Nothing Ever Happened

Rating:
Summary: wonderful spiritual biography
Review: I am grateful to David Godman for avoiding the temptation to create a short, sweet, "consumer-friendly", biography in favor of a long, full-bodied, life story of one of the more interesting spiritual figures of the twentieth century. I found the entire story completely fascinating, as well as inspiring. I felt that I got to know this simple but profound man as I spent many hours moving through his life with him. Papaji, as H.W.L. Poonja became known late in his life, was a little-known but highly-respected spiritual teacher and disciple of the great Ramana Maharshi during the forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, and eighties. During the nineties he became well-known in his old age when he settled down in Lucknow after a life of nearly constant travel, and became known to Westerners who flocked to his daily satsangs by the hundreds. Fortunately, David Godman was among these Westerners. David Godman, already well-known for his fine work on Ramana Maharshi such as the excellent collection of teachings titled "Be As You Are", spent three years working closely with Papaji in the preparation of this thorough biography which covers Papaji's life up to about 1990. Just as the book was about to be published, Papaji passed away in 1997. In several places in this work, David Godman suggests that there will be more volumes of this work forthcoming, which will include details about Papaji's life and work in the nineties. It's been nearly seven years now, and no new volumes have appeared. I hope David Godman will fulfill his promise and give us the rest of the story.

Anyone interested in authentic modern spiritual teachers should love this book. If you have an affinity for the advaitic point of view, all the better. I hope amazon.com will restock this book to make it more readily available. Otherwise you can get it from the publisher, the Avadhuta Foundation.

Rating:
Summary: wonderful spiritual biography
Review: I am grateful to David Godman for avoiding the temptation to create a short, sweet, "consumer-friendly", biography in favor of a long, full-bodied, life story of one of the more interesting spiritual figures of the twentieth century. I found the entire story completely fascinating, as well as inspiring. I felt that I got to know this simple but profound man as I spent many hours moving through his life with him. Papaji, as H.W.L. Poonja became known late in his life, was a little-known but highly-respected spiritual teacher and disciple of the great Ramana Maharshi during the forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, and eighties. During the nineties he became well-known in his old age when he settled down in Lucknow after a life of nearly constant travel, and became known to Westerners who flocked to his daily satsangs by the hundreds. Fortunately, David Godman was among these Westerners. David Godman, already well-known for his fine work on Ramana Maharshi such as the excellent collection of teachings titled "Be As You Are", spent three years working closely with Papaji in the preparation of this thorough biography which covers Papaji's life up to about 1990. Just as the book was about to be published, Papaji passed away in 1997. In several places in this work, David Godman suggests that there will be more volumes of this work forthcoming, which will include details about Papaji's life and work in the nineties. It's been nearly seven years now, and no new volumes have appeared. I hope David Godman will fulfill his promise and give us the rest of the story.

Anyone interested in authentic modern spiritual teachers should love this book. If you have an affinity for the advaitic point of view, all the better. I hope amazon.com will restock this book to make it more readily available. Otherwise you can get it from the publisher, the Avadhuta Foundation.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing Ever Happened
Review: I have just finished reading the 3 volume set on Papaji and enjoyed it IMMENSELY. I did not know much about him. I have only heard bits from others who have carried his "teaching" to the west, but this book is a clear pictue of a great and unassuming man! Having just returned from 3 months in India and having visited most of the places (by coincidence) that he has lived, I felt even a greater awe and respect for him. My mind is permanently "ruined" and reading this book has increased my desire to be simple and free.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing Ever Happened
Review: I have just finished reading the 3 volume set on Papaji and enjoyed it IMMENSELY. I did not know much about him. I have only heard bits from others who have carried his "teaching" to the west, but this book is a clear pictue of a great and unassuming man! Having just returned from 3 months in India and having visited most of the places (by coincidence) that he has lived, I felt even a greater awe and respect for him. My mind is permanently "ruined" and reading this book has increased my desire to be simple and free.

Rating:
Summary: Rare diligence yields delightful glimpse
Review: I was watching for this biography and purchased it as soon as it was published several years ago. Anticipation set by watching David work on it with Papaji in Lucknow. The author's research and extensive interviews result in a chronologically ordered revelation of Papaji's life and teaching in the words of those people who experienced him most closely. The mosiac of cultural background, language and perspective of those voices is captured as a string of stories woven together with Papaji's memories of those events and people. The result is as clear a view as can be captured and conveyed in print.

Rating:
Summary: Rare diligence yields delightful glimpse
Review: I was watching for this biography and purchased it as soon as it was published several years ago. Anticipation set by watching David work on it with Papaji in Lucknow. The author's research and extensive interviews result in a chronologically ordered revelation of Papaji's life and teaching in the words of those people who experienced him most closely. The mosiac of cultural background, language and perspective of those voices is captured as a string of stories woven together with Papaji's memories of those events and people. The result is as clear a view as can be captured and conveyed in print.