Journey of a Master/Swami Chinmayananda/The Man,the Path,the Teaching

by Nancy Freeman Patchen

For over forty years Swami Chinmayananda was one of the the leading interpreters and teachers of the Hindu philosophical system of Advaita Vedanta,which establishes with exact logic the identity of the self (Atman) with the infinite (Brahman).Through a variety of institutions and methods particularly the jnana yajnas,rituals of truth,he worked to rejuvenate Hinduism by making hitherto inaccesssible insights of the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita available to one and all.Thereby,he was instrumentasl in bringing the wisdom of the Hindu heritage to everyone,regardless of caste,creed,gender or nationality. This is the first bio-graphy of Swami Chinmayananda and retraces his journey from the boyhood in Kerala,through his carefree college days and rebellion against British imperialism then his spiritual tutelage under Swami Shivananda and Swami Tapovan.An account is given detailing the growth of a worldwide movement under his guidance.Included are conversations with him on different subjects that demonstrate his sharp intellect,deep wisdom and quick wit.He is undoubtedly one of the outstanding and influential figures in the modern history of India The book was first published in the year 989 in USA and suseqquently published and 12,000 copies were re-printed in India five times

Genres: Biography, Spirituality, Hinduism

441 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Asish Andhavarapu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story about the life and evolution of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. Ms. Nancy Freeman Patchen does a wonderful job of not only providing context to the locations and events of Gurudev's time in this bodily form, but also illustrating the charm and wit of Gurudev, whether it be in lectures or satsangs or any other form of communication with devotees. Gurudev had a manner of taking the complicated concepts of Vedanta and explaining them in a way that made them much simpler and easier to comprehend, and did so with His unique sense of humor. It allowed us devotees to use those lessons and apply them in our daily lives, no matter what situations we encountered. Part 4 was my favorite part of the book because of its question and answer format, with Gurudev providing insightful answers to the questions of devotees. This book is a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Krishna Sruthi Srivalsan]

A fascinating account of Swamiji's life and lessons. Remember reading as much as I could within a span of 2-3 hours at the library in my university. I particularly enjoyed reading about his childhood in Kerala, and his journey from self proclaimed atheism to sanyaasa. Hope to re-read it completely soon!

[Ajay · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great he was.

[Reema · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a fascinating book about an extraordinary man who touched millions of lives and left them better, happier & more enlightened. Although I never had the opportunity to meet him, he's made the most significant impact on my life! This book attempts to give you a glimpse of his teachings and his influence and succeeds quite well.

[Kunjan Chauhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb biography of a man who led a divinely spiritual life dedicated to serving humanity. If you are interested in meditation and spirituality...its a must read. It's no good just meditating and leading a selfish life..!

[Naveen Kumar Chowdari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book to take a dip and bath in the Spiritual experience of a great guru.

[sanjay joshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice biography.

Nice detailed life account of Shri Swami Chinmayanandji on uplifting the community living socially and spiritually. It was nice to read it.

[Pratap Padhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives a great insight to the making of a great seer as also the Chinmay Mission. The long journey of the master from a village in the south to becoming a popular and revered spiritual leader is indeed stupefying. Everything about the book is great other than the sequencing.

[Chakravarthy Meduri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read if spiritual saints and gurus lives interests you. The presentation and the manner in which the book is written could have been better. Nevertheless, it is a fine read about one of the most popular swamis from India.

[Anand Ramachandran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book. Clearly one of the great thinkers in recent times.

[Andromeda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an interesting account of a Swamiji who had had an interesting family background, good education, and the benefit and blessings of two of the most notable and remarkable spiritual luminaries of the 20th century.

Swamiji's life had always, since his teenage days in fact, been dotted with great many controversies and radicalities: of all, the most uncommon one was his intention not to be dissuaded by his Diksha guru who did not see any value in his embarking on reforming the world. His disobedience was a trifle unorthodox and heterodox for a Swamiji who taught Hinduism.

The book gave a good overview of Swami Chinmayananda's swift rise to prominence at a time when his Siksha and Diksha gurus were still around. The author's efforts were, however, vastly blemished by her parochial belief in Aryan Invasion theory.