Book Review: Into the Great Heart

Book: Into the Great Heart

Author: Kamla K. Kapur

Publisher: Jaico Books

Genre: Religion & Philosophy

Pages:280

Price: 399 INR

Blurb

Into the Great Heart carries forward and concludes the stories of Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana, his favourite minstrel, from the first volume of the Sikh saga, The Singing Guru. History, legend and fiction merge to populate this book with fascinating personalities from Sikh history. Pivotal to this narrative are forgotten female luminaries such as Guru Nanak’s wife, Mata Sulakhni, his sister, Bebe Nanaki, Bhai Lehna’s wife, Khivi and daughter Amro. Brought to the foreground, their wisdom and insights as they overcome obstacles to spiritual growth embody the basic tenets of Sikhism in everyday living. They enhance Guru Nanak and Bhai Lehna’s tale with their diverse approach to life

A book that fills your heart with an abundance of solace

There are some books that can answer your questions and fill your heart with an abundance of peace. 

What is God?

Where can one find God?

What does one need to do for God realization?

Why do good people suffer?

How to deal with the difficult moments of life?

What is death?

How can you be a yogi while sitting on a throne?

If you have contemplated about at least one of these questions in your life, "Into the Great Heart" by Kamla K. Kapur will definitely provide solace to you. It's a book that has the power to change you, your life, and the way you see the world. 

The book starts with Bhai Lehna meeting Guru Nanak and how their meeting transforms the former in incredible ways. The way Lehna is enthralled with Nanak's understanding of God is beautiful. 

"The sky is the plate; the moon and stars are the lamps and jewels; the forests of sandalwood are the temple incense; all the plants and flowers of the earth are offerings to you, O luminous Beloved, Lord of the Universe, destroyer of fear!"  

Instead of Guru Nanak's sons, Bhai Lehna becomes the successor of Guru Nanak who names him Guru Angad. In the scenes between Guru Nanak and Bhai Lehna, one can see the immense dedication and unflinching faith of a student towards his guru. The way Bhai Lehna surrenders himself to Guru Nanak so that his guru can mould his soul and enlighten him touches the right chords.

The book is sprinkled with stories of Guru Nanak's life shared by Nanak's friend, Mardana and Buddha, a young boy and follower of Nanak. Each of these stories has nuggets of wisdom that one can apply to his or her life. I loved the way death is compared to the wedding with the Lord of the Universe. 

"In that house where the praises of the One are sang and the Doer of all is contemplated and celebrated, pour oil on the threshold for the pre-ordained wedding and sing songs of union with the Beloved. Bless death, which is a wedding. The summons comes for all. Remember the Summoner, and turn your sorrow into praise." 

The character of Guru Nanak's sister, Nanaki touched my heart. Her devotion towards Nanak and her metaphysical experiences were a treat to read. She and Nanak had a connection that was beyond words. Her wisdom, patience, and compassion are beautifully encapsulated in some of the chapters. 

"Within and beyond the whirling, sorrowing, conflicting, noisy circumstances of our lives, at the very center of it," Bebe Nanaki began, "is a holy place which is calm, unruffled, steady, and beyond birth and death. This place, within us, is the truest temple of all, the home of the Beloved, the only place worth making a pilgrimage to. All geographic pilgrimages to manmade places of worship are trivial and meaningless compared with it."

I loved the character of Aziza, a young Muslim girl who faces oppression in her own family. When her freedom gets curbed, she transfers her love and energy to two things: music and God. I loved the friendship of Aziza and Buddha. The scenes between them were innocent, heartfelt and serene. The character of Bhai Lehna's daughter, Amro is equally beautiful. I loved the way she found a balance between her love for Maa Durga and her acceptance of God as formless. She did not abandon one belief for another. She harmoniously blended them with love. 

Although there is so much to learn from the book, the tone of the book is not preachy. With beautiful narration and skilful writing, the author has done a brilliant job with the subject of the book. Highly recommended. I am going with 4.5

'I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.'

