Most people look at the Dalai Lama as a distant figure on a stage, but Rajiv Mehrotra has spent the last 30 years seeing him as a teacher and a friend. In One Breath at a Time, Mehrotra acts as our translator, taking those deep, mountain-top philosophies and bringing them right down to the kitchen table. It is a celebratory volume that manages to be both a tribute to a global icon and an intimate conversation between a teacher, a student, and the reader. With each page, there is a fresh set of teachings that feels like soul searching.
If you’ve ever wanted a roadmap to the Dalai Lama’s philosophy without getting lost in dense text, One Breath at a Time is it. Instead of a heavy lecture, the book feels like a quiet walk through the basics of being a good human, covering everything from mindfulness to simple kindness. It’s a wonderful tribute to a global icon, but more than that, it’s a warm invitation for the rest of us to slow down and find some peace in our own lives. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the world, this is the guide that helps you navigate it with a little more grace.
The book is structured around 108 teachings, a number that is far from being coincidental. One Breath at a Time takes the reader through 108 distilled lessons, mirroring the 108 worldly desires that Buddhism teaches us to overcome. It’s a beautifully simple concept for a profoundly deep legacy.
In Buddhist cosmology and meditative practice, 108 symbolises wholeness.
While the 108 teachings offer daily bite-sized wisdom, the book’s 18 chapters provide the larger architecture. The journey begins with the basics. These chapters don't require your faith; they invite your investigation.
It encourages readers to explore their own minds rather than just adopting a dogma.
He encourages the reader to treat their own mind like a laboratory. You aren't asked to believe in reincarnation or karma; you are invited to observe how a thought of anger physically feels in your body. The purpose of these secluded chapters is deconditioning. We are conditioned to react; these chapters teach us to respond. By using the breath (the "anchor"), the reader learns to create a "gap" between a stimulus and a reaction.
In chapter 5, The Path of Wisdom, the 26th Teaching, titled The Rainbow of Emptiness, is one of the most philosophically profound entries in the book. It addresses the Buddhist concept of Emptiness, but uses a beautiful, human metaphor to make it understandable. The rainbow exists only because of the interdependence of the sun, the rain, and the observer's eye. It has no "solid self" of its own. This part argues that everything in our lives, our problems, our egos, even our physical bodies, is exactly like that rainbow.
Further, the chapters tackle the afflictive emotions. Instead of telling the reader “don't be angry”, it explains why anger is logically ineffective and offers a step-by-step mental shift to dissolve it. For every negative emotion, the book provides a specific logical antidote, such as Anger is countered with Patience and Jealousy is countered with Rejoicing in others' success.
42nd teaching talks about The Practice of Gratitude. It’s not just about being thankful for the good things; it’s about a radical appreciation for the challenges that 'break us open.' Mehrotra shows us how to turn every life experience into a source of strength.
As the reader moves into the heart of the book, the focus shifts from personal peace to collective well-being. This section shifts the reader’s identity. It contributes to the idea of the global citizen. By realising we are all interconnected, compassion becomes a natural reflex rather than a forced moral chore. By dissolving the walls we build around ourselves, the book shows that our own happiness is inextricably linked to the happiness of those around us.
The 64th teaching, titled Ethics for Everyone, moves away from religion and focuses on what it means to be a decent human being in the modern world. Mehrotra argues that you don't need to be Buddhist or even spiritual to live an ethical life. The teaching explains that ethics isn't about following a set of strict, ancient rules; it is simply about warm-heartedness. We all want to be happy, and we all want to avoid pain. This is a scientific fact, not a religious one.
The final arc of the book is arguably the most important for a modern reader because it answers the question: How do I stay peaceful when the world is in chaos?
Chapters 15 and 16 deal specifically with the stressors of 21st-century life: greed, digital distraction, and the constant pressure to "be someone”.
It suggests that mindfulness is our only defence against a world designed to keep us distracted and dissatisfied. It encourages a mental diet, where we are as careful about the information we consume as we are about the food we eat. Simultaneously, the practice of contentment and finding satisfaction with enough rather than constantly craving for more is the key principle. It offers a practical way to set boundaries without losing our compassion.
These chapters teach us that our integrity in small moments, how we handle a difficult colleague, or how we react to a stressful headline, is what ultimately builds a peaceful society. It turns the quiet pilgrimage of the earlier pages into an active and practical experience.
The book reaches its summit with the final teaching: Joy in the Journey. We often spend our lives waiting for "the end": the end of a problem, the end of a workday, or the end of a struggle. This teaching flips that logic, suggesting that the "Joy" is found in the very act of practising, breathing, and trying again. It teaches that true joy isn't the absence of pain, but the presence of awareness. We already have everything we need to be at peace.
Mehrotra has brilliantly highlighted the bridge between us and the Dalai Lama. He creates a structure that respects our busy lives. He knows we might not have hours to study ancient texts, so he offers bite-sized wisdom along with a miniature meditation guide with each teaching that can be digested in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee. He turns a massive spiritual legacy into a portable and practical roadmap.
Title: One Breath At A Time: 108 Timeless Teachings of Wisdom
Publisher: HayHouse
Pages: 312
Price: Rs 599