(Disclosure:- I received a complimentary copy of the book from blog adda for review. I am a big fan of the author. So, my comments will be positively biased to the works of the author)
There are a lot of self-help books. But, “Open
eyed meditations” by Shubha Vilas (author of the best-selling Ramayana – The game
of life series) book stands unique and tall in this genre. The author has very meticulously
and logically connected the stories of the past (from Ramayana and Mahabharata)
to answer the needs of our current life situations. This book is all about
reading about some life situations and thinking about them “open-eyed” and “open-minded”.
The author tries to address the needs/problems of
individuals as well as corporate/social groups (especially, when he talks about
topics like leadership) by taking us through some incidents from Indian epics.
The book is divided into 64 chapters. Each of
the chapter addresses at least one aspect or dimension of “how we live our life”
and the kind of rat race we are in I would recommend that this book should not be
read like a novel at one go. Browse through the index, check for the chapter
heading that you find is relevant for your situation and read through it. Take
time to chew and digest it (Better try to practice the learnings during the day).
Then you may move on to your next chapter. This way of reading through this
book can become a great experience. This book is not for just a onetime read,
but the book that you would want to keep referring back time ad again.
The book also brings to light that we often forget the very purpose of life and keep running after some illusionary goal (The golden deer!).
The book also brings to light that we often forget the very purpose of life and keep running after some illusionary goal (The golden deer!).
My favorite chapters (top 10) from the book, they
are not necessarily in any particular order.
1. Why don’t I make the
right decisions in life
2. Spirituality @
workplace
3. Can your talent be
your enemy?
4. Has Ravana really
gone?
5. Are you angry
against anger?
6. How to deal with
provocations?
7. Leading without a
title
8. Do “likes” make my
life?
9. The science of how
to let go
10. Are you scared to be
“offline”?
My favorite paragraph
from the book –“In the bhagavata and Mahabharata,
krishna was a leader with no title. Being a cowherd was no title, nor was being
a driver. Krishna had no title either in Vrindavan, Mathura or Hasthinapura,
three places that He revolutionized with His leadership.In vrindavan, though
Nanda was the king, everyone was naturally drawn to Krishna for advice and help
during calamities. In Mathura, though He killed Kamsa, He allowed Ugrasena to
retain the title of king and remained his advisor. In Hastinapura, He took a
vow not to lift a weapon during the battle and act as a driver of Arjuna. That
vow indicated that Krishna preferred tittle-less leadership. He showed the
world that you don’t need weapons (facilities) and positions to lead.”
The author keeps the readers interest intact
through the book by keeping the chapters short, crisp and simple. “Open-eyed
meditations” is a book that can cater to readers of all ages. I will strongly
recommend this book for everyone to read.
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