Mystical Books

India is a land of mystic things. The image of India being a land of god-men and mysticism is a constant representation made in all writings and references throughout the Europe and the Americas. There are so many westerners who would love to immerse themselves in knowing about these psychic healers and sannyasis. Paul Brunton, a Briton travelled a lot in both Egypt and India wrote extensively about his personal experiences of meeting several of dervishes and tantriks in his books. He had made Mysore as his home and had several staying stints in his house there. R K Narayan, a popular writer from India in English, discusses in his autobiography, 'My Days', of meeting Paul Brunton and spending many an evening with him discussing metaphysics and psychic beliefs. Narayan also shares some of his experiences, in the same book, of visiting a friend's house in Madras and trying to establish a contact with the spirit of his departed wife.

'An Autobiography of a Yogi' of Paramahamsa Yogananda, a saint who lived many years in the US, is a special book as it was written by a Yogi about his own life. The book is full of several unbelievable incidents beginning with the early life of Mukunda Lal Ghosh, the name given by parents to Yogananda. His guru or teacher is Lahiri Mahasai, who is a disciple of Mahavatar Baba. Once Mukunda's father, a railway chief employee, refused to permit one of his workers to go on leave even after the employee describing the purpose of his visit, that was to go and worship Lahiri Mahasai. On that day, as Mukunda's father was returning home from work, Maharaj Lahiri Mahasai made an appearance before him as spirit and told him to allow his disciple to visit him. The father not only did allow the employee to go but also went there in person with his wife to become the Maharaja's disciple.

In another incident from the same story, the boy Mukunda was narrated an incident by a police officer who went into the forest in search of a convict. He jostled a young man but the young man refused to oblige his command and went ahead on his course without heeding. Being angered by the act, the police officer attacked the man with an axe and severed the arm of the man. The man stood nonchalant as blood was dripping heavily. He told the police officer that he was not a convict and on another occasion the police officer saw him with the severed arm being attached to his torso.

In his recent book, Robin Sharma discusses the life of a popular American lawyer who swoons in the chamber of a court of law as he is arguing an important case. "The Monk who sold his Ferrari" narrates the story of Julian through his assistant. Julian, the busy lawyer has to abandon his practice as he has to heed to the advice of cardiologists as his system does require a lot of slackness and rest. He looks so old beyond his age. After a short period of hospitalisation, he is discharged and his whereabouts are not known. All of a sudden a young man makes his appearence in the office of the narrator who has now become a popular barrister. The narrator is irritated with the unannounced arrival of the man that greatly disturbs his regular schedule. The visitor insists on being let in and wins in his insistence. The narrator is shocked to know that the person is Julian, the emaciated, dreary lawyer whose whereabouts are not known for sometime. Julian is youngish and energetic with great vigour and relates everything to his stay with sannyasis in the Himalayas in India.

What is given here is only a small potpourri of the unexplored territories of knowledge in India. A tuned up mind may explore more and surprise everyone with startling discovery.