Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill

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Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill

by Matthieu Ricard, Jesse Browner (Translator), Daniel Goleman (Foreword by)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 811 ratings · 98 reviews

A molecular biologist turned Buddhist monk, described by scientists as "the happiest man alive," demonstrates how to develop the inner conditions for true happiness.

Paperback, 304 pages

Published January 5th 2007 by Little, Brown and Company (first published 2003)

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Apr 24, 2012 Matthew Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Matthieu Ricard goes out of his way in his introduction to claim that his book, “Happiness”, is not a “Buddhist” book but a secular book; yet he finishes chapter one with a brief vocabulary of Buddhist “states-of-being”. I hoped this was a one-off, a brief indulgence of his particular worldview. Unfortunately not. It wasn’t that he talked too much about the Buddhist practices and views on his subject matter, but that he didn’t speak enough about the science supporting it.
I would have liked more...more Matthieu Ricard goes out of his way in his introduction to claim that his book, “Happiness”, is not a “Buddhist” book but a secular book; yet he finishes chapter one with a brief vocabulary of Buddhist “states-of-being”. I hoped this was a one-off, a brief indulgence of his particular worldview. Unfortunately not. It wasn’t that he talked too much about the Buddhist practices and views on his subject matter, but that he didn’t speak enough about the science supporting it.
I would have liked more scientific language as it is the only neutral, universal dialogue on offer. If the ‘truths’ of his eastern practices are objective and empirical, surely he should be able to speak of them in such a way. Instead, he often resorts to strange, ‘mystic’-sounding phrases. For example- (page 25) “Every being has the potential for perfection, just as every sesame seed is permeated with oil.” This is not an extended analogy, it just comes out of nowhere. He then jumps to a simile about beggars and treasure. And, more worryingly, he offers no qualification for the word “perfection”. Of course to define every word would be a pointless exercise, but Ricard goes too far the other way and allows his words and phrases to remain vague. Perhaps this is to impress the middle-class, Western reader looking for a bottled-and-labelled brand of Buddhism, for whom I presume this book is intended.
Which touches on another issue that I have with “Happiness”. It lacks real-world application, unless you have the education, time and (as paradoxical as it seems) money to spend your time and energy on such “happiness-seeking”. I believe in what he espouses and know the benefits of meditation myself, but I fail to see how people steeped in the everyday problems that Ricard has escaped by hiding in the mountains can apply these measures. Not to mention that he is not speaking in either a language nor from a platform that we working-class generally relate to.
In ways, Ricard’s views of happiness are as extreme as those he reacts against, those “French philosophers” who told him happiness is unimportant. I think there is a subtlety to experience/life that is not acknowledged in his worldview, likely because he believes that because happiness is what we all strive for, it is therefore what life is ‘about’. I think there is more; just as you wouldn’t read only one book, or visit one place, no matter how good, you should experience the other literature, other cultures, other feelings. And this is not because happiness is “better experienced when compared with pain”; this is because pain, jealousy, unhappiness, etc., hold other pieces of information, that happiness alone can’t hold.
I don’t contest his views on happiness in isolation, nor his methods for cultivating it- I contest the place and priority he affords happiness in life.
There are other aspects which I simply am not clear on and need clarification, which means- I freely confess- that he may well be correct on these matters, but without further answers, I won’t know. For instance, the desire to lack attachment to a dead loved-one because that attachment “does no good to others or to oneself”. (page 68). I agree about the uselessness of such a post-mortem attachment, but I can’t imagine a healthy, lasting love without that kind of attachment in its life- the belief, prior to their departure, that without them you would cease to work, or be happy, or live. And I don’t understand how to have such an attachment and then simply sever it once they are gone. It seems that the functionless after-death attachment is unfortunate but necessary to have the kind of love beforehand that I desire.
If it seems I’m being particularly critical, it’s because I am. And I am being so severely critical because I expect more. I believe that Matthieu Ricard is genuinely heading in the right direction with this idea, and further down the road than most others, and because of that I want to get the most of his and similar philosophies. The truth is I agreed and empathised with 95% of what he has written in “Happiness”. But I didn’t want to just praise those things, I wanted to push for better. That’s what makes me happy.

