Thiền và nghệ thuật hạnh phúc

by Chris Prentiss

Ba chữ Hán được in trên bìa sách và nhiều chỗ khác trong cuốn sách này thường đi với nhau có nghĩa là “hạnh phúc”. Đứng riêng ra những từ này có nghĩa như sau:
[ 福 ] Phúc
[ 禄 ] Lộc
[ 壽 ] Thọ
“Ông Phật cười” vui tươi trên bìa trước của cuốn sách là hình vị Phật dễ mến và giàu lòng từ bi được gọi là Hotei ở Nhật và Pu-tai (Bố đại) ở Trung Quốc. Một số người cho rằng hình ảnh vui tươi này được vẽ ra dựa trên hình ảnh một vị thiền tăng tính tình kỳ quặc, thường lang thang du hóa và xin ăn khắp nơi, đã từng sống cách đây hơn một nghìn năm mà người ta tin rằng là hóa thân của Bồ tát Maitreya (Phật Vị lai) thường được gọi là “Vị Phật yêu thương” hay “Vị Phật thân thiện”. Cái bụng phệ của vị Phật này tượng trưng cho hạnh phúc, may mắn, sung túc và ngài mang đến cho mọi người niềm vui và tính 13 cách tự nhiên, vui vẻ.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Self Help, Philosophy, Buddhism, Zen, Psychology

ebook

First published May 1, 2006

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will teach you to stay happy despite all the challenging circumstances you will have to face in your life. The author uses philosophies by ancient Chinese philosophers and books in the best way possible.

What I learned from this book
1) What determines our happiness?
We all have a habit of going overboard with our emotions. We will be over joyful and carefree when something good happens or over dejected when something terrible happens. The author says that whatever happens in our life is totally irrelevant. The way we respond to it is the most important thing. He says that we should develop the ability to stay happy even in the toughest times.

“What determines each person's state of happiness or unhappiness is not the event itself, but what the event means to that person.”

2) What should you do if someone close to you is continuously making fun of your dreams and ambitions?
If someone is trying to say negative things to you, you should try to stay away from those people. The farther, the better. If your friends are behaving negatively, there is no reason for continuing that friendship. If you are a grown-up individual but still staying with your parents or siblings and they are trying to devalue you by saying that you are useless, the first thing you should do is to find a new place to live. You should stay away from them and contact them only when it is necessary and give a strict warning when they try to demotivate you. It doesn't mean to avoid your loved ones totally. But it is still better to keep a safe distance until they start to recognize your efforts and acknowledge your hard work. You should take charge of your life. The author says that it will be easier for you to succeed if you are surrounded by positive people instead of negative people.

"If you are surrounded by people who not only don't believe in your goals and your positive outlook on life, but who also continually try to tear you down, it will be extremely challenging for you to hold firmly in mind that you will succeed and that you can be happy."

3) What exactly does the word zen mean?
Oxford dictionary defines the word zen as a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition rather than ritual worship or study of scriptures. Chris Prentiss is describing it simply and beautifully in this book.

"Zen is a journey of exploration and a way of living that, in and of itself, does not belong to anyone's religion or tradition. It is about experiencing life in the here and now and about removing the dualistic distinctions between "I" and "you" between "subject" and "objective", between our spiritual and our ordinary, everyday activities."

My favourite three lines from this book

“The more you engage in any type of emotion or behavior, the greater your desire for it will become.”

"If you are surrounded by people who not only don't believe in your goals and your positive outlook on life, but who also continually try to tear you down, it will be extremely challenging for you to hold firmly in mind that you will succeed and that you can be happy."

“If you feel depressed for an hour, you've produced approximately eighteen billion new cells that have more receptors calling out for depressed-type peptides and fewer calling out for feel-good peptides.”

What could have been better?
I expected to learn something new from this book. Sadly there is nothing new in it other than what we already know. Still, it will be nice to read it to remind us about some concepts that we might have already forgotten.

Rating
3/5 This book is just 145 pages long and is explaining complex philosophies in the simplest way possible, which makes it a great choice for those who are new to the world of self-help books

[Nat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care for this book much overall, although the good news is that it is very short so it wasn't a big time investment, and there were a few ideas I liked. A newer friend suggested it and, although we have a few things strongly in common, I learned that love of this book was not one of those things. :-) Another friend said that hearing about it reminded her of the book The Secret, and that was my thought as well (though I haven't read The Secret and am basing that only on discussions I've had about that book.)

