What do you think?
Rate this book
Tales of The Mystic East
English
316
Introduction
Tales have been told as long as people have been talking. Tales well told communicate their message in a way that all of us like to hear. Many of us may not relish a philosophical or moral treatise but truth in the guise of a good story will be enjoyed by all.
Over hundreds of years as stories are handed down from one generation to another some points slip out some creep in some are exaggerated. The authenticity of the stories is not the issue whether a particular event took place or not a Saint really did this or that a miracle actually happened. What is important is the moral the message contained in the story. Saints use stories to hammer home what we need to know. The stories serve as vehicles for their teachings enabling the reader to absorb their perennial wisdom in a simple direct way.
Most of the stories in this book were drawn from the discourses of maharaj Sawan Singh (1858-1948) known by his disciples as the great Master. A military Engineer and Persian scholar he was a disciple of Baba jaimal Singh (1839-1903) who founded the Radha Soami Satsang near beas in the Punjab India for forty five years the great master taught the path of mysticism and meditation known as surat Shabd yoga the way of the saints and the science of the soul.
In this revised edition of tales of the mystic east some sixty additional stories have been translated from the original Punjabi and included with those of the earlier editions. As before the tales have been retold with additional contextual and cultural details for the benefit of readers unfamiliar with the Eastern traditions.
The book is now in two the first and major part of the book contains new stories, as well as the retranslated and sometimes re
316
Introduction
Tales have been told as long as people have been talking. Tales well told communicate their message in a way that all of us like to hear. Many of us may not relish a philosophical or moral treatise but truth in the guise of a good story will be enjoyed by all.
Over hundreds of years as stories are handed down from one generation to another some points slip out some creep in some are exaggerated. The authenticity of the stories is not the issue whether a particular event took place or not a Saint really did this or that a miracle actually happened. What is important is the moral the message contained in the story. Saints use stories to hammer home what we need to know. The stories serve as vehicles for their teachings enabling the reader to absorb their perennial wisdom in a simple direct way.
Most of the stories in this book were drawn from the discourses of maharaj Sawan Singh (1858-1948) known by his disciples as the great Master. A military Engineer and Persian scholar he was a disciple of Baba jaimal Singh (1839-1903) who founded the Radha Soami Satsang near beas in the Punjab India for forty five years the great master taught the path of mysticism and meditation known as surat Shabd yoga the way of the saints and the science of the soul.
In this revised edition of tales of the mystic east some sixty additional stories have been translated from the original Punjabi and included with those of the earlier editions. As before the tales have been retold with additional contextual and cultural details for the benefit of readers unfamiliar with the Eastern traditions.
The book is now in two the first and major part of the book contains new stories, as well as the retranslated and sometimes re
316 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1964
2 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 23, 2023
I've carried this book along since childhood, reading a short story here and there sporadically. Finally finished reading the book cover to cover. Quite a few tales made me smile because I had heard them in some or the other form in a satsang or a Q&A session. Must read for those willing to walk the spiritual path.
Displaying 1 of 1 review