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Happiness and How It Happens: Finding Contentment through Mindfulness [Hardcover]

The Happy Buddha
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
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Book Description

10 Oct 2011 Mindfulness
Happiness and How It Happens reveals how happiness is a state of being we all want and can have, because happiness is our true nature! Suryacitta, aka The Happy Buddha, explores what happiness actually is and how we all can achieve it through the transformational practice of mindfulness meditation.

Frequently Bought Together

Happiness and How It Happens: Finding Contentment through Mindfulness + Seeking Silence In A Noisy World: The Art of Mindful Solitude (Mindfulness) + The Art of Mindful Gardening: Sowing the Seeds of Meditation (Mindfulness)
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Ivy Press (10 Oct 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1907332936
  • ISBN-13: 978-1907332937
  • Product Dimensions: 13.7 x 20.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 121,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

Happiness and How it Happens: Finding Contentment Through Mindfulness may not be the catchiest title on the planet, but what did catch my attention, made me smile and made me take more than a passing look at the galley proofs that landed on my desk was the nom de plume of the author, who calls himself The Happy Buddha. As any good book-commissioning and copy-editor will tell you, what you are looking for in a new title, fiction or non-fiction, is the 'voice' - something that connects reader and author and a memorable way - and this dear little almost old-fashioned-looking book has that in spades. It's author, Suryacitta Malcolm Smith (OK, the Malcolm Smith bit was also a little unexpected, but Suryacitta, I am sure, is his adopted Buddhist name), is a member of the Western Buddhist Order and has practised meditation for more than two decades, leading workshops, courses and retreats across Europe on the art of happiness. I must admit, I always wonder when I read these wonderful 'biogs' - which, like the bionotes we publish in this magazine, basically tells you why this person is qualified to make a pronouncement on this or that matter and why, if they do, we should listen - whether these authors also have to do the shopping, hang out the laundry, walk the dog, hoover the carpets, make a cream tea for the inlaws.....But I digress. Anyway, there it is, a good strong voice, and whilst not a new topic - how-to books on meditation are ten a penny - it has an interesting enough angle, examining the role of meditation in creating and maintaining greater happiness and wellbeing in Western folk. And as teh behind-the-scenes editor, I had, of course, the advantage of knowing we would be publishing a whole slew of articles on happiness in this issue and that some of those would most likely make mention of meditation as one of the tools we can harness to generate more wellbeing and thus more happiness. So, very early one Sunday morning whilst the rest of my household slept - quietly and hopefully happily - I opened the bedroom windows so i would hear dawn creeping in over the sea, read this little book from cover to cover, and liked it. A great deal. The central premise is that happiness is our natural state, which means all we have to do is stop making ourselves 'unhappy' and allow that natural state of happiness to just be. And the way we stop making ourselves unhappy is to meditate, and in so doing we learn to marshal and eventually banish all the nasty little thoughts, including envy, self-pity, expectation, etc, that make us miserable. By meditating, we let go of these thoughts and then keep that newly empty mental space 'clear' for happiness to resurrect itself. (If you meditate you know all this, but this book is aimed at the novice, not the experienced practitioner). And if we want to be happier and stay happier, The Happy Buddha suggests we also need to get a grip on the notion that the past is gone, the future hasn't happened and so all we really have to deal with is the here and now, which we can improve if we would only stop making ourselves unhappy. "In the present moment", he writes, "there are no problems and no anxiety. When we live in the present moment we are in touch with our deeper wisdom, and with wisdom we know how to live a good life". And it works. Because for a whole week after reading the book, I practised what I had read and was a much, much, much nicer person, and as a result of being so much nicer, I was much, much, much happier with me. So, as I have said, I like this little book. I like its voice. I like what it is proposing. I would not, of course, pass it along to anyone living in a refugee camp or a war zone or to the parents and carers on a cancer ward - all of whom have every right to be spectacularly unhappy - but I would pop it in a Christmas stocking. --Resurgence November/December 2011

'What is the meaning of life? To be happy and useful.' So thought the fourteenth Dalai Lama. Human beings strive to attain a state of happiness, yet what does it mean to be fundamentally happy and how can this be achieved? The answer is surely through the Buddhist idea of mindfullness. Surycitta's inspiring and elegant guide asserts that we enter life in a natural state of contentment, one that becomes alien as we mature, and give undue importance to external validation, little realising that the key to true contentment lies within. Mindful meditation and awareness are the keys to enlightenment and the various exercises included offer a persuasive path to regaining equilibrium. --The Good Book Review Dec 2011

About the Author

Suryacitta, aka The Happy Buddha, is a member of the Western Buddhist Order, and has led retreats in Europe on the art of happiness for over eight years.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Happiness 30 Nov 2011
Format:Hardcover
This is a nice book, very attractively produced and amazing value. It is an excellent introduction to a proven approach to developing lasting happiness based on the wisdom of the Buddha. It is devoid of any jargon and takes the reader directly to practical approaches whilst explaining in a very accessible way why and how they work.This book is one of a type - the author clearly has a good background in Buddhist practice but is also heavily influenced by neo-advaita. In this respect it reminded me of the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and I can imagine it becoming just as popular. In my opinion it deserves to. It is actually ten times better than the Power of Now in that it actually gives the reader something to DO to be happy. Maybe that's the Buddhist in the author talking. The great weakness of Eckhart Tolle and other "non-dualists" is that although they may give a person a glimpse of some kind of immediately accessible non-dual "high" this will not be enough to deal with the negative mental habits they will inevitably have accumulated. When simply being in the moment leaves them still feeling miserable the poor punter is left feeling dejected and gropes for yet another book or pricey workshop. To his credit Suryacitta is very aware of this and encourages us to face our demons fearlessly. However the Buddha also emphasised a path based on ethics and renunciation and these aspects are hardly mentioned in this book. Perhaps that's the non-dualist talking (or rather not talking!). These subjects are deeply unfashionable as they are seen as onerous and burdensome but the path of ethics was actually taught as an opportunity to deepen our joy and to seek the joy in others.... Read more ›
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars So how does happiness happen? 28 Sep 2011
Format:Hardcover
At first glance, the most obvious thing about this excellent little book on mindfulness and meditation is just how beautifully produced it is. It's a pleasure just to pick it up and browse through it. Somehow, the care the publishers have taken with the book's appearance both reflects its theme and adds to its impact.

