Dear all,
It is with great joy and gratitude that I wish to share the good news of the release of a new book entitled "Stories And Inspiration". As can be seen, the first letters in the words of the title stand for "S A I".
This is a book of fiction short stories meant for the youth. Not just those youthful in age, but those youthful at heart and young in the ultimate quest of life. In the words of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, it is always better to start early, drive slowly and reach one’s destination safely. This storybook intends to be an aid for those wishing to ‘start early’.
It has been written with a neutral audience in mind. Swami is introduced only afetr the book crosses the halfway mark. The reader has also been told to replace "Swami" with the "Master" or "God" of his/her choice for the remaining stories. Thus, the book is NOT ONLY for Sai- devotees but anyone with a spiritual bent of mind.
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When it comes to achieving the ultimate goal of life, Vedanta is comprehensive in its philosophy no doubt. However, the mere mention of terms like “Upanishads”, “Brahma Sutras” and “Bhagawad Geeta” (which are parts of Vedanta) seems to lull the young into tuning out or phasing away. The philosophy communicated in these texts is often considered complex and confusing. This misunderstanding happens because one refuses to take the first few steps to dive into the texts and immerse oneself in them.
How can one find pearls if one refuses to dive into the ocean? Sitting near the surface, all one can hope to get is sand, shells and salt water! The tranquility that one seeks is at the depths of the same ocean which has turbulence at the surface.
In order to encourage the reader to dive deep and see beyond the surface of ups and downs, this book has been written as a storybook of twelve stories. Stories are fun to read and easy to remember. They may be fictitious, but the messages they convey and learnings they inspire are often as close as close can be to the Ultimate Truth. Thus, they are sweet fruits, easy to consume and they contain potent seeds which will blossom in the minds and hearts of the young when the time is ’ripe’.
The stories have been arranged in an order that will prod an individual to think beyond living and seek life’s purpose. The order will also progressively guide the aspirant who has been inspired to seek that, seeking which, one will never seek anything else again.
There are three ways to read these stories:
1. Read a story once and move on to another. This manner gives you entertainment.
2. Read a story once and then reflect on it. This will give you a taste of theology and mysticism.
3. Read a story again and again and allow it to create a silence within you. This will let the story reveal to you its inner depth and meaning
So, get ready for this journey with Adam the ant and Mukti the lamb, Guru the lion Durva the grass blade and many others. The journey takes you to different lands in various universes. You will travel through past into the future – all in an effort to realize the gift that the ‘present’ is.
Fasten your seat belts. Get set, go!
Price of the book - Rs. 40/-
Pages - 101 (with 12 colour pages which are cartoon inserts)
Recommended for - Ages 12 and above.
Availability - In Prasanthi Nilayam book stores and book stores in Sai Centers that are connected to the Prasanthi Book Store
(Will soon be available on Amazon and I will intimate via email when that happens.)
The inspiration for the book is Bhagawan, of course, and this time he chose my daughter Bhakti as His instrument of inspiration. So here is my little model presenting the book to you.
Please fwd this email to anyone who you think will benefit from.
Thanking you for your support and prayers always.
In Sai love
Aravind
Entradas
