The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness

Apr 03, 2025

The Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness | Part 1

January 2, 2023

Dan flies to Dharamsala, India to spend two weeks in the orbit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This is the first installment of a five-part audio documentary series, something we’ve never done before now. Over the course of the episodes, we talk to His Holiness about practical strategies for thorny dilemmas, including: how to get along with difficult pe…

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The Cake Incident | Part 2 of The Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness

Dan Harris

January 3, 2023

The Cake Incident | Part 2 of The Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness

The Dalai Lama makes a risky move. When confronted by a young American woman coping with incredible loss, he does something surprising and counterintuitive. The incident surfaces a question that is more urgent now than ever: As social media, tribalism, individualism, and a global pandemic conspire to keep us separated from each other, how do we maintain…

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Wise Selfishness | Part 3 of The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness

Dan Harris

January 4, 2023

Wise Selfishness | Part 3 of The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness

How can we get better at selfishness? That’s one of many fascinating topics we cover in this episode, in which we play snippets from Dan’s one-on-one interview with His Holiness, and then unpack it all with Dr. Richard Davidson, neuroscientist and founder of the Center for Healthy Minds. We talk to His Holiness about “wise selfishness,” how to handle ou…

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Is Reincarnation Real? | Part 4 of The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness

Dan Harris

January 5, 2023

Is Reincarnation Real? | Part 4 of The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness

One of the Dalai Lama‘s most challenging teachings, especially for secular western minds, is reincarnation. In this episode, His Holiness describes the Buddhist deity who he believes to be his “boss.” Dan then sits down with Richie again to discuss whether there is any scientific evidence for rebirth. The episode begins and ends with emotional moments, …

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The Enlightened Mind | Part 5 of The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness

Dan Harris

January 6, 2023

The Enlightened Mind | Part 5 of The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness

What is the Dalai Lama’s own meditation practice like? In this final episode, the Dalai Lama goes into great detail about the whys and wherefores of meditation, taking us way into the deep end. We cover single-pointed versus analytical meditation, gross and subtle levels of the mind, “true cessation,” and how we can use sleep as practice for the moment …

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The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness