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The Difficulty of Being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma Paperback – October 1, 2010

by Gurcharan Das (Author)

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Why should we be good? How should we be good? And how might we more deeply understand the moral and ethical failings--splashed across today's headlines--that have not only destroyed individual lives but caused widespread calamity as well, bringing communities, nations, and indeed the global economy to the brink of collapse?
In The Difficulty of Being Good, Gurcharan Das seeks answers to these questions in an unlikely source: the 2,000 year-old Sanskrit epic, Mahabharata. A sprawling, witty, ironic, and delightful poem, the Mahabharata is obsessed with the elusive notion of dharma--in essence, doing the right thing. When a hero does something wrong in a Greek epic, he wastes little time on self-reflection; when a hero falters in the Mahabharata, the action stops and everyone weighs in with a different and often contradictory take on dharma. Each major character in the epic embodies a significant moral failing or virtue, and their struggles mirror with uncanny precision our own familiar emotions of anxiety, courage, despair, remorse, envy, compassion, vengefulness, and duty. Das explores the Mahabharata from many perspectives and compares the successes and failures of the poem's characters to those of contemporary individuals, many of them highly visible players in the world of economics, business, and politics. In every case, he finds striking parallels that carry lessons for everyone faced with ethical and moral dilemmas in today's complex world.
Written with the flair and seemingly effortless erudition that have made Gurcharan Das a bestselling author around the world--and enlivened by Das's forthright discussion of his own personal search for a more meaningful life--The Difficulty of Being Good shines the light of an ancient poem on the most challenging moral ambiguities of modern life.

Print length

434 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

October 1, 2010
Dimensions

9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
ISBN-10

0199754411
ISBN-13

978-0199754410
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"The Difficulty of Being Good represents an attempt by Das to bring together the two sides of his life, the literary and the practical. The result is a highly personal and idiosyncratic, yet richly insightful meditation on the application of ancient philosophy to
issues of modern moral conduct and right and wrong."--William Dalrymple, The Financial Times

Book Description

Gurcharan Das, author of the international bestseller India Unbound, searches for a meaningful ideal of civic virtue in an ancient Sanskrit epic

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (October 1, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 434 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199754411
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199754410
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.36 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #817,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #216 in Classic Greek Literature
- #712 in Ancient & Classical Literary Criticism (Books)
- #2,946 in Essays (Books)

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ValueShopper

The book that will make you look at everything around you differently!

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2016

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This book took me by storm. I purchased it at the suggestion of my cousin after we were having a spiritual conversation that first started on What's App. I have spent every spare moment I have reading this book. As a Hindu Indian who has been born and raised in the US I loved the references to Greek mythology and the Western philosophers as we spend a lot of time studying this in school. I have always thought that there are many parallels between Greek mythology and the epics of the Hindu religion. I appreciated how Mr. Das compared and contrasted them.

While I was reading the book I couldn't help but see the parallels to what is happening right now in the US during our election year. The Mahabharata is playing out right here in front of me. I couldn't help but slot current politicians into the various characters in the Mahabharata. And once I started down that road, you can analyze almost any situation we are facing today - terrorism, corporate greed, personal family situations, etc. along the lines of the Mahabharata and of course the Mahabharata that plays out inside of us individually. I could relate to each character - I've experienced each one of those traits - envy, courage, revenge, the unevenness of dharma, etc. I could go on. I especially appreciated how he used examples that are in current times that I could relate to whether it was his own personal experiences, the Ambani brothers, or the Financial Crisis of 2008.

I especially appreciated this commentary on how there is very little remorse today. We need more people like Yudhishthira to actually feel remorse when they've done wrong. As he rightly mentions there was no remorse after the 2008 Financial crisis or the many other things that play out in the global arena. Our leaders whether political, corporate, or religious have lost sight of their dharma.

If I could offer a few suggestions to improve the book it would be that there were some things that were repeated quite often. Perhaps this was for the readers who have no information about the Mahabharata and that's why he continued to repeat many of the facts, I don't know. The other suggestion I have is that he very briefly touches on the fact had the Pandavas always followed dharma and not fought the war or had fought fairly they would have most probably have lost and that perhaps being dharmic means you lose in the world that we live in. I would have liked to hear more about this because it makes me question is it really possible to follow dharma and succeed in the world we live in? Or do you really have to choose between succeeding in the material world or succeeding with your higher being. He also briefly speaks about but perhaps this was destined because Krishna wanted to kill off the kshastrias because they as a group had too much pride, ego, etc. In which case is the demise of the kshastria class a result of their collective karma.

