Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master: A Yogi's Autobiography

by Sri M.

The author Sri ‘M’ is an extraordinary individual. His uniqueness lies not only in the fact that at the young age of 19 and a half, he travelled to snow clad Himalayas from Kerala, and there he met and lived for several years with a ‘real-time’ yogi, Babaji, but also that he should undertake such an unusual and adventurous exploration, given his non-Hindu birth and antecedents.

The metamorphosis of Mumtaz Ali Khan into Sri ‘M’, a yogi with profound knowledge of the Upanishads and deep personal insights, born of first hand experiences with higher levels of consciousness is indeed a fascinating story.
The bonus for those interested in the secrets of yoga, meditation and sankhyan metaphysics is that Sri ‘M’ is still living and easily reachable. He leads a normal life, married with two children, wears no special robes and conducts himself without pomp or paraphernalia.

Someone who met him recently said, “I expected a flashy godman and instead I saw a jean clad gentleman with a smile of his face, ready to discuss my problems. In five minutes flat, I said to myself, this is no ordinary man. The peace and tranquility that enters your system is tangible”.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Philosophy, Memoir, Hinduism

329 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Sri M (born Mumtaz Ali Khan), who was born a Muslim, was attracted to Vedic teachings at an early age. He met his Guru at the age of 9 and left home at 19 to live in the Himalayas, where he met many saints and sages before living with his Guru for three years. M has been associated with the famous Rishi Valley School as a former trustee of the Krishnamurti Foundation. Rather than choosing any specific religion or tradition, M teaches the universal essence of all religions.

M is founder of the Satsang Foundation. When asked about the Foundation and its purposes, he responded, “Satsang, which in Sanskrit, translates to holy company. Satsang is important because it is in keeping holy company that we overcome all circumstances and distractions, attain our true purpose of life, and uplift the world. By keeping holy company, not only with saints and sages and with other sincere spiritual seekers, but most importantly and with our True Self, our own Soul, we achieve deeper access and ultimate union with the Divine Essence. That is the goal of all prayer, meditation and spiritual practice, as well as all religions.”

He is a spiritual teacher and Guru to many and he teaches Kriya Yoga, the Upanishads and Sri Vidya Upasana. He lives in Madnapalle, Andhra Pradesh (near Bangalore) and travels around India and the World teaching and taking students on regular Yatras to sacred places.

Reviews

[Vivek V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where logic vanishes, mysticism appears! Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master is one of a kind story of a Muslim boy. Read the complete review here https://wp.me/p6rxcY-4n.

[Ashish Iyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a seeker, do read this book. It seems strange and unreal at times, but who knows what one has not seen of someone's travels, but asked to hear and believe. Even though some chapters are bit difficult to digest from what we are used to hear, it gives us some food for thought. You will go on a spiritual journey to understand the glory and grace of the Guru. This book has a greater emphasis on the message of a strong Guru Student relationship and how a true Guru can guide you, every moment. This book gives an insight to spiritual life and the ecstasy of spirituality. This covers some unknown experiences as well.

[Arun Divakar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Men and women who seek to know their true self travel far and wide, read everything they can lay their hands on and in that insatiable thirst for knowledge the luckier among such a crowd find a guide who like a signpost, shows them a path. Not everyone among us is a seeker for it takes immense amounts of patience, self control and an inner fire that never simmers down even in the most dire of circumstances. In my limited view of the world, I have seen a few people whose plain of thought is on a different dimension totally and yet to all external appearances they appear to be eccentric. These thoughts and little snippets of observation being on my mind, I could easily identify with the central character.

