Servant of God: Sayings of a Self-Realised Sage: Swami Ramdas

About the Book:

Never before have all the various facets of the teachings of Swami Ramdas (1884-1963) been brought together in one comprehensive volume.

Like a beautiful multicoloured garland of fragrant flowers, Servant of God is a collection of extracts from the writings of Ramdas that are arranged under 101 chapter headings.

The very phrases of Ramdas form the chapter headings which range from "Adoration of the Lord' to "Zoroaster Taught the Suzerainty of God". The first word of a chapter heading indicates what it mainly contains. Thus the subject of LOVE predominates in the chapter "Love Breaks All Barriers". The order of the chapter is determined by the alphabetical sequence of these first words. Therefore the CONTENTS list itself serves as a very useful subject index.

Ramdas was not only an extraordinary spiritual teacher but also a master of the English language. His books are among the leading classic of sacred literature because of their great inspirational value. Profound philosophical insights blend in well with moving devotional passages.

The chapter entitled "The Life of Swami Ramdas" by Susunaga Weeraperuma is a long and detailed account that is replete with fascinating anecdotes about this saint.

About the Author:

Susunaga Weeraperuma, a Doctor of Letters, lives in France. Although he was born in Sri Lanka where he was raised in the Buddhist religion, he has been spending most of his life in England, Australia, Switzerland and France. After taking a Master's degree in Economics and Political Science at London University, he qualified as Librarian and worked in the British Library and the South Australian Parliamentary Library. It was during his period that he wrote three books on Library Science and A Bibliography of the Life and Teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti.

After retiring early from his profession, Weeraperuma now devotes his time to spiritual practices, hatha yoga, gardening and the writing of books. Hi is deeply acquainted with both Oriental and Occidental religious systems. Consequently his writing are predominantly on philosophical and religious subjects. A skilled and vivacious writer who enjoys producing works of fiction and not-fiction, he is the author of two collections of short stories -The Holy Guru and Other Stories and The Stranger and Other Stories.

Some of Weeraperuma's important books are as follows:
Major Religions of India
J. Krishnamurti: As I Knew Him
Living and Dying: From Moment to Moment
That Pathless Land
Bliss of Reality
Homage to Yogaswami
Divine Messengers of Our Time

Back of the Book:

Because only God exists and all souls are expressive aspects of God's consciousness, we are living in God now. Until we are conscious of our true nature as spiritual beings abiding in God, it can be helpful to nurture aspiration to authentic spiritual growth, internationally choose a wholesome lifestyle sustained by a clear sense of meaningful purpose, pray and meditate regularly, and frequently refresh the mind with constructive thoughts.
The God-centered themes in this book will inspire and motivate readers to live skillfully and effectively for their highest good. The affirmations can be used awaken and actualize soul qualities and provide awareness of possibilities for demonstrating excellence. Quotations selected from inspired sources supplement the theme pages.

The book is written with the understanding that we are not mere mortals with wishful aspiration to divine status; we are spiritual beings with virtually unlimited capacities and functional abilities which are to be acknowledged, awakened, and creatively expressed.

Kriyas are the constructive actions as well as the transformative actions. Yoga can be defined as "procedure," as "practice," and as the end-result of successful practice- "wholeness".
After presenting an overview of philosophical principles, the focus is the author's comprehensive commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (circa 200 CE, perhaps older). This is presented in four stages: concentration and superconscious state; international practices; awakened soul abilities; and liberation consciousness. Besides the book provides guidelines to recommended lifestyle regimens and instruction in meditation techniques and practice routines.
It is further supplemented by a glossary of primary English and Sanskrit words in addition to Transmission of the Kriya Yoga Tradition in the Current Era.