LIVING WITH THE HIMALAYAN MASTERS by Swami Rama

The book is like an autobiography, where Swami Rama explains his childhood days with his Master and his journeys in search of truth, his adventures and his realization etc. This book surprises us with details of sadhus, monks,and tantriks in the caves of Himalayas . He describes many incidents in his life and his experiences with the great teachers who guided his life, including Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, and Ramana Maharshi etc.

Swamiji's master wanted him to learn and experience the many different methods and techniques of yoga. From his early childhood Swamiji practiced the various disciplines of yoga science and philosophy in the traditional monasteries of the Himalayas. From 1938 to 1944 he taught Hindu and Buddhist scriptures in several monasteries. Throughout his childhood and adolescence he lived and traveled with the saints, yogis, and fakirs of Garhwal, Kumaon, the Kangra Valley, Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet, with occasional retreats in other parts of India. He studied closely with many spiritual adepts, including Maharshi Raman, Sri Aurobindo, Anandamoyee Ma, and Rabindranath Tagore.

When he was 21 years old Swamiji journeyed to Tibet to see his grandmaster and to learn certain advanced practices, such as the technique of parakaya pravesha. This is the ability to leave one's body at will, enter someone else's body, and then return to one's own body again. He also learned a few methods of solar science, tantra, and Sri Vidya from his grandmaster.

At the young age of twenty-four years he became Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham in South India, succeeding Dr. Kurtkoti to one of the highest spiritual positions in India. He renounced the dignity and prestige of this high office in 1952 to return to the Himalayas to intensify his meditative practices in the monasteries. In Swamiji's tradition it is required that the student spend a certain amount of time in isolation in a cave. He lived for 11 months in a very small cave without seeing another person or coming out of the cave. Food was left outside the cave and cleansing the body was done through vigorous pranayama practices. Only a very tiny point of light came through a hole in the ceiling of the cave. After completing this very intense, eleven-month meditation and pranayama practice in isolation, he emerged with the determination to serve humanity, particularly to bring the teachings of the East to the West, and directed his life toward the unification of science and spirituality.

Some quotations from this book:

"Being Free from all fears is the first message of the Himalayan Sages. That ]fearlessness is one of the steps toward enlightenment".

"Inner Strength, cheerfulness, and selfless service are the basic principles of life."

"Life is a rhythm and one who knows this rhythm can live as long as he wishes".

"The whole search for enlightenment is to seek within, to become aware that you are complete in yourself."

"Direct experience alone has access to the source of real knowledge"

Famous Books of Swami Rama :

Sadhana: The Essense of Spiritual Life
Freedom from the Bondage of Karma
Practical Guide to Holistic Health
Choosing a Path
Inspired Thoughts of Swami Rama