I really loved the book - but I would love to see a sequel that expands on some of the issues that Mr. Das did not dive deep on. The book definitely made me think of a variety of things going on the world as well as my own personal life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!!

And lastly, as Mr. Das mentions early in the book why isn't the Mahabharata read more, analyzed more and studied throughout the world? This is an epic that merits more attention and we need more people like Mr. Das to bring our great epics and literature to a global stage.

9 people found this helpful

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Spk

Experiencing Gurucharan Das - The Difficulty of Being a Good Writer

Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2010

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The book `The Difficulty of Doing Good, The Subtle Art of Dharma,' is certainly a book for the times; perhaps a book that will also stand the test of time.

However, it is a relief for me to state the above. Please allow me to explain.

A suspicion of Time Thieves

I got a sudden email from a friend of mine the week before, stating we must go to `this.' The `this' in question was a lecture by Gurucharan Das based on his new book, at Harvard University in Cambridge. I responded expressing interest. But I was not sure how much time I had to make the trip given that it was in the middle of the week, and there was every chance that I might have to travel as well.

I was also unsure because I was suspicious. Writers, it seems to me, want to go back and mine the epics time and again. No complaint there. But I worry that they are doing so either as a crutch for their own original critical thinking or worse to borrow from the reputation of the given epic. A different breed of writer, is afflicted with a second curse. And this is especially true for modern writers. And that is the '10-point how to be successful book.' `Leadership Secrets of Atilla the Hun' and other such titles come to mind. And for that, I have no time.

The lecture was on a Tuesday early evening. All day at work, I kept my eye on the clock (and gave my friend a 90% probability during the course of the day that I would make it). Mercifully, no work related fire-drills, or a request to dash to NYC popped, and I jumped on the Red Line from the Financial District to Cambridge.

August Company

I found my friend in the auditorium when I got there. It was a rather wet day, so I had to mind my umbrella. I was pleasantly surprised to see the auditorium well populated already. Not so few attending, that I would feel trapped. Not so many that I would feel like I was at a superficial, but popular event.

As we were sitting and chatting a distinguished gentleman in gray was striding down the middle stairs and checking out the arrangements in front for the panelists. My friend nudged me and asked, `do you know who that is?` I looked at her askance. She whispered `Professor Sugata Bose.` The name did not mean anything to me other than that it might be of Bengali origin.

I soon learned that this was the eminent Historian who deliberated on the role of the Indian Ocean in world History and also the grandson and grand nephew of the most famous of the Indian Freedom fighters.
I settled down, set aside any lingering suspicions or misgivings about being there and prepared to don the mask of an attentive listener.

I have seen you, but have not heard you before

The person of Gurucharan Das who stood in front of us, I have seen several thousand times. A polished corporate speaker. Knows what he is going to say. Says it and not anymore. A few personal references to connect with the audience. Enough self-deprecation and enough humor. Knew how much energy to spend on this lecture and how much to save for the one next day at MIT. Spoke in succinct paragraphs. Said what he was going to say. Said it. And summarized what he said. A corporate speechwriter would have been proud.

But what Gurucharan Das said, was unlike any of the corporate speeches I have heard. He spoke with the conviction of a man who had employed all his personal skills, resources, time and energy in asking questions of the great epic, Mahabharata. And the answers he derives from interrogating the text are his own. This was not a speech written by a corporate speechwriter.

He laid out a few markers that stood in mind. He talked about how the action in the epic stops all of a sudden and how the characters in the scene discuss it. He discussed how good and bad were all mixed up not just in the characters but in the nature of good and bad itself. He teased out some aspects of the story that those of us who have grown hearing it and reading it might have missed (like Karna's enduring passion for Draupadi). And finally he raised the questions that the epic raises against today's problems; the current wars, the current crisis in governance, and the shocking apathy in the public sphere.

The riposte by his two hosts, both professors at Harvard, were scintillating. They drew out aspects of what the author said in genuinely original and authentic ways. However, I had to chuckle to myself. Being the son of a professor myself, I can smell professors and their professorial tendencies a mile away. Take it from me, that when a professor says, "I would like to make one last point," they do not mean it.

