Happiness Is Overrated
Simple Lessons on Finding Meaning in Each Moment
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- $22.99
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
Stop chasing happiness and reconnect to the meaning of each moment through this practical guide, told through vignettes of life training as a Buddhist monk under world-renowned spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh.
We spend so much time in pursuit of happiness—trying to purchase it, experience it, meditate our way toward it—but happiness is elusive and doesn’t last. According to the teachings of the Buddha, Cuong Lu writes, “Suffering is not a problem to be solved. It is a truth to be recognized.” Happiness Is Overrated invites us to look deeply at the truths in our lives—not glossing over or denying our suffering—and to focus on the meaning and value already within us.
Each chapter of Happiness Is Overrated shares a lesson drawn from Buddhist psychology, accessible for all readers. Short practices at the end of each of the 30 short chapters help readers apply the teachings on their own.
Happiness Is Overrated helps us get in touch with our true selves and our true minds, through meditation and mindfulness practices that include paying attention to the breath, observing our minds, connecting with our hearts, practicing “interbeing” with others and the Earth, and more.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this enlightening guide, Buddhist teacher Lu (The Buddha in Jail) lays out lessons on finding value in every emotion. Rather than seeking happiness at any cost, Lu writes, readers should realize that all feelings can spur growth, and even suffering can be a "doorway to awakening." To that end, Lu distinguishes between the "ordinary mind," which makes judgments, and the "raw mind," which "embraces everything" and involves a state of emotional openness. As well, death can "give meaning to life" (and accepting it lets one become more free), and suffering "helps us remember the past and become present with what is in our life now." Throughout, Lu supports his arguments with vignettes from his life at the French Plum Village monastic community; his relationship with Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh; and his work as a prison chaplain. The author skillfully distills Buddhist psychology down to graspable spiritual principles and delivers them in a compassionate tone, making for easy reading and lessons readers will be able to apply to their lives. This deceptively brief entry has insight to spare.
