Douglas Abrams Books
Douglas Abrams is an author and literary agent known for facilitating dialogues on spirituality and science.
Known for: The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
Books by Douglas Abrams
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
The Book of Joy is a collaborative work between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with writer Douglas Abrams. It explores the nature of joy and how to cultivate lasting happiness even amid suffering and adversity. Through a week-long dialogue in Dharamsala, India, the two spiritual leaders share personal stories, philosophical insights, and practical guidance on finding joy through compassion, gratitude, and forgiveness.
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The Nature of True Joy
The first subject we discussed was the nature of joy itself. The Dalai Lama began by distinguishing between pleasure and joy. Pleasure is sensory; it depends on external conditions—a delicious meal, a warm bath, the praise of others. But such pleasure, he smiled, is unstable. When the cause disappea...
From The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
The Obstacles to Joy
The Dalai Lama often says the mind is like a lake. If it’s disturbed by anger, fear, or self-centered thoughts, we cannot see clearly. The obstacles to joy are precisely those disturbances—fear that the future will fail us, anger at the past, envy of others, and habitual self-criticism. These emotio...
From The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
About Douglas Abrams
Douglas Abrams is an author and literary agent known for facilitating dialogues on spirituality and science.
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Douglas Abrams is an author and literary agent known for facilitating dialogues on spirituality and science.
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