What a joy! To read, share, explore, and experience The Book of Joy with friends! The 2016 New York Times bestseller, by Nobel Peace Prize and Templeton Prize laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, with Douglas Abrams, documents the extraordinary friendship between the two great spiritual leaders. The result of a five-day meeting of two great minds and hearts, The Book of Joy is “a universal book supported not only by wisdom and tradition but also by science.” The Archbishop’s and The Dalai Lama’s teachings on joy in the midst of adversity, our common humanity and interdependence, supported by scientific research, are especially timely.
Weekly meetings will include discussion and practices for cultivating joy. Please purchase the book before August 30th and, if possible, complete the Week 1 reading prior to our first online meeting.
Act Like a Holy Man
A feature-length documentary about Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama’s intersecting life stories and the lessons they have learned — often through suffering — about the nature of joy and happiness, is in the works.
https://vimeo.com/328054879/3f1a96c937
$500,000 Templeton Grant awarded for Act Like a Holy Man
Reading Schedule
Week 1: August 30
Invitation to Joy; Introduction; Arrival
Reading ix-24
Joy Practices 309-312
Week 2: September 6
The Nature of Joy
Reading 29-78
Joy Practices 345-348
Week 3: September 13
Obstacles to Joy: Fear, Anger, Sadness, Despair, Loneliness
Reading 83-133
Joy Practices 312-322
Week 4: September 20
Obstacles to Joy: Envy, Adversity, Illness and Death
Reading 135-188
Joy Practices 322-328
Week 5: September 27
8 Pillars of Joy: Perspective, Humility, Humor, Acceptance, Forgiveness, Gratitude
Reading 193-249
Joy Practices 329-337
Week 6: October 4
8 Pillars of Joy: Compassion, Generosity
Reading 251-305
Joy Practices 337-345
Week 7: October 11
Extra session
About the Facilitator
Janna Weiss currently practices acupuncture and teaches mind science in New York City. She holds a PhD from the University of Texas Austin in Biological Sciences – Botany (ethnobotany). Janna is also a human rights activist and blogger, for peace, for Tibet, and for the rights of people with developmental and psychosocial disabilities, or those perceived to be so. Janna began studying Tibetan Buddhism with Dharma Friends of Israel in 2005.
