Eight Pillars of Joy

May 28, 29, 30 (Tue, Wed, Thu)

In The Book of Joy, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu discuss “true joy,” which is a deeper and more dependable way of being that can be sustained and aid us through the many challenges of our lives. In the book, they outline eight pillars, or qualities, that are needed to cultivate true joy and provide a foundation for lasting happiness: perspective, humility, humor, acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and generosity. In this course, we will explore our own potential for true joy by examining each of these eight qualities and discussing how we apply them in our daily lives.

About the Instructor:

Don Handrick is a graduate of the first Masters Program of Buddhist Studies, the FPMT’s seven-year study program inspired by the traditional geshe studies at the great Gelugpa monastic universities. Since 2006, Don has been the resident teacher at Thubten Norbu Ling Buddhist Center in Santa Fe, NM, and he also teaches regularly at the Ksitigarbha Tibetan Buddhist Center in Taos, NM. In 2015, Don led the month-long November Course at Kopan Monastery and in 2016, he began spending a portion of each year visiting other FPMT centers as a touring teacher.