"Dear Swami Prakashananda,
I wanted to write to say that your book, 'Mahayoga: The Mystical Path of the Siddhas' is quite simply extraordinary. It
touched my heart so profoundly and evoked all the beautiful memories of my own time with Baba whom I first met in 1978 in
Melbourne at the start of Baba's Third World Tour. Subsequently I was with Baba in Miami Beach, South Fallsburg, Santa Monica
and South Fallsburg again.
Your book reveals Baba's extraordinary love and compassion for all seekers and in some mystical way makes Baba's presence
in the world now so much more alive and vibrant. I was deeply touched by your own spiritual journey and your deep and
abiding love for Baba.
I am so grateful that you have written this beautiful and inspiring portrayal of your life with Baba.
… Siddha Yoga devotees all over the world will experience Baba's limitless grace and blessings showering upon them while
reading your book. They will have the darshan of a glorious being once again. For me, your book made Baba so real, so alive,
so completely, so palpably in my life - as if no time had elapsed since 1982. Your book has changed my life; it has
reinvigorated my sadhana, brought great joy and vibrancy into each day and uplifted my soul I see Baba everywhere. It is as if
his time is here again. I feel so grateful for that.
I cannot thank you enough dear Swamiji.
With great love,"
Ishwari Graham
"Dear Swamiji,
Your inspirational book came at the perfect time to give upliftment and encouragement to my sadhana. It also made me
contemplate and gain a deeper understanding of my own spiritual journey. I too travelled to India in late 1973 seeking
a Guru and while living in Mahabalipuram, heard that Swami Muktananda was lecturing that day in Madras. It was too late
to make the long journey to see him and after staying in many holy places such as Aurobindo's Ashram in Pondicherry I
returned to Los Angeles, where I met Baba in Pasadena. I have always wondered why I did not go to Ganeshpuri during my
travels but from your book I realized that Baba had already left on his second world tour. Your wonderfully close
relationship with Baba has reignited so many memories of his great love and tireless compassion for all his devotees,
but most of all has strengthened my faith in my inner connection to his grace and guidance. I believe your book is Baba
reaching out to all his devotees to show us his presence and influence in our lives is beyond time and space and he is always
with us. I thank you with all my heart for being a pure vehicle of Baba's eternal grace dear Swamiji.
In his love."
Parvati Van Es
"Dear Swamiji,
I started reading your autobiography tonight. I am thoroughly enjoying it!
Your prose is simple and direct but makes what you describe vivid and interesting.
I look forward to continuing the book - I am at the point where you just got to India.
I can't wait to read about when you meet Baba…
... As you know, things have been sort of hectic down here, and I just
wanted you to know that reading your book at the end of each day is
like an oasis for me. You tell your extraordinary story so
straightforwardly and simply, weaving in profound teachings and
wonderful Baba moments - I take shelter in reliving through your
words the magic of his physical presence, and the wonder of being his.
Thank you for writing it all down for us, Jai Gurudev!"
Maria Shen
"Dear Swamiji,
My pranams to you! I just finished reading your latest book on your life's spiritual journey and wanted to tell you
"Thank you" for this profound gift to humanity, especially to those of us who had known and loved Baba Muktananda.
It has made a huge impact on my ability to understand and fully appreciate His great blessings on my life for ever.
In fact reading about your personal experiences with Baba has helped me grasp in deeper and more profound ways my own
spiritual experiences with him.
I have a million thoughts and new understandings now. Maybe it is also because I have grown myself in the meantime since
I knew him in his physical body.
Baba's Shakti is so strongly permeating your pages I often had to stop reading because it made me go into spontaneous
meditations before being able to go on.
Dear Swamiji, you can tell how reading about your experiences has affected me. I just started crying when you wrote about what
Baba had said: " Place me there so I can see who is at the gate." I am writing all this to let you know what a profound effect
and meaning your book is having on people like me who had been Baba's devotees. There is so much synchronicity in the inner
experiences and I find also a healing taking place as so many questions are coming to light and are being shared and even
answered. Suddenly there are answers to some mysterious spiritual experiences, too. It is clearly Baba who is reaching his
devotees through your writing.