A young man from the southernmost tip of the subcontinent in an upsurge of wanderlust travels to the northernmost tip to reach the Himalayas. After a lot of false starts, he identifies his guru with whom he shares a relation that transcends the cycle of rebirths. In the course of three years, the guru fills the empty vessel of his disciple's mind with a wide ranging variety of knowledge. What follows is the disciple's journey in the world trying to spread his erudition for a greater cause. Sounds good, doesn't it ? However the execution of the book was not something I was fully convinced with in terms of the material included. The approach has mostly to do with this being a travelogue and observation on personalities than sinking in deeper into Indian philosophy or spirituality. While the author spends good time in exploring the minutest details of the Himalayas and the length and breadth of India, he skims over quickly about what he learns at the guru's feet and on the nature of being a yogi itself. This perhaps was the approach the author wanted too for the arcane and priceless knowledge he might have come across might be precious to be imparted in such a common way. My other point of contention was on the apparently supernatural phenomena that happens during the course of the narrative. To me, it served more to dampen the feel of the tale rather than build up the momentum but fortunately such occurences are not great in number.

It was to me an average book which served only one true purpose. I am now curious to read more about J. Krishnamurti and his view of the world he lived in !

[Madhurya Yadunath · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a skeptic but still find it hard to believe few of the incidents Sri M has described to have happened. I don’t question the spiritual experiences, highly evolved Himalayan masters, travels and journeys he undertook which I particularly enjoyed but the penultimate chapter was a bit too much. The vision near Kailash Parvath, where he sees the heads of various faiths together sounded deliberate and politically balanced. This autobiography should have included some of Sri’s learning from the Himalayan masters. Overall this book was not convincing.

[Anbukarasan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journey

Appreciable details
a. the concept of fire
b. Travels at kashmir

Otherwise various religious practices across India from south to north is acknowledged.

[Awdhesh Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminds me of "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda. Sri M (Mumtaj Ali), who is given Hindu name Madhu, describes his spiritual journey undertaken by Babaji. The description of Himalayas are quite beautiful and help us explore a world that is unknown to most of us. There are numerous stories of miracles which I fail to believe but I have no reason to disapprove it since those are unknown dimensions for more most us.
The most peculiar thing about M is his ability to have faith in everything and see the positive side of the life. He has only good words to say about everyone who is described in this book and he believes everyone. He have faith in Babaji and also faith in J Krishnamurthy, who has faith in nothing. That reminds me the folloing story of Mulla
Nasruddin was sitting as Judge. A case was brought-up for hearing.
‘You are right,’ said Nasruddin after hearing one side.
‘You are right,’ he said after hearing the other side.
‘But both cannot be right,’ said a member of public sitting in the audience.
‘You are also right,’ said Nasruddin.
Sri M believes in believing everything and that is indeed a sign of wisdom, but people who thinks rationally may find the story difficult to believe.

[Vishak · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book should have been titled - "Mushroom and its hallucinogenic effects"

[Sandeep · Rating 5 out of 5]

"IGNORANCE IS BOUNDLESS.WHAT YOU ARE YET TO KNOW IS A LIMITLESS POSSIBILITY "

This book proves this quote right. There is distance between possibility and reality, it seems that writer had enough courage and commitment to walk that distance. Everyone of us have belief, but belief can offer only solace. The only way to find solution is searching for truth. That is what writer did in his life.

Book tells us that life is far larger phenomenon than thought. Writer has mentioned various esoteric things which he came across in his life. This book reminds me of "AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF YOGI". This book bolster my interest in leading a spiritual life.

Journey of Mumtaz Ali khan to madhukarnath (sri M) was put into words comprehensively. This book is unfolding of spiritual story of a young man from kerala, who by sheer dedication and single mindedness evolved into sri M. Babaji and Madhu 's relation was spelled out understandably. It tells us how babaji took Madhu hand in hand in the expedition of " rags to riches".At the Vyasa Cave, beyond the Himalayan shrine of Badrinath, he met his Master and lived with him for three and a half years, wandering freely, the length and breadth of the snow clad Himalayan region. What he learnt from his Master Maheshwarnath Babaji, transformed his consciousness totally.back in the modern dwelling as instructed by his Master, lived a normal life. At a signal from his Master he entered into teaching phase of his life.Today, he travels all over the world to share his experiences and knowledge.

