Pilgrim’s progress
Gagandeeep Ghuman

The Book of Buddha
by Arundhathi Subramaniam.
Penguin/Viking Books India.
Pages 142. Rs 225.

In our troubled times of religious fanaticism, unabashed consumerism and instant gratification, Buddha’s teachings seem to be more relevant than ever and one wishes the world would lend its ears to what the great sage had to say. In several ways, Buddhism is less of a religion and more of a therapy, an antidote that effectively ends suffering, instilling peace and eternal happiness. It is a process more pragmatic than metaphysical in dealing with the self and relating it with the world around us.

The tenets of Buddhism might be difficult to follow but are disarmingly easy to grasp. Our desires (lust, fame, wealth, fame; to name a few), often drive us to pain and suffering and the only way out is to realise the impermanence of the phenomenon and to free oneself of all attachments, to stand at a distance and see the world as a dispassionate observer.

Buddha had seen it all: love, undiminishing luxuries, political power, but found them worthless endeavours incapable of bringing calm and happiness. His search was for a deeper meaning in life and he eventually found what he had set to find after renouncing what many of us give a lifetime to acquire.

The secret of happiness and peace, Buddha said, is to realise that the self is an incoherent, insubstantial entity, a farrago of perceptions, feelings, thoughts, perceptions and ideas. Since this self is ever changing, in perpetual flux, any attachment to it would inevitably lead to suffering.

There is a plethora of books available on Buddhism and not all can answer your questions satisfactorily. Some are too complex to be easily understood and some too simple to evoke interest. The Book of Buddha, just as the Buddha advocated, manages to traverse a middle path quite successfully.

Right at the outset, the author, Arundhati Subramanium, warns the readers about seeing this book as attempt at deification or simplified biography. And with this caveat, she goes on to tell the story, combining the erudition of an academician with the zestful skill of a charming raconteur.

The book is divided in five sections and each narrates the life and teachings of Buddha—the lore surrounding his birth, the famous four signs, the strenuous penance, meditations and eventually, enlightenment. Subramanium avoids academic explication and instead fills the book with interesting insights into the life and teachings of the Budhha, which make the book immensely endearing to the reader. Interestingly, rather than have a single monolithic rendering of Buddha’s life, the author provides diverse, at times contradictory, tales that all come together to make Buddha’ story even more human and poignant.

For instance , Buddha’s spiritual apprenticeship is described with such beautiful detail and patience and is marvelously successful in making the reader feel the arduous task followed by the great man.

But the best thing about this book is its format. The compact, pocket-book-type format makes it all the more interesting, accessible and quick to read. The book is perfect, if you are looking for a starting point in the vast literature available on Buddhism.

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