To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Matthieu Ricard's meditation on happiness shows that practicality. Matthieu Ricard gave up a career in cellular genetics at the Institut Pasteur to study Buddhism in the Himalayas. It has helped me to be a better listener, to not react, and to not let her negativity make me angry and negative. After training in biochemistry at the Institute Pasteur, Matthieu Ricard left science behind to move to the Himalayas and become a Buddhist monk -- and to pursue happiness, both at a basic human level and as a subject of inquiry. If it's internal, then we all have to recognize what we conditions we need internally to be happy and "bring them together." How can we possibly place these above true and lasting well-being? Interestingly, Ricard was on his way to being an academic and biologist when he decided to become a Buddhist monk. For a writer to do it delve into the subject of happiness requires either a large degree of foolhardiness or a lot of courage. Actually, debate is always a healthy phenomenon when it comes to ideas and how to be happy has been a subject of inquiry as long as people have existed. This was a book that prompted me towards deep self-reflection. On the same topic. It's hard to write a review about this one. Matthieu Ricard grew up among the personalities and ideas of French intellectual circles. There was a problem loading your book clubs. This was a bit more of a touchy-feely self-help book than I was expecting, but between the occasional unsupported claims and vague platitudes there was some interesting stuff along the axes of Buddhist philosophy, Western philosophy, social science, and neuroscience. It provided me with clarity on topics I have intuitively been in touch with. In Happiness, Matthieu Ricard demonstrated that true happiness is not tied to fleeting moments or sensations, but is an enduring state of soul rooted in mindfulness and compassion for others.Now he turns his lens from the personal to the global, with a rousing argument that altruism - genuine concern for the well-being of others - could be the saving grace of the 21st century. I especially appreciated the chapter on the remedies for disturbing emotions - contemplating the antidotes (patience for anger, altruistic love for hatred, inner freedom for desire), feeling the emotion separate from the storyline, and using the emotions as catalysts once the fixation has been dropped. Also emphasized are that the positive emotions need to be cultivated and that they don't simply arise out of the absence of the negative amotions such as anger or hatred. I wasn't sad or depressed with my life - things were normal in the normal meaning of the word and neither was I looking forward to "happiness". Matthieu Ricard is very wise and clear in his articulation of philosophy--reading this I was inspired to change aspects of my own life, and truly believed in many of the things he shared. However this is a good book, as it carried a different out take on the concept of happiness with many valid examples. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill, Little, Brown and Company; Reprint edition (January 5, 2007). This Ted Talk (20.54mins) the Habits of Happiness - Matthieu Ricard starts with an analogy - that no-one wakes up in the morning and wants to suffer. The meditation exercises throughout were nice and I liked how they helped you apply the principles he discussed. Matthieu Ricard's meditation on happiness shows that practicality. Listened to the audiobook version and found it extremely difficult to understand his thick French accent at times. It's clarity of mind, loving-kindness, the withering of negative emotions, and "the disappearance of selfish whimsy. Insightful, and a joy to read.. worth every penny! This Ted Talk (20.54mins) the Habits of Happiness – Matthieu Ricard starts with an analogy – that no-one wakes up in the morning and wants to suffer. Matthieu Ricard is the author of Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill and Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World. If i picked up this book earlier in my life , i would have left it unfinished , because I used to think i'm such a happy person. Ricard details various studies done where scientists are able to measure brainwaves of trained meditators vs. control subjects and see drastic differences. Matthieu Ricard is one of the most sane, yet happy, people one could ever wish to meet. Matthieu Ricard on Buddhism and Happiness 2016-01-15 / meditation. The French-born Tibetan Buddhist monk reframes happiness not as pleasure but as practice that requires discipline — akin to marathon training or learning chess. This is a sort of holistic look at happiness from the perspective of a Buddhist monk who was originally formally trained as a scientist and grew up around philosophers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Like most of us he is in search of happiness, but he has reached that point where he understands that many of the decisions he made in his life, which seemed to bring him calm and satisfaction, only added stress and tiredness. This has to be one of my favourite books on happiness and positive psychology. I do agree with other reviewers that this was a little light on science and a little preachy at times. Matthieu Ricard is helping us redefine happiness in a culture convinced that it’s a passive experience. In this book he shares his wisdom about happiness drawing from thirty-five years of studying Buddhism and psychology. I like the feeling of empowerment Ricard wants his readers to leave with, but I do sense a bit of preaching from time to time. I devoured this book in a matter of days. And as someone that already has, it was an enjoyable & informative read about something I already do. Unable to add item to List. Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? I also sent it to my sister who seemed rather down and is "searching" for happiness right now. Adding part Buddhism and part science, this book gives you ideas to implement and live, starting right now. Matthieu Ricard - Why Are You Called the Happiest Man in the World? It's not joy, for similar reasons. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. This talk was presented at an official TED … Well, this book did change my life - I ended up going to a somewhat intensive meditation retreat of 9 days as a consequence of events that were triggered from this book. The meditation exercises throughout were nice and I liked how they helped you apply the principles he discussed. It's "a state of being." Understated title. Matthieu Ricard grew up in France as a pretty normal guy, and embarked on a successful academic career, becoming a doctor in molecular genetics. takes over thus producing anger (if we are feeling threatened, fearful, insecure), envious (vs happy) for the other, prideful, agitated, etc. This video is included in the free online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course (MBSR) by Palouse Mindfulness (http://palousemindfulness.com/). There's also a lot of anecdotal discussion of meditators dealing with extreme circumstances, specifically Tibetan monks who were imprisoned and tortured for years but showed very little psychological trauma upon their freedom. There's a lot to wade through, here, but at its heart, the main goal seems to be to convince us that meditation is really what we should all be doing to improve our general wellbeing. He claims that the book is not Buddhist, but it is. Matthieu goes on to discuss – I specifically appreciated the chapter on anger. This is the most inspiring book I have read recently. There's a lot to wade through, here, but at its heart, the main goal seems to be to convince us that meditation is really what we should all be doing to improve our general wellbeing. I have put this book aside for the meantime. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. This is a wonderful book. The French-born Tibetan Buddhist monk reframes happiness not as pleasure but as practice that requires discipline — akin to marathon training or learning chess. Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! Welcome back. When defining happiness, he gets right to it, discussing what it might be and what it isn't in refreshingly simple, practical ways. This is a sort of holistic look at happiness from the perspective of a Buddhist monk who was originally formally trained as a scientist and grew up around philosophers. Instead, it's a long slow process of "applying appropriate antidotes to negative emotions and . Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. I picked Ricard because of his scientific credentials, he is an ex-molecular biologist gone monk, interfacing now with scientists on studies of meditation. But a number of things have come together just at this point in my life to cause me to pay special attention to this idea. You may discover other attributes in this book:). Most highly recommend. For me, this book brought in balance. Why you should listen. by Little, Brown and Company. I, for one, am totally sold on this. So why complain about the perseverance needed to become a well-balanaced and truly compassionate human being?” such a inspiring book, I could give more than 5 stars to this book. So happiness is something that human beings would like to experience. Some good practices are given to handle the more difficult emotions and to cultivate the more posit. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2010. I found this book to be just ok. We’d love your help. Honestly, this book makes you assess your life, way of thinking, and way of being. In this groundbreaking book, Matthieu Ricard makes a passionate case for happiness as a goal that deserves as least as much energy as any other in our lives. Happiness, a state we all think we want, can't be dependent on external circumstances. With Matthieu Ricard, Tania Singer, David Steindl-Rast. I took it more as psychology and how our ego (which is really non-existent bc it's only a thought in your mind) ((which isnt the mind also ephemeral? That is, I can imagine reading it and not taking it seriously, and not getting very much out of it. Biochemist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard says we can train our minds in habits of well-being, to generate a true sense of serenity and fulfillment. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book), The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation, The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want, Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World, The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life, In Search of Wisdom: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on What Matters Most, Freedom for All of Us: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on Finding Inner Peace, Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions, A Liberated Mind: How to Pivot Toward What Matters, Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety, Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World, The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation, Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. Harmony with ourselves, harmony with the world around us. I will be using these skills for years to come. Aside from these few instances, Ricard makes a tr. ", This book is a wonderful read for anyone interested in gaining an understanding of meditation, basic Buddhist thought, and non-western ethical thought. Biochemist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard says we can train our minds in habits of well-being, to generate a true sense of serenity and fulfillment. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2011. Excellent guide to some of the ideas behind developing happiness and working with negative bad-habits. It touches on Buddhist themes, without getting too preachy or religious. With Matthieu Ricard, Tania Singer, David Steindl-Rast. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. 1 of 5 6.37min Matthieu Ricard responds to questions from Bethnal Green Academy and Hampton School students; questions pertain to the relationship between meditation and the activation of certain areas of the brain. In this book he shares his wisdom about happiness drawing from thirty-five years of studying Buddhism and psychology. Matthieu Ricard is very wise and clear in his articulation of philosophy--reading this I was inspired to change aspects of my own life, and truly believed in many of the things he shared. I appreciate the mix of science and spirituality. It is wise and practical. In this book he shares his wisdom about happiness drawing from thirty-five years of studying Buddhism and psychology. 10 likes. I devoured this book in a matter of days. I can't just read this the once. This book did help me to take a different look at how my "disturbing" emotions do impact my well being. “We try to fix the outside so much, but our control of the outer world is limited, temporary, and often, … He should have had someone else record it. (ofcourse life can't be turned instantly happy by jus. In this book he shares his wisdom about happiness drawing from thirty-five years of studying Buddhism and psychology. Born in Aix-les-Bains, Savoie, France, he is the son of the late Jean-François Revel (born Jean-François Ricard), a renowned French philosopher. Ricard, 71, is a Tibetan Buddhist monk who moved to the Himalayas from France in his 20s and became a monk at age 30. Most "suffering" thoughts (he calls them toxic) are life-draining, right? nourish(ing) positive ones." I also sent it to my sister who seemed rather down and is "searching" for happiness right now. Ricard does a wonderful, thoughtful job at presenting the science behind mediation, or perhaps the justification for why you should bring it into your life. Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2016. It's not just a matter of learning to love ourselves as we are, because that's just "a way of wrapping our habits up in a pretty package." Matthieu drew some of his advice on the matter of happiness from standard Buddhist doctrine: Attachment, grasping, and instrumentalizing, all … A very thorough and life-changing book, I will certainly re-read it to fully absorb all the concepts and understand the complex ideas, it has already changed the way I think about quite a lot of things. This books discusses a range of concepts like EGO, happiness, inner freedom, enlightenment, Buddhism core values and others. Ricard does a wonderful, thoughtful job at presenting the science behind mediation, or perhaps the justification for why you should bring it into your life. Matthieu Ricard's meditation on happiness shows that practicality. Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill by Matthieu Ricard, … This is a great read. Matthieu Ricard grew up in France as a pretty normal guy, and embarked on a successful academic career, becoming a doctor in molecular genetics. Matthieu Ricard - Why Are You Called the Happiest Man in the World? It is amazing and inspiring and I have started to re-read it. I do agree with other reviewers that this was a little light on science and a little preachy at times. As a side note, the brain activity which signals someone is happy was tested in the author and he scored off the charts. Happiness is not self-interested, but rather compassionate, seeking the well-being of others. Matthieu Ricard, the author of this book, has a lot of courage. http://www.ted.com What is happiness, and how can we all get some? The most valuable thing. Biochemist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard says we can train our minds in habits of well-being, to generate a true sense of serenity and fulfillment. I read this while struggling taking care of my aged and bitter mother. This book is in many ways a life changing read that makes you a better and more discerning person at the end of it, able to hate the wrongdoing but empathize with the pitiful condition of the wrongdoer, able to forgive in order to remove the pain in one's own heart, able to love all sentient beings as one's own ego ... An interesting philosophical and scientific look at Happiness within life and Buddhism. Alejandro is an ordinary man, as probably you and me. When defining happiness, he gets right to it, discussing what it might be and what it isn't in refreshingly simple, practical ways. A MUST READ! ― Sunday Times Matthieu Ricard combines the talents of a philosopher and scientist -- … Matthieu Ricard gave up a career in cellular genetics at the Institut Pasteur to study Buddhism in the Himalayas. I think this book is particularly important because of its incorporation of compassion and empathy. This book has so many levels and facets to study so that you’ll never be the same person again. The most valuable thing about this book is Ricard's attempt to relate the riches of the Buddhist tradition to modern (mostly Western) discussions of happiness. My perception was that he was explaining where some ideas he mentions are coming from but he was not pushing Buddhism. And I will be doing that for some time to come. Ricard was a scientist before deciding to enter a monastery, having gained a doctorate in molecular genetics from the Pasteur Institute in the early 1970s. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. The four noble truths tell us that to be happy we must first discover the causes of our unhappiness. I have read and re read and re read this book in the last few months. And gave me strength. Please try your request again later. An excellent introduction to a kind of agnostic, existential Buddhism that is appealing to Western scientific minds. This was good. He claims that the book is not Buddhist, but it is. Choose to be happy and read this book to improve and increase your life. But actor Richard Gere and the French author and monastic Matthieu Ricard share a serious commitment to Buddhism, and they agree that real, lasting happiness is beyond conditions and circumstances. (ofcourse life can't be turned instantly happy by just reading a book about happiness). In this book he shares his wisdom about happiness drawing from thirty-five years of studying Buddhism and psychology. Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk, trained as a molecular biologist before moving to Nepal to study Buddhism. Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2019. They also tested others who meditate and practice loving-kindness and they all scored super high. This book is a wonderful read for anyone interested in gaining an understanding of meditation, basic Buddhist thought, and non-western ethical thought. Fitness? This was a book that prompted me towards deep self-reflection. I would recommend this book to be read, re-read and contemplate upon the ideas in it. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Would have appreciated some more research peppered in. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Ricard strongly emphasizes that diligent practice is the key to happiness, that we confuse pleasure and desire with happiness, and that true happiness is constant and maintained from within, not reliant on external circumstances. This is the most inspiring book I have read recently. It's not pleasure, because that becomes sated. Please try again. But this one is a true gem ... Great perspective on happiness from one of the world's most accessible Buddhist thinkers. even better, if only every human being would apply it, Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2017, Wow, an amazing journey awaits you in this book, Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2020. Also emphasized are that the positive emotions need to be cultivated and that they don't simply arise out of the absence of the negative amotions such as anger or hatred. Matthieu Ricard gave up a career in cellular genetics at the Institut Pasteur to study Buddhism in the Himalayas. All else will fall into place. I have purchased 9 so far and am sure to buy more . But I loved this book is not given to us, no is misery imposed. you... My longer term flirtations with Buddhism led me to take a different look at my! 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