The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

The Dalai Lama opens the discussion by comparing mental pain to physical pain, advocating for the development of mental immunity to alleviate mental suffering. He explains, “Mental immunity… is just learning to avoid the destructive emotions and to develop the positive ones” (83). He emphasizes the importance of understanding the mind’s diverse thoughts and emotions, advocating for nurturing those that are healthy and healing. The Dalai Lama further elaborates on mental immunity, drawing parallels with physical health: just as physical immunity allows the body to overcome infection, mental immunity allows the mind to overcome negative emotions.

Archbishop Tutu agrees but also stresses the importance of accepting natural human emotions and growing from them. In his view, one should not berate oneself for negative thoughts and emotions, as they are a natural part of being human. Their conversation also touches on the inevitability of life’s challenges and the importance of adjusting one’s attitude towards them. The Dalai Lama and Archbishop agree that while suffering is inevitable, individuals can influence their experience through their mindset.

People often react to external events with negative emotions like fear, frustration, and anger. The Dalai Lama suggests that many of these reactions are based on mental projections and can be analyzed and understood to reduce their intensity.