Nirvana for Rs 250!

MANY WAYS TO NIRVANA
By His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Edited by Renuka Singh
Viking/Penguin
Price: Rs 250
Pages: 181

Why be unhappy about something
If it can be remedied?
And what is the use of being unhappy about something
If it can't be remedied?
- Bodhicharyavatara

Many Ways to Nirvana is a nifty little book that you can read while commuting to your office. It is the succinct narrative of the wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama culled from different discourses he delivered to his legions of faithfuls over years.

The book, through the Dalai Lama’s words, reveals the key to incorporate spirituality into our hectic lives, which at first seems like a contradiction. It also proves the timelessness of Buddhist texts written hundreds of years ago.

Followers of other religions would be struck by the similarities they may find in the Buddhism with their own faiths, underscoring the fact that all religions are basically rooted in some common precepts. By the way, is there any religion which does not preach the message of love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, discipline and contentment? Perhaps fascism.

Nonetheless, the real world is not always an epitome of goodness. In spite of (or because of) being a home to many great religions, the world in which we live in is riven by violence and hatred. What is ailing the world; what is fueling terrorism; and why is there no peace in this world? His Holiness blames it on men's weaknesses, their negative emotions and lack of resolve. According to him, the only way to counteract them is by developing a disciplined mind which exudes love and compassion.

And at the root of all our suffering lies our attachment with illusory cravings. According to the Four Noble Truths, sufferings are of three types: Suffering of suffering, which refers to things like headaches, i.e., physical discomfort. Even animals want to be free from it. The second is suffering of change: this refers to our everlasting quest for change. We are never contented; we will buy the trendiest car only to drool over another model three months later. Then there is the all-pervasive suffering induced by our desire to put an end to the first two categories of sufferings.

So how will we end this vicious cycle of suffering? The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation by Langri Tangpa, which is the Buddhist equivalent of the Moses' Commandments, shows us the way. In case you are puzzled by some of these injunctions– and sure you will be - visit the nearest bookshop and get one copy of this book for yourself, because each of them is elaborated further by His Holiness in this little ‘tome’.

In this age of fast food, fast life, fast everything…this is a book perfectly tailored for the modern readers on the lookout for instant nirvana.

I am only half joking.