Messages from the Himalayan Sages: Timely and Timeless Guru Sakalamaa (Smt. Jyothi Pattabhiram) Paperback – 21 July 2024

“Messages from the Himalayan Sages” by Guru Sakalamaa is a treasure trove of spiritual wisdom and grace. I feel truly blessed to have heard one of the experiences shared in this book directly from Gurumaa during one of her retreats, it was fantastic then, and reading it again now fills me with even deeper awe.It’s a bit like seeing a beloved character from a movie you adore one you feel deeply connected to and want to know everything about. As an artist, I could vividly imagine each of these sacred moments unfolding like a beautiful film before my eyes.This book is not just a reading experience, it’s a journey of the heart, guided by the light of Gurumaa’s love and wisdom.”

A book and a Mother who made me understand that all I need is less than an arms distance from me and only reason am not getting is because am not taking it. So near but we are mentally making it soooo far...

The book “Messages from The Himalayan Sages - Timely & Timeless” is a compendium of experiences of Guru Sakalamaa or Guru Maa as she is more fervently known amongst her disciples. My review is largely ‘Quotes’ from the book that helps understand the ‘big picture’.The book starts with ‘Who am I’, and later ‘Deep dives into oneself and to understand What I am.’ It gives overviews on ‘Our Ancient disciplines, to attain a meaningful life’, besides examples of how ‘Your job can never be a hindrance for your spiritual life’ and ‘Chances of advancement to be able to go beyond the cycle of life and death.’For the uninitiated the book explains in simple terms the concepts of Parampara, Guru, Lineage, amplifying ‘Messages from Parampara - experience your Atman, that leads you to the ultimate truth.’The role of the Guru and how one places him or her in relation to Paramatma is explained so simply when one understands the meaning of ‘Both the Guru and Govind are in front of me, whom should I bow down to first? I bow down to my Guru, as through him I have found Govind.’Profound are the statements ‘The physical body is merely a vessel, but the connection with Guru is eternal’, ‘Guru’s love for his disciple is pristine & unconditional’ and ‘Guru Inspires commoners to follow the path of Sadhana.’ Plenty of insights into understanding ‘This is the eternal and continuous process towards truth’ and ‘As is the atom, so is the cosmos.’The most popular adage ‘The Guru appears when the disciple is ready’, has been shown through numerous example’s from Guru Maa’s life journey wherein she explains ‘Its time we imagined Rishi’s, in a contemporary way, for eg., as one wearing regular jeans and a T-shirt. The old image of a Rishi is so ingrained that even if one were to appear, we would ignore him as someone in a fancy dress.’The encounters of Guru Maa’s disciple Gaurav ji with Sage Durvasa gives hope for spiritual progress in non-adepts like me. Plenty of examples to show - ‘If the disciple calls out with love and affection, will the Guru not come?! This is the glory of Guru!’, ‘Moment of clarity and haziness’, ‘Everyone has spirited experiences daily, but does not comprehend them for the lack of right perspective’ and ‘The guru will not hesitate to undertake the cleansing work upon himself to smoothen the forthcoming spiritual path of his disciple.’ Finally, one will realize that ‘Guru is like a trustee of knowledge gained through silence. The flow of knowledge is not limited to Guru’s physical plane.’The last sections are devoted to explaining the significance of ‘Srividya - Universe in a Capsule’ and that commoners like me, still have hope of advancing the spiritual experience, with the blessings, protection and continuous guidance of the Guru and her Lineage.

This is a deeply personal narration of Guru Sakalamaa's life and living through the lens of ancient wisdom, as conveyed by Himalayan sages. This book is also much more than a collection of spiritual thoughts. Guru Sakalamaa’s interpretations reveal an emphasis on understanding oneself deeply and developing a compassionate outlook toward others, echoing the values Santana Dharma. This book speaks to human experience as a whole. Complex spiritual ideas are communicated through simple, heartfelt language that speaks directly to the reader. Just like the narration, the reading too makes for a deeply intimate experience.Guru Sakalamaa’s focus on actionable guidance which includes practical steps that readers can incorporate into their lives to embody the lessons shared. For instance, while discussing the importance of meditation, she offers simple practices to center the mind and build mindfulness, making these teachings applicable even to those leading busy lives. This balance between philosophy and practical advice makes the book a useful resource for those looking to apply spiritual insights in a tangible way. Himalayan backdrop serves as both a literal and metaphorical reminder of the tranquility that one can achieve through spiritual practice. It’s a recommended read for those interested in exploring a reflective approach to personal growth and spiritual enlightenment.I also highly recommend reading this book interspersed with her podcasts in english as well as kannada. This book is originally written in Kannada. Those who can , must most certainly read the Kannada book and listen to podcasts in Kannada. It makes for an even more intimate and heart-felt learning.