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Lost Wisdom of the Swastika

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Zian is a seemingly happy and successful investment banker. Following an enormous personal tragedy, he sets out on an introspective journey to the Himalayas. He is questioning the purpose of life when he comes across a mysterious 110-years old man. Thereby starts a journey of learning, unlearning and un raveling the secrets of ancient Indian wisdom that teach you how to live a blessed life. Among them, is the quest to find the inner swastika -one that holds the truth of the physical, the metaphysical and beyond. WRITTEN AS A WORK OF FICTION BUT BASED ON A TRUE ACCOUNT, THIS IS AN ENGAGING STORY OF A MAN TRYING TO FIND HIMSELF

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2015

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219 people want to read

About the author

Ajay Chaturvedi

3 books3 followers

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5 stars
73 (31%)
4 stars
77 (33%)
3 stars
55 (24%)
2 stars
17 (7%)
1 star
7 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Anil Swarup.
Author 3 books721 followers
October 8, 2016
It is about another monk who sold his "Ferrari". In this instance there is no Ferrari though. However, the the author has managed to convey complex way to peace of mind, if not"nirvan", in a simple and "do-able" manner. The Guru is not pontificating. He is merely explaining. The rest is left to the reader.
Profile Image for Kritikal Reading.
303 reviews33 followers
February 23, 2016
Lost wisdom of the Swastika is that quientessential read that you talk about when you talk about spiritual books.
Faintly reminiscent of the time I read The Monk who Sold His Ferrari, I delved into this book, not really knowing what to expect.
While The Monk... was a very real sermon, with corporate set-up as the background, this one competely detaches you from the material pursuits.
I found it a little difficult to keep going through the book initially because the conversations were simple and devoid of the dramatic.

The plot took a long time to pick up pace and when it did, it just didn't pause for a breath. Word after word contained more wisdom than before, and it was quite impossible to stay away from the effect that the wisdom was bound to create on us.

A few pages more into the book and there's a treasure-trove of information.
The parts that comforted me talk about how you can be at the highest level of awareness and yet be in the material world. Otherwise, every time we are just told to choose between a materialistic realm and a spiritual domain. This was a refreshing break from the routine wisdom.

Another part I loved was how the book addresses the issue of consumerism- saying that East and West are only directions.
Profile Image for Ashwini.
347 reviews
December 12, 2021
I have read better and more lucid books on the subject of spirituality.
Profile Image for Manish Khanka.
49 reviews
July 15, 2022
The writer has jumbled up so much information and a suspenseful story in around 200 odd pages but he is not a master storyteller. Hence the story and narrative has become incoherent and the wisdom of the book is as lost as the title suggests.

Difficult to digest what the writer is trying to convey in a deeper sense. Superficially the story looks ok and seems to be conveying a lot of information but if you spend time on pages and try to understand deeply, it all seems lot of Vedic jargon thrown around to impress the lesser mortals.

The writer himself seems to be unsure of the message he wants to convey, it seems.
Profile Image for Divya.
2 reviews8 followers
March 17, 2017
This work has a lot of layers to it.
I'm sure that I'm going to be peeling several of the layers one by one over the next few days only to discover more layers - May the Force be with me ;)
Somewhat Freudian, it definitely did one thing - got me BREATHING!

10 reviews1 follower
May 19, 2017
Understanding zian's (kabirs)tyrian the path to enlightenment

