Finding Happiness

Book excerpt: Why is being happy such an imperative in our world today? What is the meaning of happiness? In this book Abbot Christopher Jamison turns to monastic wisdom for answers. He explains that, in essence, happiness is a gift not an achievement. It is the fruit of giving and receiving blessings. Following the same accessible and engaging format of his previous book, Finding Sanctuary, Abbot Christopher examines different aspects of happiness and tells us what monastic wisdom has to say about them. In doing so, he offers steps for the journey of finding happiness. Christopher Jamison is abbot of Worth Abbey, a Benedictine monastery near London. He is also president of the International Commission on Benedictine Education and sits on the Council of the alliance for International Monasticism, a body that promotes links between monasteries across the North/South divide. He is author of Finding Sanctuary: Monastic Steps for Everyday Life and was the host of the popular BBC documentary series The Monastery. Watch and listen to what Abbot Christopher Jamison has to say about his book Finding Happiness "