A timeless work about the Zen of happiness—the art of happiness, the way of happiness, the inner game of happiness.
The "Zen" of doing anything is doing it with a particular state of mind that brings the experience of enlightenment—and through that experience, happiness. In Zen and the Art of Happiness, you will learn how to think and feel so that what you think and feel creates happiness and vibrancy in your life rather than gloominess or depression.
Cutting-edge science and spirituality tell us that what we believe, think, and feel actually determine the makeup of our body at the cellular level. We all have a personal philosophy that influences our thoughts and feelings. It deals with what we have come to believe about the world, its people and its events—about how those events affect us and how we affect them. Whatever your personal philosophy is, it is completely responsible for your state of happiness and well-being because it determines how you respond to events that come into your life.
How can we change what we believe when our experience has convinced us otherwise? By creating a new experience.
The gentle wisdom of Zen and the Art of Happiness will show you how to invite those magnificent experiences into your life and create a philosophy that will sustain you through anything.
Chris Prentiss is cofounder and codirector, along with his son Pax, of the world-famous Passages Addiction Cure Center in Malibu, California. He is also the author of a dozen books on personal growth. Prentiss has also led personal empowerment workshops in Southern California and has written, produced, and directed a feature film. He resides with his wife in Malibu, California.
"Zen and the Art of Happiness by Chris Prentiss (cofounder and codirector of Passages Substance Abuse Treatment Center) is a pocket-sized and highly portable 160-page book presenting practical, spiritual, applicable wisdom from the Eastern philosophy of Zen Buddhism designed to provide the reader with a positive, uplifting message that we can affect and influence the very makeup of our body at a cellular level through what we believe, think, and feel. That when we create happiness and vibrancy within our lives we are better able to adapt to life's inevitable stresses and changes. By learning to deal with stress and change in healthy ways, we create, nurture, and perpetuate 'mindful happiness' in our daily lives. Zen and the Art of Happiness is enthusiastically recommended and 'user friendly' reading for anyone seeking to enhance their spirituality, deal with life's stresses, and improve their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being." —James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review
"Prentiss has written a charming book that is perhaps not quite as 'Zen' as its title might suggest; that is, Prentiss's own engagement with Zen Buddhism is quite sincere, but the book should not be taken as a guide to the spiritual practice. Prentiss's principal sense of Zen is that of awareness of every present moment; armed with that, he shows readers, with humor and zest, how to live in the now and change our futures. For most collections. —Library Journal
"The big-bellied, somewhat eccentric laughing Buddha on the cover tells it all. The author does not believe that happiness depends on being the same size as models in the fashion magazines, finding the perfect mate, filling one's house with cutting-edge electronic gadgets, or studying meditation with the current 'it' guru. . . .
"The book reflects a long-standing esoteric maxim: We create our own reality. What makes this work different from so many others is the personal energy, knowledge, and insight with which he communicates. He draws on Eastern and Western philosophy, modern science, and personal—sometimes catastrophic—experience to explain why believing circumstances will benefit us is what will, ultimately, cause this to be true. His life has been filled with challenges he has turned into opportunities. He does not lecture to us from a pedestal as an enlightened being. Instead, he speaks as one who has survived the muck and mire and retained his childlike wonder and enthusiasm. Prentiss beckons us to see the world through his eyes and share his joy. It is easy to believe it is possible." —New Age Retailer
"Happiness can be a fickle thing. It can be a snug, magnetic garment, attracting more and more of the same, or it can be an ill-fitting gossamer veil flitting here and there. It all depends on one's psychology, karma, and attitude. This wonderful little book shows that we can overcome the obstacles to happiness. It's for those who want and need change—in expectations, habits, and outlook. Chris Prentiss teaches us how, with a joie de vivre that obviously comes from experience. Use his practical wisdom to get in the habit of being happy—every day. Put this book by your bedside and the Zen of happiness can be yours." —ReverseSpins.com
Table of Contents:
1 The Way 1 2 We Are the Authors of Every Next Moment 13 3 The New Experience 23 4 The Inner Road 33 5 Mindful Happiness 43 6 What’s True in the Universe 61 7 Adapting to Change 85 8 Stress and Your Imagination 107 9 Healing Your Past 121 10 The Language of the Universe 131 Notes 143 Acknowledgments 145
