Living with the Himalayan Masters

I liked the analytical appraisal it provided- a self aware writing of the memoirs of spiritual discovery within the Himalayan tradition - reflecting very realistically human doubts and cynicism or the obstacle of a skeptical mind.These revelations of the life of the great sages can at times can be somewhat phantasmagoric and difficult to take in nevertheless the experiences become believable, plausible and small glimmers of inspiration on what must truly be the fifth dimension of understanding and far from our ordinary lives. It provides the crumbs to want to know much more - a persuasive gift of insight! It is purely descriptive however, and there is minimal guidance on how to - in what might well be described as occult practices. For good reason these are not imparted. Thank you Swami Rama despite the good and the not so good that has been said of you!

Swami Rama, a great master from Himalayas, takes us to spiritual journey which is filled with wisdom, fun and reminding us that even the great masters had to face the challenges of fear, sorrow as faced by common man. Only difference is they had courage to rise above the challenges and gain complete freedom from pain and misery.Swami Rama is very honest about talking about his own weaknesses and humble to give credit to his Master (Bengali Baba) for his all accomplishments. If you enjoy Autobiography of Yogi, you will enjoy this as well.

Very inspirational life story of a Mans journey to spiritual enlightenment . It will lighten your heart.

Extremely interesting narration of swami Rama's first hand account of living with great saints of India. The more I read the more I could perceive the journey towards knowing your self. My pranams to Swamiji and all the Himalayan saints who are ever residing in the bliss of Gods Kingdom. I could not but stop to admire the Himalayas the abode of great living saints.Sairam

What can be said of this book ? Suffice to say that this is one of the greatest spiritual classic of all times delivered by swami Rama by the grace of his master ,eternal babaji of the Himalayas.It is true that the book speaks to each reader at the personal level and the reader may find the presence of Himalayan sages through its pages.This is a book which you may like to read again and again.swamiji has narrated his experiences andEvents of his life of 45 years I.e.his life beforeHe came to west. He tells us about ,how he was broughtUp in the Himalayan caves,and how he was taught by thesages.The book is the record of some of theseexperiences.

I have enjoyed reading of people of faith, irrespective of their world view, for as long as I can remember. When this book was offered at a reduced cost (coupons' RULE), I was delighted to have the opportunity to read of the spiritual "autobiography" of a disciple of an "alien" (to me) faith system. What was delivered, as I read, is a mixture of memoir and parables from the life of Swami Rama.The writing style reminded me of translations of Oral Tradition stories I read while in school. The pacing, idioms and dialect used to relate the story is as close to sitting with someone of another country (in this case, India) as I have experienced since visiting with Huck Finn as we floated down the Mississippi. This adds to the "story" as it makes the narrator more alive and real. The use of first person singular is rampant in the writing, which I found to be off putting until I was able to "hear" the language and cultural differences being given. While it is not a style with which I am comfortable nor one I expect to develop, it is fitting for this particular vehicle.The chapters are divided into subdivisions where specific teachings, and how the author learned them or are illustrative of the teaching, are discussed. Many, if not all, of the sections hold nuggets of truth that are applicable to life, regardless of one's religious world view or absence thereof. How essential ridding oneself of fear is in accomplishing one's life tasks, "fearlessness is also an essential prerequisite for attaining enlightenment. Great are those who are always fearless" (p. 44), the power self-perception has on how we see others and the world around us, "When we are inadequate ourselves but our ego is strong, we tend to blame others" (p.51), and the need for practice to achieve one's goals, "If you know all about the piano but don't practice, you will never create music. Knowing is useless without practice. Knowing is mere information. Practice gives direct experience. Which alone is valid knowledge" (p.83), are some of the wisdom offered within the pages of this book.The author received most of his training in one of the most beautiful areas on earth. His descriptions of the Himalayas, the wealth of flora present in its valleys, the health inducing elements of the waters that flow from the Glaciers, the places still undiscovered my humans and those who choose to inhabit some of those remote places helped me to understand why people would want to visit the region, even if they are not going to climb Mt. Everest. The book contains some pictures of this area, but just enough to cause the reader to want to see more. Aside from its offering "pearls of wisdom," this is a book to be read by those who enjoy learning of Swamis, Yogis and/or associated disciplines or those who want to learn more of other religious systems. There is nothing of an offensive nature to be found in it and the language is worth reading at least a few of the chapters.

With minimal words this treatise beautifully descibes the goal of Human life. I've read a lot and this book describes more miraculous things than I've ever read. For those who seek union with God, this book is a good start. 5 stars for sure.

A very 'peaceful' book. I keep returning to it every few days to 'sip' a little more of the wisdom in here. The simplicity of the language in the book hides truly powerful wisdom that opens out not only the mind but also the heart of the reader. A very positive, uplifting kind of book that slowly gets you closer to yourself. Glad I bought this one!