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Racing Along the Razor's Edge
The Hindu scriptures compare the spiritual path to walking along a razor's edge. Now Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri shows how, with the help and loving guidance of a Satguru like Amma, we can tread this path with relative ease, even racing along the path toward inner peace and ultimately the realization of the Universal Self that all beings share.Narrated with characteristic wit, lively examples, and profound insights and experiences gleaned from 27 years of living with Amma, Racing Along the Razor's Edge is a wellspring of practical wisdom from one of Amma's senior disciples.Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri has been traveling around the globe with Amma since her first world tour in 1987. Currently, he spends most of his time visiting Amma's ashrams and centers around the world, giving discourses, leading retreats, and teaching hatha yoga and meditation classes.
- GenresNonfiction
287 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2003
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November 25, 2020
Back in the day before author Ramakrishnananda became a swami, Ammachi (officially Mata Amritanandamayi) charged him with staying behind at the San Ramon, CA mini-ashram while Amma and the other brahmacharis continued on their world tour, finally settling back into India. His task was to continue instructing and inspiring Western devotees in Amma’s absence, keeping her love and teachings alive while she toured elsewhere. This would not have been his first choice.
Having worked for years in a bank as a young man, with parents who discouraged his spiritual leanings and particularly his affiliation with Amma, he’s an excellent resource for teaching Westerners. He’s straightforward and succinct, nonjudgmental, savvy to slang, practical, and soft-spoken but not shy. He appreciates and employs humor and irony. During those early days, he easily explained esoteric concepts. As a former accountant, he would break topics into, for example, four manageable parts, count them off, and then explain them one by one. He told illustrative stories, a number of which highlighted his own shortcomings/learning opportunities. His talks were inspiring, intelligent, practical and humble.
Racing Along the Razor’s Edge was a chance for me to revisit his interpretations of Amma’s philosophy and philanthropy. I asked myself if this book really rated 5 stars. The very same day, I cashed in a Groupon for a new massage therapist. We hit it off, and we talked for some time after the session about music and spiritual teachers. Just as I was going to mention this book, she brought it up, saying that she’d read it years ago and it was one of the clearest and most entertaining spiritual books ever! I have to agree, though I’m not an expert.
If you want to learn more about Hinduism, Ammachi’s teaching and mission, or simply glean a few tips on how to live a happier and less conditional life, Razor’s Edge is an accessible and entertaining way to gain knowledge.
Having worked for years in a bank as a young man, with parents who discouraged his spiritual leanings and particularly his affiliation with Amma, he’s an excellent resource for teaching Westerners. He’s straightforward and succinct, nonjudgmental, savvy to slang, practical, and soft-spoken but not shy. He appreciates and employs humor and irony. During those early days, he easily explained esoteric concepts. As a former accountant, he would break topics into, for example, four manageable parts, count them off, and then explain them one by one. He told illustrative stories, a number of which highlighted his own shortcomings/learning opportunities. His talks were inspiring, intelligent, practical and humble.
Racing Along the Razor’s Edge was a chance for me to revisit his interpretations of Amma’s philosophy and philanthropy. I asked myself if this book really rated 5 stars. The very same day, I cashed in a Groupon for a new massage therapist. We hit it off, and we talked for some time after the session about music and spiritual teachers. Just as I was going to mention this book, she brought it up, saying that she’d read it years ago and it was one of the clearest and most entertaining spiritual books ever! I have to agree, though I’m not an expert.
If you want to learn more about Hinduism, Ammachi’s teaching and mission, or simply glean a few tips on how to live a happier and less conditional life, Razor’s Edge is an accessible and entertaining way to gain knowledge.
Displaying 1 of 1 review