The main premise is that in order to be happy you just make yourself believe that EVERYTHING that happens to you is a great thing, and that whatever happens is the "best possible" thing that can happen to you in your life. This is based on a sub-premise that the universe is perfect, and watching out for you, and will never allow anything that is not in your best interest. He only spends one paragraph referencing the most horrible things that can happen (infant death, murders, rapes, etc.) and suggests that a person "not begin" with these things. The implication is that at some point one could GET to the point of being able to believe that the rape and murder of the child really WAS the best possible thing that could EVER happen to you! Because that is what the universe provided, and the universe is NEVER wrong! Now, it may very well be that if you are able to think like that, you may be happier. I would be happier also if I could convince myself that there is a monkey living in the trunk of my car who will hand me a thousand dollars every time I open the trunk. Sadly, though, I am unable to believe that. And it seems to me that the universe has provided countless examples of its lack of concern for human life. It may never do anything that hurts the universe. But it can be quite unkind to victims of floods, famine and violence.

I think this philosophy is easier to believe if you live in a very rich country like the USA, you have your basic needs met, and you just feel slightly unfilled about not having achieved everything you quite desired in your life. But, I'm not sure this book would be very helpful to a victim of a hideous crime, a terrible accident, or ongoing poverty. Are these folks all pessimists (and am I?) for not buying this?

He talks about the connection between stress and physical health, and made some excellent points there. And he told a great story about having his brand new car dented, and not becoming upset with the other driver. And I thought that was a great approach to handling the situation. A dent really can't cause you sadness, if you think about it the right way. But, he also insists that while on the ground follow a very dramatic head injury with a massive rock, his very first thought (while unable to breath or move) was that it was the best possible thing that could have happened to him. (Does anybody think that is even possible, given the human impulse to fight for life, which even suicidal people have when helpless?) He goes on to say that without that attitude, his recovery would not have been as swift and other issues may have resulted. But, I ask..why would these other "bad" things be bad, if it's really true that EVERYTHING that happens is always for our benefit? In fact, why behave in any way whatsoever that might be an attempted to improve your future? If everything that happens is always for you benefit, I see no reason to do much of anything to try to make life better. That's the part I found fairly dangerous, along with the notion that every unhappy person is basically to blame for their own misery, no matter the circumstance.

I wonder, should it even be a goal to feel happy all the time no matter what happens? Is this even a healthy response? There is no doubt that sometimes we look back on experiences we had hated, and found that they resulted in positive things down the road. And there is little doubt that positive thinking can go a long way toward lifting one's spirits, and helping a person to focus on possibilities yet ahead in life. But this book takes it a few steps too far, in my view. On the other hand, if it works for you...I say, be happy and enjoy.

[Halsey Vandenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has changed my life. I’ve recommended it to everyone from my closest friends and family to complete strangers because if you are ready to begin your search for truth, this book is the place to start. The simplicity of its values is powerful, and the information and knowledge in it is so practically helpful to just being happy! Zen and the Art of Happiness succeeds in showing the reader that in every single situation, the best thing one can do is be happy about whatever is happening to or around them! “Everything that happens to you is the best possible thing that could be happening to you at that time.” If you keep to the principles talked about by Chris Prentiss, you will undoubtedly lead a happier, more fulfilling life. This book is a perfect starting point for preparing oneself to follow their own path of truth.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an enjoyable little book. A lot of what's in here I already know, but it's nice to be reminded to not dwell too much on things that are out of one's control. This book reminds us to focus on the present and the now - the past is done and the future has not yet begun.

[A.F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the quotes from this book sums up the book for me:
"You should not be surprised at whatever you see or hear...If you are ready to accept things as they are, you will receive them as old friends." Shunryu Suzuki
This book contained a number of things that I've previously heard or read but that I found of value in being reminded. The author states that what one has after reading the book is intellectual knowledge but, it's value is based on putting that knowledge into practice. Focus on what is occurring in the present--the positives and the less then positive events--and ask yourself, "what good will come from this?" I got alot from this book and plan on keeping it handy to go back to frequently.

[Jess Dunphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had many great philosophies tucked away inside it - many of them from ancient Chinese philosophers - that rang true with my beliefs and ideals on life, which is why I think I enjoyed it as much as I did. The main philosophy that the author focuses on is "everything that happens to me is the best possible thing that can happen to me", and reiterates throughout the book that believing this statement is the most important step towards achieving happiness, despite the hardships, the losses, the good times, and the bad.

The idea is a simple one, but at the same time requires incredible perseverence and a strong mind-set. I believe though, that it truly is possible to be happy simply by changing the way you think, and by believing that everything that happens to you was meant to happen, and that in the end, it was for the best. I can believe this because it has happened to me on several occasions - I have learned a hard lesson, I have become a better person, or I experienced something, or met someone, I would not otherwise have done if that seemingly 'bad' event had not occured.

I also have a problem with thinking negatively, over-thinking situations, and stressing and worrying. This book helps you to deal with those problems, and I'm going to try hard to overcome them by adopting these philosophies into my life.

Some of my favourite philosophies and quotes stated in the book are these:

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. It is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts." - The Dhammapada.

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so" - William Shakespear.

"Everything comes at the appointed time."

"The more you engage in any type of emotion or behaviour, the greater your desire for it will become."

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge with it, move with it, join the dance." - Alan Watts.

"Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free: Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate." - Chuang Tzu.

It's a very helpful little book with some important lessons, that like anything in life really worth doing, will take time and practice and determination to achieve them. Definitely worth the read.

[Brennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to rate. Depending on your take, the ideas of this book either 1) unlock the secrets of the universe; or 2) are so simple they are laughable.

I am going to split the difference and give it 3 stars - and if the ideas work after 3 months, I will considering upping it to 4 or maybe even 5 stars depending on how widely the universe opens up to me.

This book proposes a few basic ideas about finding happiness, and it basically boils down to the following premise: "Every event that befalls us, is absolutely the best possible event that could occur." Put another way, "Everything that happens to us only happens so that we can be benefited to the maximum amount possible."

Being a therapist who sees more complexity to human suffering that this, I could easily scoff at the idea. But I also see a possible truth in the simplicity of this. And being an active and practicing Mormon, this is very consistent with the tenants of my faith which basically say that God, in his infinite wisdom, views all of our life experiences - especially the difficult ones, as ways to give us experience that shall be for our good (Doctrine & Covenants 122:7).

So I am willing to go with it for awhile and see where it takes me. But . . if I vanish in 3 months, you will know I have transcended human experience and have become one with the universe.

[Samidha; समिधा · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually LOA stuff, but still good.

[Kristiyan Velkov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книгата е приятно четиво за вечерта преди лягане.

[Stacia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this little book. Maybe the ideas aren't anything necessarily new, but they came at a time when I was open to internalizing them. I plan to keep this book handy for frequent re-reading.

11/28/12 - I just finished reading this for the 3rd time. If I was stranded on an island with only one book, this would be the one I want.

1/3/2015 - I've now read this 4 times. I can't believe it's been over 2 years since my last read. It was a great way to start off the year.

1/2/2016 - I guess it's an annual tradition for now to read this at the beginning of the year. It's always interesting to see what stands out on a reread, depending on where I find myself in life.

1/2/2017 - Annual read completed. I'm consuming a lot of content about mindfulness lately and this book fits in nicely.

1/3/2018 - This year's read is complete. I'm improving at applying the principles to many situations, but some of the big stuff (chronic illness, political disaster) are still hard to see as the "best possible thing that could happen."

1/1/19 - Another year, another discovery of bits I hadn’t focused on previously. It’s always worth the time to read this little book and be reminded that while the world around me may not be within my control, my reactions to it are.

1/4/20 - Frustrated with work. Reading this book helped me reassess my approach.

1/1/21 - Reading this through the lens of today, having just closed out a horrendous 2020, was both comforting and difficult.

1/1/22 - Most years, I read this book and look forward. This year, I felt a lot more reflective.

1/1/23 - Trying to make sense of the last year instead of feeling kind of beat down. Everything that happens is the best possible thing... (Read partially on the terrace on a 60º day after my brother's family visited.)

1/3/24 - That was an interesting read after last year's surprises (including major surgery) and what we anticipate happening this year... (It took me 3 days to read due to migraines. Ugh.)

