Death of a Guru

Rating:
Summary: A good book of a testimony an ex Hindu Yogi
Review: In contrary to Arvind review I found that indeed Rabi had mentioned all about Brahman the only God in universe and all sort of things that he had described it in detail about his Hinduism and about his ritualism from his childhood in hindu until he had reached his enlightment in Jesus. I would like to recommend this book to every Hindu to read it and judge it by their conscious and not by anybody review. This book has an account for the "Real truth". READ IT.

Rating:
Summary: What the Power of God Is All About!
Review: Irregardless of your background, nationality, or religious upbringing, one simple truth is crystal-clear: This book is about the the Power of God to take ANY life, and transform it!

I have personally known Rabi for over 11 years, and I know the integrity that he carries with him in what he shares.

This book is focused on the testimony of how Jesus Christ personally and powerfully changed his life, and he has been a steadfast servant of the Gospel ever since, and travels around the world to humbly share the Hope of Salvation that is within him, which is what all humanity seeks in one form or another.

This book is not about Hinduism. It is not about his Indian roots. It is about his citizenship in Heaven with a Living God, and a Living Redeemer. The knowledge of this reality comes through clearly in his testimony, in his character, and in his life as a whole. It is something he would lay his life down for, and as the beginning of the book illustrates, he came very close to that happening on the border of India and Pakistan.

Rabi offers in clear detail his struggles, his intimate thoughts, and his experiences as he wrestles with his own heritage, spiritually and otherwise, and the effect this has in his daily life. This books portrays the end result.

Rabi takes us through this process, and is transparent and vulnerable with the reader, just as if you were sitting across from him in the living room, and telling you his life story. As I said above, I personally know this man, and I have shared much personal time with him in his living room. Accordingly, I can think of no better way to share this wonderful Reality, then how he has done it through his book.

As for scholarship, Rabi can provide that as well, through the many seminars and outreaches that he gives every year. He is a wealth of information and first-hand knowledge on the subject.

Lastly, if you buy this book because you are searching to find significance and meaning for your life, Rabi's book provides you the Doorway. You will not find fanciful expositions or extensive dissertations. Instead, just like the Gospel itself, the message is simple and clear, from one who has followed a light, and exchanged it for the one True Light, Jesus Christ.

Rating:
Summary: Squandered potential
Review: It is difficult to criticize a religious testimonial. I happen to be one who believes that God leads different people down diverse paths, each according to the religious temperament of the individual seeker. Whether one finds one's way on the path of Vedanta or through evangelical Christianity, the Way has been found. The individual's life has been transformed. Who can criticize another's experience? The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Or in the words of Jesus, "By their fruits ye shall know them."

Unfortunately, some people think that because they have found an experience of God, they are therefore qualified to judge the validity of another's experience based on what path the other has taken. This attitude is found throught the world, and is particularly prevalent among those who adhere to the various forms of fundamentalism that are found in almost all religions. It is also prevalent among evangelical Christians.

Rabi Maharaj has no doubt had a powerful experience of the Divine through his newfound faith in Jesus as the Son of God. A mere cursory reading of his spiritual autobiography, _Death of a Guru_, will confirm this in the minds of all but the most hardened skeptics. His enthusiasm and the depth of his devotion are infectious. If Rabi had "left it there," simply telling the reader of the great things God had done for him in rescuing him from his spiritual crisis, this book would be quite powerful indeed. But alas, Rabi doesn't leave it there. With the assistance of Dave Hunt, himself a fundamentalist and self anointed "cult-watcher" of some renown in evangelical circles, Rabi laces his book with an attitude of total disrespect for his former path, Hinduism, the religion of his birth. Nowhere does he even entertain the possibility that his understanding of Hinduism was faulty from the start (though most evangelicals would admit that not all "cradle" Christians -- even evangelical ones -- properly understand Christianity). Nor does he give a nod to the countless souls who have found real nourishment in the Hindu tradition, among whom are Gandhi and Tagore.

