Many would have seen this best selling book in airports/book-shops/amazon recommendations etc. But my case was slightly different. I happen to hear about this book from our Thalaivar’s speech on the release of a book in the same series (* added a reference at last). As a fan of the under-rated Tamil movie – Baba, I always aspired to know about the Himalayan Mystics and their experiences/lifestyle. Heard that this book has some valuable chapters regarding Babaji, I immediately rushed to order it. As I have never invested my time in reading, without getting assurance from Goodreads, I sought the help of the ratings to value my instincts over reading this book. With an astounding rating of 4.2 and 1673 ratings, I found the book to be credible and read-worthy for every person irrespective of their beliefs/faiths/religion. Also, further googling about this book revealed about celebrities like Steve Jobs, Virat Kohli, George Harrison recommending this book multiple times in their own manuscripts. With no more evidence-seeking and metric crunches, I did start reading this book, which is about the mystic saint – Paramahansa Yogananda.
What is special about this book?
This book talks about the spiritual journey of Paramhansa Yogananda through a reviving pack of 50 chapters. The initial chapters explain the protagonist’s search for his Guru, through several experiences of divine interventions. It also highlights the spirit of truth-seeking, which is a viable process of the Vedanta philosophy. As chapters roll on, the author explains his encounters with the mystic gurus in the Himalayas ( Some examples include The Levitating Saint, Yogi who never eats, Yogi who materializes/ dematerializes at will). The middle chapters explain his conversations/visions with Mahavatar Babaji (the mystic who is believed to live in the Himalayas for a period greater than 1500 years till date). These are the sweetest chapters (or) the high hanging fruits of this book. The author has tried his best to convey deeper spiritual/astral truths in layman terms. You would be surprised to know about the mystic powers of the unlearned, yet mastered gurus in the North. Also, the author also tries to relate the spiritual experience to scientific understandings, so that it looks far different than a fiction novel. Chapters about the author’s guru – Mahavtar Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, and Sri Yukteshwar Giri are remarkable sources of divine inspirations which could enrich your understanding of the spiritual world.
Who should read this book?
This book does not limit itself to a particular tradition/faith but transcends itself to cover much of the major faiths worldwide. The book tries to portray the spiritual similarity in truths across major religions of the world – Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism. I know that this will still end up being an obvious dilemma to the scientific dudes. Guys, come on. We do enjoy David Blaine’s Magic and horror fiction, at the same time rejecting some of the treasured truths hidden through ages.
I personally believe that metaphysics will inspire the future, by its close connection with the spiritual truths. For example, Michio Kaku is a modern-day physicist who is a well-known propagator of the String Theory. According to him, the fundamental building blocks of matter (Atoms), can still be broken into individual filaments, known as strings which resonate in harmonic motion across the galaxies, spreading into everlasting boundaries of the universe. These strings resemble the mind of God (words), flowing across a 12-dimensional hyperspace. At the same time, major religions believe that, in the beginning God’s words created the universe (As evident from Vedas/Bible). Metaphysics tries to explore paranormal activities, in close connection with the spiritual truths. This book is a short-cut to unravel the mystic world, without going through the intermediate science vial.
I’m an atheist and I don’t believe in God. Should I still read?
No, if you are an atheist. Yes, if you are a rationalist 🙂. Most people recognize themselves as an atheist with a blind faith, without realizing that they are are looking for rational views on religion. There is indeed a subtle difference, between both categories. You could still give it a try, to explore the hidden ancient truths, which lie untold to many. To be frank, I did read the Origin Book (best-seller by Dan Brown) which tells that life had evolved by itself with the external factors influencing and driving it. Not going deeper to avoid spoilers :p. I was mesmerized on the scientific theories/possibilities for a week, after completing the book. After which, I started reading the polar opposite of the former – The Autobiography of the Yogi. This has made my ground stand on theism and rationalism firm, by understanding that the spiritual realm is true, out of our comprehension which we could neither visualize nor comprehend with our innate minds. This book is a good start to understand the metaphysics of many natural phenomena of the yogis and sadhus. As a rationalist, start with an open mind, and you will be astonished to study the Himalayan saints.
What is the estimated time of reading?
3 weeks, spending half an hour daily. You could also take sufficient breaks, to resume. I took a lot of breaks in-between to grasp the full context. For example, when studying some sermons from Sri Yukteshwar Giri (Guru of Paramahansa Yogananda), I tried to grab his book too – The Holy Science. If you are a focussed guy, unlike me, you could very well complete this in 3 weeks.
What is your rating on the book?
This is my first spiritual book, that I did complete. I do not have any other comparisons to make with. I would give this a 4.5/5, considering it’s simplicity to the readers in conveying complex understandings.