1/1/25 - (moved to Storygraph) 2024 move & business year, 2025 biz & health stuff

[sanjaay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came to me at a crucial time, as I've been thinking about my "spiritual position", my "personal philosophy" and "who I am" :)

I had two big takeaways from this book -- firstly, there's a lot of merit in appreciating that whatever happens to you, "good" or "bad", is ultimately for your own good. Events are events, and how they're interpreted makes all the difference in the impact the event leaves on you, so you have more agency on how the world seems to you than you think. I know of many who would put off this notion that all which happens to everyone is for their own good as illusory and misleading, to which I have no answer because it's possible that one can only experience the positives of this approach if they take a leap of faith and fully immerse themselves in this mentality. I, for one, am going to try. And I'm making this claim here because I have to hold myself to it - it is hard to thank the Universe for giving you the chance to stub your toe at your table so that you can release the pressure in some part of your body, but I'm willing to give it a try!

Secondly, expectations. We go about expecting too much, and many of these expectations are generally very arbitrary, but eventually, they end up causing one suffering when they are not met. I've been in situations where I've been exceedingly annoyed because of my own expectations. So it felt quite.. strange.. to see that maybe the world isn't flawed - it's just your perceptions of the world which may need some reworking, and this thought gave me some assurance, that the answer is within us.

I could go on forever about what I've learnt from this book, but I'll focus on these two areas for now :) and I know already that I will be coming back to this book in various parts of my life, even if I don't agree with or practice every single thing said here at every single point of my life. Maybe with experiences, with time, each word in this book and each concept it puts forth will have a different meaning to me :)

Thank you, Zen and the Art of Happiness. I had a tiny smile in my mind as I read you :)

[Petar Ivanov · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is nothing so special about this book. The essence of the books is to be calm, focused and living at the present moment. It's about thinking that everything happened to you is for the best.
If you are already familiar with the Zen philosophy, I don't recommend this book because, in my opinion, you will not find anything new and helpful. Otherwise, if you are just starting to grasp and get familiar with the Zen, then probably, it could be useful for you.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author does have some good points in the book that make you reflect a little, but over all the book is a let down. The shameless marketing of his other books and treament center was a little annoying and not very insightful, along with the recommendation to just be happy, because once you're happy you'll continue to be happy. Well, duh - if it were that easy, wouldn't eveyone do it?

[Harikrishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

என்ன நடந்தாலும் நான் மகிழ்ச்சியாக இருப்பேன், இருக்க முயல்வேன்..

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this little jewel of wisdom because it is concise. All that I've heard, discovered, and practiced in my life was reiterated by the author and his points of view. Throughout the narrative there are great quotes from fearless sages, monks, swamis, and wise figures of history and culture. This book is very encouraging, not only because you can read it in a day, but because of the language and the flow of its content. Some reviewers have problems with the author mentioning his treatment program and centers in California, but I thought it only added to the book. They weren't annoying or in abundance. They are there for a reason and that is to make points and to stress those points. He's making a point by reliving the events. One of the points is on the events in life being the Universe's way of communicating. The events retold emphasize that point and make the reading experience all the more valuable. His examples were apt. I did not see them as pitches. All in all the most I got out of this book was that some people believe in God, Allah, Buddha, polytheism, and this book professes the religion of the Universe - that overarching, metaphysical energy that we all feel but label as God - the soul, etc. This is my belief - I am a Universalist - if there is such a thing. The instincts I have and the connection to every little speck of dirt, moon rise, or stray hair is all important and catches my attention. All the details add to the experiencing of events and that's this book in a nutshell. It has a greater consciousness that most books of this nature do not. It tells it like it is in many different ways but always comes around to the same point, no matter how differently stated. I really like this book.

[Lynnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book seemed simplistic and was definitely a quick read, it touched upon the basic truth that achieving happiness can be just that... simple to attain with the right mindset.

I do think it got a little off track from time to time, especially with some plugs for other books and his rehabilitation center. But that aside, I would recommend this book to anyone struggling with the search for happiness.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me sum this book up - When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, Don't worry be happy, and finally the Universe loves you.

[NiteReader · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 70%
What a letdown.
Save your money.
Skip it.

[Annelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this little book, it was a gift from a dear friend <3

[Aurelio Roncarati · Rating 1 out of 5]

Questo libro illustra molti concetti fondamentali dello Zen ma si concentra eccessivamente e ingigantisce l'importanza data ad alcune sue componenti, in particolare:
- la provvidenza: ogni accadimento viene interpretato come un messaggio dell'universo che andrà inevitabilmente a nostro vantaggio. vengono portati esempi a mio parere non pertinenti e iperbolici a sostegno di questa tesi.
-autosuggestione: strettamente collegata al punto precedente l'interpretazione di ogni fenomeno come positivo può essere ricondotta alla semplice autosuggestione. la ricetta segreta sarebbe di interpretare in questa chiave ogni fenomeno.

Questi due punti focali fanno in modo che la persona si consideri al centro dell'universo e degli avvenimenti, atteggiamento che per quello che mi è capitato di leggere e per la filosofia contenuta in molti dei libri citati dall'autore (es. dhammapada, tao te ching, zhuangzi), porta ad una visione estremamente egocentrica del mondo. Questo eccessivo focus sul sé tempo che possa sfociare in un'eccessiva colpevolizzazione e locus of control interno come suggerito da uno degli ultimi esempi proposti dall'autore.

In conclusione lo ritengo un testo contenente alcune basi della filosofia Zen ma che rischia di fuorviare e condurre su una strada eccessivamente polarizzata su alcune tematiche per una persona che si avvicina per la prima volta a questi argomenti (sottolineo questo aspetto poiché la brevità del libro e la sua semplicità ne farebbero l'esempio perfetto per chi si voglia approcciare allo Zen).

[Natasha Kareeva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Немного спорная для меня ( для такого непросвещенного ) мне легче думать, что фраза Все что не делается, то к лучшему - звучит больше как фраза неудачников. Но а так и правда, то что случалось в моей жизни, когда я чувствовала себя полным лузером, потом становилось в разы лучше. Но я думаю, это благодаря моим выводам и работам по ошибкам, а не то, что я сложила руки и То, что не делается, то к лучшему. Вот такой я не просвещённый, а дикарь реалист и не прибудет со мной дзен и медитация ( хотя, конечно надо бы)

[Viet Hung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Một cuốn sách hay dành cho các tín đồ tư duy t��ch cực. Cuốn sách này cũng minh hoạ rõ nguyên lý "Less for more". Dù là một cuốn sách ngắn, nó đã nói được rất nhiều điều sâu sắc, mang tính thức tỉnh về triết lý sống.

