The Art of Joyful Living

The Art of Joyful Living
by Swami Rama

The Art of Joyful Living
List Price: $15.95
Our Price: $6.42
You Save: $9.53 (60%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.50 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: Swami Rama
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1989-01-01
ISBN: 089389236X
Number of pages: 245
Publisher: Himalayan Institute Press

Book Reviews of The Art of Joyful Living

Book Review: A Swami's Secret to Joyful Living.
Summary: 5 Stars

I first encountered Swami Rama years ago, while working at a spiritual bookstore. His Autobiography, "Living with the Himalayan Masters" was an inspiration and much more modern and accessible to me than many enlightened masters autobiographies. Considered a great sage and master, Swami Rama, born in 1925, was raised from childhood in a cave monastery, by a Master who allowed him to study with all the adepts in his monastery and area. By his twenties he was a famous singer, and the youngest Shankaracharya (spiritual leader) in Southern India and studied at several European universities, and taught in Japan. He also started an Ashram in India and founded The Himalayan International Institute of Yoga and Science and Philosophy. Having studied in the west and performed countless scientific experiments verifying his minds control over his body, he combines the eastern teachings with a nod to western science, philosophy and religion, making them applicable to any walk of life or philosophical system. I highly recommend all of his books but this is one of my favorites.

In this classic, he tells us how to find, know and transform our true self and live a positive life that acknowledges our humanness, while striving for perfection. This is accomplished through an understanding of ones self, negative emotions and habits, while strengthening ones willpower, memory, intuition and spirituality. He teaches us how to have spiritual and loving relationships, gives a simple no-nonsense approach to becoming your own therapist, and an example of good parenting, all through a simple basic understanding of meditation and self exploration.

A simple core lesson from this book is that we often "blame others and expect others to make us happy. No one else has the capacity to make you blissful, your mind is your own mind" Swami teaches us that it is our own "Samskaras" or the collective soul experience (kind of like a basement in your subconscious) and how we react, or control these, that make us happy or unhappy. By "journeying within", anyone can come to an understanding of ones own distorted thinking process and train, change or improve their life direction, finding a way to joy and happiness. One can discover within the self the source of negative and positive thought forms and how they affect our emotions and then use this knowledge to retrain our minds into being happy.

While this is an "Art" that takes time and energy, and perhaps a life time, its practice will result in self actualized transformation and manifest in our external and internal happiness, thus changing our own world and perhaps the world of others around us.

I highly recommend this book to anyone of either a western or eastern philosophical approach. Even a psychologist, might find a simple approach to behavioral change for clients by using these applicable techniques. If art imitates life, then ones life is surely the most valuable of art forms and worthy of discovery.

Summary of The Art of Joyful Living

This book shows how to maintain a joyful view of life and how to transform habit patterns.

Spiritual Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Spiritual Books
Soothe the Spirit: Blessings and Rituals for Energy Enhancement ImageSoothe the Spirit: Blessings and Rituals for Energy Enhancement
by Becky Burns
iUniverse, Inc.; Published: 2007-06-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.96
Price in other shops: $16.95
Demons at My Doorstep: The search for my donor father... ImageDemons at My Doorstep: The search for my donor father...
by Katherine Marsh
iUniverse, Inc.; Published: 2004-10-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $16.28
Price in other shops: $19.95
The Touch Of His Hand ImageThe Touch Of His Hand
by Linda Hascall
iUniverse, Inc.; Published: 2003-08-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.64
Price in other shops: $11.95
Awakening Joy: 10 Steps That Will Put You on the Road to Real Happiness ImageAwakening Joy: 10 Steps That Will Put You on the Road to Real Happiness
by James Baraz, Shoshana Alexander
Bantam; Published: 2010-01-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.81
Price in other shops: $26.00
The Greatest Salesman in the World, Part 2: The End of the Story ImageThe Greatest Salesman in the World, Part 2: The End of the Story
by Og Mandino
Bantam; Published: 1989-04; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops: $7.99
Joy For A New Day ImageJoy For A New Day
by Norma DeShields Brown
Kimani Press; Published: 2008-11-01; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $14.95
Addicted To Counterfeit Love ImageAddicted To Counterfeit Love
by Vikki Johnson
Kimani Press; Published: 2007-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $36.19
El monje que vendió su Ferarri: Una fábula espiritual (Vintage Espanol) (Spanish Edition) ImageEl monje que vendió su Ferarri: Una fábula espiritual (Vintage Espanol) (Spanish Edition)
by Robin S. Sharma
Vintage; Published: 2010-04-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.50
Price in other shops: $15.00
Aprender a amar (Spanish Edition) ImageAprender a amar (Spanish Edition)
by Osho
Plaza y Janes; Published: 2009-04-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $35.90
The Power of Spiritual Intelligence: 10 Ways to Tap into Your Spiritual Genius ImageThe Power of Spiritual Intelligence: 10 Ways to Tap into Your Spiritual Genius
by Tony Buzan
PerfectBound; Published: 2002-07-02; Hardcover; Book
Similar Books and other products
A Practical Guide to Holistic Health ImageA Practical Guide to Holistic Health
by Swami Rama
Himalayan Institute Press; Published: 1999-02-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.66
Price in other shops: $14.95
Path of Fire and Light (Vol 2): A Practical Companion to Volume One (Volume 1) ImagePath of Fire and Light (Vol 2): A Practical Companion to Volume One (Volume 1)
by Swami Rama
Himalayan Institute Press; Published: 2007-02-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.28
Price in other shops: $14.95
The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom ImageThe Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom
by Rod Stryker
Delacorte Press; Published: 2011-07-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.97
Price in other shops: $26.00
Samadhi: The Highest State of Wisdom, Volume One: Yoga the Sacred Science ImageSamadhi: The Highest State of Wisdom, Volume One: Yoga the Sacred Science
by Swami Rama
Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust; Published: 2002-01-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.54
Price in other shops: $22.50
Science of Breath ImageScience of Breath
by Rama, Rudolph Ballentine, Alan Hymes
Himalayan Institute Press; Published: 2007-01-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.50
Price in other shops: $12.95
The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice ImageThe Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice
by Deborah Adele
On-Word Bound Books; Published: 2009-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.85
Price in other shops: $12.95
Conscious Living: A Guidebook for Spiritual Transformation ImageConscious Living: A Guidebook for Spiritual Transformation
by Swami Rama
Lotus Press; Published: 2007-08-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.64
Price in other shops: $12.95
Meditation and Its Practice ImageMeditation and Its Practice
by Swami Rama
Himalayan Institute Press; Published: 2007-02-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.31
Price in other shops: $12.95
Path of Fire and Light, Vol. 1: Advanced Practices of Yoga ImagePath of Fire and Light, Vol. 1: Advanced Practices of Yoga
by Swami Rama
Himalayan Institute Press; Published: 1986-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.50
Price in other shops: $14.95
Living with the Himalayan Masters ImageLiving with the Himalayan Masters
by Swami Rama
Himalayan Institute Press; Published: 2007-02-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.34
Price in other shops: $18.95