When we view happiness as a buildup of happy feelings, seeking such happiness actually leaves us empty.  Alternatively, happiness seen as full life participation is fulfilling.  Soon to be published, The Two Wings of Happiness. Connecting Western with Eastern Thought offers a clear understanding on how to go about experiencing full life participation.  It lays out the tools coming from our Western culture to make us actively part of life.  It also presents Eastern paths that foster awareness of our participation in life. 
With the Theory of Elastic Consciousness the author and practicing psychologist Dr. Andrea F. Polard provides a much needed synthesis of Western and Eastern thought.