So, how, according to Suryacitta, does happiness `happen'? He gets straight to the point - "Happiness is our natural state. It happens when we stop making ourselves unhappy by believing in the stories the thinking mind throws up".

It's all very well to say this, one might think, but anyone who's tried to make miserable thoughts `just stop' will know that it's not easy at all - it can seem quite impossible.

Fortunately, many Buddhist traditions have been exploring this for millennia, and what Suryacitta presents here epitomises some of the most pithy and direct methods that these traditions offer. "Being in the present moment is the secret to a life of unconditional happiness and freedom. But how do we do it? The key is simply to notice, without judgment or criticism, what takes you away from the present and then return to the felt experience of the present."

That just about sums it up. I like the way that Suryacitta keeps emphasising that while this is simple, it's not necessarily easy. This goes against our conditioning - it feels like simple things should be easy. Cultural norms tell us that happiness lies in having desirable objects, desirable relationships. Simplicity sounds a bit ... boring. Yet we long for it "People complain about their lives being stressful, hectic, over-complicated and with little or no room for the simple things that they want to enjoy". Changing our external conditions is really just more of the same.
... Read more ›
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sprinkled with magic 9 Dec 2011
By Nicky
Format:Hardcover
I've just finished this wonderful book and can't wait to start re-reading it all over again. Suryacitta has managed to get to the very heart of what life is all about. It is so simple but so profound. If more people read this book the world would definately be a better place! I have done a little bit of meditation and mindfulness work in the past but I have just bought three more copies as gifts for people I know have not, as this book is so accessible and relevant to everyone. The book is beautifully presented and the content is even better. I would highly recommend it.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide to mindfulness 13 Jun 2013
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
A REALLY HELPFUL BOOK. Well written. You can dip into it or read from cover to cover. Highly recommended. Also makes a nice present. Beautifully bound book. A treasure !
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Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Good seller, quick delivery, packaged well.

I loved the fact this is a real book, spine, hardback etc really well thought of.

If you are interested in this topic, as I am, it's worth a read. I find it's helpful to read a few different books on the topic as they are all written differently, covers the same or similar topics but are approached differently, which I find interesting and adds to my learning experience and thought process. Some are easier to digest than others so it's best to read a few so you know which approach works best for you. I found this book interesting.

I recommend this book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, Profound & a Pleasure to read 22 April 2013
Format:Hardcover
After reading this lovely book, shared by a good friend and yoga teacher, I was compelled to give my young-adult children their own copies to have as guidance and inspiration for living peacefully and contentedly. In a world filled with endless, competing sources of information and advertisements for how to be happier, better, more accomplished, fitter, richer, less this or that, it is easy to get caught up in the pursuit of things and goals and idealized, imagined versions of happiness. We chase performances and achievements, whether running marathons or getting promoted or accumulating degrees, friends or places visited. This book gently shows how we can be content wherever and with whomever we are, right now.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring book for mindfulness practice
This is a really inspiring and wonderfully simple book about a complicated subject. Beautifully presented, easy to understand on a deep level and a real help to someone struggling... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jpeat
5.0 out of 5 stars A small gem of a book
In the interests of transparency, I should say that I have known Suryacitta for a very long time, and so when he told me that he was working on this book, I was eager to see the... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Will Buckingham
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, enjoyable and very insightful - great book for anyone...
I have read many books on mindfulness, Buddhism, meditation and I found this one was particularly well written. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Clarita_t
5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Book
This book is so beautiful. It feeds the soul and calms the mind. Unlike many other books, the lessons are accessible and achievable by all. It is full of warmth and comfort. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Star16
5.0 out of 5 stars A truly lovely book
It is very hard to add further comment to the wonderful reviews on this book already. What I love about this book is that Suryacitta writes in a way which is accessible to all.. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book
It's hard to add further to the incredible reviews to date for this wonderful book. I would certainly echo and endorse the previous reviews whole-heartedly. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Heather-Ruth
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book ever
This book has changed my life. I absolutely love this book, and so does my husband. We have both re-read it. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Karen Leicestershire
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a meditation book without the smug undertone!
I have read a number of meditation books in the past, and I've found most to have something of a smug 'I know something you don't, and I think I'm dead good because of it' vibe. Read more
Published 16 months ago by TeamZD
5.0 out of 5 stars calming and grounding
Suryacittas book did two things for me.

First thing: Every time I opened it and started to read, I felt much more calm and peaceful than before. Read more
Published 17 months ago by christiane
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book
This is a beautifully produced book, full of stimulating ideas. It will offer the reader a new option for dealing with the stresses and unhappiness of modern living. Read more
Published 17 months ago by John
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