Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey Into Mystic India

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gingerone, May 30, 2010 (view all comments by gingerone)
Rampuri was the first foreigner to be initiated into the ancient Indian society of yogis and shamans known as the Renunciates of the Ten Names, or Sannyasis. He has been a Naga Baba since 1970. The sect was organized in the 5th century B.C., and they see themselves as the ultimate protectors of the Sanatan Dharma or what we call Hinduism.
The author grew up in Beverley Hills and kept hidden his yearning for secret knowledge, magic, and buried treasure. He drops out of high school and sets off on a quest for truth. On a voyage from Karachi, Pakistan, to India, he meets a young man named Cartouche who recommends that he get in touch with Hari Puri Baba, a guru who speaks English and knows how to read the world. Landing in India, the American feels like he is meeting a blood relative. He is fascinated by ascetics called sadhus and sannyasis, marginal characters who have dropped out of society and spend most of their time practicing various spiritual practices and disciplines.

In his first encounter with Hari Puri Baba, the author is astonished to learn that this holy man has been expecting him and has prepared a homecoming celebration for him. Hari Puri Baba has achieved mastery over a handful of intellectual and spiritual traditions including astrology and is considered by many of his peers as a genius in language and mantra. He renames the American Rampuri and promises him that he will teach him so that he may be initiated in the Tradition of Knowledge. It is a long and arduous process, and the author takes us through it step-by-step. Rampuri also shares his experiences at his first Kumbh Mela (a religious fair for Hindus that is held every 12 years), his efforts to discipline his body, his duties as keeper of the dhuni (fire), his troubles with some sadhu members who oppose him joining their order since he is not from India, his learning to give up attachments, and his pilgrimage to the source of the Ganges.
Rampuri seeks the ability to read the book of the world but there are too many obstacles in his way. He marvels at the way Hari Puri Baba talks the language of crows and doles out advice, cures, and blessings to the people who come to him. After his guru's death, Rampuri feels that he has possessed him. At the end of this compelling the author says that he hopes readers will be edified and entertained by his quest for Truth and his adventures in the Extraordinary World. We are.

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adrianapuri, May 30, 2010 (view all comments by adrianapuri)
Magic happens where worlds meet, as Baba Rampuri is fond of saying in his masterful book. Deepak Chopra wrote: "This book will entertain and enlighten you. A bold journey that explores the true intersections of Eastern and Western thought." I found this to be true as I felt a connection with the Yoga Tradition as I have never had before. Baba Rampuri talks about his travels in India, making pilgrimages to a 'crossing point between worlds', the hidden entrances to these other worlds, the meaning of 'darshan' the beholding, achieving immortality, the alchemical contribution to the world, expanding one's vocabulary, Hindu scriptures and words such as 'karma' and 'nirvana' and their relevance to the experience of living, Indian culture and the oral tradition of naga babas, the 'yogi shamans', the search for new meanings, Indian cannabis use, gurus and their communication of self-knowledge, the distortion of Hinduism by India's colonizers, the "book of the world," the Mother Goddess and her fruits spread across the world, the uncluttered mind of the yogi, his connection with the Goddess, and Amrita the Elixir of Immortality.
As an American teenager, fuelled by the naïve exuberance of the Sixties, Rampuri is “pulled” deep into India, into an ancient order of yogis, where he is initiated and eventually possessed by a master shaman, a baba. But the spiritual path isn’t quite what the young Rampuri expected, as the tantric murder of his guru presents a riddle to the young man that he must solve, requiring an inner journey of self-discovery, in order to know who he really is.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Yoga, India, Spirituality, Self Knowledge, and Esoteric Knowledge. But that aside, for any reader of good literature, it's a great adventure story that leaves the reader anxious for his next book!

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adrianapuri, May 30, 2010 (view all comments by adrianapuri)
Magic happens where worlds meet, as Baba Rampuri is fond of saying in his masterful book. Deepak Chopra wrote: "This book will entertain and enlighten you. A bold journey that explores the true intersections of Eastern and Western thought." I found this to be true as I felt a connection with the Yoga Tradition as I have never had before. Baba Rampuri talks about his travels in India, making pilgrimages to a 'crossing point between worlds', the hidden entrances to these other worlds, the meaning of 'darshan' the beholding, achieving immortality, the alchemical contribution to the world, expanding one's vocabulary, Hindu scriptures and words such as 'karma' and 'nirvana' and their relevance to the experience of living, Indian culture and the oral tradition of naga babas, the 'yogi shamans', the search for new meanings, Indian cannabis use, gurus and their communication of self-knowledge, the distortion of Hinduism by India's colonizers, the "book of the world," the Mother Goddess and her fruits spread across the world, the uncluttered mind of the yogi, his connection with the Goddess, and Amrita the Elixir of Immortality.
As an American teenager, fuelled by the naïve exuberance of the Sixties, Rampuri is “pulled” deep into India, into an ancient order of yogis, where he is initiated and eventually possessed by a master shaman, a baba. But the spiritual path isn’t quite what the young Rampuri expected, as the tantric murder of his guru presents a riddle to the young man that he must solve, requiring an inner journey of self-discovery, in order to know who he really is.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Yoga, India, Spirituality, Self Knowledge, and Esoteric Knowledge. But that aside, for any reader of good literature, it's a great adventure story that leaves the reader anxious for his next book!

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Product Details

ISBN:

9781594773303

Author:

Rampuri

Publisher:

Destiny Books

Subject:

Mysticism

Subject:

Personal Memoirs

Subject:

Inspiration & Personal Growth

Subject:

Hinduism - General

Subject:

Yogis - India

Subject:

Yogis - United States

Subject:

Biography - General

Publication Date:

20100331

Binding:

TRADE PAPER

Language:

English

Illustrations:

Y

Pages:

256

Dimensions:

9 x 6 x 0.5 in 14.84 oz