But Rabi's understanding of his own tradition does appear to be severely limited. For instance, he goes to great lengths to describe his attempts to please his chosen deity Shiva (revealing his own temperament to be that of the bhakti/theist -- perfectly suited, by the way, for evangelical Christianity), but his reverence invariably dissolves into abject fear as he contemplates this "fearsome god known as the Destroyer" (p. 76). Clearly, Rabi believes that the "Destroyer" is out to get him. Most educated Shaivites (devotees to Shiva), however, see Shiva's destructive function as being aimed towards ignorance, not individual human beings. Indeed most educated Hindus are quite monotheistic, regarding all gods of the Hindu "pantheon" (Shiva included) as mere manifestations of the one true "God" (Brahman), who reveals himself through Krishna as being quite the lover of humanity. And Rabi's book is shot through with similar misrepresentations.

But the misrepresentations aren't Rabi's alone; Dave Hunt refers in his epilogue to the goddess Kali as "blood-drinking" and "murderous." But again, those who actually know something about Kali know that she is the slayer of demons. Is it murderous to slay demons? Perhaps to Dave Hunt it is, but then that would present him with new difficulties since the New Testament book of Revelation has God slaying the devil, and worse (see Rev. 20:10).

Despite its regrettably squandered potential, _Death of a Guru_ presents more problems than it solves. I wish I could say otherwise. If you want to read a balanced testimony of Hindu experience lived from within a Christian framework, you would be better off reading Shirley du Boulay's _Beyond the Darkness_, an excellent biography of Bede Griffiths, the Benedictine monk who founded a Christian ashram in southern India.

Rating:
Summary: A fairy tale at best.
Review: Just too many questionable annecdotes that have little if anything to do with Hinduism. Even things claimed as fact are dubious at best if not downright dishonest. The author has no grasp of Hinduism. He grew up in Trinidad, not exactly the hot bed of Hindu culture. Save a tree, don't buy this book. I gave it one star since I could not give it zero stars.

Rating:
Summary: if you are searching, this book *might* change your life
Review: Last night I stayed up till 2:30 am. reading this book from cover to cover. I could not put it down.
Rabi Maharaj's autobiography is tender and poignant, yet reads like a thriller. Rabi was born into a wealthy brahmin family in Trinidad. His father was a great yogi who never said a word to anyone, not even to his wife, during his penance for 8 years. Upon his untimely death, his young son resolves to become just like him - an Ascended Master. Rabi soon loses his mother to meditation in the temples of India - another traumatic happening.

The flavour of life as an Indian boy growing up in the Carribean comes across well. The major portion of the book details Rabi's intensely focused journey as Brahmacharya to attain Mukti (Self-realisation, union with Brahman). Some of the occult details he experienced, I have also read of by other yogis. The more deeply he meditates and travels into Hinduism, the more dissatisfied he becomes. His gods Shiva and Kali seem to be threatening and unloving. After years of struggling with his thoughts, he realises that he is not Brahman - he cannot be the Creator of the Universe. As a brahmin, he despises the lower castes, especially Christians who eat the cow (a god) and do not lead good lives.

Then two life-threatening incidents happen; a snake attacks him and in danger of his life, Rabi calls on the name of Jesus; the snake flees. Some time later his appendix ruptures and he collapses; Rabi again calls upon Jesus for help. His life is saved.

After a lot of struggle, he goes to a hated christian meeting where he asks Jesus to come into his life and become his God. He meets the real Creator of the Universe who loves him so much, that He sent His Son to die for him on the cross.

It is only through faith in Jesus and in His name that we are saved from our sins and healed of our diseases. He was crucified for our sins and by the whipping he suffered, we are healed. He is the Only path to moksha. Being born as a christian does not make one into a christian. This book is about becoming a follower of Jesus Christ; not changing one's name or eating beef (things which have no effect).
Rabi's family and relatives cannot believe what has happened but after some time a number of them also find Christ. Their lives are transformed. However they are now hated by the rest of their relatives.

Contrary to what you might expect, Rabi is very respectful towards Hinduism. However he is also frank and honest.
If you are seeking after Truth, then this is a book you must not miss. It will change your life.

Rating:
Summary: A Hindu priest finds the emptiness of his religion
Review: Maharaj explains his disillusionment with his religion, Hinduism. Having first hand experience from growing up from a long line of Brahmin priests, Maharaj illustrates the emptiness and vanity of Hinduism. After reaching the depths of self and realizing that he was not God after all (the ultimate goal of Hinduism), he found that peace and joy comes only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

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Summary: Book Condemns Hinduism without quoting any Hindu scripture.
Review: Rabi Maharaj is confused about Hinduism, the "culture-religion" in which he was born and raised. Except the part that he was born in a Hindu family, Rabi is totally ignorant of the concept of God in Hinduism.

Christians worship One & Only God in three persons; Hindus worship One & Only God in trillions of forms. Fact of the matter is, this concept of One & Only God, started during Rig Vedic Period in India, at least 1000 years before the birth of Hebrew civilization in the land of Cannon. The Hindu Rig Veda 1:164:46 states " Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti---- "There is only One God [Truth] , but sages call that God many names". Another ancient Hindu scripture Yajurveda 32: 2 states "Na tasya Pratima asti" [There is no image of him]... Another Hindu scripture Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19 states "His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with naked eye." Ravi should also know that Hindus do not worship icons but like everybody else use "icons" to concentrate on a God who has "no name or form."

I have a question for Rabi and the great apologetic, radio-TV Talk show guest Dave Hunt. You quote thousands of verses from the Holy Bible, when ever you wanted to talk, preach and write about Christianity. So my question to you , " Why you failed to quote even one verse from a Hindu scripture to prove your arguments against Hinduism?

In my review, I quoted many verses from the Hindu scriptures to prove Hindus worship only ONE GOD. Why authors of this book failed to quote not even one verse from a Hindu scripture to prove their arguments? How can you ridicule or condemn a culture/ religion like Hinduism about 1 billion people on earth practice, with out even quoting one verse from a Hindu scripture? Unless by writing this book their intention was to follow the foot steps of Dr. Joseph Goebbels, Propaganada Minister of the Third Reich who said , " Repeat a lie thousand times and it becomes the truth."


Rating:
Summary: Good book for the curious New Ager also.
Review: Rabi's testimony about his discovery of the true God even while immersed in the Hindu community of Trinidad was quite interesting. Rabi walks the reader through his childhood as he becomes a guru. During the walk he points out the love and the desperation he experiences within the Hindu community he has grown up in. Then Rabi takes the reader through his sometimes terrifying conversion to Christianity as he discovers that faith in God can help to severe the bonds which have constrained his family. The book is not only good for the Hindu, but I found Rabi's story to also be helpful to those in Buddhist, New Age, or Universalist movements which so often make the mistake of assuming that every road leads to God and that a person has to shoulder the burden of their own salvation.

Rating:
Summary: AN HONEST ACCOUNT OF ONE MAN'S SEARCH FOR TRUE GOD !
Review: THE BOOK IS REALLY POWERFUL. EITHER YOU ARE INSIPRED BY THE ACCOUNT OF MAHARAJ'S EXPERIENCES, OR YOU FEEL BETRYED. IN EITHER CASE, THIS BOOK WILL LEAVE A STRONG IMPRESSION. IF YOU READ THE BOOK WITH AN OPEN MIND YOU WILL BE CONVINCED THAT LOVE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN FEAR(WHICH IS USED FOR EXPLOITATION) AND DOMINATION. THE AUTHOR'S ABILITY TO CAPTURE THE ATTENTION OF THE READER IS REMARKABLE. THIS IS INDEED A GREAT BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: The Way, The Truth and The Life
Review: The Way, The Truth and The Life

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I have been reading many of the reviews in here and have been
with joy with some and sadness with others. Hopefully these
words from the spirit of my father will help the ones in need.

Nothing in this world is more important than to love your neighbour as yourself (by which you would be losing self)
and when all do this we all become one. I am absolutely
sure no one will refute this although may dismiss it considering
the "practical" aspects of living and afraid of becoming
vulnerable.

I have joy in my heart and full peace in being with Jesus Christ,
my Father. Part of my life has already been spent
being happy when neighbours are happy and being in tears when
neighbours are in tears. If you have already experienced
this, then Jesus is living in you, whether you know it or not.

If not, please read this book with an open-heart (mind is not important but heart is) and you will find "the" truth, "the"
way and "the" life with Jesus Christ.

Praised be the Lord.