The thing that I have acquired from this book is human life is possibility and the only question is
Whether we have courage and commitment to make possibility into reality

[Uma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Sri M’s biography has truly been an extraordinary experience for me. I feel rather inadequate to describe in words this story that sounds unbelievable at some points yet arouses faith in existence of the human soul and its transgression to a higher domain. I was intrigued by the preface and was curious to accompany the explorer on his spiritual journey. Sri M describes his experiences in a very simple and forthcoming style. It is the story of a boy born in a Muslim family in Thirunvanthpuram, Kerala, his intense fascination with Himalaya, his determination to find a guru to quench his spiritual thirst and find his destiny. As I moved along the pages, I could feel the restlessness of a young person who is able to pursue his path despite all odds. Of course, the extraordinary happenings and guidance of his guru help him attain the ultimate mission. He is today a living Yogi who lives a normal life spreading his message of spiritual awakening through his Satsang foundation.
This is one of those books that moved me to my core, I will not forget it.

[Abhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

||• ಹಿಮಾಲಯದ ಗುರುವಿನ ಗರಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ •||

ಕೆಲವು ವಿಷಯಗಳು ಸತ್ಯವೆಂದು ಅನಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಅನಿಸಿದರೂ ಅನೇಕ ಬಾಹ್ಯ ವಿಷಯಗಳು ಬಹುಶಃ ನಿಜವಲ್ಲ ಎನಿಸುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತವೆ. ಆ ರೀತಿಯ ಸಾಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹಳ ಚರ್ಚೆಯಾಗಿರುವ ವಿಷಯಗಳೆಂದರೆ - ಪುನರ್ಜನ್ಮ, ಅತಿಮಾನುಷ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಮತ್ತು ದೇವರ ಮೂರ್ತರೂಪ.

ದಾಸ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಶೇಷ ಸ್ಥಾನ ಪಡೆದಿರುವ "ದಾಸನಾಗು ವಿಶೇಷನಾಗು" ಹಾಡನ್ನು ನೆನಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ. "ಏಸು ಕಾಯಂಗಳ ಕಳೆದು ಎಂಭತ್ನಾಲ್ಕು ಲಕ್ಷ
ಜೀವ ರಾಶಿಯನ್ನು ದಾಟಿ ಬಂದ ಈ ಶರೀರ" ಅಂದರೆ ಭೂಮಿಗೆ ಬರುವ ಎಂಭತ್ನಾಲ್ಕು ಲಕ್ಷದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಜೀವ ಮನುಷ್ಯನದು. ಅಷ್ಟು ಜೀವರಾಶಿಗಳನ್ನು ದಾಟಿ ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ಜನ ಪುನರ್ಜನ್ಮ ಪಡೆದೇವು? ಸಂಭಾವ್ಯತೆ ಬಹಳ ಕಡಿಮೆ.

ಪುನರ್ಜನ್ಮ ಎಂದರೇ ಮನುಷ್ಯನೇ ಆಗಬೇಕೆ ಎಂಬ ಜಿಜ್ಞಾಸೆಗಳು ಮೂಡುತ್ತವೆ ನನ್ನೊಳಗೆ. ಬೂದಿಯಾದ ನಮ್ಮ ಶರೀರದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಅಂಶಗಳಿಂದ ಒಂದು ಗಿಡ ಮೂಡಿದರೆ ಅದು ನಮ್ಮ ಪುನರ್ಜನ್ಮವೇ? ಉತ್ತರಗಳಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾವೇ ಓದಿರುವಂತೆ ಕೇಳಿರುವಂತೆ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಪುನರ್ಜನ್ಮದ ನಿದರ್ಶನಗಳೂ ಇವೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಫೋಬಿಯಾಗಳು, ಹುಟ್ಟು ಮಚ್ಚೆಗಳೆಲ್ಲವೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಹಿಂದಿನ ಜನ್ಮದಿಂದ ಬಂದ ಎರವಲು ಎಂಬ ಥಿಯರಿಗಳೂ ಇವೆ

ಅತಿಮಾನುಷ ಶಕ್ತಿ ನಿಜವೇ? ಇರಬಹುದು ಇದಕ್ಕೂ ಕೂಡ ನೂರಾರು ನಿದರ್ಶನಗಳಿವೆ, ಜೀವಂತ ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳಿವೆ. ಕಾಕತಾಳೀಯ ಎನ್ನಬಹುದು. ಆದರೆ ಪ್ರತಿ ಬಾರಿಯೂ ಹಾಗಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಯಾವುದೋ‌ ಒಂದು ಕಾಣದ ಶಕ್ತಿಯು ಇವೆಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ನಿಯಂತ್ರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇಯಾ ಎಂಬ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳು ಮೂಡುತ್ತವೆ.

ಇನ್ನೂ ದೇವರ ಮೂರ್ತರೂಪ. ನಾವು ಫೋಟೊಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣುವ ದೇವರ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳು ನಿಜವಾ? ಕಂಡಿದ್ದವರು ಯಾರು? ಮನುಷ್ಯನೇ ಕೆತ್ತುವ ವಿಗ್ರಹಗಳ ಮುಂದೆ ಅವನೇ ಹೋಗಿ ಕೈ ಮುಗಿಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಹಾಗಾದರೇ ದೇವರಿಗೆ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಬರುವುದಾದರೂ ಎಲ್ಲಿಂದ? ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕವಾಗಿ ದೇವರನ್ನು ನಂಬುತ್ತೇನೆ, ಆರಾಧಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಆತ ನನ್ನ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ಎಂದೆಂದೂ ಅಮೂರ್ತ!

ಈ ಲೇಖನ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಏನೂ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ ಅನಿಸಬಹುದು. ಆದರೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದಿದಾಗ ನನ್ನ ಜಿಜ್ಞಾ���ೆಗಳಿಗೂ ಮತ್ತು ಪುಸ್ತಕಕ್ಕೂ ಇರುವ ಸಾಮ್ಯತೆ ತಿಳಿಯುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕವು "ಶ್ರೀ ಎಂ" ಎಂಬ ಒಬ್ಬ ಯೋಗಿಯ ಆತ್ಮಕಥೆ. ಅವರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಏನೂ ಹೇಳಲಾರೆ. ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದುವ ಸ��ಖ ಕಡಿಮೆ ಮಾಡಿದ ಅಪರಾಧಗಳು ಬೇಡ. ಆದರೂ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತನಾಡದಿರಲು ಮನಸ್ಸು ಒಪ್ಪುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಒಬ್ಬ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯನು ಆಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮವನ್ನು ಅರಸಿ ಹೋಗಿ ಜೀವನದ ಸತ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡ ರೋಚಕ ಜೀವನಗಾಥೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಅಂತರಾಳ. ಆಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಕ್ಕೂ ಸನ್ಯಾಸತ್ವಕ್ಕೂ ಇರುವ ಅಜಗಜಾಂತರ ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸಗಳನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಸುವ ಅಭೂತಪೂರ್ವ ಪುಸ್ತಕ.

ಶ್ರೀ ಎಂರವರು ಆಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮದ ಹಾದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಗುವಾಗ ಅವರಿಗೊದಗುವ ಅನುಭವಗಳು, ಸಿಗುವ ಗುರುಗಳು, ಅತಿಮಾನುಷ ಶಕ್ತಿಗಳು ಓದುಗರ ಹುಬ್ಬೇರುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡುವುದು ಸುಳ್ಳಲ್ಲ. ನೀವು ಅಭಿರುಚಿಗೆ ಓದುವ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಾಕ್ತರಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ನಿಮಗೊಂದು ವಿನೂತನ ಅನುಭವವನ್ನು ನೀಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಅನುಸರಿಸಲು ಓದುವಿರಾದರೇ ಒಂದೆರಡು ಬಾರಿ ಯೋಚಿಸಿ.

ಅಭಿ...

[Alokmahajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I brought this book a year ago and for a year it was in my book-shelf. After reading autobiography of a yogi I thought I would be unable to get my hands on a book like that but I was wrong. Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master resumes from Autobiography of Yogi only in this case we are fortunate that the author SRI M is living among us.

