When you do understand this, you will also comprehend that by shifting your perspective you can find joy in any situation. Especially today – when we need to tend the better angels of our nature just a little more to reach a world bereaved of violence.

Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu should know this better than many. Both faced persecution for large periods of their lives; both had to live in exile. After a failed uprising and the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959, the Dalai Lama left for India, where he was active in establishing the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan Government in Exile) and in seeking to preserve Tibetan culture and education among the thousands of refugees who accompanied him. Tenzin Gyatso was the fifth of sixteen children born to a farming family. He was proclaimed the tulku (an Enlightened lama who has consciously decided to take rebirth) of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two.But it takes a lot of courage, dedication, and self-sacrifice to attain it and share it with others. I loved the simple message of finding joy. It seems to be a message that a lot of people are having a hard time finding these days. The concept of joy is illustrated by a colorful wisp like wind. The illustrations are whimsical and captivating. This story has a such a sweet sentiment. This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecendented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye.

Forgiveness. If you want to live in the present, forgiveness is your best shot at freeing yourself from the past. You’re doing everybody a favor. And yet – they managed to not only survive through it all but laugh it all away. They are “two of the most joyful people on the planet”– not despite their sufferings, but because of them. If you just focus on the thing that is making you sad, then the sadness is all you see. But if you look around, you will see that joy is everywhere. Two good friends, who both just happen to be Nobel prize winners, relate the story of finding each other as friends. United by the quest to spread peace and joy to their communities and to the world, their message is powerful. If you to look beyond the things that make you sad and find the joy that is everywhere, you will find peace. Rafael López’s wonderful mixed media illustrations carry this book, using rainbow colors and loving portrayals of the two men as boys. The art helps us celebrate the loveliness in small details all around – the birds in the sky, flowers, silly games shared with a sibling, and the loving hug of a caregiver. It is all in your mind. You can think of suffering as something which hinders happiness – but, if so, be prepared to be unhappy. Because suffering is inevitable. If you can’t change it – why should you maximize its effects by worrying about it?.

Who Should Read “The Book of Joy”? And Why?

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. Observing yourself, according to lo-jong, the Buddhist mind training practice, will only cause sadness. What you need in life is to build up a mental immunity. If you do it, you will still feel pain, but you will recover far easier.

Thinking about them and letting frustration build up will only do you harm. The only way you can control is your own reaction. So, what you should do is to accept the situation and use it as an opportunity to grow. And master the art of patience. A kind of a structured transcript of their discussions in Dharmsala; and one of the most beautiful joint efforts to discover the nature of joy, the obstacles which stand before us to attain it, and the pillars upon which it is founded.Expectedly, we didn’t hesitate for a second to include it in our list of best mindfulness books in history! They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu might not be from the same country or share the same religion but they have changed the world with their message of joy. They co-wrote a book called The Book of Joy and have now created a companion picture book to share this delightful message. It talks about their young lives and the challenges they faced especially making friends. Life might not be always easy but, It is a gentle reminder of the power of finding joy in the world around you. I highly recommend this book. Humor: joking is always better than not joking. Even if it means joking with your own faults. You are certainly not perfect – and that lifts a huge burden off your shoulders. Think about it. And who would know more about spirituality than Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, who share their knowledge in “The Book of Joy” ? Who Should Read “The Book of Joy”? And Why? On 17 November 1950, at the age of 15, he was enthroned as Tibet's ruler. Thus he became Tibet's most important political ruler just one month after the People's Republic of China's invasion of Tibet on 7 October 1950. In 1954, he went to Beijing to attempt peace talks with Mao Zedong and other leaders of the PRC. These talks ultimately failed.We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy—from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives.