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Living with the Himalayan Masters: Spiritual Experiences of Swami Rama
Ordained a monk at a young age by a great sage of the Himalayas, Swami Rama was involved in a learning journey from monasteries to caves, studying and living with more than a hundred sages in the solitude of the Himalaya Mountains and the plains of India. Among those with whom he studied were Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, and Ramana Maharshi. In this collection of stories, Swami Rama relates his experiences with the great teachers who guided his life.
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First published December 31, 1899
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About the author
Swami Rama
156 books214 followersSwāmī Rāma was born Brij Kiśore Dhasmana or Brij Kiśore Kumar,to a northern Indian Brahmin family in a small village called Toli in the Garhwal Himalayas. From an early age he was raised in the Himalayas by his master Bengali Baba and, under the guidance of his master, traveled from temple to temple and studied with a variety of Himalayan saints and sages, including his grandmaster, who was living in a remote region of Tibet. From 1949 to 1952 he held the prestigious position of Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham in South India. After returning to his master in 1952 and practising further for many years in the Himalayan caves, Swami Rama was encouraged by his teacher to go to the West, where he spent a considerable portion of his life teaching, specifically in the United States and Europe.
He is especially notable as one of the first yogis to allow himself to be studied by Western scientists.
Swami Rama authored several books in which he describes the path he took to becoming a yogi and lays out the philosophy and benefits behind practices such as meditation. One of the common themes expressed in such books as "Enlightenment Without God" and "Living with the Himalayan Masters" is the ability of any person to achieve peace without the need for a structured religion. He was critical of the tendency for yogis to use supernatural feats to demonstrate their enlightenment, arguing that these only demonstrated the ability to perform a feat.
He is especially notable as one of the first yogis to allow himself to be studied by Western scientists.
Swami Rama authored several books in which he describes the path he took to becoming a yogi and lays out the philosophy and benefits behind practices such as meditation. One of the common themes expressed in such books as "Enlightenment Without God" and "Living with the Himalayan Masters" is the ability of any person to achieve peace without the need for a structured religion. He was critical of the tendency for yogis to use supernatural feats to demonstrate their enlightenment, arguing that these only demonstrated the ability to perform a feat.
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March 15, 2023
This is an inspiring story of a person's quest for spiritual enlightenment. We can see how he shaped himself into a Himalayan master. There are also some other inspiring stories of great personalities like Yogi Sri Aurobindo and Mahatma Gandhi in this book.
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May 31, 2020
Before I go into the review, I'd just like to point out that Swami Rama has more than 10 allegations of sexual misconduct against him. That should give a lot of insight upon the authenticity of this book. To be on the fair side, he does admit to having a lot of anger and egoic issues as a neophyte, but does subtly hint that his "moral character" was very pure in one of his anecdotes. I find this to be very hypocritical.
The book is written more as a series of anecdotes than a linear autobiography. The initial chapters on life in the himalayas are very interesting, and a fair amount of detail is given upon the lives of villagers and sadhus who live there. Anyone who wants to visit the mountain ranges would find his descriptions very interesting. There were a few other anecdotes based on his experiences with sages, but i felt he had made up a lot of them; probably just my bias. Several chapters are a description of various eastern philosophies which one could find anywhere else as well as a few chapters on famous sage-like personalities during this period, but again I felt that he was trying to boost his credibility by association with them.
My recommendation would be to just read the first few chapters that deal with life in the Himalayas and toss out the rest.
The book is written more as a series of anecdotes than a linear autobiography. The initial chapters on life in the himalayas are very interesting, and a fair amount of detail is given upon the lives of villagers and sadhus who live there. Anyone who wants to visit the mountain ranges would find his descriptions very interesting. There were a few other anecdotes based on his experiences with sages, but i felt he had made up a lot of them; probably just my bias. Several chapters are a description of various eastern philosophies which one could find anywhere else as well as a few chapters on famous sage-like personalities during this period, but again I felt that he was trying to boost his credibility by association with them.
My recommendation would be to just read the first few chapters that deal with life in the Himalayas and toss out the rest.
September 13, 2012
excellent book for those who have devotional fire in them..... came to know many things about himalayas....really good
September 10, 2013
Living with Himalayan masters is a must read for anyone interested in learning about Indian philosophical thoughts. This book highlights the center of all the mystical teachings in India- The Himalayas. In this autobiographical account, swami Rama tells us about his journey through the Himalayan passes and meeting with various sages and yogis of different sects and branches. This book really make us wonder-"How far are we in the journey of self discovery?"
January 2, 2016
I read this book in preparation for my first trip to India to visit the Sri Vidya shrine and study with Swami Rama's students. I have learned a lot from some of Swami Rama's other books, but I'm just not as amazed by this book as everyone else seems to be.
I loved the first half of the book, and I couldn't stop reading. It was interesting to learn about life in the Himalayas, and some of the ancient traditions. It was also interesting to hear about Swami Rama's own spiritual development. The lifestyle presented in this book is so different from my own that it was fascinating to learn about his life path.
At some point the focus shifted from Swami Rama's spiritual development to a repetitive stream of anecdotes about people he visited with magical powers (such as killing living creatures and bringing them back to life, switching bodies, magical instant healing of deadly illnesses, turning human flesh into vegetarian food, etc.). I would not have minded this if there wasn't so much of it, but it really felt like the whole second half of the book was one fantastical story after another. They were all followed by him saying that such powers are not spiritual practices and should not be the goal- yet his focus is on those powers and he doesn't talk about those other things. If such powers are not as meaningful as spiritual practices, then why not just talk about the meaningful spiritual practices instead?
Perhaps this is an issue of translation, but as a Westerner, I found his tone to be preachy and condescending throughout the second half of the book. I do agree that Eastern philosophy is very well-developed and that many spiritual practices from the East are better than what Western systems have to offer (hence my own practice of these techniques) - but the East is not without its problems, too. Swami Rama takes an attitude that we just have everything wrong here in the West, while everything in the East is more pure and developed, and this tone became annoying after a while. It just simply isn't true. Each culture has their strengths and shortcomings.
He also harped on the perspective that Eastern spiritual practices are always better and more profound than the ignorant Western scientific approach. I'm also a scientist, and I think that he is comparing two different things. Both Western science and Eastern spirituality have a lot to offer as well as their own shortcomings, but they are not mutually exclusive, do not have the same goals, and shouldn't be compared side-by-side the way Swami Rama does throughout the book. Since Swami Rama is not an expert in Western science, I think the book would have been stronger if he had left his opinions of it out and focused more on the area that is his strength without being critical of another system that he doesn't fully understand.
Despite the things about this book that bothered me, I am glad that I read it. It was interesting and does have something to offer (especially the first half). I rate it 3 stars because ultimately it's more good than bad. It did teach me more about India's spiritual background and I have a deeper understanding of the culture now. However, in my opinion it is not the life-changing spiritual text that other reviews make it out to be.
I loved the first half of the book, and I couldn't stop reading. It was interesting to learn about life in the Himalayas, and some of the ancient traditions. It was also interesting to hear about Swami Rama's own spiritual development. The lifestyle presented in this book is so different from my own that it was fascinating to learn about his life path.
At some point the focus shifted from Swami Rama's spiritual development to a repetitive stream of anecdotes about people he visited with magical powers (such as killing living creatures and bringing them back to life, switching bodies, magical instant healing of deadly illnesses, turning human flesh into vegetarian food, etc.). I would not have minded this if there wasn't so much of it, but it really felt like the whole second half of the book was one fantastical story after another. They were all followed by him saying that such powers are not spiritual practices and should not be the goal- yet his focus is on those powers and he doesn't talk about those other things. If such powers are not as meaningful as spiritual practices, then why not just talk about the meaningful spiritual practices instead?
Perhaps this is an issue of translation, but as a Westerner, I found his tone to be preachy and condescending throughout the second half of the book. I do agree that Eastern philosophy is very well-developed and that many spiritual practices from the East are better than what Western systems have to offer (hence my own practice of these techniques) - but the East is not without its problems, too. Swami Rama takes an attitude that we just have everything wrong here in the West, while everything in the East is more pure and developed, and this tone became annoying after a while. It just simply isn't true. Each culture has their strengths and shortcomings.
He also harped on the perspective that Eastern spiritual practices are always better and more profound than the ignorant Western scientific approach. I'm also a scientist, and I think that he is comparing two different things. Both Western science and Eastern spirituality have a lot to offer as well as their own shortcomings, but they are not mutually exclusive, do not have the same goals, and shouldn't be compared side-by-side the way Swami Rama does throughout the book. Since Swami Rama is not an expert in Western science, I think the book would have been stronger if he had left his opinions of it out and focused more on the area that is his strength without being critical of another system that he doesn't fully understand.
