What I've been reading

Mind In Harmony
by Subhuti

"The author describes the mind from the Buddhist point of view, and shows how such knowledge can help us live a more satisfactory life."

This is a set text for a retreat I'm attending, otherwise I don't think I would have gone near it. I am thoroughly baffled by psychology, don't have much insight into my own mind, and find the incessant listing of types of this and that quite irritating. So the idea of 51 mental events consisting of constants, intensifiers, positives, afflictions, secondary afflictions and variables is not my cup of tea. But I've done my reading so let's hope the retreat helps me understand the subject better.

A Fine Balance
by Rohinton Mistry

narrated by Vikas Adam

"The time is 1975. The government has just declared a State of Emergency, and four strangers - a spirited widow, a young student, and two tailors who have fled the caste violence of their native village - are thrust together, forced to share one cramped apartment and an uncertain future."

I came upon books about the Indian subcontinent by accident. I write 'Indian subcontinent' because my grasp of nationality is not accurate there, but there has been Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, R. K. Narayan, V. S. Naipaul, M. M. Kaye and probably more that I don't remember, and I have enjoyed reading all of them. It's not easy reading, and this book has its share of terrible events, but all these authors have managed to evoke something that I can connect with. I have never been to India, and I don't think I particularly want to go there, but I certainly love reading about it. This book is set in the 1970s during the 'Emergency' declared by Indira Gandhi, and life for the poor is mostly uncertain and terrible, and the end is not happy, but it was satisfying to read, and that is what I look for in my books.

The Songlines
by Bruce Chatwin

"The songlines are the invisible pathways that criss-cross Australia, ancient tracks connecting communities and following ancient boundaries. Along these lines Aboriginals passed the songs which revealed the creation of the land and the secrets of its past. "

Like Indian stories, I remember reading about Australia in the past, and finding the huge bulk of Robert Hughes' seminal work 'The Fatal Shore' surprisingly readable and enjoyable. This book has been on my shelves among books that are there because I love them, but re-reading has been such a disappointment that I'm not sure why I ever kept it.

Brewster's Millions
by George Barr McCutcheon

narrated by Bronson Pinchot

"With the passing of his beloved grandfather, Monty Brewster inherits a long-anticipated million dollars. But he suddenly discovers that he can inherit seven times as much from his eccentric uncle if he spends every cent of his grandfather's money within a year."

An entertaining book well narrated, and good enough that it's been made into a film more than once. I can't help thinking that if I were in a similar position I'd be very happy with the first million, especially as this was written in 1902 when a million dollars was worth even more than it is today.

It's Not Out There
by Danapriya

"Most of us constantly look outside ourselves for something: happiness, love, contentment. But this something is not out there. It is within us. This book uncovers the fertile ground of your own potential, and enables you to live the life you are here for."

Another Buddhist book, a fairly lightweight one this time. I think I bought it after the author did his book tour via Zoom and seemed a very personable chap. I think it would be a useful introduction to Buddhist principles (if not Buddhism itself) for someone who was dissatisfied with their life and wanted some ideas.