About the book
“Long before ‘mindfulness’ became a product, the Indian traditions had a rich, careful vocabulary for the practice of paying attention.”
The Listening Mind draws on the Upanishads, the Buddhist Abhidhamma, and two decades of the author's own sitting practice to offer a modern reader something older, slower, and, in the end, more useful than another productivity system.
Key themes
About the author
Ananya Desai
Ananya Desai is a historian of Indian religious and philosophical thought. She holds a PhD from JNU and taught at Ashoka University for six years before leaving to write full-time. She lives in Pune, sits every morning at four, and does not own a smartphone.
Voices of readers
What Readers Are Saying
From quiet reflections to strong recommendations — here's how readers are responding to The Listening Mind.
3 reviews
- Excellent67%
- Very good33%
- Average0%
- Poor0%
- Terrible0%
Beautiful in stretches, occasionally more academic than I was ready for. The chapters on the Abhidhamma took me two readings. Glad I stayed with it.
— Isha KrishnanJuly 2026A rare book. Careful, unhurried, deeply learned, and quietly radical in its refusal to turn practice into product. If you have been put off by the wellness industry's version of ‘mindfulness’, this is the book to read instead.
— Priya MenonJuly 2026Desai has written the book I have been quietly hoping someone would write. She takes the Indian traditions seriously — as living philosophy, not decoration — and speaks to a modern reader without ever condescending. I will be re-reading this one for a long time.
— Rahul VermaJuly 2026