Despite the things about this book that bothered me, I am glad that I read it. It was interesting and does have something to offer (especially the first half). I rate it 3 stars because ultimately it's more good than bad. It did teach me more about India's spiritual background and I have a deeper understanding of the culture now. However, in my opinion it is not the life-changing spiritual text that other reviews make it out to be.
September 1, 2021
ಹಿಮಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ರಾಮರು ಸಂಧಿಸಿದ ಶಕ್ತಿಯುಳ್ಳ ಸಿದ್ಧಿ ಪುರುಷರ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ. ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವು ಜನ ತಮ್ಮ ಸಾಧನೆಯನ್ನು ದುರುಪಯೋಗ ಪಡಿಸಿಗೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೆ ಕೆಲವರು ಅದೇ ಸಾಧನೆಯ ಪಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು.
ಇನ್ನು ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ರಾಮರು ತಮ್ಮ ಸಾಧನೆಯ ಹಾದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡ ಅಡೆತಡೆಗಳು, ಲಾಯಕ್ಕಾಗಿರುವ ಗುರುಗಳು ದೊರಕದೇ ಇರುವುದು ಮತ್ತು ಹಿಮಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡ ತಮ್ಮ ಅನುಭವಗಳನ್ನು ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಚ್ಚಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಇನ್ನು ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ರಾಮರು ತಮ್ಮ ಸಾಧನೆಯ ಹಾದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡ ಅಡೆತಡೆಗಳು, ಲಾಯಕ್ಕಾಗಿರುವ ಗುರುಗಳು ದೊರಕದೇ ಇರುವುದು ಮತ್ತು ಹಿಮಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡ ತಮ್ಮ ಅನುಭವಗಳನ್ನು ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಚ್ಚಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
July 7, 2023
ಅಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕತೆ ಅನ್ನುವುದು ಅವರವರ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಂತಹ ಅನುಭವ. ಅದನ್ನು ವಿವರಿಸಲಾಗದು.
ಈ ಕೃತಿಯಲ್ಲೂ, ಹೀಗೆ ಧ್ಯಾನ ಮಾಡಿ, ಹೀಗೆ ಉಪಾಹಾರ ಸೇವಿಸಿ, ಇಂಥದೇ ಸ್ಥಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವಿಸಿ, ಇಂಥವರ ಆಶ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ, ಕಟ್ಟು ನಿಟ್ಟಾಗಿ ವೃತ ಮಾಡಿ, ಹೀಗೆ ಹೀಗೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಎಂದು ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಬೋಧಿಸಿಲ್ಲ.
ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ರಾಮರು ಬೆಳೆದುಬಂದ ಬಗೆ, ಅವರ ಗುರುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ, ಅವರು ಹಿಮಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಧಿಸಿದ ಸ್ವಾಮಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಇನ್ನಿತರರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅವರೆಲ್ಲರ ಸಾನ್ನಿಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಮರು ಪಡೆದುಕೊಂಡ ಅನುಭವಗಳ ಹೂರಣವನ್ನು ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಅಜಯರು ನಿರೂಪಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅದನ್ನು ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಉತ್ತಮವಾಗಿ ಡಿ.ಕೆ.ಶ್ಯಾಮಸುಂದರ ರಾವ್ ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ ಅನುವಾದಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಕೆಲವು ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ನಂಬಲಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಕೆಲವೊಂದು ವಿಸ್ಮಯ ಮೂಡಿಸುತ್ತವೆ. ವಿಕ್ಷಿಪ್ತ ಸ್ವಾಮಿಗಳು ಸಿಗುತ್ತಾರೆ. ವೈರಾಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲದ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಜನರು ಮತ್ತು ಕುಟುಂಬಸ್ಥರ ಅಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕತೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಕೆಲವು ಅಧ್ಯಾಯಗಳು ಮತ್ತೆಮತ್ತೆ ಹೋದ ಬೇಕೆನಿಸುತ್ತವೆ.
ಇಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಅಧ್ಯಾಯಗಳನ್ನು ಒಂದೇ ಬಾರಿ ಓದುವುದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ದಿನಕ್ಕೊಂದರಂತೆ ಓದುವುದು ಸೂಕ್ತ. ಅಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕತೆಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಪಟ್ಟ ಯಾವುದೇ ಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ಈ ರೀತಿಯೇ ಓದುವುದು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು ಎಂಬುದು ನನ್ನ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ.
ಒಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಕೃತಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಸಂಕ್ಷಿಪ್ತವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳುವುದಾದರೆ.. ಅದರ ಮುನ್ನುಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದಂತೆ,
"ಈ ಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಯಾಗಿ ಅಧ್ಯಯನ ಮಾಡಿದಾಗ, ಕುತೂಹಲಿ ಓದುಗನಾಗಿ ಅವಲೋಕಿಸಿದಾಗ, ಅಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕ ವಿಚಾರಗಳ ಅನ್ವೇಷಣೆಯ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಿದಾಗ, ಇದು ಯಾವುದೇ ವರ್ಗ, ದೃಷ್ಟಿ-ಧೋರಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ತಣಿಸಬಲ್ಲ ಅನನ್ಯ ಕೃತಿಯಾಗಿದ ತೆರೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತದೆ. ಕುತೂಹಲಕಾರಕ ಕಥನಮಾಲಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಒಂದು ಸುಂದರವಾದ ಪ್ರವಾಸಕಥನದ ಉತ್ಕೃಷ್ಟ ಅಂಶಗಳು ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಾರಾಧಕರನ್ನು ತಣಿಸುವ ವರ್ಣನೆಗಳು ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಜೀವನಚಿತ್ರ ಚರಿತ್ರೆಗಳು ಸರಮಾಲೆ, ಇಹಪರಗಳ ಗಣಿತಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತದ ಪೂರ್ಣಪಾಠದ ರಸಘಟ್ಟಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬ ಮಾನವ ಜೀವಿಗೆ ಅಗತ್ಯವಾದ ವಿಶ್ವಮಾನವಧರ್ಮದ ಸಂಜೀವಿನಿ ಸಂಪುಟ ಈ ಕೃತಿ. ಇಂಥ ಏನೆಲ್ಲಾ ಸಂಗತಿಗಳೂ ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ದೃಷ್ಟಿ ಧೋರಣೆಗಳೊಗೂಡಿ ಸರಳ ಸುಂದರ
ಭಾಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಮೂಡಿ ಬಂದಿರುವುದು ಈ ಕೃತಿಯ ವಿಶೇಷ."
ಅಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕತೆಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಪಟ್ಟ ಕೆಲವು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳಿಗೆ ನನಗೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಉತ್ತರ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದವು. ಓದಿನ ಸುಖ ಅನ್ನೋದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ತೃಪ್ತಿಕೊಟ್ಟ ಕೃತಿಯಿದು. ಅದ್ಭುತ ಕೃತಿ. ♥️
ಈ ಕೃತಿಯಲ್ಲೂ, ಹೀಗೆ ಧ್ಯಾನ ಮಾಡಿ, ಹೀಗೆ ಉಪಾಹಾರ ಸೇವಿಸಿ, ಇಂಥದೇ ಸ್ಥಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವಿಸಿ, ಇಂಥವರ ಆಶ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ, ಕಟ್ಟು ನಿಟ್ಟಾಗಿ ವೃತ ಮಾಡಿ, ಹೀಗೆ ಹೀಗೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಎಂದು ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಬೋಧಿಸಿಲ್ಲ.
ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ರಾಮರು ಬೆಳೆದುಬಂದ ಬಗೆ, ಅವರ ಗುರುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ, ಅವರು ಹಿಮಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಧಿಸಿದ ಸ್ವಾಮಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಇನ್ನಿತರರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅವರೆಲ್ಲರ ಸಾನ್ನಿಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಮರು ಪಡೆದುಕೊಂಡ ಅನುಭವಗಳ ಹೂರಣವನ್ನು ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಅಜಯರು ನಿರೂಪಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅದನ್ನು ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಉತ್ತಮವಾಗಿ ಡಿ.ಕೆ.ಶ್ಯಾಮಸುಂದರ ರಾವ್ ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ ಅನುವಾದಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಕೆಲವು ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ನಂಬಲಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಕೆಲವೊಂದು ವಿಸ್ಮಯ ಮೂಡಿಸುತ್ತವೆ. ವಿಕ್ಷಿಪ್ತ ಸ್ವಾಮಿಗಳು ಸಿಗುತ್ತಾರೆ. ವೈರಾಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲದ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಜನರು ಮತ್ತು ಕುಟುಂಬಸ್ಥರ ಅಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕತೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಕೆಲವು ಅಧ್ಯಾಯಗಳು ಮತ್ತೆಮತ್ತೆ ಹೋದ ಬೇಕೆನಿಸುತ್ತವೆ.
ಇಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಅಧ್ಯಾಯಗಳನ್ನು ಒಂದೇ ಬಾರಿ ಓದುವುದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ದಿನಕ್ಕೊಂದರಂತೆ ಓದುವುದು ಸೂಕ್ತ. ಅಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕತೆಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಪಟ್ಟ ಯಾವುದೇ ಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ಈ ರೀತಿಯೇ ಓದುವುದು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು ಎಂಬುದು ನನ್ನ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ.
ಒಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಕೃತಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಸಂಕ್ಷಿಪ್ತವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳುವುದಾದರೆ.. ಅದರ ಮುನ್ನುಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದಂತೆ,
"ಈ ಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಯಾಗಿ ಅಧ್ಯಯನ ಮಾಡಿದಾಗ, ಕುತೂಹಲಿ ಓದುಗನಾಗಿ ಅವಲೋಕಿಸಿದಾಗ, ಅಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕ ವಿಚಾರಗಳ ಅನ್ವೇಷಣೆಯ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಿದಾಗ, ಇದು ಯಾವುದೇ ವರ್ಗ, ದೃಷ್ಟಿ-ಧೋರಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ತಣಿಸಬಲ್ಲ ಅನನ್ಯ ಕೃತಿಯಾಗಿದ ತೆರೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತದೆ. ಕುತೂಹಲಕಾರಕ ಕಥನಮಾಲಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಒಂದು ಸುಂದರವಾದ ಪ್ರವಾಸಕಥನದ ಉತ್ಕೃಷ್ಟ ಅಂಶಗಳು ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಾರಾಧಕರನ್ನು ತಣಿಸುವ ವರ್ಣನೆಗಳು ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಜೀವನಚಿತ್ರ ಚರಿತ್ರೆಗಳು ಸರಮಾಲೆ, ಇಹಪರಗಳ ಗಣಿತಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತದ ಪೂರ್ಣಪಾಠದ ರಸಘಟ್ಟಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬ ಮಾನವ ಜೀವಿಗೆ ಅಗತ್ಯವಾದ ವಿಶ್ವಮಾನವಧರ್ಮದ ಸಂಜೀವಿನಿ ಸಂಪುಟ ಈ ಕೃತಿ. ಇಂಥ ಏನೆಲ್ಲಾ ಸಂಗತಿಗಳೂ ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ದೃಷ್ಟಿ ಧೋರಣೆಗಳೊಗೂಡಿ ಸರಳ ಸುಂದರ
ಭಾಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಮೂಡಿ ಬಂದಿರುವುದು ಈ ಕೃತಿಯ ವಿಶೇಷ."
ಅಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕತೆಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಪಟ್ಟ ಕೆಲವು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳಿಗೆ ನನಗೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಉತ್ತರ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದವು. ಓದಿನ ಸುಖ ಅನ್ನೋದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ತೃಪ್ತಿಕೊಟ್ಟ ಕೃತಿಯಿದು. ಅದ್ಭುತ ಕೃತಿ. ♥️
January 5, 2016
This book narrates Swami Rama's mystical journey through the mountain passes in the Himalayan Range. He mastered the science of life...according to him, any person can achieve peace without the need for a structured religion. Any person interested in learning spirituality, philosophy of life, will surely love this book.
April 26, 2010
Perhaps I am too prejudiced to take seriously anyone who writes a book full of miraculous happenings presented as truth.
But this book seems the work of a hypocrite, he tries to tell us that magic and wonders are unimportant on a spiritual path, but other than a few confused platitudes, this is all he has for us.
