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大師在喜馬拉雅山:斯瓦米‧拉瑪的開悟旅程

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這裡所記載的,不是我的人生,
而是收集了喜馬拉雅山的聖者們,以及我敬愛的師父,
所賜給我的珍貴經歷。
──斯瓦米‧拉瑪

喜馬拉雅聖者們所傳播的愛,
能讓全宇宙覺知到那個光明、生命、美的源頭

本書藉由斯瓦米‧拉瑪與那些藏身在喜馬拉雅山等偏遠地區岩洞和寺院中修行高人相遇的經歷,為我們指出人類自身神祕又奇異的本性。這些經歷看似離奇而令人難以置信,但斯瓦米‧拉瑪在每段敘事後所總結的心得,才是他要傳遞給讀者的要旨所在。

斯瓦米拉瑪在師父的指導下,跟著喜馬拉雅的聖者們生活在山中遊走,如此過了四十五個年頭,往往短短幾年間就經歷了一般人好幾輩子都無法得到的經歷。這一連串在聖者們身邊所學習所得到的體驗,幫助斯瓦米拉瑪找到了自己內在的覺性中心,保持和它的連結。

師父也讓斯瓦米拉瑪親自去體驗、去選擇,自己做出決定。所以,斯瓦米拉瑪有過王公貴族的豪奢生活方式,登上過形同教宗地位的商羯羅阿闍黎大位,乃至還俗成家立業又再度出家。師父在旁邊看著斯瓦米拉瑪一一陷進,等到斯瓦米拉瑪有自覺了,才把他拉出來。

這本書裡,記錄了斯瓦米拉瑪長大的過程、受過什麼樣的訓練、跟什麼樣的聖者一起生活,以及從那樣的體驗中學到了什麼。也許你會被其中離奇的情節所吸引,或是覺得那些故事並不足信,但無論你是否相信它們確實發生過,斯瓦米拉瑪在每段敘事之後所總結的心得,才是他要傳遞給讀者的要旨所在,如果能細細體味,必然會有所得。

就世俗的層面而言,這本書指出了我們是誰,以及我們該如何獲得快樂和成功。它啟發我們要勇於任事,對自己的付出要有信心。就靈性的層面而言,這本書藉由斯瓦米拉瑪和那些藏身在喜馬拉雅山、其他印度偏遠地區、西藏、尼泊爾、錫金、不丹等地方的岩洞和寺院中修行高人相遇的經歷,為我們指出自己神祕又奇異的本性。

‧斯瓦米‧拉瑪說──

聖者們賜給我的愛,像是終年覆蓋在喜馬拉雅山上的雪,它形成了冰川,然後溶化為數以千計的溪流。當愛成了我生命的上主,我變得一無所懼,從一個岩洞跋涉到另一個岩洞,橫渡雪峰環繞的溪流和山隘。在尋訪隱名避世的聖者時,無論在什麼狀況下,我都保持歡喜。

尋訪聖者是在將全人類和宇宙和諧結合在一起。聖者是人類取得知識和智慧的源頭,我們因此才能見到光明,見到真理,見到美,所有人才能從中窺見走向自由與幸福之途。聖者讓人類明白這個世界不過是浮光幻影。用他們的眼,才最能看清整個宇宙的一體性。喜馬拉雅聖者們所傳播的愛,能讓全宇宙覺知到那個光明、生命、美的源頭。

喜馬拉雅聖者和大師所教導的智慧,如同黑暗中的明光,引導著一心向道之人。他們所傳達信息的目的,在喚醒每一個人內在本來具有的神性火苗。當我們以靈性的行持,善加點燃這一火苗,它就能級級上升至真理的弘光中。它是由生命能的心意中升起,穿越我們心念的天空,最終到達光的天國,那是它位於永恆真理中的終極家園。

‧本書精彩題要

‧直接驗證
所有獲取知識的途徑中,直接驗證是最高的一種。其他的方法都是零星片段的。在證悟真我之道上,最主要的是淨化、專一並控制心念。不純淨的心念會生起種種妄想,造成種種障礙。有條理的心念,是能夠獲得直接驗證的工具。

