Book review of The Quest for Inner Sunshine by Ragunath Vagle
Because again, nothing teaches you better than your own experience. Book review of The Quest for Inner Sunshine by RagunathVagle
Dream Beyond Shadows: No Ordinary Tourist by Kartikeya Ladha
Kartikeya Ladha’s ‘Dream Beyond Shadows’ is one of those rare books that I can read over and over again. Which is very odd for a person, who with all her heart detest reading any Self-Help or Spiritual books. You ask me, Why I loved this book? Because it’s really really good… And really helpful for someone who is going through some sort of identity crisis or a mental block, hindering the very peace of mind which we ultimately strive for. ‘Dream Beyond Shadows’ is an inspiring tale about the journey of the author, towards self-fulfillment. What makes it more fascinating is that this book is part autobiographical, part spiritual, part travelogue and part poetry. When I started with this book, I was unaware that it’d be a delight to read. Each turn of page released me from nodes I never realized I was tied into. This book is a story of Kartikeya’s journey to self-realization, that there is more to life than a successful career and a life of luxury. Life needs simplicity to thrive on, not the complexities we humans create for ourselves. This is a story of the author, who author decides to quit his job and take on a path that he never before thought of treading. The path of self-actualization through a journey of wanderer and a wonderer. Kartikeya travels to Peru in South America, where he encounters many soul enlightening experiences, which changes the Author in a very spiritual way. Kartikeya Ladha’s spiritual journey inspired me on a very deeper level. It kind of forced me to contemplate about the journey I was in and its consequences that may impact the mental wellbeing. The best part about the book is Kartikeya’s narrative. It felt like smooth flowing river; calm and harmonious. What’s more, the author weaved this beautiful journey intricately into an inspiring tale. I applaud the author with all my heart. Dream beyond Shadows has earned a 4 star for its beautifully written story and the lesson it teaches its readers. Rating: 4/5
An Unknown Trail by Vinayak Jawalkar
Title: An Unknown Trail Publication: Goya Publishing Page Count: 105 Genre: Spiritual Fiction The story starts off with the graduation of two unlikely friends Aditya and Sameer. Aditya is the clueless drifter while Sameer the fitness freak seems to have a firm goal with his life all mapped out ahead for him. As it happens in life, both go their separate ways of getting busy with their respective careers and families. Five years later, a sudden encounter in the rain, has the two buddies reconnecting. On a whim, they plan to take off on an impromptu trip to disconnect and regroup. They decide to embark on this journey of self-discovery by trekking to the Himalayas. The different people and situations that they face leave an indelible impression on each of them as they return transformed after their trip; each having found what they didn’t even know they were really searching for. Do I recommend it? A simple straightforward book by Vinayak Jawalkar who seems to have taken inspiration from his own experiences while penning this story adding a personal touch. Though there don’t seem to be any really intriguing or heart-touching moments as Vinayak drifts ahead while adding moments of mystique and spirituality, it does manage to capture the simplicity, kindness, and chivalry of the villagers. At times ‘An Unknown Trail‘ reads like a literal regional translation which was unfortunate and the typos add to the whole jarring effect. Rating: 2/5 stars . . . . . Don’t miss: I married a Sanyasi Also, if you’re on Instagram, then you can get bookish updates straight to your feed just by following us at @booxoul. Happy Reading 🙂
Lifestyle
I Married a Sanyasi
I know you are here because you are intrigued by the headline of this blog post. But please be patient as I use my writing skills, some adjectives, some adverbs, and bring out an “alankarit” (ornamented) write-up for you. Every girl wants to date a bad boy and marry a good man and that’s exactly what happened to me. But this bad boy was, in fact, a good man. And I was to know about it only after I was married. Immediately after I was married, in fact! Well, my husband and then-boyfriend aren’t definitively bad, he would just turn roguish when necessary. What with his political ambitions and jazz, the word “radaa” or ruckus was something that he used often. Then there were those fights with dishonest rickshawalas and even I joined him when he fought against their loot. (But after the marriage that image sort started to wilt. He became a matured and