In the seventh century AD, the great Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo had an unexpected change of heart. Abandoning his successful career as a military leader, he introduced a new legal system, built schools and temples, and invited philosophical and spiritual teachers from neighbouring India to teach people how to be happy.

The 16 Guidelines for Life are based on the inspirational values and principles that King Songtsen Gampo introduced to the Tibetan people. They are "ideas to make life better" that played a crucial part in changing Tibet from a warlike nation into a civilization renowned for its peace and serenity.

The '16 human dharmas' or '16 worldly dharmas' of King Songtsen Gampo have a complex history. ('Dharma' is a Pali term whose literal meaning is 'that which upholds or supports.') A range of different versions have been developed over the past thirteen centuries. These include a rare set of verses called The Necklace of Precious Advice by Gelong Wangchuk Chösang, extracts of which have been included in the publication 16 Guidelines for a Happy Life - Up Close. The 16 Dharmas continue to be recited by young monks in the great monastic schools of Tibet, India and Nepal but have functioned as elementary ethical instructions which, until now, have failed to attract the sustained attention of either scholars or educators.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

In April 2003, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher called Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave a landmark teaching in Santa Cruz, California, in which he called for the 16 dharmas to be updated for contemporary use. Lama Zopa is a close student of HH The Dalai Lama. He was born in a tiny hamlet in the Himalayas but is now the Spiritual Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) www.fpmt.org one of the largest Buddhist organisations in the world. Lama Zopa is also the Honorary President of the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom.

Different versions

Lama Zopa has suggested that many different versions of the Guidelines should be created to suit a range of different audiences. He says: "Something like this is very practical. The minute you follow the Guidelines, your life will change. They help you to respect other people and stop harming them." On the basis that we are all interdependent, and that the way we choose to behave will have unlimited effects on the people around us, Lama Zopa has suggested that the Guidelines have the potential "to bring peace not only to yourself but to your parents, family, society, country and eventually to the whole world."

Current status

The current version of the Guidelines has been under development for more than two years, under the guidance of Lama Zopa. They were first translated from the Tibetan, in the form of sentences, and then shortened to 16 key words. The 16 key words were then divided into four sections, each with a philosophical theme.

Early versions of the Guidelines were piloted at the 1^st International Conference on Happiness and its Causes in Sydney (April 2006) and at the North American launch conference of the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom in California in October 2006. At each stage they have been commented on and tested out by an international team of volunteers. In December 2006 the initiative was presented in person to HH The Dalai Lama, the Patron of the Foundation.