Guidence From The Guru

About the Book

All letters are meant to be read, some to be treasured, while still a few others are to be shared with posterity.

Pujya Swami Tapovanam, the Himalayan hermit and Param Guru of Pujya Gurudev, Swmi Chinmayananda was a man of few words. Yet his letters to a devotee couple are full of practical tips.

"A householder shoul not conduct himself like a Vanaprastha or Sanyasin; nor should a Vanaprastha or Sanyasin behave like a householder."

"Don't" give way to despair of grief because of failures... Dont's get depressed. Believe that failure is only a gatekeeper to success. But for failure 'success' will lose its meaning. Without losing heart at failure, if you take it as an incentive to further effort, you will enter the citadel of victory sooner of later, today or tomorrow."

This seemingly slim volume of letters will work for anyone who takes his words seriously.

Publishers Note

Over 40 years of incessant effort to improve mankind ..... is What we see in Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmauanandji. The born teacher that he is, Swamiji; also feels that some practical tips are necessary to supplement the lessons given from time to time. This is how a series of letters have emanated from Swamiji power pen. The series is probably incomplete and some more may flow out, but many devotees have asking for the presently available seven letters in the form of a booklet. It is to meet this need that publication is brought out.

Such practical TIPS are really rare, as they are born only out of experience: these could as well be biographical!

Preface

Sadguru Sri Swami-Tapovanam, known to the Mahatmas as the Vibhuti of the Himalayas, spent half of his life amidst these ancient mountains. A number of Sadhus and other aspirants sat at his feet and received his grace and guidance in spiritual knowledge. Well informed as he was in our Scriptures, his teaching was considered the most authentic. As a master renunciate, his guidance in solving problems faced by spiritual seekers was always sought after.

It is the good fortune of the seekers that his spiritual guidance to a devotee couple in the 1950s in the form of letters is now available in this book. Written by Sri Swami Tapovanam in his own hand in Malayalam, the letters help one gain spiritual strength and devotion to the Lord.

We are sure that this book will be welcomed by aspirants the world over.

We are grateful to Swami Mahadevavanam for bringing these letters to light, by publishing the originals in book form. On his request, Sri T. N. Keshava Pillai has translated these letters into English, at once lucid and close to the original. We are grateful for his services. We also acknowledge our gratitude to the couple, Mr. and Mrs. Chandrasekhara Menon, who were the happy recipients of the grace and the graceful letters of Sadguru Sri Swami Tapovanam. They not only permitted us to publish them, but also parted with the original letters for being preserved in our ashram at Powai, Bombay.