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Books

‘I May Be Wrong’ offers practical wisdom and profound solace

I May Be Wrong, by the late Björn Natthiko Lindeblad, gives readers sage advice on the acceptance of thoughts and shows how they can be harnessed positively.

I May Be Wrong (Bloomsbury) is like receiving a letter from an acquaintance or friend from Uni that had disappeared off the face of the earth. You kind of always wondered what happened to them, or what they ended up doing. Well, it’s like that — it’s like hearing from someone you used to know, who got up and walked away from a life geared towards material success and a very promising career as an economist, to go on to devote an entire life to self-learning and spiritual development as an extreme forest monk for 17 years. 

Björn shares his journey in a very relatable and honest way. He invites you into his world and keeps you interested because you want to know how it all ended up. You want to know what he learned by living in one of the harshest monasteries in the world, by giving up life’s more earthly pleasures, and if it was all worth it in the end. 

Björn Natthiko Lindeblad
Photo: AFP

A self-help book it is not. And this is exactly why it serves so well to dispense advice that you don’t mind hearing because he admits to his fears and doubts. Monk or no monk, he’s only human after all, and Björn makes it all feel okay because he knows that there is a common thread that links us: we all have the same worries, the same dreams, and the same desires.

There is a Björn in all of us. And if it’s not in a monastery, then it could just as likely be in a jail cell (if your unlucky, or lucky, depending on what you get out of it — some inmates go on to find the greatest of inner peace). Hell, it could be working in Antarctica for a season, and learning what it means to leave all worldly possessions behind, and live with the barest of essentials for six months with complete strangers.  

One thing is for sure, any kind of enforced solitude is not necessarily a shortcut to enlightenment, but it can give you some serious spiritual tools. 

I don’t know if you have to leave the monastery to really find out if you can cut it in the real world because you can be confronted with your thoughts wherever you are. Sure, there’s a lot to be gained by taking on the structures of Buddhism, but there is a lot to be said for life giving you what you need. And examining your thoughts in the here and now is where it all starts. 

I May Be Wrong Book Cover

Björn left the monastery at the age of 47. Did it prepare him for real life? That’s certainly up for debate, as monks aren’t allowed to actively pursue a wage, or handle money (and life will pretty much sucker punch you if you don’t know how to at least support yourself financially). It might not surprise you to learn he went into a year-and-a-half-long depression upon reentering society.  

I’m not even sure that at the end of the day that’s all that important. After all, if you are doing the right things in the right way, then the universe will provide. Björn seemed to do okay. Depressed for a while, yes, but he didn’t become homeless, he didn’t become destitute. His parents gave him an early inheritance to help him through, he went on to utilise his skills as a meditation teacher and speaker to find occupation. He even found love. A big love. 

2018 brought a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease (MND), for which there is no cure. With it also came a sense of urgency to relay his message to the world and a two-to-five year window in which to do it. Björn lived to see I May Be Wrong first go to print in Sweden in 2020 and passed away in January of this year by euthanasia, which in some ways makes his story all the more compelling. 

Björn Natthiko Lindeblad

Aside from the highs and lows of monastery-versus-real life, Björn’s real purpose in sharing his story is to highlight the very real need to understand your thoughts; that it’s fundamental to learn how to control the seemingly endless barrage of thoughts that run around, as if on repeat, and use them to your advantage; that you are not at their mercy. And with proper training, your thoughts can help your overall happiness and wellbeing, so that you can be the best person that you can be for the people you love, and the world around you. 

Björn’s journey led him to this guiding principle: that only by properly directing your thoughts can you live peacefully, and bring positivity to any challenges that may arise. 

Self-discovery is a lifetime journey and Björn — in his own way — made it a very admirable one.

I May Be Wrong is out now via Bloomsbury.