Contents

ALSO BY MATTHIEU RICARD

DEDICATION

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

1: TALKING ABOUT HAPPINESS

2: IS HAPPINESS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?

3: A TWO-WAY MIRROR:

4: FALSE FRIENDS

5: IS HAPPINESS POSSIBLE?

6: THE ALCHEMY OF SUFFERING

7: THE VEILS OF THE EGO

8: WHEN OUR THOUGHTS BECOME OUR WORST ENEMIES

9: THE RIVER OF EMOTION

10: DISTURBING EMOTIONS:

11: DESIRE

12: HATRED

13: ENVY

14: THE GREAT LEAP TO FREEDOM

15: A SOCIOLOGY OF HAPPINESS

16: HAPPINESS IN THE LAB

17: HAPPINESS AND ALTRUISM:

18: HAPPINESS AND HUMILITY

19: OPTIMISM, PESSIMISM, AND NAïVETé

20: GOLDEN TIME, LEADEN TIME, WASTED TIME

21: ONE WITH THE FLOW OF TIME

22: ETHICS AS THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS

23: HAPPINESS IN THE PRESENCE OF DEATH

24: A PATH

NOTES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR