This week we’re giving away Subhuti’s Mind in Harmony: the psychology of Buddhist ethics. You can download it free here until 25 May. You can buy a paper copy here.
About 15 years ago, in Johannesburg, I went to a class that was based on Sangharakshita’s Know your Mind. That book, like Mind in Harmony, is a commentary on one of the traditional Buddhist lists: The Fifty-one Mental Events.
I found it totally electrifying. It is a mapping of the workings of the mind, or better still, a working manual of the mind. I didn’t know myself very well then. Having a guidebook to the kinds of mental states that we humans get caught up in, helped me to identify what was going on, and get a bit more objectivity. It helped me to see what conditioned my moods and actions, my habits of mind, and opened the possibility of taking things less personally.
Subhuti’s popular 2015 book is based on a series of talks and retreats in India and Europe. In his commentary he has reordered the traditional map to make it more navigable, he includes a great section on views, and gives down to earth and very practical advice on how to watch and transform the mind.
I don’t know what your experience is at the moment. For myself, I’m feeling sobered and I’m trying to work out how to live well in this long haul. I can see the need to be deeply honest about my mental states, and to find ways of turning towards skilfulness and kindness. This book is a great guide.