I read Rumi a few months ago. It was a worthwhile experience. There were many insights and overall the mood of what was written was that of ecstasy that comes with union with God. One of the insights that appealed to me was Rumi’s answer to the question – Why do people suffer? It is […]
Author Archives: nikhilmg
How to Read Serious Books
This article on how to read serious books is based on a book that I have mentioned earlier in my blog: How to read a Book by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren. Link to my earlier article is below; The essence of the book is that you need to be a demanding and active […]
How to Read Philosophy
I start with a short description of how I used to read philosophy book. I made a fundamental error in my reading described below: I read philosophy books the same way I read bestsellers and novels. That is, I just skimmed through the pages without forethought or afterthought. This resulted in my not understanding almost […]
Throw the Lumber Over
It was my birthday recently and I received a gift voucher from my family to buy what I want from Amazon. I have a choice of buying some books – that I may not afterwards read – and a pair of jeans that I need badly. I have more than 500 books already and I […]
I just learned that I don’t know how to read
I have in my library in Mumbai and Pune more than 500 books. I am known to be a person who reads a lot and I did, when I was young, spend a lot of time with books. I am well qualified and have a blog (this one) and more than a thousand answers in […]
In Praise of Idleness
The above headline is the title of a famous and celebrated essay by Bertrand Russell. Link to browse the book at Amazon is below (not an affiliate link): But I have come across another much deeper and more succinct expression of the virtues of laziness in the following Hindi poem that I learnt in school. […]
Tips for a Successful Career
I will be – in this article – giving my views about what you need to know for a successful career. These are not exactly my views but I have tested the usefulness of these concepts and it cuts through confusion like a knife through butter and enables you to move forward. The person I […]
The Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune
I am reading The Arabian Nights as translated by Malcolm Lyons. It is a 3 volume set. Link to browse the first volume is below: I saw some parallels between my life and the stories in the book. I think that you will find that the same lessons apply to your life as well. Below […]
Regard the Fleeting World as a Dream
A quote from the Buddha: Regard the fleeting world like this:Like stars fading and vanishing at dawn;Like bubbles in a fast moving stream;Like morning dewdrops evaporating on blades of grass;Like a candle flickering in the strong wind;Echoes, mirages and phantoms,Hallucinations and like a dream. Regarding the world like a dream is also recommended by Hinduism. […]
The Scamp and the Prime Minister
What do I mean when I say that it is better to not have high expectations of ourselves and others? How can that change your outlook on life? I got started on this train of thought when friend of mine messaged me after reading an article I posted in 2019 prior to the Indian General […]