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Mar 30, 2010 Tatiana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, worldsaving, science

I can imagine reading this book at some other life juncture and thinking "ah, that's nice" and moving on. That is, I can imagine reading it and not taking it seriously, and not getting very much out of it. But a number of things have come together just at this point in my life to cause me to pay special attention to this idea. It's very scientific and it's very simple.

1. Brains are quite plastic. Just as we might completely rewire the brain/nerve/finger connection by practicing guitar for 10,000...more

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Aug 24, 2009 Happyreader rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: spirituality

Ricard strongly emphasizes that diligent practice is the key to happiness, that we confuse pleasure and desire with happiness, and that true happiness is constant and maintained from within, not reliant on external circumstances. Also emphasized are that the positive emotions need to be cultivated and that they don't simply arise out of the absence of the negative amotions such as anger or hatred. Some good practices are given to handle the more difficult emotions and to cultivate the more posit...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Joshua Berg rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the most inspiring book I have read recently. I picked it up when I was feeling depressed and I was starting to get into learning about Buddhist thought. It is amazing and inspiring and I have started to re-read it. I also sent it to my sister who seemed rather down and is "searching" for happiness right now. As a side note, the brain activity which signals someone is happy was tested in the author and he scored off the charts. They also tested others who meditate and practice loving-kin...more

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May 04, 2013 Suhrob rated it 3 of 5 stars

My longer term flirtations with buddhism led me to finally try to read a book on this topic. I picked Ricard because of his scientific credentials, he is an ex-molecular biologist gone monk, interfacing now with scientists on studies of meditation.

Unfortunately the book didn't really grab me on any level. It mixes basics of buddhist teaching and metaphors with little bits of (western, analytic) psychology, some anecdotes and entry level introduction into meditation practice. All however feels f...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Kevin S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Matthieu Ricard is a long time Buddhist monk who in his 20's was a promising neuroscientist complete with phd. His father is a French philosopher with whom he published a best seller in Europe: 'The Monk and the Philosopher'. Happiness' is deeply thought out to no surprise and full of quotes and thoughts dating back to Seneca. Seldom do I plan to re-read a book, but this is one.

The root message is the benefit of 'mindfulness' and Ricard presents many scientific footnotes to support his premise....more

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Dec 13, 2010 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

I appreciate the mix of science and spirituality. I devoured this book in a matter of days. I like the feeling of empowerment Ricard wants his readers to leave with, but I do sense a bit of preaching from time to time. He claims that the book is not Buddhist, but it is. Ricard even chooses sometimes to compare Buddhism with monotheistic religions, outlining, in his opinion, the clear superiority of the Buddhist philosophy in leading a happy life. Aside from these few instances, Ricard makes a tr...more

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May 10, 2013 Anurag Gupta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, life, spirituality

I read it my fall semester of 2L year. THE BEST BOOK EVER. It allowed me to access my inner beliefs and validated my own life experiences, visions, hopes, and dreams. Matthieu is His Holiness's personal French interpreter, as well as a reknown Buddhist monk himself - he uses humor and stories to illustrate and discuss some of life's most profound challenges. I have re-read the book twice since 2009, and I hope to do it once again sometime this summer. It's one of those books that you continue to...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Alb rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book did help me to take a different look at how my "disturbing" emotions do impact my well being. I specifically appreciated the chapter on anger. The meditation exercises throughout were nice and I liked how they helped you apply the principles he discussed. I do agree with other reviewers that this was a little light on science and a little preachy at times. However, I still felt like I got a lot out of it and I like the general thesis that the plasticity of our brains empowers us to sha...more

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Mar 23, 2010 Joel Simon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: self-improvement, non-fiction