After Party

My friend bought a book and got it signed by the author. I demurred. I have my friend, the iPad, and I read books on that. So no paper copies for me, author's signature or otherwise.

On the ride back home we chatted about the speech and about the author and recalled various interesting things we had heard.

On one point we were agreed. This was no ordinary re-telling of the epic.

But how does he write?

I shared my experience of the evening with family and friends. My brother wrote back to me that he was a fellow panelist with the author when was touring India in 2000. Several friends reminded me that that author is a regular columnist in the Times of India and other newspapers.

It is one thing to speak well. But it is a whole different skill to write. And within even that genre, it takes a particular type of skill to deliver a tangy, provocative news op-ed. And another to sustain an interrogation of a few thousand year old epic. The opinion of the author's news columns, at least in my network of friends and family, was decidedly mixed.

But I was intrigued enough by the speech that I decided `to buy' what the author was selling. So with fresh trepidation and anticipation I downloaded the book on the Kindle Application of my iPad.

The Difficulty of Being Good

The cover of the book itself is pleasing. Subtle earth tones and simply laid out without too much commotion. Neither austere nor too loud.

One of my favorite books is `The Founding Brothers,' by the historian Joseph Ellis. There he delivers a particular historical scene succinctly. He then goes about setting the context for it, and then finally delivers its meaning and import (and example being the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr).

Gurucharn Das' approach is not exactly the same but similar. He runs through the backbone of the epic quickly, so the reader is up to speed on what the story is and who the main characters are. Even for a reader like me who perhaps is familiar with the epic, this was a good refresher. It is written in a `lets get to the point quickly' style, but as a reader you realize that it is a palate cleanser for the complex meals to come ahead.

In the author's take on the epic, the central event appears to be the episode of Queen Draupadi's humiliation in the King's court. One would normally assume that this particular scene was a dramatic episode. But that the central scenes were Arjuna's dilemma or even Karna's demise. But what the author is exploring is the question of Dharma. And the central question of Dharma is posed by the humiliated Queen to the assembly of Nobles.

This exposition alone is worth the price of the book. The author brings such vitality to the scene. Asks such penetrating questions of the characters assembled. He builds so many layers to the answer. This is a tour de force. A bravura chapter. And he keeps bringing this back again and again throughout the book.

The other chapter that stood out for me is the one on Krishna. How was this modern, yet sincere and passionate intellect going to interpret this complex figure. Devotionally? Skeptically? Historically? Pragmatically? Agnostically? The author smartly discusses the character of Krishna in the epic in the context of literary history and succeeds in shedding new light. More importantly, his reading is impartial and he astutely leaves things well alone, contradictions and all.

The most important learning for me, among the many was the concept of reciprocal altruism, which the author explains well and uses a device to explain it, that business and economics students are familiar with, namely the Prisoner's Delimma, from Game Theory (The book Thinking Strategically by Avinash Dixit is a terrific example in this genre).

Some quibbles for my efforts

There were some aspects of the book that did not work for me. These are more in the nature of quibbles than finding a serious flaw in the work.

The author constantly refers to `his dharma-search' throughout the book. That is fine for a preface or the introduction. But to repeatedly see that phrase throughout the book, interfered with my enjoyment of the flow. It seemed like I would be enjoying a challenging point that the author was making, and then I would be distracted by being reminded that this was a part of the author's `dharma search.' This, I did not need to be reminded of constantly.

The contemporary examples employed in the book were hit or miss. The example of the bureaucratic response to which color ink to use was hilarious. The multiple references to the story of the Ambani brothers felt like the author was playing to the gallery. References to pre-eminent political figures felt like name dropping.

The author brings up evolutionary biology in the passing. There is a lot happening there. There is an entire chapter, essay or even book that is waiting to be written there. It was intriguing that he would make the connection. But the author makes no more than a connection. This to me was the weakest link in the book. But it does not hurt the main thrust of the book in any way. A reader unfamiliar with Richard Dawkins or Daniel Dennett would be forgiven for going, `huh?!' (A good place to start here is `The Mind's I' by Douglas Hofsdater and Daniel Dennett).

