From this surprise release of new music courtesy of award-winning Canadian composer, Frank Horvat, comes the soothing and meditative sounds of Happiness in a Troubled World.

Thought of as a gift to a world that could use time to heal and start a new year afresh, this mesmerizing album of ambient electronic music is inspired by the final 6 chapters of the book, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World, by His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, MD.

The album title, Happiness in a Troubled World, is the same title as Part 3 of the book and the titles of the 6 pieces on the album match the titles of the book’s final 6 chapters. Each piece was inspired by a quote from the book.

Inspiration behind each track…
 

01 Coping with a Troubled World
“Much of our suffering in life is caused not by external causes but by internal events such as the arising of disturbing emotions. And the best antidote to this inner disruption is enhancing our ability to handle these emotions, and learning how to cope with our environment, the negative situations, and so on.”
– His Holiness The Dalai Lama

02 Hope, Optimism and Resilience
“As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then, may I too remain, and dispel the miseries of the world.”
– His Holiness The Dalai Lama quoting one of his favourite passages from Shantideva

03 Inner Happiness, Outer Happiness and Trust
“Trust can contribute to one’s happiness on an individual level. A feeling of mistrust can lead to a suspicious, fearful attitude, and more mental unrest, whereas a more trusting attitude can contribute to a calmer, happier state of mind. On a wider level, trust can be a factor not only in building a stronger sense of community, and overcoming loneliness and alienation, but it can also be helpful in dealing with many of the problems of society.”
– His Holiness The Dalai Lama

04 Positive Emotions and Building a New World
“This tendency to relate to each other on the basis of what differentiates us is so prevalent in today’s society. It’s given great importance and seems to be a reflection of our societal values, with our acquisition of material wealth. But one fundamental problem with this kind of approach is that you end up relating to the person’s money, their status or power, rather than the person himself or herself. No matter what other factors serve as the basis for our sense of community, no matter what other ways that we may relate to others, if we can maintain a feeling of connection to others based on our common humanity, it will prevent all these problems from arising.”
– His Holiness The Dalai Lama

05 Finding Our Common Humanity
“If we appreciate our social nature and the need to work cooperatively with each other, naturally we will pay attention to others’ welfare. This will create a society that is stable, happier, more peaceful – and the result is that everyone enjoys the benefit.”
– His Holiness The Dalai Lama

06 Empathy, Compassion, and Finding Happiness in Our Troubled World
“Empathy is one of the most wonderful human qualities. Because when you are deeply aware of the fundamental truth of our human existence – that just as I do, others too wish to achieve happiness and wish to overcome suffering, and have the equal right to obtain happiness – you automatically feel empathy and closeness for them. You will then be able to easily relate to others’ welfare out of a genuine sense of caring. This is compassion.”
– His Holiness The Dalai Lama