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the ground, bathing with
a bucket, arising before dawn, eating simple
vegetarian food and using broken or worn-out
items rather than spending money on new ones.
Yes, there is an adjustment period, but somehow when we read this
book’s matter-of-fact narration of these austerities,
they seem more natural
and less daunting. When
Swami himself says that
all we need to sleep is five
feet of ground, we know
that he grew up sleeping on a bed like us, so his
words carry more weight.
His immersion into austerities began at the ashram
of Sri Ramana Maharshi,
where he began to serve
Maharshi’s disciple Sri
Venkatarathnam
(Ratnamji), who took him on
as a spiritual little brother,
nicknamed him Nealu,
and instructed him sternly but lovingly in spiritual
practices.
After the death of Ratnamji, the young Nealu
was visited at his ashram
by a devotee of Sri Mata
Amritanandamayi Devi.
He felt her subtle presence and was inspired to
travel back to Kerala and
meet this “Amma” for himself. He soon realized that
he was in the presence of
a fully awakened master,
one who embodies Godconsciousness. At the
time, there was not an ashram environment around
Amma. There were some
young college-age people who knew little of spiritual practice but wanted
to be around Amma as
much as they could. After some time, it became
an ashram environment,
and Amma instructed
him and all the students
in regular spiritual practice. Many of them went
on to be formally initiated
into sannyas, full renunciation where they dedicated their lives to serving the world, expecting
nothing in return. It was at
this time that the young
Nealu became Swami
Paramatmananda. For a
number of years after the
events in “On the Road
to Freedom”, he served
as the monk in charge at
the fledgling MA Center
in San Ramon, California,
before returning to India.
During his tenure in California, he gave regular
spiritual discourses to inspire spiritual aspirants of
all levels.
If you are interested in
knowing what it might
be like to pursue monastic spiritual practices in
India, this book is a great
primer. If you were simply
interested in shaking up
your sense of wants versus
needs, this book can do
that. And if you are interested in encountering a
fully enlightened master one who can take you to
the state of ultimate freedom - this book can point
you in the right direction.
Pranada Devi is is an addiction specialist and the founder of the Chopra
Nirmala Raniga a communications professional living in Toronto, Canada.
Jacquie Robertson, RNCP, ROHP, is a Certified Nutritionist practicing clinical
She is the and Wellness Center, a unique residential serves as an advisor
AddictionManaging Editor of Parvati Magazine, andaddiction recovery
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