Everywhere are hints of magic powers he has acquired quickly followed up with telling us how he is too noble to use them.
Further research shows that he is wrapped up in many allegations of sexual misconduct with his students.
Skip this one.
But this book seems the work of a hypocrite, he tries to tell us that magic and wonders are unimportant on a spiritual path, but other than a few confused platitudes, this is all he has for us.
Everywhere are hints of magic powers he has acquired quickly followed up with telling us how he is too noble to use them.
Further research shows that he is wrapped up in many allegations of sexual misconduct with his students.
Skip this one.
January 10, 2015
This book perfectly portrays what I believe is the spiritual and philosophical part of our existence. Also, I could've learned a little bit of the origins of our current religions, and the common roots of them. It should be a must for every human being.
November 1, 2011
Amazing book. Must read for every person in search of peace.
December 13, 2017
I wish, Good Reads would have given an option to rate this book 10 out of 5. For the seekers, its a must read. The book will sail you through the beds of Himalaya and Spiritual Learning. I felt like roaming with Swami Rama in the Himalayas while reading this book. What a divine experience. It has great similarity with the most acclaimed book "The Autobiography of a Yogi" and is equally good . I had read "Autobiography of a Yogi" all most 10 years earlier and now I completed "Living with the Himalayan Masters", I felt like I was lost and this book helped me in re-inventing myself. WOW, what a great book and definitely I am a chosen one to have been fortunate enough to read this book.
This book is not abut simple reading, its like living a life and experiencing some of the untold mysteries about the himalayan sages.
I would say that experience this book rather than saying read this book.
This book is not abut simple reading, its like living a life and experiencing some of the untold mysteries about the himalayan sages.
I would say that experience this book rather than saying read this book.
July 1, 2009
If not the greatest spiritual book on the horizon, this wonderful work of Swami Rama is a masterpiece of its own. It’s in its own league; the intruders should not trespass to this holy – isolated –land. Or else they will regret way too much. Reprimand should have been made with a quote before starting journey with the narrator.
This is not recommendable for all readers, only if you have some of the kicking in your heart for spirituality; come fall in love with this magnum opus of Swami Rama. This is yet another exemplification how east has mastered the science of life in the true scene.
This is not recommendable for all readers, only if you have some of the kicking in your heart for spirituality; come fall in love with this magnum opus of Swami Rama. This is yet another exemplification how east has mastered the science of life in the true scene.
June 14, 2011
The different types of sadhus and Babas Swami rama talks about are really surprising. It is also amazing to know that such people into the spiritual beliefs are there . One thing I feel when reading the book is how amazing it is to be part of an ecosystem like himalayas. It is always good to read stories where people have been determined about what they want and how they achieved it,this is a good read on those lines.
February 29, 2008
Surprisingly, this is an excellent read. Very funny and yet uplifting at the same time.
January 18, 2010
Complex Spiritual and Philosophical concepts explained in a very simple way.
July 2, 2024
Magical and mystical - a must read book for those interested in Indian spirituality - https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/living-...
July 14, 2025
Veldig flott skrevet, og helt utrolige historier. Synes det er så sykt det livet de gutta lever, mye visdom og.
July 21, 2023
I've read 30% of the book and can't continue further.
It all feels superficial. And this is not just because it's filled with magical powers. The conversations too kind of lacks depth.
One example
-----
after achieving some siddhi, there is a guy who can produce fire from his mouth.. rama is fascinated by that.. he says to his master that he doesn't teach him anything of importance.. and then he decides to go to that fire guy.. his master asks to accompany him.. after reaching there, he learnt that the fire guy was also a student of his master.. now more or less this is the conversation that takes place..
"i've practiced 20 years to master this"
"a match will produce fire in a second, if you spent that much time to produce fire from your mouth, you are a fool"
-----
What do I make of this! The book is filled with things like this that are difficult for me to digest.
Moreover, they keep criticizing modern education given to the child. It's superficial and useless. I agree it has it's limitations but if you are talking about control of mind, it has an effect on that too.
The book has a feeling that it's written to lure people in - perhaps to be his follower or something. Too superficial outside, shallow inside. Not saying there is none, but if there is magic deep in the Himalayas, then this book doesn't convince me of that.
