Customer Reviews

Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad-Gita

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This book provides a wonderful insight into the universality of the Bhagavad Gita, which transcends all space and time and applies to the entire human race. Swami Rama was a very accomplished Yogi who has had the experience of the absolute truth, and the words used in the book are more than sufficient to confirm this. Along with explaining the verses from the Gita, he also gives an insight into the Himalayan Yoga tradition every now and then, and how it relates to the Gita.

I have come across many interpretations of the Gita by many 'masters', but Swami Rama's version is one of the most profound versions I've come across. One of the verses in the Gita clearly states that for a self-realized soul, the Vedic knowledge is only as important as a pot of water, when there's a huge reservoir of infinite knowledge available all around. And Swami Rama can certainly be considered to be one such soul, and the quality of his writings speaks for itself.

I would also recommend "The Path of Fire and Light" for actual Yogic techniques that result in spiritual transformation. Also, another book I'd recommend is "Choosing a Path", that gives a very objective and non-judgemental assessment on the different ways of approaching the Infinite Spirit, just like different rivers merging into one vast open ocean.

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the greatest spritual texts in the world, one which for thousands of years has been used to illuminate the hearts and minds of seekers everywhere. In this outstanding translation and commentary, Swami Rama makes accessible to the modern western mind the fundamental truths of the original scripture by placing them into a psychological context. Whether familiar with Vedic philosophy or not, anyone can benefit from the clarity and insight provided by this book.

I have wanted to read the Bhagavad Gita for at least a decade, but always put it off because I had heard it was esoteric and needed further explanation from a teacher. I had picked up a much thinner volume of the Bhagavad Gita a few times and been unsure what was going on in the story.

This much thicker volume of the book gives plenty of context for the story of the Bhagavad Gita and Swami Rama seems as if he is personally teaching you the lessons within. Best of all, the story turns out to be a guide for living a joyful life -- that still holds true today. Swami Rama delivers the meaning of each short line in the Bhagavad Gita, expanding the meaning so that you can apply the lessons to your own life in a practical manner.

I have taken to reading a couple pages in the evening before bed and reflecting on them before going to sleep. This book is a joy to read!

Making literature accessible and practical to modern people is always a challenge. The Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad-Gita is a text all psychologists should read as it details many of life's challenges complete with explanations. This book was a required text for our class.

Swami Rama is one of the foremost writers on Yoga Philosophy. His commentary on the Gita has the same clarity and depth of his other books. In this life we are all Arjuna with our own duties and struggles to understand the relationship between our mind, our spirit and the life we are leading. Swami Rama helps us unravel those relationships with clear and frank explanations.

I also, as the first reviewer described, have received a shortened (130 page) version of Swami Rama's commentary on the Gita .... without the commentary!!!!!!!! Amazon needs to get on the stick and clear their shelves of this obviously defective printing, and send them all back to the publisher. Hopefully I will be able to exchange this miss-printed copy for the corrected version.

I just received this book and something is very wrong. The book contain the translation but..not the commentaries by Swami Rama. The "Look Inside" show the book should have at least 480 pages, my copy has only 130 pages. I will of course return it to Amazon and have no worries about it, but something is wrong with the publisher. So be careful if you order this book. Swami Rama and his readers deserved better than this.