
The Essence of Happiness
A Guidebook for Living
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Narrated by:
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Linda Emond
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Dion Graham
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Howard C. Cutler (introduction)
About this listen
The Dalai Lama inspired millions around the world with his wisdom and compassion in The Art of Happiness. Now, in The Essence of Happiness, further moving insights from His Holiness are here.
Offering sage advice on defeating day-to-day depression, anxiety, anger, jealousy, and other emotions that get in the way of true happiness, The Essence of Happiness contains transforming reflections on how to overcome suffering and obstacles to create a fulfilled, joyous life.
©2002 His Holiness the Dalai Lama (P)2010 Simon & Schuster IncListeners also enjoyed...
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The Dalai Lama will tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and that "the very motion of our life is toward happiness." How to get there has always been the question. With the help of a psychiatrist, he now gets the message across in a context we can easily understand.
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Great ideas...poorly read.
- By John on 08-29-04
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Emotional Awareness
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At their first meeting, a remarkable bond was sparked between His Holiness the Dalai Lama, one of the world's most revered spiritual leaders, and the psychologist Paul Ekman, whose groundbreaking work helped to define the science of emotions. Now these two luminaries share their thinking about science and spirituality, the bonds between East and West, and the nature and quality of our emotional lives. In this unparalleled series of conversations, the Dalai Lama and Ekman prod and push toward answers to the central questions of emotional experience.
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Ego run riot
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The Heart of Meditation
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama provides intimate details on an advanced meditation practice called Dzogchen using a visionary poem by the 19th-century saint Patrul Rinpoche, author of the Buddhist classic Words of My Perfect Teacher. The Dalai Lama deftly connects how training the mind in compassion for other beings is directly related to - and in fact a prerequisite for - the very pinnacle of Buddhist meditation.
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What a deep book....
- By Cian on 01-31-18
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How to Be Compassionate
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In How to Be Compassionate, His Holiness reveals basic mistakes of attitude that lead us to inner turmoil, and how we can correct them to achieve a better tomorrow. He demonstrates precisely how opening our hearts and minds to other people is the best way to overcome the misguided ideas that are at the root of all our problems. He shows us how compassion can be a continuous wellspring of happiness in our own lives and how our newfound happiness can extend outward from us in ever wider and wider circles.
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Listen, Learn, Practice, Repeat
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How to See Yourself as You Really Are
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In How to See Yourself as You Really Are, the world's foremost Buddist leader teaches listeners how to recognize and dispel misguided notions of self and embrace the world from a more realistic and loving perspective
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In Defense of the Narrator
- By Rita on 05-23-07
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How to Practice
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We all possess one common desire: the need for happiness and a meaningful life. According to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the ability to find true fulfillment lies within each of us. Now, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, Nobel Prize winner, and best selling author helps you begin the path to enlightenment in this easy-access reference for daily practice.
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This is a great book!
- By Bryan on 04-01-03
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The Art of Happiness
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Howard C. Cutler MD
- Narrated by: Howard C. Cutler MD
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Dalai Lama will tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and that "the very motion of our life is toward happiness." How to get there has always been the question. With the help of a psychiatrist, he now gets the message across in a context we can easily understand.
-
-
Great ideas...poorly read.
- By John on 08-29-04
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
-
Emotional Awareness
- Overcoming the Obstacles to Emotional Balance and Compassion
- By: Paul Ekman, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Narrated by: Richard Gere, Paul Ekman Ph.D.
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At their first meeting, a remarkable bond was sparked between His Holiness the Dalai Lama, one of the world's most revered spiritual leaders, and the psychologist Paul Ekman, whose groundbreaking work helped to define the science of emotions. Now these two luminaries share their thinking about science and spirituality, the bonds between East and West, and the nature and quality of our emotional lives. In this unparalleled series of conversations, the Dalai Lama and Ekman prod and push toward answers to the central questions of emotional experience.
-
-
Ego run riot
- By psychdoc on 03-27-09
By: Paul Ekman, and others
-
The Heart of Meditation
- Discovering Innermost Awareness
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Jeffrey Hopkins - editor/translator
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 3 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
His Holiness the Dalai Lama provides intimate details on an advanced meditation practice called Dzogchen using a visionary poem by the 19th-century saint Patrul Rinpoche, author of the Buddhist classic Words of My Perfect Teacher. The Dalai Lama deftly connects how training the mind in compassion for other beings is directly related to - and in fact a prerequisite for - the very pinnacle of Buddhist meditation.
-
-
What a deep book....
- By Cian on 01-31-18
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
-
How to Be Compassionate
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Jeffrey Hopkins PhD - editor/translator
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Hopkins PhD
- Length: 4 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In How to Be Compassionate, His Holiness reveals basic mistakes of attitude that lead us to inner turmoil, and how we can correct them to achieve a better tomorrow. He demonstrates precisely how opening our hearts and minds to other people is the best way to overcome the misguided ideas that are at the root of all our problems. He shows us how compassion can be a continuous wellspring of happiness in our own lives and how our newfound happiness can extend outward from us in ever wider and wider circles.
