LGBT struggles, meditation and human experiences (IANS Books This Weekend)

Read about the pathos, problems and the mental trauma faced by the LGBT community; learn to channelise futile thoughts and turn them into productive energy; flick through unusual stories about human experiences that have the unique quality of endurance.

The IANS bookshelf has interesting reads to offer this weekend.

1. Book: Co-Wife; Author: Pradipta Panda; Publisher: Frog Books; Pages: 381; Price: Rs 375

Pradipta Panda, in his book "Co-wife" on the LGBT community, poignantly captures the pathos, the problems and the mental trauma faced by the members of the community. His story revolves around the relationship of a straight woman, Pranami, and a gay man, Manav, whom she loves. Manav is a bisexual and a crusader of the LGBT community. The story through real life stories of gays and lesbians brings to light their experiences and raison d'être for choosing to love, live life and have sex with partners of the same sex.

Pranami is caught in a web of conflict and deceit. Will she succeed in her dream of being able to marry Manav? Or will he choose to remain gay? Or will her brother, also gay, succeed in his scheme of marrying her off to his gay lover to get hold of her property? Will a society that criminalises the LGBT community accept their marriage, even if it happens? Will the LGBT community ever get justice and peace to fit into society?

The term wife is self-explanatory and needs no definition. However, what and who is a co-wife? What does this term signify? Read "Co-wife" to understand the mystery behind a co-wife and the ethos of the LGBT community.

2. Book: A Million Thoughts; Author: Om Swami; Publisher: Jaico; Pages: 334; Price: Rs 350

Each one of us is a master of infinite possibilities on a universal scale. Through meditation we experience our own magnificence; our true potential.

Drawing on his experience of thousands of hours of earnest and strenuous meditation, renowned sage Om Swami pens a guide to help channelise unruly, futile thoughts and turn them into productive energy.

"A Million Thoughts" shows how to meditate correctly, how to practise various styles of meditation and how to become proficient in the many yogic practices that will lead to the final stage of samadhi -- the ultimate spiritual self-fulfilment.

Brimming with first-hand experiences and references from ancient texts, this book is most suited for the modern reader who wishes to master the art of meditation.

3. Book: The Path of Light; Author: Renuka Narayan; Publisher: Penguin; Pages: 201; Price: Rs 250

"The Path of Light" is a collection of short stories -- nothing if not a mirror to the phenomenal range of human behaviour. Taken from the Upanishads to the Jatakas to South Asian folklore, these simple but contemplative tales show how people are capable of both extreme cruelty and inordinate kindness. Old-fashioned storytelling meets classic wit and wisdom in this collection.

These unusual stories, told in the author's sharp, humorous style, are distilled human experiences that have the unique quality of endurance. From the ordinary comes the extraordinary; from the human, the supernatural. Ancient and modern, these magical tales from the banks of the Yamuna to the Kaveri and from over the Eastern seas across the Indic tradition take us through the pitfalls and pleasures of existence, fusing the past with the present in a happy continuum.

--IANS

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