Experiencing Gurucharan Das

There was a real reason that I finally did make the trip to Cambridge that evening. That did not have to do with the author per se. But it had to do with me. And with my curiosity.

A successful corporate executive, who could have written a `legacy' book to pad the ego, like so many do, takes an academic holiday at the University of Chicago to tussle with the world's foremost Sanksrit Scholars. The chasm from the Corporate Business world to this other world cannot be bridged. It takes a Lewis and Clark type of fearless expedition to get there. And even if one gets there, one can be roasted in the cauldron of academics by the natives. And Wendy Doniger can personally see to that. For the author to earn encomiums from Professors Doniger, Pollock et al is a wondrous achievement. And a role model.

So I went that evening to see if such a role model would indeed present himself. Or if I would find feet of clay (in my own judgement).

My experience listening to the author and then reading his work gives me a sense of relief. My suspicions have subsided. An intellectually fearless explorer, and a writer of talent has written a fine work.

May it be timeless.

26 people found this helpful

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osoz

THE DIFFICULTY OF BEING GOOD

Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2012

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This is an excellent read and this review will not do it justice but I am compelled to say at least something having recommended it to a number of friends and family. With the ancient Mahabharata as the theme and background, the admirable author explains characteristics of humankind that were true then and are true now. The book is non-judgemental and helps reconcile our instincts and feelings those that may be considered to be good and bad and it plays out religion in the same way, providing considerable freedom to those with a secular approach and those that have a faith in a religion, any, faith. It raises consciousness that frees one to act and hopefully be Good.

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2011

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This is a book worth reading in these times when the line between good and bad has become more obscured than ever. Gurcharan Das has not only succeeded in bringing an old epic story of the east into a contemporary global context, but in the process has also written a thought provoking treatise on ethical/moral/psychological issues confronting the modern man. At places in the book I wished that the discussion woud get deeper into philosophical and psychological dimensions rather than political/current events perspectives, but that is a personal preference. I would highly recommend this book to any one interested in how an ancient story can reveal the stubborn-ness of human conflict.

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Disha Chhabra

"Why be good when being bad is considered to be cool

Reviewed in India on March 17, 2015

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"Why be good when being bad is considered to be cool?
Why does always bad things happen to good people?
In a society where people get away by doing bad things, why should people still believe in 'Dharma'?
Is a "bad person" never good? Does not the "good" sometimes become bad?
Ultimately what is good and bad? What exactly is our Dharma?
Isn't there a certain degree of good in all evil and a certain degree of evil in all good?
How does one come to terms with the uncertain ethics of the world around us?
Was the great epic called 'Mahabharata' about 'war' or was it about 'peace'?
Is Mahabharata relevant in today's world?
How does one deal with 'moral' dilemmas when along both sides are one's own people?
Should one forgive the wrong doer or take revenge?
Is moral blindness an intracable human condition or can one change it?"

A lot many times we grope hard in the dark for a lot of these answers. There is hardly anyone who at some or the other point in life has not found himself struggling with these moral dilemmas. Through the elaborate analysis of the powerful characters of Mahabharata, the great author tries to find some of these answers.

First, why does a person stray on the wrong path? For Duryodhana, it was envy and the influence of his uncle on him. For his father, it was insecurity. For Ashwathaama, it was revenge. For Karna, it was a search for his identity. Reasons could be many more. The idea is that in life, several things/emotions/circumstances have the power to easily stray one from the right path. In today's world, where a bride is burnt alive, a lot many times, the reason is greed. Bhisma, Drona and many such learned men knew the Kauravas were wrong in what they did to the Indian Queen Draupadi. But their loyalties were not towards what was ethical but towards a throne. A lot many times, we follow the wronged ones just because they are our blood relations; knowing very well that the same will lead to a doom for not just us but them as well in the long run. In times of moral dilemmas, it is easier to weigh the two sides not on who is ethical but on who is closer to us. And that, as the book conveys is disastrous for everyone and not just the victim.

Second, what is one supposed to do when wronged? Does one forgive or does one avenge? Are there are limits of tolerance? Yudhistra resisted war even after losing everything. But his goodness was exploited way too far.

My favourite chapter of the book is 'Draupadi's Courage'. When she is brought to the assembly, her first question is to her husband : 'Whom did you lose first, yourself or me?'

This line has haunted me for days. Clearly, her husband must have lost his conscience first to have staked his wife. For how could he stake the woman he was supposed to protect? What is left of Dharma? For Draupadi, when honest people fail in their duties to speak against wrong, they 'wound' dharma and deserve punishment. If only someone had done that in the assembly, the catastrophic war could have been avoided.

The best part of the book is it does not try to take sides, it does not preach. It only tells us that world is made to be imperfect. And how we can still be good and carve out what we want to become rather than let circumstances define that for us.

Some of the greatest messages/lines of the book are:

- Do good to others but only to the point where goodness does not hurt. Yudhishtra was good but he realized his goodness was being exploited too far and was sending a wrong message. His final decision to go to war was to send the message that goodness should not be exploited too far. Yudhistra's journey from the assembly to the Kurukshetra is insightful.

- Let no man do to another which is repugnant to himself. How would you feel if it was you who was suffering?

- When in a dilemma, choose the right person and not merely the one close to you. Arjuna knows if he fights, he would be killing his own loved ones, gurus, family members. But as Krishna explains to him, it is in such times one's true character is tested. Arjuna needs to fight not for his sake but for the sake of 'Dharma'.

- Dharma is subtle.

- I fear not death as I fear a lie

- Remorse is different from regret. Someone who is remorseful will always reject a consolation of his wrong doings. Most times, when we do wrong to someone, we feel regret but not remorse. We try to find a rational explanation to our wrong doings, blaming it on circumstances/people. Remorse comes when you feel the suffering of fellow human being to an extent, where suffering becomes your own. A person who is truly remorseful only finds ways to make amends and not reasons to forgive himself.

- The process of becoming a good person is an art.

- Each person, no matter who he is needs to deal with the consequences of his actions, his decisions.

- Abandoning someone devoted to you is a bottomless evil. How Yudhistra did not even abandon a stray dog because the dog was loyal to the King finally opened the doors of heaven for him.

- Unexamined life is not worth living.

- What we change internally will change the outer reality.

- There are times when turning the other cheek really sends a wrong signal.

- I act because I must

- Mahabharata is not about war but peace

144 people found this helpful

Teddy Sun

Perfect commentary to the Mahabharata.

Reviewed in Germany on August 19, 2013

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Of course, the first thing to note is, there is NO POINT buying this book is you have no knowledge of the plot of the Mahabharata, as this book does not take the time to tell the story in detail. Otherwise, it would be easily 100 volumes!

It is a very astute, modern and critical commentary on the story. The writer, a successful Indian business man with a western philosophical education, manages to blend in both a discussion of Eastern culture and Western perception, making this more relevant for the Western reader, as well as Indian readers who want to examine the text through Anglo-Saxon lenses.

Especially helps to work through sometimes difficult and seemingly contradictory plot lines - a must, if you like me, have been confused by the epic.

ayush pandiya

Nice read

Reviewed in India on April 29, 2023

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Nice book for 1 time read.

One person found this helpful

kanchan Jadeja

This book is amazing it provides a very current take on ancient wisdom ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2016

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This book is amazing it provides a very current take on ancient wisdom derived from Hinduism but relevant to all of us managing life in 21st century! Loved it!

Sagnik Jana

ZERO complaints; ONLY praises

Reviewed in India on April 27, 2022

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Delivered the very next day, this masterpiece is a collection of essays by public intellectual, Gurcharan Das, where he analyses some of the major characters of the Mahabharata, employing both eastern and western ideals, questioning their morality and motive, and leaving us breathless with the sheer brilliance with which he attempts such an ambitious task, and the sheer success of the said task.

Despite being a decade old, this collection of essays feels still just as fresh as they must have been during its the publication of its first edition. Written in response to time of chaos, the essays discuss how the characters in the Mahabharata speak to and resonate with the author; he further makes analogies of the events in the epic with real-life occurrences and controversies.

Despite being a critique and an analysis of such a mammoth work, never does the author falter or get lost in the labyrinth that he himself is attempting to make sense of. Perfectly readable and a copious amount of notes for further reading, this book is highly recommended.

P.S. This book was delivered the very next day and in mint condition. The font is medium and readable. Furthermore, the pages are thick enough to withstand the onslaught of my highlighters. And trust me, you'll need a LOT of highlighters because this book deserves to be annotated the heck out of!

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