Written in a very simple language , it takes reader through a lot of examples which are a treat to read. There are some scenarios which will be difficult to comprehend but again that shows how advanced our science was in the past or more aptly as Shashi Tharoor says India is a past developed nation.

I loved every bit of the book and it gives readers an examples of how magnificent the human body is and there are amazing number of people on planet earth who are unheard of. I was moved by the last chapter where the author goes to Kailash.

To sum it up I was glad I read the book and hope one day I also meet Sri M.

Overall it's a great eye opener book for all segments of society so if you belong to

Gen Z, iGen
Millennials
Generation X:
Baby Boomers:
Traditionalists

Just go and read it.

[Deepa M.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the experiences of the author are true, This book is an evidence that there are many things which are beyond our understanding and comprehension. The experiences that Mr. M passes through is indeed hard to believe. But like he has clearly mentioned in the foreword of this book, those people who are skeptical about these details could just ignore it and read the book just to understand the teachings of his Guru.In my opinion, this spiritual autobiography is worth the read.

[Preethika · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. As the author moves towards the end, he explains situations he goes through and at some point the book looses its impact on the reader given to the current day beliefs and today's society we live in.

[Guttu · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Another reason fire was used as a symbol of the spirit, is that fire always burns upwards. Try holding the firewood downwards, the flames always move upwards. Also, just one spark is enough to set a whole forest on fire. You can light a thousand candles from one flame with no loss to the original mother flame. What better symbol of the spirit?"


Walking down the spiritual path is strenuous process. It challenges the limits of your abilities and disabilities. It will bring you down to the lowest point of your life and then suddenly it will lift you up to your highest self. This journey is what has been described in this book which is autobiography of a Muslim youth, who followed the path of spirituality through Hindu way of life. This is the journey of Mumtaz Ali Khan becoming Yogi Madhu.


Throughout the book there are mystics, siddhas, yogis along with the magical or supernatural incidents. Unless you have a spiritual mind, you wouldn't believe in these incredible incidents. Unless you believe in power of yoga, you wouldn't believe what yoga  an do to your mind and body. You have to have the belief before you take this book for reading.


I found some similarities in "Autobiography of an Yogi" and this book. Especially the part of journey. Both have same goal but the experiences are different. I wouldn't recommend this to a non believer or someone with narrow thinking. Unless you believe, this book won't have any effect on you. The ones on spiritual path will enjoy this one. Happy reading. 

[Shreeshrita · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master’ by Sri M, is a brave account of a Muslim boy’s journey into a world of miracles, evolved individuals, wonders of the other-worldly, and of course, the doctrines of the master he is apprenticed to.
Before discussing further on the book, it would be apt to mention that this is not a conventional autobiography. The events mentioned in this book, are more bizarre than the most imaginative fictional accounts. Hence, to approach this unconventional book, we need to arm ourselves with belief; belief in the absurd, belief in a multiverse and a belief in the author’s account, without which the book is not a recommended read. Suffice to say, I decided to be armed to the teeth with this belief when I delved into the book.
The author took me along his journey, from events surrounding his childhood, to the Himalayan accounts and finally to his life back in the humdrum of the society.
One of the finer points of the book, is the amount of details the author has gone into. The picture he paints, be it in the meeting with different gurus and intellectuals, or the scenery as he travels along the mountains and caves are vivid and transport one to his journey.

His stories are filled with incredulity, and he admits so a number of times in the book. He also emphasizes that the stories however incredulous, need to be told, for the incredulity remains only until belief hasn’t stepped in. He touches on many interesting topics, ranging from Yoga, to the dormant Kundalini Energy, and even to the functioning of ashrams. His travels take us all over India, from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, to the various caves on the Himalayan range, from Dakhineshwar Kali temple in West Bengal to Kashmir, while his encounters range from Hindu Babas to Muslim Fakirs and even a Tibetan Lama.
He also mentions a number of books as recommended reading, which would aid in increasing one’s knowledge about the subject.