Happiness is a book that provides an interesting perspective on what exactly happiness is and how we can try to obtain it and make it part of our inner soul. The author believes that happiness is not a circumstance or something that we experience in passing. To truly experience happiness, we must study, lean and develop our ability to be happy. I enjoyed the book, but found parts of it to be repetitive. There were a number of anecdotes that made the book interesting. I also think the author woul...more Happiness is a book that provides an interesting perspective on what exactly happiness is and how we can try to obtain it and make it part of our inner soul. The author believes that happiness is not a circumstance or something that we experience in passing. To truly experience happiness, we must study, lean and develop our ability to be happy. I enjoyed the book, but found parts of it to be repetitive. There were a number of anecdotes that made the book interesting. I also think the author would be fascinating to meet in person, given his experience as a scientist-turned-monk!

I did learn a few great things from this book:

1. You don't have to become a monk, a hermit or even a Buddhist to improve your ability to be happy. We don't watch an Olympic athlete or the best golfer in the world for the purpose of becoming one ourselves. We watch so that we can learn and try to improve a bit. It is the same with improving the mind or your approach to life. You can learn from people who have devoted their lives to living a certain way or to certain principles without going to the same extreme that they do.

2. We are so focused on ailments and afflictions and how to eliminate or get rid of them rather than on nurturing the positive things that can improve our lives. According to the author, over the past 130 years there have been about 137,000 psychology books and articles written about anger, anxiety or depression, and only 9,500 referring to joy, satisfaction or happiness! Unfortunately, this speaks volumes about the human condition and our focus on the negative.

3. The chapter on the science of the brain (left and right frontal cortexes) and how different they are in people who have studied and practiced meditation all their lives was fascinating, with happiness and inner calm registering much more clearly in the left side and in those who are lifetime meditators.

Some people on Goodreads have said this book changed their life and that they carry this book around with them. I wouldn't go that far, but if youa re interested in a book that combines Buddhist principles with science, this is the book for you.
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May 12, 2012 Tim Shores rated it 3 of 5 stars

the strength of this author's big idea is hampered by too many strawman fallacies, and sapped by inadequate examination of relevant experimental studies. i buy what he's saying -- it's up to me, i can use my lifetime contemplatively to develop mindful joy, and the rewards will be to ease my suffering and the suffering of my friends. but the writing often veers into a cranky buddhist rant. i think the scope of books by buddhist authors is too large -- the whole world is always at stake. scale it...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Roxanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: spirituality, nonfiction, happiness

As a book on meditation, Mathieu Ricard's Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill is the best of both worlds, presenting both a spiritual and a scientific perspective. Ricard left a promising career in biology and genetics to become a Buddhist monk, so he uniquely understands both perspectives and is fascinated by the scientific study of the brain and how meditation affects, on a biological level, the way we think. Happiness is at once a guide to how meditation can impro...more As a book on meditation, Mathieu Ricard's Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill is the best of both worlds, presenting both a spiritual and a scientific perspective. Ricard left a promising career in biology and genetics to become a Buddhist monk, so he uniquely understands both perspectives and is fascinated by the scientific study of the brain and how meditation affects, on a biological level, the way we think. Happiness is at once a guide to how meditation can improve our lives and help us to become happier and a thorough description of why it works, written in language accessible to any reader.

In the first few chapters, Ricard opens the book with discussion of happiness in general: is happiness the purpose of life? What does it mean to be happy, and how do we recognize happiness when we have it? Can we actively cultivate happiness in our lives? Concluding that happiness is possible and that cultivating it is worthwhile, Ricard then considers the problem of suffering. How can we be happy when we suffer; further, how can compassionate beings be truly happy when faced with the suffering of others? Ricard tackles this question, presenting stories of those who have suffered true hardship and examining the root causes of suffering. While we cannot control the events that happen to us, we can always control our responses to those events, and here is the real key to being happy under any circumstance. Over several chapters, Ricard discusses how we can use meditation in order to overcome ego, negative thoughts, and disturbing emotions, the obstacles within ourselves that prevent us from being happy no matter what occurs.