I hope you are not getting impatient with me if I share just one more thing with you: Your book has so incredibly inspired me,
and I know it is Baba's shakti speaking through you, I thought you might like to know that last night, when I finished reading
it I had profound experiences before going to sleep. I had closed my eyes and started experiencing spontaneous pranayama.
It happened for quite some time while lying on my back in the dark. Suddenly I experienced my whole body as being filled with
blazing light. Eventually flames started forming and I experienced the flames consuming my body as if it were being cremated.
I knew it was a cremation without me actually dying, as you write about seeing your tombstone while knowing it meant not your
physical death but the death of the ego. A while after that, the pranayama started again, but this time it led not to an
experience of death but to an experience of birth. This time it was my body giving birth until the birth was accomplished,
when finally a great sense of peace, happiness and total harmony overcame me and gently took me into deep sleep.
I do not understand fully what the meaning of all this is, however I know it is a great blessing.
Sad Gurunath Maharaj ki Jay!"
Brigitte Elerick
"Dearest Swamiji,
At the moment, I am reading your wonderful, wonderful autobiography. I cannot express just how grateful I am to have direct darshan of
Baba and Bhagawan Nityananda through this book… So full of Shakti!
Swamiji, I offer my Pranams to you from the bottom of my heart. I am so happy to read about your sadhana. I feel so inspired by you.
I never want this book to end. I bow to you Swamiji.
Much love,"
Kalyani Devi
“Namaste Swamiji,
I have been enjoying your wonderful autobiography, Mahayoga. It is a great read.... full of adventure and your beautiful
relationship with the Guru, our beloved Babaji. Your writing is clear and expressive. I could relate personally to your
experiences around Baba. I continually marvel at how fortunate we have been to have met and spent precious time with such a great guru.
I also read your book on the career of our Baba (Baba Muktananda — A Biography) and am grateful that during your time with him you
were able to record so many events and teachings. It's a great account of the mission of a great being.
In gratitude and appreciation,"
Govinda Gauggel
"Dear Swamiji,
I recently read your book and wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it. What an incredible life you have lived.
And you share your experiences and wisdom in a simple clear manner. I studied Vedanta in college for some time,
but I could never quite understand it. But when I read your description of Vedanta in your book, I felt like I finally
understood it. You describe it in such a simple way that I feel that I learned more about this philosophy in just
reading the few pages you wrote on it than I did in all my college studies.
But what is more important is the way you weave your wisdom throughout the book. It is very inspiring. You remind
us of the divinity that lies within us, and you write beautifully about your incredible experiences with your Guru,
Swami Muktananda. It is one of the best books I have ever read. Thank you for writing it."
John C.
"Dear Swamiji,
I found your book, Mahayoga — The Mystical Path of the Siddhas, so interesting and it brought back many wonderful memories of Baba. But I especially found it
uplifting and inspirational to me in my own sadhana.
I read it almost through in one reading — I couldn't put it down!! A passionate journey on the spiritual path.
It brings great memories, includes amazing stories, and is very inspiring!! A wonderful read!"
Katy Jennings
"Dear Swami Prakashananda,
I recently read your book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I wanted to share with you that I learned so many things from
reading the book. I recently had surgery and everyone has been great, stopping by to drop off dinners, cakes, and flowers.
I really don't like all the attention and everyone fussing over me with dinners etc... But then I read in your book about
the time you went to beg for food and you couldn't do it. You went back and told the Guru that you couldn't beg for food.
He told you that by accepting the food you were allowing those people to feel good about themselves because they helped someone
in need. What a difference this has made to me. I now realize that by letting everyone help me I am allowing them to feel
good that they helped. Accepting the dinners, cakes and flowers has been a tremendous help to me and my family.
I feel closer to God now that I have read your book and see where to look for him. I enjoyed it when you discussed your meditation
and the colors you would see. I now see blue when I close my eyes.
Thank you so much for writing the book and sharing your stories with us."
Riva
I'm writing to tell you how much I enjoyed reading Mahayoga and wanted to thank you so much for writing it. I only met Baba
for a short time but I find that time was transforming. Your book is written with so much clarity and love and I wanted to
thank you so much for writing it.
Regards,"
Ellen