We all want to help Buddha feel better, don't we?

My favorite headline of the week:

"Buddha feel better when youth throng bookshops and not malls"

So, was this an insight gained through deep meditation? Not really. Judging from the article to which the headline was attached, the "Buddha" referred to is actually Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal in India, and the occasion for his remarks was the opening of the 33rd Kolkata Book Fair. "I'm not against shopping malls," he clarified, "but I feel good when I find young men and women thronging bookshops." Evidently the Kolkata Book Fair must be a fairly prominent event -- this was the 33rd edition -- because one of those present for its opening was Alexander McCall Smith, author of the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series.

For more about how to make Buddha feel better, you can consult this article from the Press Trust of India. And if you meet Buddha on the road, tell him we have a pretty good section of Buddhism titles at Accent on Books.