Book excerpt: The awakened life is the essence and aim of the Buddhist teachings, according to Anam Thubten, and this book is a guide to cultivating the awakened mind and heart that allows this wonderful kind of life to happen. He illuminates the path to awakened living in a way that’s concise and completely accessible to anyone of any background—reflective of the diverse backgrounds of the students who attend his popular talks on which the book is based. "We all want to be happy," says Anam Thubten. "This seems to be our strongest impulse. Primarily our happiness comes from our state of mind, though we can’t deny the fact that outside circumstances play a big role. When we learn to embrace each moment of our lives, we’re empowered to let go of our emotional patterns and false beliefs about ourselves, and we discover the compassion that’s been there all along."