Book Review: Ramayana: The Game of Life Book #3 ~ Stolen Hope

Book: Ramayana: The Game of Life Book #3 ~ STOLEN HOPE

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

Genre: Religion & Philosophy

Pages: 296

Price: 299 INR

Blurb: In the evil labyrinths of Dandakaranya forest, human values are put to test. Rama’s righteousness, Lakshmana’s loyalty and Sita’s endurance reflect our own sense of values and judgment in difficult times. The story unfolds the facets of human life – the conflict and the trickery, the praise and the slander and, above all, the hope and the despair in the eventful forest life of the Exiled Royals.

Stolen Hope is about extreme deception and extreme love. It is about arrogant power and deep devotion. With every twist and turn, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana find themselves robbed of whatever and whoever they value most. 

Exploring the dynamics of human relations – between father and son, husband and wife, teacher and disciple – and the complex game of power and greed, Stolen Hope mirrors our own dilemmas in the modern world and teaches us how we must overcome them. 

Seek courage when everything, including hope, is stolen.

My Rating: 4.5/5

My Review:

I had read the last book of the Ramayana Series, which was Shattered Dreams. You can read my review of Shattered Dreams here. Just like the earlier book, Stolen Hope was a beautiful and enriching read. I could learn various facts about Ramayana by reading this book and they were narrated in such an engrossing manner that I was hooked to the book. The footnotes in the book provided profound philosophies and some beautiful wisdom that changed the way I thought about many things.

The author had written a message for me that he hopes the life lessons stated in the book become my lifetime companions. Well, he was right because the life lessons were indeed life changing and enriching.

The Book #3 of Ramayana, Stolen Hope starts from the point when Rama, Sita and Lakshmana relocates to the Dandakaranya Forests. Their days are filled with adventure. Sometimes, they come across ferocious demons, whereas other times they learn interesting stories from the various sages who inhabit the jungle.

When Rama learns about how the demons have been tormenting and killing innocent sages in Dandakaranya, he takes a vow to erase them from earth. As destined, after meeting the super sage Agastya, Rama, Lakshmana and Sita relocates to Panchavati which is closer to Janathana, the hub of demons. 

They complete 13 years of their exile and feel exhilarated with every passing day because their time to return Ayodhya had almost arrived. However, a catastrophe hits their life in the form of Surpanakha when she falls in love with Rama as soon as she sets her eyes on him.

The abduction of Sita, the death of Jatayu while saving her and Rama's misery on knowing the truth is beautifully narrated. The book ends with Rama meeting Shabari in Matanga rishi's ashram, who has been waiting for Rama's arrival in the ashram since 13 years. Shabari gives Rama a trail map to reach Sugriva, the leader of wonder-monkeys who can help him to reach his wife.

The beauty of this Ramayana Series is the philosophies it contain along with narrating the events from the epic. Here are some glimpses:

1. When people are inspired, they depend on themselves and in turn, become dependable. When people are impressed, they depend on others and in turn become dependent.

2. Doubting another's character is like whipping a relationship. Character assassination is actually relationship assassination.

3. When one falls in love, one can't find any fault in the beloved. The real test of love comes when there is a reason to find fault...do you still find perfection?

4. External competition is a sign of internal discontent. 

5. The science to control things also brings in the desire to control people. Whereas things behave the way you want, people behave the way they want.

There are some beautiful moments in this book that touched my heart. The place where Jatayu meets Rama, Sita and Lakshmana for the first time and the place where Shabari tells Rama how she has been waiting for him for the last 13 years are heart touching. This book also shows Lakshmana's patience and the deep bonding between Rama and Sita. 

If you want to know about Ramayana in detail, you must read this series. It is written in a very interesting and gripping way. This book can be a perfect self-help book for anyone. As the book contains the summary of the earlier 2 parts, it is not mandatory to read the earlier 2 books in order to understand it. 

I am looking forward to the Book #4 of the series where Rama will meet Sugriva and Hanuman.

Buy the book here!