Does God exist? Can He be seen? Will He heed our prayers? How can all these be achieved? Why do I suffer when I am so devoted to God? Is this country still home to genuine sages? Are intense austerities or prayers a must to see God? Or can a yogic way of life also provide a path to experience divinity? Most people turn to doctors only when they are in extreme trouble. In the case of God too, it is the same story.
True, there are those who pray regularly, at home or in shrines, often without expecting anything in return. But most people decide to beseech Divinity only in troubled times. And these are troubled times -- when a mystery virus kills over a million in the world including in India and hits hard people’s earnings due to failing economies.
Ordinary men and women neither have the time for nor are, in many cases, even well versed in prayers. But they do have a genuine longing to know God, more so when they are in deep trouble. Spiritual literature in particular can help the distressed -- if one has an inclination to read. Believe it or not, a regular perusal of spiritual books will not just make you a stronger person physically as well as emotionally but will greatly help in bringing about an invaluable balance in your troubled life.
Anyone who wants answers to most of the questions raised in the opening paragraph must read Paramhansa Yogananda’s iconic “Autobiography of a Yogi”, which was first published in 1946 and immediately came to be regarded as one of the greatest spiritual classics of the 20 th century. Translated into some 30 languages, it continues to propel tens of thousands on the spiritual path. It is an extremely well written story of how Yogananda took to Kriya Yoga and his slow and steady growth in the spiritual world. Unlike many well known spiritual works, this is not dense. It reads like a collection of short stories – though it is a real saga of one of India’s earliest yoga masters. Don’t miss this book.
If you need to know the unlimited power of God – in this case Goddess Mookambika -- go through the gripping story of the Devi’s temple in Bengaluru and its engineer-turned-founder V.S. Nayak, who became known as ‘Swamiji’. Author Ruzbeh N. Bharucha speaks to innumerable people to weave a hair-raising story of a Goddess who often spoke through her medium Swamiji to resolve people’s numerous problems. Swamiji was a simple man who had no air of spiritual superiority and could, at the Devi’s bidding, penetrate into anyone’s past and future without even knowing their name. “Swamiji is one of the most spiritually powerful men on the globe… It amazes one and all that there is a man who has the same powers that one only reads about in ancient religious texts,” the author wrote in “Devi’s Emerald” when Swamiji was alive. Read the book – and you are sure to head to the Ma Mookambika temple.
Are you interested in mantras? But you are not sure which one is best for you? Then turn to Om Swami, a young mystic living in the Himalayas who gave up all his riches one day to embrace spirituality. His “The Ancient Science of Mantras” is an easy-to-read (and gripping) account of ‘mantra sadhana’.
The book has been written based on years of practical knowledge and insight, painstakingly gained by Om Swami through continuous and tiring practice and play with the sonic science of mantras. But mantra yoga, he cautions, will not succeed without reverence and devotion.
Swami Vishnudevananda’s “Meditation and Mantras” is another equally well- written book. In simple language, the disciple of Swami Sivananda (and an ex- soldier!) encourages you to take to meditation and mantra chanting to erase your negative karmas. Once you start reading the book, you may ask yourself why you did not learn about it earlier. He warns you against the so-called new age gurus who promise instant nirvana. Not only are a large number of mantras (some very familiar) explained but you can pick which one is likely to help you best in life.
A medical doctor by education, Devdutt Pattanaik’s spiritual talks and books are popular. My pick, however, remains “The Book of Ram”, one of his earliest writings. If you have a religious inclination, read it to know why is Ram ‘Maryada Purshottam’ and his relevance in modern times. Pattanaik makes a clear distinction between the Ram traditionally worshipped by millions and the Hindutva Ram.
Ram’s killing of Ravana cannot be a license to use violence against the ‘other’. Ram killed Ravana not because he is evil or is a political opponent but because he stubbornly refused to tame the animal within him, an animal that craves power and seeks to dominate, says the author.
The worship of Lord Saturn, once a way of life only in parts of India, has now become widespread across the country. If you worship Sani, then Robert E. Svoboda’s “The Greatness of Saturn” should be read. Basically, it is a translation into English of the “Shani Mahatmaya” but with a clear imprint of the author. The book’s aim is to help you understand the power of Saturn because it will then place you in a meaningful relationship with the Lord.
But Lord Sani Himself asserts that He punishes no one; he only gives out appropriate rewards to men and women, during Sade Sathi in particular, depending on one’s karmas. (Svoboda is a friend of India who knows Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and Sanskrit too.) One of the finest books I have come across is “The Power of Karma” by Mary T. Browne, a psychic and spiritual healer who lives in New York.
One wonders if the book was written for just Indians! With simple tips, exercises and affirmations, she says that tapping into the power of karma can help you discover the secrets of your past lives, spot the difference between bad karma and bad judgment as well as how to avoid ‘karmic boomerang’ and how to make positive “deposits” in your karmic bank account for your spiritual growth.
These are only a handful of books I have picked for those who want to start reading. For lack of space, I have omitted many books which I love and respect. Once you take up these books, you will decide what you want to read further. One thing I can say for certain: spiritual strength is a solid insurance – against negativity, illness and painful death.
