I cannot read ‘The Book of Joy’ the same way now!

The Dalai Lama controversy has sparked enough conversation on the internet. And now that I have a book with his name and picture on the cover, I cannot see it the same way.

For the uninitiated, The Book of Joy has been on my office desk for the past 7 months. I carried it one day to work and then just decided to leave it there. Every time I shifted my place, I carried it along with the rest of my notebooks, cards, and bookmarks. I made sure I read 10 pages when I needed time away from my screen. And on most days, if not all, I left it back at work itself. I did not want to mix it up with the rest of my readings. It was the kind of book where you could pause and pick from anywhere. Without my own knowledge, I slowly became the girl who had this one book on her desk. I remember my then acquaintance once told me something along the lines of, ‘I couldn’t remember your name, so I told my friend it was the girl who has that Book with Dalai Lama in her place and she immediately knew.’

The book has also been a wonderful conversation starter. Mostly because it has the juxtaposition of a Christian Archbishop alongside a Buddhist leader in the same room echoing the same theme. It’s noteworthy to mention that I was more interested in reading about Desmond Tutu and his life since his religious and political intersections coincided very much with my own beliefs and I so happened to stumble across his book during that time. But it weaved thoughtful discussions around my workplace and if you know anything about me, you know I LOVE picking people’s brains! So I am grateful for the conversations that happened around my desk over this book. I am grateful for the readers (and non-readers) I meet and continue to keep meeting because of the books I have on my desk.

I see the cover now and I want to hide it. I am a little ashamed when I realize that people around me can still see I own a book with his name and face on the cover. Does owning a book by him indirectly convey to the rest of the world that I stand by his act? Will people look at me differently now?

I don’t think I will stop reading it. I am more than halfway done now and it is honestly a very relaxing and refreshing read. But it’s going to be really hard for me to continue reading this book and look at him the same way now.

This goes on to add to the age-old question: Can you truly separate the art from the artist?

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