How to have a happy heart
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Contentment and Happiness 
Dec 7, 2025 A talk given at the Buddhist Fellowship in Singapore
- The different Buddhist traditions share a lot
- Anxiety is a hindrance to happiness
- Anxiety does not help us with anything
- Overcoming anxiety by thinking about others and taking the attention off ourselves
- Generosity is a cause of inner joy
- Ethical conduct is a cause of a peaceful joyous mind
- The causes of happiness are not external, it comes from our state of mind
- Cultivating a positive attitude for going to work
- Happiness is not giddiness, it’s a feeling of peace and joy
- Questions and answers
- How can you deal with anger when you see injustice?
- How can you feel happy when others are not happy?
- How do have self-compassion when things are not going your way?
- What can the Buddhist traditions learn from each other?
- Why did you choose Tibetan Buddhism?
How to have a happy heart (download)
Venerable Thubten Chodron
Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.
