As Love Island comes to an end, fill the hole with these five books on Buddhist philosophy

The Buddha preaching the Abhidharma in Trāyastriṃśa heaven (Hintha)

The latest series of Love Island departs on Monday night, taking with it the nation's main opportunity to collectively revel in the psycho-emotional suffering of others.

No judgment. I too have been sustained by their tears.

Broadcast six nights a week - not taking into account the Saturday night round-up, sister shows and podcasts - the show will leave a sizeable hole in the lives of many. I could recommend one of its forebears, a Bachelorette or a Big Brother, to fill it, or perhaps Channel 4's more recent Naked Attraction, surely the most pure and distilled expression of reality TV's central conceit.

But rather than embrace our worst instincts and interests, why not take this opportunity to let go of them, and moreover let go of the self.

Here are 5 books relating to Buddhism's philosophical traditions:

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Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment by Robert Wright

Wright was a fascinating guest on Sam Harris' Waking Up podcast not so long ago and had a New York Times No.4 bestseller in 2017 with this antidote to bitter modern discourse. Setting aside reincarnation and other supernatural elements, the evolutionary psychologist instead focuses on meditation, the positive effect it can have on the individual and society, and posits that a more mindful population would be one less plagued by the political tribalism that has emerged recently.

The Way of Zen by Alan Watts

Philosopher and general Zen master Alan Watts can take a long and indulgent bow (not that this would be very Zen) for having introduced Eastern philosophy to a Western audience.

Written in 1957, The Way of Zen is a good starting point for Zen Buddhism, covering both history and practice, and outlining concepts like wuwei, The Middle Way and anatman.

Bopper's Progress by John Manderino

This delightful little novella centres on 'a directionless young man who has found himself on a month-long Zen Buddhist retreat'.

It manages to poke a little fun at Zen concepts without ever seeming anything but reverential of the tradition, Bopper's internal monologue being a familiar one: that of outwardly appearing calm but inside being unable to suppress ricocheting thoughts, no matter how much one might try and release them.

Confession of a Buddhist Atheist by Stephen Batchelor

Though it might sound like a paradox, Buddhism is by far the religion most cherished by atheists.

Stephen Batchelor helped start this buoyant wave of secular Buddhism we're now seeing back in 2010, an agnostic turned atheist who is nevertheless a devout follower of the Buddha's teachings.

In Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, he champions the many noble goals of Buddhist discipline, from the letting go of craving and desire to the gentle acceptance of death.

When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön

Life is hard, perhaps even a net negative if the anti-natalists are to be believed, but Tibetan Buddhist Chödrön sees a way through it.

Drawing on her many decades of experience as a Buddhist nun, she explains how to not only deal with grief and other negative emotions in this book but how to use them to cultivate wisdom and compassion. Oh, and it has a charming sub-title, Heart Advice for Difficult Times.