It all feels superficial. And this is not just because it's filled with magical powers. The conversations too kind of lacks depth.
One example
-----
after achieving some siddhi, there is a guy who can produce fire from his mouth.. rama is fascinated by that.. he says to his master that he doesn't teach him anything of importance.. and then he decides to go to that fire guy.. his master asks to accompany him.. after reaching there, he learnt that the fire guy was also a student of his master.. now more or less this is the conversation that takes place..
"i've practiced 20 years to master this"
"a match will produce fire in a second, if you spent that much time to produce fire from your mouth, you are a fool"
-----
What do I make of this! The book is filled with things like this that are difficult for me to digest.
Moreover, they keep criticizing modern education given to the child. It's superficial and useless. I agree it has it's limitations but if you are talking about control of mind, it has an effect on that too.
The book has a feeling that it's written to lure people in - perhaps to be his follower or something. Too superficial outside, shallow inside. Not saying there is none, but if there is magic deep in the Himalayas, then this book doesn't convince me of that.
August 15, 2011
Groan... It's been awhile since I've read quite such a boring book. I'm eternally grateful that I got it for free on my Nook because I would be very annoyed if I had actually paid for it.
This book is basically the story of Swami Rama's life as he grows up living and studying with spiritual gurus in the Himalayas. It started off pretty interesting. I liked learning about life in the Himalayas and some of the stories were fascinating. Then it just got redundant, boring, and preachy. It seemed like I kept reading the same affirmations over and over and OVER again. Alright... I GET IT! Ugh. I suppose I probably should have been leery in the first place, but it had so much potential to be interesting and just... wasn't. Lesson learned.
This book is basically the story of Swami Rama's life as he grows up living and studying with spiritual gurus in the Himalayas. It started off pretty interesting. I liked learning about life in the Himalayas and some of the stories were fascinating. Then it just got redundant, boring, and preachy. It seemed like I kept reading the same affirmations over and over and OVER again. Alright... I GET IT! Ugh. I suppose I probably should have been leery in the first place, but it had so much potential to be interesting and just... wasn't. Lesson learned.
December 13, 2014
A must read for anyone who is interested in yogic philosophy, spirituality or just a peek into himalayan yogic culture.
The first person narrative which takes the reader through his life which focuses on experience based learning. Lots of thought provoking arguments.
Full of magical experiences yet he discourages any belief in miracles or magic which I firmly believe are practiced tricks as he describes. So I would recommend reading this books for the journey through himalaya and for the fresh thoughts, giving least relevance to magic & persona.
my fav picks:
"real knowledge comes only through direct experience"
"all spiritual knowledge and practices should be verifiied scientifically and if it has the capacity to do so"
The first person narrative which takes the reader through his life which focuses on experience based learning. Lots of thought provoking arguments.
Full of magical experiences yet he discourages any belief in miracles or magic which I firmly believe are practiced tricks as he describes. So I would recommend reading this books for the journey through himalaya and for the fresh thoughts, giving least relevance to magic & persona.
my fav picks:
"real knowledge comes only through direct experience"
"all spiritual knowledge and practices should be verifiied scientifically and if it has the capacity to do so"
October 14, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. While it doesn't teach much, it definitely instills faith in people treading on the spiritual path. Through its many stories of different sages and their accomplishments, it helps one believe that the human potential has endless possibilities waiting to be explored.
I like that the book did not try to teach, and rather touched up on different subjects. So curious people can be motivated to concentrate on their practices and be more devoted to their own gurus and systems.
We need more such content from India, so these unimaginable feats are well documented for posterity, considering the lack of exposure we have to genuine spiritual teachers in this day and age.
I like that the book did not try to teach, and rather touched up on different subjects. So curious people can be motivated to concentrate on their practices and be more devoted to their own gurus and systems.
We need more such content from India, so these unimaginable feats are well documented for posterity, considering the lack of exposure we have to genuine spiritual teachers in this day and age.
July 22, 2008
After my Mom started meditating again in 1987, she started reading this book to be a few years later....Swami Rama was the guru of her guru who taught her her meditation practice. This collection of anecdotes and tales of Swami Rama's life as a child in the Himalayas helped to soothe my soul as a young man and opened my eyes to other religious paths and and the inner journey of my soul. Great book!
June 9, 2015
It's all about searching.
I picked up this books assuming that I will be searching the meaning of life in its pages.
