The Difficulty of Being Good
What prompts us to act with integrity? In what ways should we pursue goodness? And can we really grasp the ethical lapses that dominate news cycles, wrecking lives and destabilising entire economies, communities, and the world's financial systems? Gurcharan Das turns to a surprising resource for answers: the Mahabharata, a 2,000-year-old Sanskrit masterpiece brimming with wit, irony, and philosophical depth. This sprawling poem wrestles obsessively with dharma, that slippery concept of righteous action. Unlike Greek epics, where heroes breeze past their mistakes, the Mahabharata grinds to a halt whenever someone falters. Countless voices then emerge, each offering conflicting interpretations of what's truly just. Das maps how each major character embodies particular moral strengths or weaknesses, and their inner conflicts echo our own struggles with anxiety, bravery, heartbreak, regret, resentment, empathy, rage, and obligation. Drawing parallels between the poem's figures and today's prominent economists, executives, and politicians, he uncovers uncanny resonances that illuminate how to navigate the thorny choices we face. Das writes with considerable knowledge and personal warmth, candidly reflecting on his own quest for deeper meaning. His investigation casts the glow of an ancient text onto our most vexing contemporary moral puzzles, revealing unexpected pathways through ethical confusion.
- Author: Gurcharan Das
- Publisher: Penguin India
- Genre: Plays & Drama
- ISBN: 978-0143418979
- Pages: 488 pages