Customer Reviews

At the Eleventh Hour: The biography of Swami Rama

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Every page in this book provides the reader something to learn and contemplate on, besides making fascinating reading.As an indian and a hindu familiar with most of the places and practices described in the book,it was wonderfull to gain deeper insights into them from an accomplished master.If you wish to understand the great traditions which are the bedrock of indian culture and hinduism, i urge you to read this book. i am sure you'll come back to it again and again. pandit tigunait has done a great service to seekers in bringing swami rama's life and message to the world.

This book is an outstanding opportunity for anyone who wishes to catch invaluable wisdom that has been handed down a lineage of great yogi's for thousands of years. This book literally has a life force of it's own much in the same way as 'Living with the Himalayan Masters' and 'Autobiography of Yogi', that will continue to reveal many more gifts each time it is read. While Swami Rama was born and raised in the Himalayan cave monastaries, when his master sent him to the west it was not to propagate any religion, "isims", "anities" or other forms of spiritual dogma. His master led him to the west to build a bridge between east and west which he clearly started at the Menninger Foundation in Kansas in the early 1970's by stoping his heart and voluntarily making it max out the limits of the testing equipment at 312 beats per minute. This book takes you through most of the Swami's life history but it's biggest gift is the intimate manner in which it is written, which makes the reader feel like she or he is the one these teachings are being imparted to. For those who are willing to walk the path of real spiritual progress ... this book will prove to be an endless source of inspiration.

Anyone with an interest in spiritual traditions of Northern India (yoga, Vedanta philosophy, tantra etc) should read this book. It is the fascinating story of Swami Rama - modern day saint, mystic, social entrepreneur, yogi, scholar and musician - written in a first-hand dramatic style by his heir and disciple, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait (current director of the Himalayan Institute and something of an enlightened being himself). Although the stories sometimes strain credulity (bowls that fill themselves, spiritual beings taking human form, transmission of objects over distance etc) the more one reads and gets into the story the more one starts to think that anything is possible for these people. There is, for example, the documented story of the "swami prince" who died and was about to be cremated, was washed away by a sudden flash flood, found by Swami Rama's master, resuscitated and returned years later to claim his throne, successfully, in India most famous legal case. Also Yogananda in "Autobiography of a yogi" tells some pretty incredible things. What is certain is that this man was a living master and everybody has something to learn from his story. As one of the reviewers mentioned, the Swami's sexual indiscretions and apparent abuses of power are glossed-over (or not mentioned at all) which is unfortunate but probably only what could be expected. For details of this see the 1990 Yoga Journal article. In any case this is a book with a profound message and impact, along with its companion volume "Living with the Himalayan Masters" written by Swami Rama.

This book is not just the story of a great master. It answers
many questions about spirituality. Many references are given
about the practices that are followed by the himalayan masters.
And its a well written very inspiring book.

I read it many times and will read it many more times.

Whether you read it as a biography, or whether you glean the intrinsic jewels placed within the stories, this book is a treasure for anyone who is a seeker! I can read this over and over and still learn a wealth of knowledge depending on where I am at. A must have!

Pandit Rajmani Tigunait writes about Swami Rama's life. He has firsthand knowledge as well as input from others who knew the Swami well. From my reading of Swami Rama's book (Living with Masters of the Himalaya)it appears that Swami Rama has mastered many of the yogic techniques he practiced as a youth. With his mind and the powers of concentration he is able to heal the sick, predict the future, and defy physical laws. Compare these events with what Jesus did in the Bible. Since I have practiced Kriya Yoga for years, I found this book perfectly understandable and believable. It only emphasizes that most folks are the living dead; they have yet to come alive.

An excellent account of Swami's life and his message to the humanity.

I read this book after reading Swami Rama's autobiography. It was good to see him from a devotee's view as well, though I enjoyed the autobiography more. Worth reading if you want to know more on Swami Rama.

After reading "Living with the Himalayan Masters" by Swami Rama and "Walking with a Himalayan Master" by Justin O'Brien (Swami Jaidev Bharti), I was really looking forward to reading this book. Pandit Tigunait really goes in detail in his Biography of Swami Rama, the Sage from Mount Kailas. We come to see the uncovered facts about his life, his training, and furthermore, facts about his Master, Bengali Baba.

Highly inspirational, and a guidebook to those who are sincere towards finding the ultimate Truth. Language is easy even for the Western Audience. Highly recommended to all*****

Swami Rama embodied Selfless Service to his Master. His was the Path of Enlightenment, the Path of the Sages. His story is told well by one of his former disciples, Rajmani Tugunait. The book delivers the clarity of Swami Rama's message: Know Yourself and Become Free From Fear.
In this day, this message is profoundly appropriate, yet almost universally ignored. Swami Rama knew and embodied the realities of his Teacher's world: a world way outside the box of what our culture in the West believes to be the only "verifiable" truth. In Swami Rama's life, his master would disappear and reappear at will, manifest whatever was called for, be it sweet mangoes or large amounts of cash, so that Swami Rama could see what was possible for us as humans, now, on Earth.
The story reveals Swami Rama's life from even before conception. The miracles show up in every chapter. The assumption we have that we are NOT miracle workers is busted by the story of this book. The Keys to Freedom from Fear are revealed in Swami Rama's story.
His message is clear: it is then up to us to discover for ourselves our path to the Miracle Worker that we already are.