Xin chia sẻ đây các trích dẫn mà tôi tâm đắc.
- Sự hoàn hảo có ở khắp nơi nếu ta biết nhận ra nó - Okakura Kakuzo
- Có một con đường duy nhất đưa bạn đến hạnh phúc lâu dài. Con đường đó chỉ đơn giản là: Bạn hãy thấy mình hạnh phúc.
- Thiền chỉ đơn giản là trạng thái nhất tâm ở đây và bây giờ - Alan Watts
- Thiền là một hành trình khám phá, là một lối sống và bản thân nó không thuộc về một tôn giáo hay một truyền thống tâm linh nào cả. Thiền liên quan đến việc trải nghiệm cuộc sống trong cái ở đây và bây giờ và trong việc xoá bỏ sự phân biệt nhị nguyên giữa "tôi" và "anh", giữa "chủ thể" và "khách thể", giữa các hoạt động tâm linh và những hoạt động bình thường hằng ngày. Thiền liên quan đến việc nhìn vào bản chất thật sự của mình, sống trực tiếp với nó và biểu đạt nó.
- Thiền chỉ đơn thuần giúp ta tỉnh giác và trở nên có nhận thức đầy đủ. Thiền không dạy cho chúng ta. Thiền chỉ rõ cho chúng ta thấy - D.T. Suzuki
- Thiền trong khi làm việc một việc gì đó là làm việc đó với một sự tập trung trí tuệ đặc biệt, với sự bình thản và trong sáng của tâm thức, nó mang lại cho chúng ta sự trải nghiệm giác ngộ và qua sự trải nghiệm đó ta có được hạnh phúc.
- Để đạt được kinh nghiệm giác ngộ, các vị thiền sư phải thiền định nhiều năm, thậm chí vài chục năm. Thiền sinh phải tập trung vào những công án trong nhiều năm trời. Những người đã đạt được mục đích của mình chứng thực rằng kinh nghiệm giác ngộ đó chỉ đến trong một thoáng bất ngờ và chỉ tồn tại trong giây lát nhưng nó có uy lực làm thay đổi con người họ mãi mãi.
- Giác ngộ là gần gũi thân mật với tất cả mọi thứ - Thiền sư Đạo Nguyên
- Ta suy nghĩ như thế nào thì con người của chúng ta như thế ấy. Toàn bộ con người của chúng ta dựa trên những tư tưởng của chúng ta, được hình thành do những tư tưởng của chúng ta - Kinh Pháp Cú
- Chúng ta là tác giả của mỗi giây phút sắp đến.
- Chúng ta là những sinh vật có quyền lực; chúng ta tạo ra tương lai của chúng ta bằng những tư tưởng và hành động của chúng ta.
- Bạn tin như thế nào thì mọi chuyện sẽ xảy ra với bạn như thế ấy.
- Ngày nào cũng là một ngày tốt đẹp cả - Vân Môn
- Mọi chuyện đều đến đúng vào thời điểm thích hợp.
- Nếu bạn thực sự biết cách sống thì có gì tốt hơn là bắt đầu một ngày mới bằng một nụ cười. Mỉm cười sẽ giúp bạn giải quyết những việc trong ngày của bạn với sự hiền hoà và cảm thông. Hãy mỉm cười trọn vẹn với con người mình - Thiền sư Thích Nhất Hạnh
- Nếu bạn không tìm thấy chân lý ngay nơi bạn đang ở thì bạn mong tìm chân lý ở đâu chứ? - Thiền sư Đạo Nguyên
- Cả hạnh phúc và khổ đau đều không nằm trong chính bản thân sự việc.
- Mỗi một hành động đều tạo ra một hồi ứng và hồi ứng này hoàn toàn phù hợp với hành động đó.
- Hãy suy nghĩ với toàn thân - Taisen Deshimaru
- Điều cao quý nhất là điều phục được tâm của chính mình - Atisha
- Hãy quan hệ với những người đồng hành xứng đáng cho dù việc đó làm cho bạn khổ sở hay cô đơn.
- Nhìn thấu suốt được bản chất là cửa sổ mở ra giác ngộ - Hakuun Yasutani Roshi
- Cách duy nhất để làm cho sự thay đổi có ý nghĩa là lao tới theo nó, đi cùng với nó và nhảy múa với nó - Alan Watts
- Hãy trôi theo cùng những sự việc có thể xảy ra và hãy để tâm mình tự do. Hãy vững vàng bằng cách chấp nhận những việc mình đang làm. Đó là điều cơ bản nhất - Trang Tử
- Ở Viễn Đông, có một lối suy nghĩ xem hạnh phúc là biết được những gì mình không nhất thiết phải có.
- Tìm được sự điềm tĩnh hoàn toàn giữa những chuyện đổi thay là tìm được Niết bàn - Shunryu Suzuki
- Khi bạn có thể trầm tĩnh ở giữa nơi xao động, đây là trạng thái thật sự của thiên nhiên. Khi bạn có thể hạnh phúc giữa lúc gian khổ thì bạn thấy được tiềm năng thật sự của tâm rồi đó - Huachu Daoren
- Những người có tầm nhìn hạn chế thường sợ hãi và do dự. Họ càng vội vã thì họ càng đi chậm hơn - Tổ Tăng Xán
- Sự việc là sự việc, tình huống là tình huống. Mọi chuyện tuỳ thuộc vào cách bạn phản ứng như thế nào trước một sự việc hay một tình huống. Bạn cần phải chọn cách phản ứng.
- Điều khó khăn nhất trong việc loại trừ stress là phải kiểm soát được trí tưởng tượng của mình để có thể hình dung ra một hậu quả tốt đẹp cho một sự việc hay tình huống thay vì một hậu quả tồi tệ.
- Điều gì đã tạo cho ta nỗi buồn phiền và niềm vui sướng? Chính chúng ta tạo ra tất cả bằng trí tưởng tượng của chúng ta.
- Đừng đuổi theo quá khứ. Đừng đánh mất chính mình trong tương lai. Quá khứ không còn nữa. Tương lai thì chưa đến. Chỉ có hiện tại, tuệ quán chính là đây. Biết vậy nên tu tập; không động không lay chuyển - Kinh Nhất Dạ Hiền Giả
- Thiền định là một kỹ thuật giữ cho ta không phân tâm, tập trung vào giây phút hiện tại.
- Việc thực hành thiền là nhằm tạo cho chúng ta thói quen nhìn bản thân cuộc sống một cách tập trung và cân bằng - quan sát chứ không phải là phản ứng lại, cưỡng lại sự thôi thúc phán xét những sự việc như là những sự việc không tốt.
- Thiền định không phải là chạy trốn cuộc đời, mà là sự chuẩn bị để thực sự sống trong cuộc đời - Thiền sư Thích Nhất Hạnh
- Bạn hãy nhớ rằng Thiền có nghĩa là làm bất cứ việc gì và làm mọi việc với một sự tập trung và tỉnh giác đặc biệt của tâm.

[Michele Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book, perfect for the fact that concentration completely eludes me lately. Gently points out a different way to approach what we view as good things and bad things. Plan on rereading, will have to get past the commercials for his work with the I Ching again, but now I am curious about that too.

[scl.ashx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything is happening just as it should. It’s only our perception of difficulties that causes us the distress and the difficulty we experience.

3.5

[Romy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book has good themes however undermines mental health and it’s influence on happiness

[Zohreh Samiei · Rating 5 out of 5]

دوستت داشتم
ساده اي و قابل فهم و خواندني
تنها بايد خواندت
و تو خود ضرب مي شوي در ثانيه هايم
مي دانم كه باز هم به سراغت خواهم آمد

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished my second read-through. A nice and simple book to pick up at any time and flip to whatever chapter you need applied to your life at the moment. Would be 5 stars but I still think the writing can be a little basic and there’s too many anecdotes for my taste, but nevertheless I got some value out of it.

My goal in life (and what I assumed the meaning of life always was) was simply to “be happy” or “achieve happiness”… Even after reading this book (which this surely wasn’t its intention), I’m not sure that’s my goal anymore. It’s a bit of a shallow and selfish thought to simply ‘be happy’ and that’s all that matters, in my opinion. I don’t think that’s my goal anymore. I have my own personal goal now and it’s a much more challenging one, but maybe happiness will be a by-product of that… either way, this book has some valuable lessons and thought-provoking things to be learned.

[Gnana Sujan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me a collection of good ideas to follow.

The concept of happiness is itself conveyed very uniquely.

Everything that happens to us is for the greater good.

Focusing on what an incident might benefit us.

The future and past are not infinite, they are not even here. Present is the infinite moment because that is here.

Our reaction to things is what we call the emotions of happiness or sorrow.

If we perceive that everything happens for a good reason it will help us to move forward.

We are a part of the universe. The universe always does good to itself, including us.

A great book to read when you are feeling low in your life.

[Mihaela Lixandru · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se citeste usor

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suppose the real power of this book is if it can really help the reader or not. For some it may help a lot, others may find it too simplistic. If you are looking for an in-depth book on Zen then this is not your book.

My reasons for liking this book are mainly personal. It aligns well with my personal beliefs and philosophies so it did help me. Many of the lessons of this book are things I had already heard of but needed reminding. For example how crappy or good life is, is a matter of perception. Events in life hold no meaning, in and of themselves, only the meaning and significance we attach to them. We control the meaning we attach to events, we can look at an event and think "oh this is the worst thing ever, my life sucks" or "man this was a difficult experience but it taught me so much that it was very beneficial". When I lived in Brazil I saw abject poverty but I was always surprised by how happy most of the poor were. It astonished me, because based on my "western" indoctrinated way of thinking life should only be happy based on what we have or don't have. According to that line of thinking poor people should be the most miserable people on the planet, but many of them are not. Why? Because poverty in and of itself doesn't cause unhappiness the meaning we attach to it does. Tell a poor person how sad and pathetic you think his life is and tell him he is a victim of a cruel world and you may take from him his one power to transcend his circumstances, namely his own positive perceptions of his life.

This is type of thinking is the difference to living a happy and fulfilling or a negative and depressing one. It is how we can be the master's of our own universe.