This is really a joke. Of course, it is better than being called the unhappiest person in the world, but this assertion is absolutely not based on scientific findings.

Some years ago, the Australian television network ABC made a documentary on happiness, in which I participated. At some point, the commentator announced: “Here is perhaps the happiest person in the world.” Things remained quiet for a while, but a few years later the English newspaper The Independent published a cover story about me entitled ‘The happiest person in the world.’ From then on, things spun out of control.

The journalist had based his story on the fact that I had been participating for several years in some research in neuroscience labs in the USA, in particular that of Richard Davidson at the University of Madison, Wisconsin. It was found that when long-term meditators engaged in meditation on compassion, the activity in some areas of the brain increased to a magnitude that had never before been described in neuroscience. Some of these activated brain areas were known to be related to positive emotions. More than fifteen experienced meditators showed similar results, but I happened to be one of the first to participate in the experiment. That's all.

When the story was published in various newspapers, I tried to make a disclaimer, but quite in vain. I apologized to my scientist friends, and now I try to take this assertion with philosophy and amusement. When asked about it, I usually reply that anyone can be the happiest man or woman in the world, provided he or she looks for happiness in the right place. Authentic happiness can only come from the long-term cultivation of wisdom, altruism, and compassion, and from the complete eradication of mental toxins, such as hatred, attachment, and ignorance.

There are many centers, Buddhist and non-Buddhist, throughout the world where meditation is taught. It is not up to me to recommend one organization rather than another. Nevertheless, I can testify to the authenticity of a teaching center in France with which I have a long-standing personal connection. Centre d’études de Chanteloube is a center for study and meditation situated in the Dordogne, where my spiritual masters Pema Wangyal Rinpoche and Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche teach. They are also the sons of my root teacher, Kyabje Kangyur Rinpoche to whom I owe everything in this life.
(See : Chanteloube).

Sometime ago, I met with a group of young people in Canada. Some of them told me that they had graduated from college and did not know what to do next. One of them said, “I filled out a lot of questionnaires that were supposed to help me find out what would be the best profession for me to pursue. After that, for six months I tried a variety of jobs, but none of them really interested me. So, I don’t know what to do.”

I could not help offering this advice: “For a while, why don’t you stop trying to figure out what you are supposed to do and go to a quiet place in a forest, near a lake, or anywhere where you can pause. Just sit there and rest and then think with earnest yearning: ‘What would I really like to do in life?’

“Rest a moment upon that simple question, without engaging in a lot of cogitations, and see what comes to the surface from the depth of your mind and heart. It might be more likely to reflect what really matters to you. If that becomes clear, the rest is just a matter of finding the way to do it. This is usually not the most difficult part because as the saying goes, ‘when there is a will, there is a way’.”

When we are the object of abuse or injustice, it is absolutely legitimate to use whatever means might be appropriate, including any necessary force; but never with hatred.
Deep within ourselves, it’s important to maintain invincible compassion and inexhaustible inner strength.
It’s not a matter of either passively submitting to the mercy of anyone who attacks us, or trying to eliminate them by force (there’ll always be more to come), but of discovering that our main enemy is the wish to harm others—something we’ll need to combat mercilessly.
That’s what we have to understand and, as much as we can, get others to see, too.

Many western friends live nearby the monastery. They study Buddhism with teachers who live around and participate to some of the activities of the monastery. There are major teachings given by great masters every year or two, which may last for several months and are open to the public. There are also regular ceremonies and sacred dance Festivals, performed by the whole monastic community, which are also attended by large numbers of lay devotees. Besides that, our monastery has not been organizing regular teachings of seminars specifically designed for Western students. In our philosophical college, the teachings on Buddhist philosophy are given in Tibetan to ordained monks. Laypersons not live within the monastery itself but can find accommodation at our Shechen Guesthouse (rabsel@mos.com.np), which is just next to the monastery.

In the Tibetan tradition, monastic vows for both monks and nuns are taken for the entire duration of life. In the Nyingma tradition, to which Shechen monastery belongs, monastic vows are given from time to time by major holders of the Vinaya tradition, such as Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, Kyabje Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche, and Khenchen Pema Sherap. Once a year, his holiness the Dalai Lama also gives monastic vows to Western aspirants in Dharamsala, in northern India (for this, people need to register well ahead of time and attend a pre-ordination course. Please inquire at tushita1@vsnl.com)

These words were told to me by my 95 year-old friend Father Ceyrac, who looked after 50,000 children in South India for half a century.

A similar thought is found in Buddhist teaching: “What is not done for the benefit of other, is not worth doing.” Selfishly seeking happiness just for yourself is the best way there is to make yourself, and everyone else, unhappy. It is a losing situation.

Altruism, compassion, and their natural expression, generosity, are just the opposite. They are the best way to flourish in life by being at the service of others. Greed is the salty water consumed by those who thirst for self-centered gratification. This kind of thirst can never be quenched and becomes the source of increasing torment.  Conversely, generosity is the rain of bounty that fertilizes everyone’s field, including your own, and thus is a win-win situation.