Books Unshelved : A Book of Simple Living by Ruskin Bond

#7 - The book gives the comfort of a hot chocolate on a cold winter evening

Ruskin Bond, the prolific octogenarian writer, has been an instrumental figure in the Indian literary space. His contribution to children literature is well recognized, but his repertoire has jewels that exhibit a wider latitude. He has produced more than 500+ stories & 65+ children books in the last few decades. 

His love for the craft and the joy in the process of writing, is visible in the fact that he refuses to slow down. He has more than 15 books published in the last 2 years. While some of them are collections of old writings & essays, he continues to create fresh work. He also collaborated with an Online platform ( Unlu) to deliver a Course on Writing. 

( Image courtesy : Penguin India Page)

A comforting thread, consistent in his work, is the way he chronicles nature through visual storytelling. Nature has been his beloved muse.  He juxtaposes this thread with added layers ; his own journey of life, journaling the life around & observing nuanced beauty in the mundane.

His writing style is deliberately simple to keep the journey effortless & rhythmic for the reader. A lot of his books offer comfort, like relishing a hot chocolate on a cold winter evening.

One such book is  : A Book of Simple Living. 

‘ Mist fills the Himalayan valleys, & monsoon rain sweeps across the hills. Sometimes, during the day, a bird visits me- A deep purple Whistling Thrush. She perches on the window sill, and looks out with me at the rain ‘ - Excerpt on the blurb. 

A Book of Simple Living is a personal diary that dips its feet across various themes . Reading this book is like meeting a beloved friend after a long time on a Friday evening. You indulge in unfettered conversations into the wee hours of the morning. The conversations where you scratch beneath the surface of life updates, to speak with effortless ease about life, philosophy, motivations, insecurities, little joys. Without any deliberate intent, you create wisdom for your future self.

A few threads that were great thought thrusters for me in the book -

1) Ruskin Bond shares multiple anecdotes of visits of the reticent, but enchanting,neighbors of nature like a ginger cat, birds like whistling thrush, squirrels. The congenial friends, albeit busy in the routines of their own day, deliver a measured performance for anyone who decides to pause and look at them. 

‘The Universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper’

 - Eden Phillpotts

2) Contentment or happiness : 

The essay speaks of how contentment is easier to attain versus happiness, and the possible trick lies in the acknowledgement of it being enough. It depends on us which direction we anchor our actions.

3) Fame & Money: 

‘Fame is like the wind. It blows in all directions, then vanishes without warning’. In a short note, Ruskin elucidates the ephemeral nature of fame. He holds the conversation with delicate sensitivity & sincerity, as he expands on the difficulty of the downhill journey as the limelight fades. He uses a great metaphor of standing in sunshine - ‘ We have had our hour in the sun, and now we should come in from the glare and enjoy the shade’.

He takes a similar approach on money by starting the note with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote - ‘ Money often costs too much’. The essay is really simple ( maybe over simplistic), but it holds a pragmatic stance - ‘ Money doesn’t make people happy. But neither does poverty’. Thus, it is an important variable in life to have as much as you need, or maybe a little more.

4) Solitude :

Solitude has been a recurring theme in many of Ruskin Bond’s works. This may be a  commentary that draws inspiration from his own life. But he doesn’t approach it from the lens of inadequacy. He celebrates solitude. He dismisses the notion that loneliness means unhappiness.  It is referenced as an enabler that makes him think better, observe the smaller things around that he would miss otherwise, if always engrossed in conversation with others. It helps to contemplate, to create a philosophy of life. 

This of course doesn't mean alienating oneself from the world. He mentions a solitary spirit can move around with the crowd, while still holding on to his innate reserve of solitude.

5) Love Your Art

‘ Love your art, poor as it may be…’

This page of his diary that speaks of ‘loving one’s art’ is special as it hosts many broad ideas in a single pot - joy in small things, enjoying the process more than the outcome, self-awareness on the relationship between ambition & talent, understanding limitations and the serenity that a passion project can bring in one’s life.

It asks us to do what we know best & do it well. Act impeccably. Everything will fall into place.

The book is an enchanting read, even if like me,  you don’t want to make a listicle of your loved takeaways. It is a conversation that you can gift yourself or your loved ones.  For moments when you are seeking for a conversation with a friend, but it cannot happen - this book can be a happy place to visit and revisit.

As Oliver Goldsmith had put it beautifully - ‘Good company upon the road, is the shortest cut’.