Having said all of the above, this book for me was not an easy read. The very details which paint a vivid picture, also can sometimes be tedious, tending to prolong the chapters to unnecessary lengths. The book is truly autobiographical, that is it gives us an insight into his life, but it provides little in the way of the knowledge he accrued from the masters. We would probably have to look into other books authored by him to get more information.
To summarize, this book, although a tough read, has been eye-opening and at very specific times incredulous (mentioning which could lead to potential spoilers). This book was recommended to me by my grandfather, and I couldn’t be more satisfied.
This book is a recommended read if you are interested in Yogis, miraculous adventures and have a slightly (or a very) different approach to existence of life.

[Harshit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellbinding : Sri M explained his mysterious journey at 19 in Himalayas in an audacious fashion.

“Forty years ago, a young man of nineteen from Kerala, the southern-most state of India, was found in deep meditation in the cave of Vyasa up in the Himalayas near Badrinath, close to the Indo-Tibetan border regions. Even in those days, a teenager going away to the Himalayas to meditate was not a common occurrence. What made this case almost unbelievable was that the young man in question was not even born a Hindu.
How this young man became a yogi; and the mysterious and fascinating world of un-imaginable power and grandeur that opened up for him, is the story of his life”

Excerpt From: M, Sri. “Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master (A Yogi's Autobiography).” iBooks.

I enjoyed every moment of this book, specially book catch your attention from first page itself, if you have vibration of spirituality in you (only for those sense). A must read for spiritual entrepreneurs and seekers.

[Priyanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very interesting read. There are no great spirutal lessons here. It is rather a very facinating journey of Sri. M that spans several years. He is indeed blessed to have experienced something so magical.

However, I did not like the idea that spirituality is so very complicated and out of reach. Every author somehow gives a picture that the bechmarks set up by their religion or faith is the only way to attain  spiritual knowledge. All his experiences are steeped in Hindu practices and he reiterates that a true seeker needs to be initiated into several kriyas to progress spiritually.

Why would any God create such rigid systems? Why isn't God/higher consciousness accessible to all? Why does it have to pass through the hurdles set up by others? Every author speaks of Universal consciousness and then goes on to say that 'you can reach it only by enrolling in my college and passing all the courses I have set. There is no other way.' This I really don't understand.

[Elf · Rating 2 out of 5]

This here is a book for all those zombies who like reading books about yogis and wanna be yogis and get taken in by a lot of weird stories that the godmen types spout. Sri M is one such godman and what's more, he hails from Kerala, the land of such mantravadis, sorcerers or shamans or whatever they assume themselves to be. What I mean is these godmen claim to have supernatural experiences of all sorts and then give discourses and slowly they are surrounded by a coterie of devotees. It's the best kind of business, they get a name, fame and lots of moolah, and tens of thousands of insecure people think they have found their crutch in them. Kerala is the land of Adi Shankara, the Advaitin, but he was a cut above these guys. More recently, there have been others like Chattambi Swami, Swami Chimayananda, Vishnu Devananda the (Parakum) Flying Swami, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Amma. Sri M has a lot of funny stories to narrate in this book, from how he lived in cemeteries, met his guru who was a century or more old (whose guru was alive for centuries or more) before he dug his grave and buried him in samadhi, encounters with djinns and other spirits, satsangs and so on... ahh well ..there's a sequel to this book called The Journey Continues. It's great reading and you can read through this book in an hour or two, that's how interestingly shallow it is, provided you are fortified with the right spirits.

[Subramanian Umasankar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me understand that spiritual growth can not be achieved overnight. But it can definitely be achieved through constant practice and devotion to guru. Also helped me know that there are lot of spiritually grown souls in India and they are not known to the world still.

Little did he mention about mahatma Trailanga swami. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa learnt Tantra from Maha yogini Bairavi Brahmani. And she is the sishya of Mahatma Trailanga Swami. I even heard that the great mahatma was the one to send Bairavi Brahmani to Ramakrishna paramahamsa for his spiritual growth. Ramakrishna is described as Avatar in this book. If that is the case, what place should we give to Mahatma Trailanga Swami, the walking shiva of Varanasi?

