The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness Paperback – May 27, 2008

We often hear and talk about the different way of thinking - Eastern or Western and left brain vs right brain. But rarely do we see a work that brings it all together in easy to understand language. The Joy of Living really does a great job of explaining how the mind works and how to make the mind work for you and what you want."The mind is the source of all expereince, and by changing the direction of the mind, we can change the quality of everything we experience. When you transform your mind, everything you experience is transformed."The book is divided into three parts. Part one is "The Ground". To trully understand the benefits of meditation, you need to understand how the mind works and what we need to do to make it work for us. Here Yongey goes into great detail to explain the different parts of the brain and their function. He also enlightens the reader with the movement of scientific research concerning the mind and how the Eastern and Western thoughs are moving toward the same goal.Part two is The Path. Here Yongey gives detailed instructions on the various methods of meditating. His explanations are very easy to understand and follow. Unlike many books I have read on meditation, he tries to make it simple and workable. He is not so much concerned with technique as he is with results.Part three is The Fruits. This is simply a recap of the benefits to be gained from meditation.Even if you never plan to do any formal meditation, there is a lot to be learned from this book. Basically we grow up thinking in dualistic terms - that is self vs others, mine vs theirs, having or not having. When we think this way, we are bound by limitations. This way of thinking is a habit and habits can be changed.There are basically two concepts that cause the majority of our problems - attachment and aversion. We become attached to the way we want things to be and have an aversion to change. The lessons about reality and preception are extremely good.Do not expect to read this book once and become enlightened. There are many concepts that will take time to sink in and become part of your way of thinking. It is a book that will need to be studied and the concepts put into practice to give you the ultimate - The Joy of Living.

This book delivers what it promises: a practical guide to happiness, based on a unique fusion of Buddhist philosophy with modern psychology. It turns out that what we know about how the brain works has been practiced by Buddhists for years.I'm an atheist and I didn't find the religious aspects off-putting, because they were very downplayed. Instead, it reads more like a personal memoir and practical guide to meditation, with explanations of why meditation works (from both a scientific and Buddhist point of view).When it comes to some of the sketchier ideas like reincarnation, he addresses them in a practical way that explains why they are important to Buddhism and meditative practice, but doesn't try to convince you - he allows the reader to make her own choice of accepting these ideas or not, still making use of the rest of the book in either case.If you are unhappy in your life, want to try out meditation, want to learn more about Buddhist philosophy, or the science of happiness, have anxiety, depression, or too many racing thoughts, try this book.On a personal note, I have suffered from depression for many, many years, and this book helped me significantly. It didn't have an overnight effect, but it helped me frame my thoughts and troubles in a different way. The big challenge is making the concerted effort to put these concepts into practice on a daily basis, which is what is needed for real and dramatic change.

This book is just amazing. I am a beginner in Buddhism and this is the first book I've read for my introduction. I can only say that it's the most useful book I've ever read. Everything is explained in simple terms and everyone can understand what's in this book. In fact, english isn't my main language and I had absolutely no trouble in reading this book.What else can I say...enjoy the wisdom that's within these pages. It saved me. I used to live a chaotic life(with drugs, sex, alcohol and everything related), but this book just made me see things in a different perspective. And now I'm living a peaceful and joyful life without the need of external stimulants. The Buddha is in every one of us. Peace

I bought this book about 4 years ago, and finally picked it up and read it about 8 months ago. I will be forever grateful that I did.Frankly, the science portion of the book (maybe the first third) is great for what it is, but the real gold comes from the author's gentle, encouraging and empowering words on meditation. I found myself thoroughly persuaded by his argument that all of us have the choice to be happy in this world. Beyond just words, Mingyur Rinpoche provides the actual instructions for finding inner peace.After reading the book I was inspired to start a daily meditation practice, which has provided me with much greater perspective on my life, with less stress over the daily nonsense we are all consumed with 99% of the time. Reading this is a step in the right direction for anyone looking to get more enjoyment and meaning from their life.As others have maybe said, this book is geared mostly towards people without too much experience with meditation, although I believe it would be of benefit to practitioners of all levels.