If there is anyone on Earth who seems to have discovered the secret to leading a happy life, it is the Dalai Lama. He has faced trials and adversities difficult for most of us to imagine, having been forced, along with thousands of other Tibetans, to flee his homeland after the brutal invasion by Chinese forces and then to live most of the last forty years in exile.

Yet even in this tragic situation, he has not only functioned as the spiritual leader of his people and a tireless advocate of human rights, but has maintained a serenity, a joyfulness, and even a sense of humor that, given his personal circumstances, seems no less than a miracle.

What appears to be a miracle, though, is actually the product of decades of study and training in Buddhist principles themselves thousands of years old. For the first time, these ideas and methods are made accessible to readers of all backgrounds in THE ART OF HAPPINESS: A Handbook for Living (Riverhead Books; Publication date: November 2, 1998; Price: $22.95). A unique collaboration between the Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cutler, an American psychiatrist, THE ART OF HAPPINESS brings together Eastern wisdom and philosophy with Western pragmatism and psychology to present a program for a happier existence that readers can immediately enact in their own lives.

Impressed by the spiritual leader's apparent sense of fulfillment and inner peace, Cutler set out to identify the ways in which the Dalai Lama's beliefs and practices could be utilized by non-Buddhists. Together, they explore the many facets of everyday life, including relationships, the pursuit of wealth, anger, jealousy, and the loss of loved ones, and detail how anyone can find the inner peace and happiness that so many of us desire.

In this revolutionary new book, the Dalai Lama begins by addressing a question that has troubled and perplexed humanity for centuries-- What is the purpose of life? To the Dalai Lama, the answer is surprisingly clear: "Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we are all seeking something better in life. . . . the very motion of our life is towards happiness." To achieve that lofty purpose is a matter of identifying and cultivating those factors that lead to happiness, and eliminating those that lead to suffering. Although the answer seems simplistic enough, most people don't know how to apply that idea in their daily lives.

In THE ART OF HAPPINESS, the Dalai Lama presents the crucial tools -- mental exercises and meditations -- for forging that more serene inner state. In addition to taking readers through the general steps of change -- learning, developing conviction, determination, action, effort -- the authors discuss strategies for overcoming specific obstacles we face in our everyday lives.

What makes THE ART OF HAPPINESS so compelling to contemporary Western readers is that the Dalai Lama's message is not based on blind faith or religious dogma but on sound reasoning and direct experience. In fact, as Cutler continually documents, contemporary scientific and psychological studies support many of the Dalai Lama's arguments. His views stem not only from the 2,500-year-old Buddhist tradition but also from his sophisticated understanding of modern life arising from his position as a world leader. Personalizing the book's complex philosophical ideas, the Dalai Lama rather candidly describes his own struggles with various obstacles-- such as the loss of his mother and brother, his life in exile, the responsibilities and pressures placed on him as a world leader -- and Cutler demonstrates the ways the Dalai Lama's principles successfully helped himself at various points in his life as well as many of his patients.

Those who meet with the Dalai Lama in person are often visibly affected by the experience; in the same way, THE ART OF HAPPINESS -- in which the great spiritual leader conveys his beliefs and practices on the page more candidly and directly than ever before -- is a life-changing book that is certain to move, inspire, and better all who read it.   

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