[Divyansh Shivashok · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master" written by Sri M is an autobiography of how he advances from being a normal bystander to being reunited with his guru and finally attains enlightenment. This book is noteworthy for its writing style which is rather casual as the author just want to keep everything simple and straightforward. There are no cryptic sentences and no hidden meanings. Truth unfolds as the story goes along.
Overall, this autobiography was really good. Reading about how an ordinary person became enlightened brightened the spark in me for advancing spiritually. This book is good for people who can tolerate certain view points and are open to new ideas as it directly touches upon some of the major and most conflicted areas of our life.

[Sandesh Rawat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling story, quite unbelievable actually. Interesting read though. Recommend it.

[Bhooshan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first attempt at understanding mysticism (sometimes disguised as spirituality in this book) in parts of India. There are many fantasy filled lines in the book, which easily steal your attention at first, but if you read between the lines, there's not much depth or credibility to it. I really tried to understand (or may be I failed) this mystic guru (Sri M) and what's so special about him. He narrates his surreal experiences like he is "the chosen one" to have such experiences and how it's not for ordinary eyes (like yours and mine).

In addition to that there's an omnipresent negativity about being skeptical towards mysticism and how that prevents you from experiencing these divine experiences, which adds to the irritability these already bloated stories bring with flowery language.

Mentions of Sarpa Loka (another planet which has highly intelligent beings who are in touch with the earth, and guiding spirituality on indian subcontinent) and divine figures who do magic tricks are embedded throughout the book which kept it interesting for me, but then it just made a sci-fi/fantasy read, nothing else.

Overall, what I hoped to be an understanding of spiritualism as told by an author who I considered to be just one rung lower than the spiritual stalwarts of India, came out to be nothing more than a fancy travelogue with magical creatures and privileged main characters.

[Sreena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mesmerizing journey into the depths of spiritual awakening. ☮️

An enlightening exploration of ancient wisdom and mystical experiences.

The author eloquently states, "In silence, I learned the profound lesson that it is not the words we speak, but the silence within us that communicates with the infinite." This book is a transformative read, offering profound insights and inspiring the reader to embark on their own spiritual quest.

As a drawback, what I notice was that at times the book falls short in maintaining a constant narrative.

Apart from that it was bit hard to follow chronology of events.

I have also found that this book has got an awesome amazon audible format. If you love audiobooks - it's a must try

[Pranita Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the contents of the book very much. For anyone on the spiritual path, this book is packed with wonderful stories and possibilities. Even though I have a Guru, reading such books by other accomplished contemporary gurus is good. It affirms faith in spirituality as this path is so confusing. These stories serve as hopeful signs that if a seeker continues on their path with single-minded focus, there are unimaginable things in store. There is grace and help available, and it will present itself when one is ready for it.

[Anantha Narayanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuine, child like experiences of a man born in a Muslim family drawn closer by the Himalayan sages. Most people would like to talk about the "unnatural" events described, but I tend to differ. For me the one take away is sincerity.

A real mind calmer, it proved by reading this book. Many thanks for the Himalayan sages four providing the insights.....

[Ekta · Rating 3 out of 5]

intrigued by the stories, childish and horrible writing. some chapters feel like a teen's diary. needs much better editing. the content and stories are beautiful. the writing made me want to give up often.

[Prachi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my review here: https://medium.com/@prachi.zenith/app...

Sri M, born as Mumtaz Ali in Trivandrum, Kerala, takes readers on his life’s journey from born a Muslim to a spiritual teacher well verse in Hindu philosophy and teachings. Interestingly, Sri M has been conferred with the ‘Padma Bhushan’ award in 2020 for distinguished service in the field of spirituality.
A yogi can generally be described as a practitioner of yoga and meditation. And that is what I assumed that the book would be about when I read the title. Another thing that drove me to start and then finish this book was to understand what the people who claim to be spiritually evolved would share about their lives.
Contd...

[Raghavender Sridhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new perspective to spirituality

[Anant Kanndpal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, inspirational book

[Apoorva Misra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh! What a pleasure ! This is an absolute delight for anyone who is even remotely interested in spiritual dimension of life. See M, my heartfelt gratitude to you for revealing such precious parts of your journey to us. Loved it thouroughly !