness. Each chapter begins with a general transcription of the issue at hand, whether it be sources of happiness, intimacy, suffering, anxiety, hatred, etc. It follows with Cutler's often critical reflections, infused with related clinical experiences as a practicing psychiatrist.
And when I say that Cutler is critical, I don't mean for it to be necessarily negative, but rather that he approached the Dalai Lama's opinions with a questioning mind, as Cutler takes nothing for granted.

Happiness is a right for all human beings, indeed it is our very purpose in life. So purports the Dalai Lama at the outset of the book. Cutler initially believes that the Dalai Lama almost takes the fact for granted, and Cutler reflects, "As I looked back over my years of psychiatric training, I could rarely recall having heard the word "happiness" even mentioned as a therapeutic objective. Of course, there was plenty talk about relieving the patient's symptoms of depression or anxiety, but never with the expressly stated goal of becoming happy. . . To my Western mind, it didn't seem the sort of thing that one could develop, and sustain, simply by 'training the mind.'"

Cutler's interviews with the Dalai Lama seek to identify a set of parameters, or, rather, a set of steps, that one can undertake in order to achieve happiness. As I read this book it became clear that identifying a prescriptive approach to happiness was not a satisfactory approach to attaining happiness as there are too many variables in individual lives. Cutler, I believe, also recognized this.

Although the book does not offer a set of parameters, it does offer a single thread that runs through the book, and through the lives of those that have attained true happiness: compassion. If we remove ourselves from an immediate and acute situation, lay aside our hot-headedness, our impatience, our frustration, our anger, our anxiety, our jealousy, our lust, our passion, and simply attempt to place ourselves in another's shoes, all of the above emotions seem to melt away. We look at one another with a fresh set of eyes and relate to one-another not as different genders, skin colours, religions, or races. Instead we relate to one another as human beings.

We are inter-connected with every single human being - as well as with every living thing - on this planet. Forgetting this simple fact is the root of all unhappiness. Remembering this fact, and living your life mindful of this fact, will help us achieve ultimate happiness and self-satisfaction (or should I say, self-LESS satisfaction!).

I highly recommend this book to all!

Namaste. :)