At the Eleventh Hour: The Biography of Swami Rama

Rating:
Summary: Extremely inspiring book.
Review: An excellent account of Swami's life and his message to the humanity.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring and thought-provoking
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring and thought-provoking
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Glossing over the Swami
Review: I opened this book to see how the author would handle the Swami's sexual indisrections. The Swami was found to have allegedly molested some women at his Himalayan Institute before he departed for good to India. The author glossed over this as I suspected he would. I was considering buying the book but I had to pass as he couldn't be totally honest about these episodes. I guess he feared it would be bad for business at the Institute.

Rating:
Summary: Priceless Gem
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Extremely inspiring book.
Review: 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.