The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

In April 2015, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu met in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate the Dalai Lama's eightieth birthday. Both men had endured more than fifty years of exile and the violence of oppression, yet remained among the most joyful people on the planet. They spent a week together to explore an essential question: How do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? Through intimate conversations, shared stories, and spiritual practices, they examined the nature of true joy and confronted obstacles including fear, stress, anger, grief, illness, and death. They identified the Eight Pillars of Joy as a foundation for lasting happiness and shared daily joy practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. This book documents their unprecedented week together, offering their reflections on lives marked by pain and turmoil alongside the peace, courage, and joy they have discovered. It includes stories, wisdom, and science throughout.