Ricard speaks from his own and his teachers' experience that when we can lessen the influence of the ego and negative thoughts and emotions, we feel more freedom and happiness in our lives. He then goes on to discuss happiness from the perspective of sociology, psychology, and psychiatry, citing laboratory studies of experienced meditators whose brains have been shown to function differently than ordinary people's brains. Meditation over long periods literally changes brain chemistry, leading to great benefits in quality of life. Ricard as both a scientist and a talented writer, in these chapters and throughout the book, is able to describe a variety of scientific studies and their results in terms a layman can understand and appreciate.

In the later chapters, Ricard examines positive attributes like altruism, humility, and optimism, and describes how cultivating these attitudes can help us to be happier. He cites evidence that those who are kind, humble, and optimistic tend to be happier than those who are not. By modifying our behavior to act more altruistically in daily life, or by being aware of pessimistic thought patterns as they arise, we can begin to make progress toward increasing happiness.

In the book's final chapters, Ricard addresses several difficult issues: appreciating versus wasting time, ethics and the dichotomy of good and evil, and how to be happy in the presence of death. Ricard's wisdom truly shines in these chapters; his advice is inspirational, practical and uplifting. The concluding chapter rounds out the book by describing the challenges and great rewards of following a spiritual path. Ricard promises that with regular practice and dedication, we can each not only live happier lives by become kinder, wiser, and more compassionate. Developing these qualities can lead us, as it led Ricard, to a life of great meaning, freedom, and joy.(less)

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Apr 02, 2012 Gini rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the book that inspired me to expand myself, my mind, body and spirit. It has propelled me on an incredible journey of love and compassion. Because I picked up this book I have met many wonderful people and opened my heart to endless possibilities. I'm not saying it would be THE book for everyone, but it was MY book and I feel forever grateful to Matthieu Ricard for writing it.

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May 14, 2013 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook-version

Discovered Ricard on a TED talk. This audio CD is quick, down to earth, and enjoyable to listen to. There is definitely some appeal in listening to Ricard's French accent. There is good advice and insight here as well. I am adding Ricard to my "vague gurus" list....guys I like to listen to that give me at least the pretense of the feeling of spirituality! He makes a nice trifecta with Eckhart Tolle and Thich Nhat Hanh.

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Oct 26, 2011 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: psychology, philosophy

Happiness, a skill that should be worked on just like any other. He talks about reasons for doing so. About benefits. Methods. The role of different attributes to happiness and how they can affect our well-being. This is one of those books you re-read often like a little booster in order to reset your priorities back to where they will allow you to achieve happiness most easily.

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Jul 27, 2010 Frightful_elk rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21c, asian, buddhist, eastern-ish, french, learning, philosophy, popular-philosophy, religion, spiritual, teach-yourself

There's a lot here. It's all good stuff, thought that is way off the current highway of ideas on happiness. This isn't presented as a Buddhist book, rather a book of practical advice based on Buddhist theory; I'm not sure how easily the ideas and practices can be used independently of Buddhism, but I highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a deeper and more lasting happiness.

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Feb 05, 2010 GoldenjoyBazyll rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: inspirational, spiritual

Interesting book with exercises to follow up with. The read is an insightful look at how to make/ maintain your own happiness and lessen the factors that create tumoil in each of us as a result of living in our spinning world. While some days I definately have a case of motion sickness there is one cure that seems to fit the bill that is not touched upon in this philosophical missive.... the transformative power of CHOCOLATE!!!! Common..... all kidding aside... a great big delicious piece of dar...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Hazim Bangwar rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Without a doubt this book has been well researched, and is very well written, but by no means is this a secular book. The song of Buddhist has been played through out this book, not that theres anything wrong with that but I just dont agree with Matthieu Ricard in his introduction where he claims this to be a secular book. However this is a good book, as it carried a different out take on the concept of happiness with many valid examples.

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Dec 08, 2008 Sandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: leadership

This is a book about finding happiness. I think the best part of the book describes that you can't find happiness until you define what it is to you. Everyone defines happiness differently.

(P. 16) "Every man wants to be happy, but in order to be so he needs first to understand what happiness is." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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Feb 18, 2011 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: listened-to

The first of the two CDs is a delicate morsel of thing, with the tiniest of jokes and a very large heart. The second CD has more than I needed about the scientific study of monks (old news by now). But still, Ricard's French-accented English is adorable and delicious and you can listen while you are doing the dishes.

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Jul 25, 2011 Martin added it

I was turned on to this book by the writer's talk about happiness on TED.com. The book itself is fantastic in its simplicity and accessibility. I got out of it what Binyamin Cohen got out of his "Jesus Year" - an exploration in tangent of another religion to rediscover the nuances and enjoyments of one's own. The book reads like an expanded detailed version of Ethics of the Fathers and Proverbs. Bottom line? I'm definitely happier having read the book.

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Oct 05, 2011 Dale rated it 2 of 5 stars

This one was hit or miss with me. Individual sections, even whole chapters, were worth reading. I especially found value in the discussion as to whether happiness can ever come from external material things. But then much of the rest was just sort of there.

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May 30, 2010 Karma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mind-blowing. Trust me! As you read this book! you'll be surprised to realize the fact that how what's been said matches with your experience. It gives you strenth to look and explore yourself and think abt how you can change in better way.

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Mar 12, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, religion-philosophy

I think I picked this up because of Greta, who shares my interest in Buddhist teachings (and is hopefully better at applying them to life). This book is a great explanation of how developing non-attachment can increase your happiness. I enjoyed the discussions of what happiness is and is not. How often we take these words for granted without really thinking about what they mean to us, what they mean to others. I think I am a happy person, and I believe that the Buddhist books I've read have help...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Pete Crawford rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fantastic - one of the best introductions to how you can integrate Buddhist philosophy into your everyday life, with greater, deeper happiness the result. You don't have to be a Buddhist to enjoy this book, nor to benefit from it.

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Nov 02, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars

Great intro to some Buddhist precepts but his attempt to substantiate them with all the "evidence" gleaned from some of the positive psychology folks in the second half of the book made me lose confidence in him. I realize that the intent of doing so should yield the opposite reaction but hey, it's sloppy science. Worth reading, though!

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Jul 19, 2012 Linda rated it 2 of 5 stars

I actually didn't finish this book and realized that there are too many other books I want to read, so I will pass it along.

There are some lovely gems of wisdom here, some of which I recorded in my journal. The book is well organized, well written, and easy to read and understand. But it is a bit too much of a "self-help" book for my taste, complete with "excercises" at the end of each chapter. Fine, if that's what you're looking for. I was looking for an intellectual exploration of what happine...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Pedro rated it 4 of 5 stars

Again this is not the typical book I read, buth Mahhieu Ricard's Ted Talk was so good that I had to read it http://bit.ly/2PXtCp

This has been my first book on meditation, and it will probably not be the last.

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Jan 04, 2011 PMP rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hereafterandbeyond

Plunged me into nihilism because I could only grasp the parts of the book that pulled back the veil on the illusory nature of our usual happinesses, not the parts that show the way to true bliss. With thanks to Momo.

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Jan 03, 2010 Jenna marked it as to-read

Shelves: belief-unbelief

"I read and reread this. It’s a beautifully simple introduction to Buddhist thinking. I labor under the vein hope that some of it will sink in and that I will become more of that and less of this." Alexandra Fuller

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About Matthieu Ricard

Born in 1946, Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk, an author, translator and photographer. He has lived, studied and worked in the Himalayan region for over forty years.

The son of French philosopher Jean-François Revel and artist Yahne Le Toumelin, Matthieu grew up among the personalities and ideas of Paris’ intellectual and artistic circles. He earned a Ph.D degree in cell genetics at the renowned...more

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Books by Matthieu Ricard

The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet

Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions

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“We try to fix the outside so much, but our control of the outer world is limited, temporary, and often, illusory.” — 5 people liked it

“Si piensa que todo es perfecto en su vida, o bien es usted un buda, o bien es completamente idiota.” — 1 person liked it

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