Alanna Thornton’s Reviews > The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World > Status Update

Fear and anger are two poles of our natural response, as we prepare to flee (fear) or to fight (anger).

“Once again, the path of joy was connection and the path of sorrow was separation. When we see others as separate, they become a threat. When we see others as part of us, as connected, as interdependent, then there is no challenge we cannot face-together.”

The words literally mean "having a bad (or good) axle." Was it a bumpy ride (dukkha), or a smooth ride (sukha)? Not a bad metaphor for life. What is suffering but a bumpy ride? Every life is rutted and no one can avoid some inevitable bumps, but so much is determined by our own perception of the ride. Our mind is the axle that often determines whether we experience the ride as bumpy or smooth.

“These are things that you can train, you can change, but we ought not to be ashamed of ourselves. We are hu-man, and sometimes it is a good thing that we recognize that we have human emotions. Now the thing is being able to say, when is it appropriate?"

"Do you wake up with this joy?" I asked. "Even before coffee?"
"If you develop a strong sense of concern for the well-being of all sentient beings and in particular all human beings, this will make you happy in the morning, even before coffee."

“I consider faith very important, but at the same time the reality is that out of seven billion people, over one billion people on the planet are nonbelievers. So we cannot exclude them. They are also our human brothers and sisters. They also have the right to become happier human beings and to be good members of the human family. So one need not depend on religious faith to educate our inner values."

"Something is lacking. As one of the seven billion human beings, I believe everyone has the responsibility to develop a happier world. We need, ultimately, to have a greater concern for others' well-being. In other words, kindness or compassion, which is lacking now. We must pay more attention to our inner values. We must look inside."