I read "The last time we met, we only talked about joy"

A profound dialogue between two wise men

When I read “[The last time we met, we only talked about joy](https://www.books.com.tw/exep/assp.php/vista/products/0011024321?utm_source=vista&utm_medium=ap-books&ut m_content=recommend&utm_campaign=ap-202507)”, it feels less like reading a book, more like walking into a deep but gentle quiet room, listening to two elders talking while making hot tea - that kind of words are not just words, but wisdom that transcends time, pain, politics, religion, and race. Conversations like this are rare anymore.

This book is the result of a sincere encounter in the later years of two Nobel Peace Prize winners, the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and Archbishop Tutu, a symbol of conscience in South Africa. It is hard to imagine that their life stories are so heavy: one has been in exile for decades and cannot return to his homeland, and the other has witnessed the deepest darkness of apartheid and participated in South Africa’s healing journey. But precisely because of their suffering, their understanding of joy is particularly weighty and convincing.

Joy is a spiritual muscle

As someone who has been writing and teaching for many years, I often think about how knowledge is transformed into action, and how emotions are transformed into energy, and [this book](https://www.books.com.tw/exep/assp.php/vista/products/0011024321?utm_source=vist a&utm_medium=ap-books&utm_content=recommend&utm_campaign=ap-202507) provides an answer: Joy is not a luxurious emotion, nor is it a sugar-coated escape from reality. It is a kind of spiritual muscle and the reason why we still stand up in the storm.

I love how they talk about the “Eight Pillars of Joy.” That is not an empty spiritual slogan, but a series of concrete and practiceable insights and inner practices. From humility to humor, from forgiveness to generosity, you will be surprised that these seemingly flexible characters are actually the strongest armor to survive troubled times and pain.

Rethinking Inner Power in the AI Era

Over the years, I have taught in companies, taught at universities, and accompanied thousands of learners on social media platforms. Sometimes I hear questions like this: “Teacher, how should I face the dissatisfaction in life? How do I rebuild myself amid anxiety?” Seriously, AI Ten thousand solutions can be generated, but this book reminded me that what really supports a person is not a tool, but a perspective, an emotional foundation-joy, this is what exists.

The laughter of the two masters can be heard in the book. They talk about the loneliness of old age, the trauma of the nation, the struggle of faith, and even death, but you will not feel heavy, but rather like you are in a room with sunshine, being illuminated by warmth. They were humorous, mutually indebted to each other, and talked about Buddhism and Christ, but they did not preach, only preaching from the heart. At the end of their lives, they chose to talk about joy instead of regrets; I think that was the deepest blessing they gave us all.

A book of the soul worth collecting

This is not a book that can only be admired on a bookshelf or used as a display. Instead, you can turn one or two pages every day, read any paragraph, and even put a blessing bookmark in your notebook to accompany you. It is like a mirror that quietly reflects your mood, and like a kind friend who whispers to you: “You are not alone. Maybe we cannot avoid pain, but we can choose joy.”

When the world becomes more and more noisy, the heart needs to be more quiet. This book is where there is light in the silence.

I am happy to recommend this book to everyone who is a little tired and confused on the road of life, and also recommends it to you who want to find your inner anchor in the era of information explosion. Of course, also for those friends who don’t want their hearts to grow cold.

Yes, we can all learn to live with joy. Thank you, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu, for giving us this time-traveling gift. Now, it’s up to us to take good care of it and pass on this heartfelt message.

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