‧學習謙遜
培養謙遜的心理素質,是朝著開悟邁步前進。能謙,我們才能得,才能無所失。要培養這個內在的素質,就要用祈禱和沉思來強化我們的意志力。

‧克服恐懼
恐懼是最大的敵人。它是住在內心的惡魔。在通往自由的階梯上,第一階是無懼。

‧出家
走上出家這條路,就像是走在剃刀的刀刃上。只有極少數幸運者可以如此,不是所有人都能。無所依戀,認識自己,是這條路上的兩個要件。

‧參訪各門各派聖賢
認識種種不同的道途,能引導你形成自己的見地。你認識的越多,就會越想多學。當你把自己明辨的智性磨得銳利了,就能堅定地踏上你的道途,不再有疑。

‧超越偉大宗教
世界上所有偉大的宗教都源自於同一個「真理」。如果我們只信教而不行「真理」,就無異於是盲人為瞎眼者領路。奉神之人必定會愛所有人。愛是宇宙的宗教。慈悲之人能超越宗教的界限,證悟到不可分割的「真實」。

‧神的護持
「放下自我」是開悟最高也是最容易的方法。能把自我完全獻出去的人,會時時得到神力的護持。不為自己占有一物,也無人保護自己之人,是屬於神的人,神自然會一直照應如此之人。

‧心念的力量
心是很多能量的蓄水庫。能利用到藏在這裡的能量,就能在世間獲致至高成就。如果心被訓練好了,能集中於一點並向內觀,它也會有力量穿透進入我們較深層面的本來。它是人類所能擁有最精密的工具。

‧療癒的力量
自我療癒的力量被深埋在每一個人生命的墳墓中。如果能將那個力量的潛能挖掘出來,人就能自我治療。完全無私為神服務之人, 可以治癒任何人。而所有療癒中最高的,莫過於從一切苦痛中解脫出來。

‧掌握生死
你是自己命運的建築師。死亡和出生不過只是生命的兩個事件。你遺忘了你的本質,這是你痛苦的起因。當你明白了這個,就得到解脫。

kindle_edition

First published December 31, 1899

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About the author

Swami Rama

170 books217 followers
Swāmī 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.

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5 stars
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3 stars
584 (12%)
2 stars
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177 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews
Profile Image for Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill).
1,381 reviews3,791 followers
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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Profile Image for Arvind Balasubramaniam.
34 reviews10 followers
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.
Profile Image for Sarath.
3 reviews15 followers
September 13, 2012
excellent book for those who have devotional fire in them..... came to know many things about himalayas....really good
247 reviews15 followers
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?"
Profile Image for Ines.
16 reviews
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.
Profile Image for ಸುಶಾಂತ ಕುರಂದವಾಡ.
504 reviews29 followers
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.
Profile Image for Sanjay Manjunath.
222 reviews10 followers
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. ♥️
Profile Image for Asha Mohun.
9 reviews5 followers
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.

Profile Image for Frightful_elk.
218 reviews
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.
Profile Image for Rui Delgado.
Author 1 book140 followers
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.
Profile Image for Pooja.
1 review
November 1, 2011
Amazing book. Must read for every person in search of peace.
Profile Image for Tanmay Meher.
Author 1 book4 followers
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.
Profile Image for Palahalli Rajesh.
7 reviews
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.
10 reviews2 followers
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.
8 reviews
January 18, 2010
Complex Spiritual and Philosophical concepts explained in a very simple way.
Profile Image for Thomas Thune-Haugerud.
4 reviews2 followers
July 14, 2025
Veldig flott skrevet, og helt utrolige historier. Synes det er så sykt det livet de gutta lever, mye visdom og.
Profile Image for Shashwat Rohilla.
27 reviews6 followers
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
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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.
Profile Image for Kerri.
504 reviews14 followers
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.
Profile Image for Afsal Pt.
4 reviews1 follower
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"
Profile Image for Pranita Bhat.
81 reviews15 followers
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.
35 reviews3 followers
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!
Profile Image for S.Ach.
725 reviews209 followers
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."
1 review
February 12, 2008
....where spirituality supercedes mere religion.....an eye opener
Profile Image for Jesse.
8 reviews
February 16, 2008
This book is beautiful! I enjoy reading about Eastern culture, and their spiritual ways. Very uplifting.
4 reviews1 follower
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 :)
Profile Image for Jayakumar Baradwaj.
12 reviews7 followers
August 12, 2012
It was the most motivating book i have ever read. It gives a great positive energy towards everything.
Profile Image for Suresh Yagneswara.
3 reviews
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.
22 reviews1 follower
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”.
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