A renowned Tibetan Buddhist monk shares powerful methods for finding happiness through cultivating compassion and wisdom.

According to Buddhist principles, we struggle with happiness when we seek to find it through external means.

Instead of trying to mold our external conditions so that they match our desires, we should focus on our own minds.

Perhaps the most effective way of developing happiness is by cultivating virtuous states of mind and reducing those that are unhelpful.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso is a renowned Tibetan Buddhist meditation master, scholar, and author of over 20 books.

Kelsang Gyatso is also the founder of the controversial New Kadampa Tradition, a vocal critic of the Dalai Lama.

Eight Steps to Happiness is based on the widely renowned Eight Verses of Training the Mind, composed by 11th-century master Langri Tangpa.

These eight four-line verses provide condensed and practical advice on the cultivation of wisdom and compassion, which Buddhism understands as the key to achieving lasting happiness.