Book Review- Mystic's Musings

Actually this is not just a book review but also in a way a continuation of my previous post. So those of you who have read my previous post- Enlightened Masters would understand. In that I had written about Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev too and that I had ordered his book.

A few days later, now I have finished that book. I had gone home for 3 days and in those 3 days, I did manage to read it. Actually I managed to finish those 500 pages within two and a half days!

People say that such books- specially, have to be read slowly not just like a novel and it has to be read again and again. But I have never treated Spirituality books any differently. And one of the main reasons I think, which is important for these kind of books is that they are not really for the intellect. So you don’t really have to read and understand as such from the mind. It is difficult to understand because we only know that way and no other but these kind of books have a special purpose which Sadhguru himself said for this book that at certain points there are some keys in it. We just have to let it do its job. I have also seen many people when they are attending any talks of Masters or Gurus, they even note or jot down the things they are saying and I feel quite sad and I can’t even imagine what these Masters would be feeling because it is definitely not about their words. When you are in their presence, you just have to open up. Even if you don’t listen, you will benefit so much. It is their sheer presence that’s the most important and that is what ‘satsang’ is.

Now coming back to this book, I have only read it once that too with good enough speed and now I don’t have it with me so I cannot quote anything from it nor mention any chapter name etc. so it is important also that I write this post now otherwise I will forget a lot of things. I knew this was an interesting book by reading reviews on internet, like the one I am writing, and it was written that the first thing you will notice about this book is its shape-seemingly a perfect square although not to the naked eye, and it was written that it is not for the faint-hearted and how true it was. I must admit that I started reading the book from the time I got up in the morning - to the time I went to bed, and on the second day’s night, I was afraid to go to sleep! Now no one can imagine that a book on spirituality will or can make anyone afraid but actually these book progressively deals with more and more mysterious and esoteric topics. So on that second day, I had already reached the parts of after-death and disembodied beings etc. Reading Osho had made me skeptical of almost all things that people do- rituals etc because he never emphasized those things although he knew their meanings whereas Sadhguru openly answered all the questions that were asked of him.

Now I will bring in Osho here too from time to time..and the thing about this book is that it was actually meant for the close disciples and not necessarily the general public. And this is also important because some information if it is available to the general public can even be dangerous and that’s why a lot of things are closely guarded. But obviously he was aware that such a book is being published and will be available to the general public so he would have said if he was worried of any such thing.

Another danger that I see with it being available to the general public in addition to the fact that people might harm themselves because any spiritual practice needs guidance and people might invite things which they are not capable of handling which was also written in the book and the second thing would be the knowledge seekers would be really happy to get such a book which would help to increase their knowledge or might lead to people believing or disbelieving what is written in it. Many of the things that he has talked about, we do not have any experience of it so in no way can we approve or disapprove or accept or reject it. Osho was very particular about what he talked. He was aware that whatever he says about the things that people didn’t know, they will either start believing or disbelieving it so he always talked about this and avoided speaking on such things. I distinctly remember Sadhguru saying twice in this book that what he is saying – don’t believe it because it is not yet in your experience- and they consistently insist on not accepting anything unless it is your experience; but disbelieving it too would be foolish is what he says.

While reading this book, I felt as if I was almost reading the Gita because here too it was only question-answers and he was very authoritative while answering and an answer lead to another question. Only once when one of the question was answered, another question in connection to it rose in my mind and thankfully that was exactly the question that was asked next. Sadhguru really seemed to be very patient- answering all kinds of questions even when you could see that the questioner’s mind is only weaving more and more questions and Sadhguru’s answer would not be his answer. In this book Sadhguru was frank and very open. He disclosed a lot of personal things, including details of his previous births and even a picture to go with it.

While reading the book, I did wonder – since I am an MBA student and we have to have our resume, so I was wondering if he had his biodata, he could even write about his previous lives and I imagined what kind of an interview it would be. I was smiling within thinking the plight of the interviewer. It also made me think that you could easily make a movie on this book. Such a vast book, with so many things-especially the ones related to the Dhyanalinga are the most intriguing.

This book will take you through an amazing journey, with tales of why the snake and the cow are special among animals, meanings of many rituals- tying together the toes of the dead, information on Occult temples and practices, what is a Dhyanalinga, why it is special and what goes into making one and so much more. And almost all the questions that you can think of asking an enlightened one-even those of curiosity like can he read minds etc. I can only think of one or two questions that he did not really answer and a little information that he held back because it would be too unbelievable for the people.

So 295 rupees is really worth this book, I got much more than what I was expecting but make sure you know why you want this book. And what’s more, you can even order it online like I did from Wisdom tree for no extra charges. I did it because I had been looking for this book all over Gujarat, Mumbai and Pune and even Bangalore without any success so for the first time ordered online and it was a good first experience.

* Note:

Please see the video below, one of my favourites, a tribute to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, his various facets and a mind-blowing, soul-stirring song - "You are my perfect mirror, you show me what I am not......Thank You endlessly"

Enlightened Masters

My fascination with religion and spirituality started quite a long time ago. In fact I would say as far back as I can remember. My grandmother is a very religious person, as they are normally supposed to be, my father too in his own way; not my sister but that too in her own way. In fact it is very difficult to classify anybody into the category of religious or non-religious or spiritual, with some thinking they are spiritual but not religious etc. but it is a personal thing and depends on each individual.

