The Art of Happiness

e a valuable method of putting our dailyproblems in proper perspective. And I began toperceive how suffering might even be seen in awider context, as part of a greater spiritual path,particularly in view of the Buddhist paradigm,which recognizes the possibility of purifying themind and ultimately achieving a state in whichthere is no more suffering. But, turning away fromthese grand philosophical speculations, I wascurious to learn how the Dalai Lama dealt withsuffering on a more personal level, how hehandled the loss of a loved one, for instance.When I first visited Dharamsala many yearsago, I had gotten to know the Dalai Lama’s olderbrother, Lobsang Samden. I became quite fondof him and was saddened to hear of his suddendeath a few years back. Knowing that he and theDalai Lama were particularly close, I said, “I