Book Review - Chanakya's Chant : Ashwin Sanghi

After reading some dry philosophical matter for a long time my brain in need of some wet earthly matter. Ashwin Sanghi's novel provided the perfect relief.

Thw author keeps switching between Chanakya's time and the present day. Pandit Gangasagar Mishra is the present day chanakya who keeps chanting the manta to gain Chanakya's power. This enables end Suvasini's curse to help a Lady to position her in power.

The tale is journey of the rise of Chanakya as a noted political strategeist of his time enabling Chandragupta to become the emperor of United India. There is a parallel tale enabling Chandini Gupta, the beloved student of Pandit Gangasagar Mishra to become the prime minister of India.

There are numerous stories and numerous quotations included, which one may have already heared before and Ashwin Sanghi has duly acknowledged them in the end. At the time, the novel ends Chandini Gupta is elected for her third term as a prime minister.

There are several places when the reader feels very sad, especially, when Shankar is killed in a truck incident, on chanakya coming to know about suvasini's current state and that his mother is no more and the gruesome murder of his father. The help he receives from his benefactors is heart touching indeed.

Definitely a rewarding read...!

Book Review - Many Lives Many Masters: Dr. Brian Weiss

Dr. Brian Weiss hypnotises Catherine his patient to find out the causes of her fears and other psychological ailments in the current life. What he has found is that - causes for many of her problems are in the past life. He makes her visit those events again and explains to her that it is now over. This covers half of the content in the book. Hence, explains the half part of the title - Many Lives. The other half is devoted to the messages from the "many masters". He is able to connect with the masters while he regresses Catherine to her past life and after she dies in that life, there is a time interval before her next birth happens. He has termed this interval of time as "In between state". The masters are able to relay the various messages via Catherine.

This is indeed a breakthrough in psychology, and helps us gain insight into life. This past life regression clearly helps dismiss the lies propagated by the unscientific religions who have denied past life (particularly Christianity and Islam). The proof lies in the fact that Catherine is cured of her ailments and is embraces life fully.

But, I love Sufi teachings and the teachings of Jesus Christ. After-all, religion should help bring happiness in your life, If you can get cured without referring to the past life, it doesn't matter which path you take. Only thing that matters is the cost of the cure.

I have loved this book, as it is shocking enough to create a sensation and proves that there are more to life than can meet the eye.

Jai Ho to Doctor Brian Weiss for having the courage to publish his findings in a presentable manner..!!

Book Review - The monk who sold his ferrari: Robin Sharma

This is a book with a message -  provides a way to live a purposeful life. An imagery is to help remember the central ideas:

"You are sitting in the middle of a magnificent, lush, green garden. This garden is filled with the most spectacular flowers you have ever seen. The environment is supremely tranquil and silent. Savor the sensual delights of this garden and feel as if you have all the time in the world to enjoy this natural oasis. As you look around you see that in the center of this magical garden stands a towering lighthouse, six stories high. Suddenly, the silence of the garden is disturbed by a loud creaking as the door at the base of the lighthouse opens. Out stumbles a nine-foot-tall, nine-hundred-pound Japanese sumo wrestler who casually wanders into the center of the garden. The Japanese sumo wrestler is almost totally naked. He has a pink wire cable covering his private parts.
As this sumo wrestler starts to move around the garden he finds a shiny gold stopwatch which someone had left behind many years earlier. He slips it on, and falls to the ground with an enormous thud. The sumo wrestler is rendered unconscious and lies there, silent and still. Just when you think, he has taken his last breath, the wrestler awakens, perhaps stirred by the fragrance of some fresh yellow roses blooming nearby. Energized, the wrestler jumps swiftly to his feet and intuitively looks to his left. He is startled by what he sees. Through the bushes at the very edge of the garden, he observes a long winding path covered by millions of sparkling diamonds. Something seems to instruct the wrestler to take the path, and to hos credit, he does. The path leads him down the road of everlasting joy and eternal bliss."


The various elements in this imagery hints at certain values in life. There is one particular idea which I disagree is: to compulsorily get up early in the morning. As per my understanding, sleep should be the priority and not its timing. If you sleep is complete, you feel refreshed and energised. Infact, I liked the concept of afternoon naps in which - an odd hour of a nap refreshes you so that you can concentrate well and perform your chosen task whole heartedly.

Overall, it is a fantastic book, completely worth reading it.

Book Review - Seven Summers - Mulk Raj Anand

The cover page of Seven Summers has a sillhouette of a person with raised arms under the clouds. I was attracted by it and also wanted to read a book written by a Indian author. 

In this book, the author has penned down his recollections from his childhood. Basically, seven summers means first seven years of the childhood of the protagonist. The author Of all the events mentioned, the ceremony at Delhi after the capital was shifted from Calcutta, is a highlight. Although, the English used is very good the events mentioned are really everyday life.  The authors describes himself as a person lacking courage which makes this book a really disappointing read.

Book Review - Apprenticed to A Himalayan Master: A Yogi’s Autobiography

It is rare for a hindu to study the vedic scriptures and rarer still for a muslim to find value in it. Mumtaz Ali Khan is one of them. I this book, he has written his journey to enlightenment and to accomplish his mission on earth. There are several incidents in this book that seem unbeleivable:

- Visit of the more advanced species of nagas from Sarpa-Loka - a planet outside our solar system. 

- The transfer of powers to the author by his guru.

-  Babaji had taught the author a technique to survive harsh cold. Not sure, why Sri Madhu has not applied it in his Kailash-Manasarovar yatra.
- When Shirdi Sai Baba was absent for three days in his mortal body, he had been on a visit to Sarpa Loka to resolve their dispute.

We never know, the seemingly extraordinary events may actually true. Afterall, Truth is stranger than fiction. But, for this we need first hand experience. Babaji himself says this: "Do not dwell in the past or borrowed knowledge. Have a personal experience of everything. Try it and then we should come to conclusion."

 The modern education system helps human being to grow intellectually. This has resulted in two world wars. We also need to develop our faculties of love, compassion, kindness and wisdom. Hope, the satsang foundation is able to bring some harmony on Earth.

The book was indeed worth reading.