I too, as other kids, listened to the various stories of the Hindu religion which I was born into. It is undoubtedly very fascinating and rich. But as a kid the thing that impressed me the most was the television serial specially Mahabharata and even in that the fights with bows and arrows. It is only now that people have realized that there is tremendous scope by the way of making animated movies in these field, with the central character being any superhero from our vast scriptures. So we have had Hanuman, Ganesha, Ghatotkatch, Bhim and others.

Once, having heard so many stories of how people used to do penances or underwent various other arduous tasks and then God used to be pleased with them, I as a child decided to do the same. After my parents had gone in the evening, I decided that I wanted to see and meet God. So the way I thought was that I pulled the skin on my forearm and twisted it with the other and held it for hours until my parents came and my mother rushed and asked me what I was doing and said that it doesn’t happen this way. It was a kind of a shock because here I was feeling like those heroes of our tales doing great things to impress God but was rudely introduced to the reality. It definitely must have had an effect on me and my thinking who believed it all to be true so it was that moment of personal experience which must have directed my path away from doing things that people still do- walk with naked feet to the temple or climb up so many stairs to go to the temple and what not with the basic idea being the same that I had as a child. It was only years later when I read Osho who said something like- Do you think God is a sadist or does he enjoy torturing people? What kind of a God would it be who becomes happy when people torture themselves or are Masochist.

Such a simple thing -so simple but profound. It is with things like these of Osho that you become aware of many things that we believe and don’t question; so many things no matter how stupid they seem. But he did and he does have a tremendous clarity. And he was my First Master and it is so true that you cannot find the Master- When the disciple is ready, the Master appears. I am not his disciple nor have I ever met him but there is a connection somewhere. Something in me agrees with what he says. It just sounds so true as if the truth has been uttered and the realization at the same time that it was so simple and I never thought of it this way. My sister’s roommate had a book of Osho and I just happened to pick it up and it never stopped. I was in search, trying to find out things, I was a seeker.

When I started reading him, there was an instant connection and I read that book three times in those days and I had never heard of him before. His words were so simple, had truth in them, the authority with which they were uttered was unmistakable; I was hooked- for life. I became more and more interested in him, read his biography, saw his videos etc. He was the most different from anyone I had ever seen in my life. Possibly I couldn’t even have imagined that a man like him could exist. It is almost impossible to lead a life the way he did, except in dreams to be so absolutely free is unimaginable and what he said could also be seen in his life. He was definitely not a hypocrite and it is said that people are so divided in their opinion about him, with some saying he was God, some saying he was a fake, personally now I don’t need anybody’s opinion on him. He was everything. He really was Zorba the Buddha. You cannot describe or classify him or put any adjective. He was all- together.

After I became a little accustomed to an enlightened being and his ways, I saw the same thing in Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. That aura of relaxedness and authority. Almost as if calm and silence were radiating from him. But before him I saw Swami Sukhbodhanand; on television of course, and again there was something. I realized that they all are similar yet so different in many things. Each of them had something about them that was unique, related to their personality but undoubtedly, the one I like the most is Osho, then Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and then Swami Sukhbodhanand. It is not a comparison and it is not a rating of who is better but from my point of view, the synchronicity that I feel with them.

I know for sure that it is one thing to read their words and listen to them, specially the ones who are gone and absolutely another to be with a real alive Master though I haven’t been with one and a few times somehow my plan to do so has failed. Being with a Master would be the most difficult thing because his only interest is to wake you up and so he would even hit you all the time- not literally of course. And rightly the definition of a Master given was that the one from whom you want to go away but can’t. You want to run away because he keeps hitting you but there is also some strong attraction that you cannot resist. The only way out is to wake up.

I have recently ordered Sadhguru’s book- Mystic’s Musings and am eagerly awaiting it and I know it is going to be one great experience reading it. Again in Sadhguru’s case, it is his personality. Anyone looking at his various facets in life would be shocked- Playing games, riding bikes, festivals and what not. The best part I have always loved seeing or reading is the question-answer part. Because you just cannot expect what answer they will give to what question because they don’t have any fixed answers, they just respond and especially they respond to the questioner rather than the question and Osho literally took many people apart in his answers. They are able to see the very source from which the question is arising.

With Sukhbodhananda, there is something that I feel about. It almost feels like Marketing where he is customizing his product for various people. He is more like a Management guru who helps various people from different fields, corporate etc to live their everyday life better. Now I am not someone who can comment on him but to me it does appear that waking people up, isn’t the only thing that he is trying and to me that is one way to distinguish a Master. Of course he might be doing it in his own way or preparing the ground for it or anything but that is why I put him third. But with Osho the only thing he was concerned with was to help people to their enlightenment. Yes, he too used to help people with their various everyday problems but he was there only for one reason and was even ready to die for it and in fact he did.

I can never imagine what it must have been to be near him. The sheer empowering presence of someone who is not there and yet there must have been so many who were with him but who missed the opportunity. I am sure I will definitely come across an enlightened one and when I do, I am not going to miss the opportunity.