-
-
Listen, Learn, Practice, Repeat
- By KARGRV on 03-27-14
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
-
How to See Yourself as You Really Are
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Jeffrey Hopkins PhD
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Hopkins PhD
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In How to See Yourself as You Really Are, the world's foremost Buddist leader teaches listeners how to recognize and dispel misguided notions of self and embrace the world from a more realistic and loving perspective
-
-
In Defense of the Narrator
- By Rita on 05-23-07
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
-
How to Practice
- The Way to a Meaningful Life
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Hopkins PhD
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We all possess one common desire: the need for happiness and a meaningful life. According to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the ability to find true fulfillment lies within each of us. Now, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, Nobel Prize winner, and best selling author helps you begin the path to enlightenment in this easy-access reference for daily practice.
-
-
This is a great book!
- By Bryan on 04-01-03
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Becoming Enlightened
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- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
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Full of personal anecdotes and intimate accounts of the Dalai Lama's experiences as a life-long student, thinker, political leader, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Becoming Enlightened is a remarkable and empowering work that can be enjoyed by seekers of all faiths, at every stage of spiritual development.
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Not for a beginner
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An Introduction to Buddhism
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Speaking to an audience of Western students, the Dalai Lama shows us how to apply basic Buddhist principles to our day-to-day lives. Starting with the very foundation of Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths, he provides the framework for understanding the Buddha’s first teachings on suffering, happiness, and peace. He follows with commentary on two of Buddhism’s most profound texts: The Eight Verses on Training the Mind and Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, often referring to the former as one of his main sources of inspiration for the practice of compassion.
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A Struggle
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How to Expand Love
- Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In How to Expand Love, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, offers a simple yet illuminating program for transforming self-centered energy into outwardly directed compassion. Drawing on exercises and techniques established in Tibetan monasteries more than a thousand years ago, the Dalai Lama guides us through seven key stages.
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Masterpiece
- By Jason on 12-09-17
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Destructive Emotions
- A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama
- By: Daniel Goleman, Dalai Lama
- Narrated by: Ed Levin
- Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Buddhist philosophy tells us that all personal unhappiness and interpersonal conflict lie in the "three poisons": craving, anger, and delusion. With new high-tech devices, scientists can peer inside the brain centers that calm the inner storms of rage and fear. They also can demonstrate that awareness-training strategies such as meditation strengthen emotional stability - and greatly enhance our positive moods.
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Right Brain/ Left Brain
- By Shannon on 06-18-03
By: Daniel Goleman, and others
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Approaching the Buddhist Path
- The Library of Wisdom and Compassion
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Thubten Chodron
- Narrated by: Peter Aronson
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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The Library of Wisdom and Compassion collects the Dalai Lama’s decades of presentations of every step of the path to enlightenment. It has been compiled and coauthored by one of his chief Western disciples, the American nun Thubten Chodron. This first volume provides a wealth of reflections on Buddhist history and fundamentals, contemporary issues, and the Dalai Lama’s own personal experiences.
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Loved it!
- By Matthew Davis on 01-08-20
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
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The Book of Joy
- Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Douglas Carlton Abrams
- Narrated by: Douglas Carlton Abrams, full cast, Francois Chau, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The occasion was a big birthday. And it inspired two close friends to get together in Dharamsala for a talk about something very important to them. The friends were His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The subject was joy. Both winners of the Nobel Prize, both great spiritual masters and moral leaders of our time, they are also known for being among the most infectiously happy people on the planet.
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This book may have saved my life
- By R. Chandra on 02-08-17
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
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Beyond Religion
- Ethics for a Whole World
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Narrated by: Martin Sheen
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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The Dalai Lama, at his most compassionate and outspoken, here elaborates and deepens his vision for the nonreligious way. Transcending the mere "religion wars", he outlines a system of secular ethics that gives tolerant respect to religion, those that ground ethics in a belief in God and an afterlife, and those that understand good actions as leading to better states of existence in future lives. And yet, with the highest level of spiritual and intellectual authority, the Dalai Lama makes a claim for what he calls a third way.
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Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!
- By Mary on 12-20-11
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The Universe in a Single Atom
- The Convergence of Science and Spirituality
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Narrated by: Richard Gere
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Gallileo, Copernicus, Newton, Niels Bohr, Einstein. Their insights shook our perception of who we are and where we stand in the world and in their wake have left an uneasy co-existence: science vs. religion, faith vs. empirical enquiry. Which is the keeper of truth? Which is the true path to understanding reality?