Some pages into the book, I realized that I was searching for Yeti and Shangri La instead.
After hundreds of pages and millions of (unbelievable) anecdotes, I am now searching for the person who recommended this book to me. He will die by my hands.
PongalSwamy said, "Non-believers like you can never grasp the power of belief."
I picked up this books assuming that I will be searching the meaning of life in its pages.
Some pages into the book, I realized that I was searching for Yeti and Shangri La instead.
After hundreds of pages and millions of (unbelievable) anecdotes, I am now searching for the person who recommended this book to me. He will die by my hands.
PongalSwamy said, "Non-believers like you can never grasp the power of belief."
February 12, 2008
....where spirituality supercedes mere religion.....an eye opener
February 16, 2008
This book is beautiful! I enjoy reading about Eastern culture, and their spiritual ways. Very uplifting.
April 28, 2012
Very nice account about the life of sages living in the Himalayas. It gives us city-dwellers a sneak peek of their simple but high living :)
August 12, 2012
It was the most motivating book i have ever read. It gives a great positive energy towards everything.
February 13, 2014
This book is for beginners, this helps to know about various Hindu practises. Well written and I like it. Would like to read his other books.
November 29, 2025
This was an uncomfortable read. It had been recommended to me quite enthusiastically, so I thought I’d give it a try.
Before starting the book, I read some comments and looked up the allegations of sexual abuse. I found many different accounts describing him as prone to anger and materialism, along with the court transcript that found him guilty of sexual abuse in the context of having sex with several different women who were his followers.
So I began the book with a pretty strong bias, and, well, I didn’t like it.
He does seem charismatic and eloquent, and the parts where he describes spirituality were interesting, but they felt more intellectual than lived. He was a human being with ups and downs in his spiritual life, and probably too charismatic for his own good. I’m sure he recognized the tension between sharing his spirituality or knowledge and the inevitable strengthening of the ego that can come with it.
The thing is, because of his popularity he seemed to have brought a lot of suffering with his downs.
In the book, he warns against performing miracles, saying that although they are real, they often become obstacles or lead one away from the spiritual path. Yet after saying that, he seems to pursue miracles and learn how to perform them for most of the book.
The main thing I take from this book is the importance of deep humility when it comes to spiritual growth. The process is so personal. It’s a kind of conundrum, really. I believe intellectual knowledge is quite distinct from spiritual growth and can easily become an obstacle to it. The notion of surrendering to something larger and ultimately unknowable is the opposite of the mind’s desire to understand and therefore feel in control of our environment.
And so, if anyone feels they have a solid grasp of spiritual knowledge, they should be all the more careful and look inward at their actions to ensure they are aligned with what they believe, especially if they’re sharing those beliefs with others. Because the one who feels that solid grasp of spiritual knowledge is the one and only “ego”.
Before starting the book, I read some comments and looked up the allegations of sexual abuse. I found many different accounts describing him as prone to anger and materialism, along with the court transcript that found him guilty of sexual abuse in the context of having sex with several different women who were his followers.
So I began the book with a pretty strong bias, and, well, I didn’t like it.
He does seem charismatic and eloquent, and the parts where he describes spirituality were interesting, but they felt more intellectual than lived. He was a human being with ups and downs in his spiritual life, and probably too charismatic for his own good. I’m sure he recognized the tension between sharing his spirituality or knowledge and the inevitable strengthening of the ego that can come with it.
The thing is, because of his popularity he seemed to have brought a lot of suffering with his downs.
In the book, he warns against performing miracles, saying that although they are real, they often become obstacles or lead one away from the spiritual path. Yet after saying that, he seems to pursue miracles and learn how to perform them for most of the book.
The main thing I take from this book is the importance of deep humility when it comes to spiritual growth. The process is so personal. It’s a kind of conundrum, really. I believe intellectual knowledge is quite distinct from spiritual growth and can easily become an obstacle to it. The notion of surrendering to something larger and ultimately unknowable is the opposite of the mind’s desire to understand and therefore feel in control of our environment.
And so, if anyone feels they have a solid grasp of spiritual knowledge, they should be all the more careful and look inward at their actions to ensure they are aligned with what they believe, especially if they’re sharing those beliefs with others. Because the one who feels that solid grasp of spiritual knowledge is the one and only “ego”.
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