responsible chap.?) But the day after my wedding my new family decided to break news to me which actually shocked me, surprised me and I am still reeling with the effect of that news! I was introduced to the family’s past via the photo albums and there I saw an image of a guy, dressed in saffron-colored pajama, jhabba, and a pagdi. I couldn’t recognize this chubby boy. My family is a lot religious and we follow a spiritual Guru and so I presumed that this boy was a fellow disciple of our Guru. I WAS WRONG HE WAS MY HUSBAND! MY HUSBAND WAS ONCE A SPIRITUAL GURU! Wait, weren’t you expecting that? But, really, I wasn’t. It was a shock to me. I hadn’t a clue if I should laugh or cry or feel cheated because my boyfriend never once uttered a single word about this past. Understand now, don’t you? That even if you date a person for a year or more, you are not really going to be acquainted with every aspect of their life. And with that thought, I sort of quelled my thoughts, pulled myself together and gave a hesitant laugh. Furthering my scare were these words, “I was going to become a Sanyasi.” S.A.N.Y.A.S.I (That sort of came out in slow-mo or that’s how I remember it now ?) Wait, what? “Why did you….not…then?” “Umm….my inclination towards history and politics is so strong that our Guru seems to have got a whiff of it and he said that I shouldn’t take sanyas….” “Oh….” “Perhaps, he knew that I was to meet YOU!” Perhaps… Now that’s highly possible to have worldly instincts, you know? Enlightened people usually talk cryptically. And it’s up to us to solve those riddles they throw our way. And hence I didn’t think of it as odd at all. “So you would give pravachan in those clothes?” “Ummhmmm…every Saturday.” “Wow!” That didn’t really come out the way I wanted it to…but yeah it was more of a surprise, every Saturday! That’s when someone from my family chirped in (you see I was in a trance and don’t recall who asked this question next). “So, why did you fall for her?” I heard this question and his laughter followed. “I married her because she replied to one of the most toughest questions quite easily?” “What question?” I asked. “Don’t you remember?” “Nope….” I was quizzed about a question I was asked! ? “So, once I asked you, who are you?” “Yeah ….??” ? “To which you replied, they call me Siddhi but I am aatma.” I AM AATMA. Make that sentence bold, italics and underline it. And here I was thinking I was someone special… This Sanyasi married a soul who knew that she was just a soul. Get it?
Book Reviews
An Unbelievable Story that you would Love to Believe
Your Destination Has Arrived by Barry Cheema When I started reading this book, I thought this is yet another book where a young author is trying to sell his book in the name of spirituality. But I am glad to accept that, I was wrong. This book touches all the topics relevant to our generation. From depression to terrorism, ragging to racism, spirituality to love, philosophy to everything. He touches base with everything & does it with simplicity, without making this book a heavy read for us readers. Congratulations Barry, who has succeeded in writing a wonderful novel. Basically, this book is what “Kal Ho Na Ho” is, to Bollywood lovers. It has dramatic events (a grand Indian wedding, a terrorist attack), a strong life lesson (you need to finish the book to know it) and like the author says “an unbelievable story that you would love to believe” (& also, a dog). The characters are beautiful & fit so well with the storyline that you wish you also have people like them in your life. A master likes Pinky Ji, a friend like Kumar & a lover like Sachi. This book also describes the wrong preaching of yoga that is happening across the globe and how people are fooled in the name of faith & religion by so many Godmen. It shows us a path to avoid these so-called spiritual masters & gurus. I really liked the way he has explained topics like catharsis and emotional intelligence while narrating the story of Bruno. If you really want to enjoy a spiritual read but not able to take the heavy content available on the internet, you should read this book. It introduces you to spirituality/meditation in a language that you will easily understand & will definitely connect to. Though the book looks quite lengthy (376 pages), but it’s so gripping that there is no turning back, I mean no way you are putting it down. The small chapters make it easy to read and help the reader to connect the dot better. Language is easy and you need not refer to a dictionary every now & then. I am giving this book 5 out of 5 for its amazing blend of characters, storyline, spirituality & everything good. You can buy your copy of ‘Your Destination Has Arrived‘ on Amazon or Flipkart. Happy reading fellas! 🙂