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This book is right on the mark
- By Theresa on 09-24-05
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An Open Heart
- Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Richard Gere - afterword
- Narrated by: Nicholas Vreeland
- Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
When His Holiness the Dalai Lama came to New York City in 1999, he spoke simply and powerfully on the everyday Buddhist practice of compassion. An Open Heart lays out this course of meditation, from the simplest to the most challenging, describing the mental training techniques that will enable anyone of any faith to change their minds and open their hearts. Featuring an afterword by Richard Gere.
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Compassionate but Dry
- By Dionne Gordon on 09-01-05
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
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The Wisdom of Compassion
- Stories of Remarkable Encounters and Timeless Insights
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Victor Chan
- Narrated by: Rich Orlow
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Wisdom of Compassion offers rare insights into the Dalai Lama’s life and his efforts to translate compassion into action through deeply engaging, behind-the-scene stories about his interactions with remarkable people from all walks of life. This is the Dalai Lama at his most human, and most humane. We see how he approaches the world with playfulness, optimism, and a profound empathy for the suffering of others. Through his own conduct, he shows us the tangible benefits of practicing kindness, forgiveness, and compassion.
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Interesting anecdotes about the Dalai Lama
- By Mike on 01-16-13
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
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The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World
- By: Howard Cutler M.D., His Holiness The Dalai Lama
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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The Art of Happiness has become the classic guide to the Dalai Lama's enlightened approach to living. In this inspirational new volume, the unique collaboration between the Dalai Lama and the highly respected scholar Howard Cutler returns with a practical application of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual values to the stressful and demanding world we all live in today.
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Not what I expected?
- By Michael on 04-19-10
By: Howard Cutler M.D., and others
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The Path to Tranquility
- Daily Meditations by the Dalai Lama
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Narrated by: Robert Thurman, Laurie Anderson, B. D. Wong
- Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
- Abridged
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The Dalai Lama, a living symbol of holiness and selfless triumph over tribulation, has shared his philosophy of peace with today's turbulent world. Yet rarely do we hear him speak with such directness as in this collection of quotations drawn from his own writings, teachings, and interviews.
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The narration is just too demeaning to bear.
- By Scott on 10-11-12
What listeners say about The Essence of Happiness
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ben Vella
- 08-19-20
Good reminder works
Enjoyed this reading overall, but it is a reminder. Need to go into the other books to really gain insight and deeper understanding.
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-26-16
Surprisingly good
This was my first introduction to this philosophy of thinking, so I could hardly compare it to similar works.
As a book, it was well written and easy to understand.
As to the content, the essence I got out from it was the concept of repeated emotion will strengthen that emotion. Thus happiness is a thing we can cultivate through deliberate effort. There's no easy answer to how this cultivation should be done and the book is very clear about that.
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1 person found this helpful
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- MCory13
- 04-25-16
Simplicity that can change your perspective
Honestly helped change my perspective on a few things in my life. The simple language is easy to understand and the examples given really help get the points he's trying to make across and are relatable. Definitely worth a listen and I will reference back to this book I'm sure many times. This book caters to all people of all faiths but if you are a spiritual person that lacks any label, this little guidebook is perfect. Reminds us about kindness to all, explains compassion and helps you understand how your own perspective and reactions play the largest role in how you see life, see others and see yourself. And how this impacts not only your life, but all others as well.
Great narration and layout. A quick read.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Boo Songz
- 01-08-17
Enlightening
I really enjoyed this book. It made me rethink how I look at things and how I interact with people and the world around me. Thank you.
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2 people found this helpful
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- AugustoFMS
- 08-15-17
Pretty awesome
we normally forget some basic values that will always bring happiness. And with support of science, this audiobook is even more interesting.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sandrita 🙏🏼🌈
- 03-03-15
Loved it hits the heart and soul
Loved this book I listen to it many times
The things in this book will truly change how you live your life.
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2 people found this helpful
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- EmilyK
- 12-03-17
Meaningful Buddhist insights
While this wasn't my favorite of the Dalai Lama's audios, it was certainly worthwhile. Although the narrators were skilled, it was easy for me to space out and lose track of what they were saying. I didn't have that problem with the Book of Joy, for example. But I still learned some useful insights and was glad I had purchased the book.
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1 person found this helpful
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- mslamtntv
- 11-14-17
For everyone! And you won’t be disappointed!
I view myself as more of a spiritual person, not religious. But no matter your beliefs, the Dalai Lama’s words are relevant and timeless. He speaks from his heart, and his goal is to make your life, your soul, happier. I have been lucky to see the Dalai Lama speak in person. While I prefer to hear him directly, his message is conveyed exceptionally well through the narrators. I highly recommend this book, you won’t be disappointed!
AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY
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1 person found this helpful
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- dA opTimYsTiQue
- 11-29-16
Do you believe in happiness?
In a gist a guidebook to yourself for what is worth mentioning an attempt to recreate a better "you" ,which obviously depends upon your current perception of yourself and insatiable desire for self improvement. So let me ask you again ...Do you believe in happiness ? Is it for you ? If answered in the affirmative ...go on read the book !!
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1 person found this helpful