Understanding zian's (kabirs)tyrian the path to enlightenment
This book shows one of the ways to enlightenment.since the subject is explored through a person who is trying to understand what is englightment/Aryan/awareness, it will be guide for both novice and those in spiritual goal.
it touches the scientific reasons behind various rituals we follow without knowing it .
Appreciate for the glossary of Sanskrit terms used provided in start.it helped in reading without interruption.After reading I expected still more will be there.Author may release sequel.
this book adds to my following list of books for growth
"Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
"The Monk who sold his Ferrari" by Robin sharma
Buddhar (Tamil) by Mayillai Venkatesh
Sivagnanam (Tamil)
Thirumanthiram(Tamil)
4 reviews
February 23, 2021
Fabulous book!! Really enjoyed it.
Easy read but you'll feel great after reading this, got goosebumps many times ❤️
8 reviews19 followers
September 19, 2016
I loved the book but I rate it as 3.5(here 3 since it won't allow me to rate it points) for two reasons, first, the fictional story around the main content or message of the book was not well conveyed or was almost unnecessary, it didn't add up much to understanding the concept or add to excitement of the story and second, me having fair knowledge about hinduism, found the explanation bit too simple at times. But I would still say the book has had a great impact on me. The facets of hinduism are well captured and explained, especially knowing about the meaning of symbol Swastika and the turiya state or the fourth dimension that a human can achieve as a part of spiritual process. I definitely recommend this book to all of you who want to discover self or want to start knowing more about hinduism and our culture.
10 reviews1 follower
June 2, 2017
It is a gripping story of zian
Understanding zian's (kabirs)tyrian the path to enlightenment
This book shows one of the ways to enlightenment.since the subject is explored through a person who is trying to understand what is englightment/Aryan/awareness, it will be guide for both novice and those in spiritual goal.
it touches the scientific reasons behind various rituals we follow without knowing it .
Appreciate for the glossary of Sanskrit terms used provided in start.it helped in reading without interruption.After reading I expected still more will be there.Author may release sequel.
this book adds to my following list of books for growth
Sivagnanam (Tamil)
Thirumanthiram(Tamil)
Vallalar(Tamil)...
"Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
"The Monk who sold his Ferrari" by Robin sharma
Buddhar (Tamil) by Mayillai Venkatesh
Profile Image for Pavankumār  DH.
7 reviews
December 21, 2016
One line review: The only way out is 'in'.
Books are meant to be read. For sure, this book wont suit that category. This book is meant to be experienced page by page.
Are you bored of your daily chores? Are you planning to trek some mountains to soothe your nerves? Are you the guy who is busy with emails, phone calls and all office stuff throughout the day? And are you in search of eternal questions of existence- who am I? Then, you are all set to read this book.
It would take us into the character Zian and make us forget whats happening around us while we are reading the book. Its unputdownable work. Though it is written as a work of fiction, it take us through the purpose of life.
Highly recommended one
Profile Image for Bigo May.
41 reviews1 follower
December 3, 2016
A well written book that follows the story of Zian in his retirement at the Himalayas, where he will discover the old wisdom of the sadhus and their philosophy about the fundamental aspects of life. Through several conversations with his master Maharaj ji, Zian will explore the interconnection of traditions, religions, cultures and symbols among the west and the east world, discovering on his journey the origins of the swastika, an old symbol that has its origins in the Vedic age, many millenniums back.

A good book to understand the essence of the traditional philosophy of India.
1 review
May 7, 2018
This book opens up the reader’s mind to many new possibilities as it takes one on an incredible journey that is intensely personal. A must read for those who want to understand the logic or science behind the practices and even rituals embedded in the daily life of billions. A beautiful explanation of many universal truths, e.g., the concept of oneness with God or the universe. Basically, this book provides answers to many deep and complex questions about life in simple terms, and thus gives joy to its reader.
Profile Image for Sharat Bandlur.
21 reviews1 follower
December 21, 2015
Well written book for a debutante, but it gets boring in the middle. The twist in the end makes it worth a read. The intricacies in story telling of the complex situation by the author makes it compelling. Would expect the author to improve further in forthcoming novels.
Profile Image for Sanjeev Nv.
32 reviews2 followers
October 1, 2015
After reading this book i completely believe that complex and abstract topic can be put simplistically. Great read and great insights.
14 reviews
October 14, 2017
Unengrossing and poor narration!

Loosely plotted storyline. Way too philosophical and fails to absorb the reader. Several lines in the last chapter were taken from the movie INCEPTION to give a psychological angle. A good attempt but an amateurish narration!
7 reviews
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November 5, 2018
A great book for those who are looking for core of Ancient Indian Wisdom

My quest for ancient Indian wisdom persuaded me to read this book. I always had deep belief that the wisdom which is deeply rooted in Ancient India is very profound and needs to be uncovered. Somewhere in last 300-400 years this seems to have accumulated dust. In this journey of uncovering the beauty and ecstasy, I find this book extremely useful.   

The book has rightly unraveled concept of cyclicality as a natural truth of Universe. This has been one of the cornerstone of Indian Philosophy. The four yugas are cyclical, Satyug, Treta, Swapar and Kali.  Kaliyug will again be followed by Satyug. The way is which cyclicality has been presented to make to understandable and palatable is remarkable.

The author time and again bring into forefront that our evolution has been Antrik. The evolution of our language has deeper connection to inner-self. This is evident from the structure of Sanskrit Language and order of alphabets. Sanskrit as we know has been considered mother of large number of languages. We can see this in our everyday living like greeting, celebration of festivals, the whole concept of puja etc.  

The first step for knowing self is through Pranayam, a real innovation and gift to the world from India. The author very lucidly brings out that the way to connect with the Universe is breath as it what makes everyone alive and it is link between self and the Universe. This is the reason why the author time and again has emphasized on Pranayam. Only when one knows oneself, it can ascend up in the ladder from Muladhar to Saharsha(Crown) Charka.

Living with consciousness is focal to human development which the author delves nicely. It is only with conscious living which has lot to do with being fully absorbed in present. Turiya Tales – The title of the book, which basically means 4th is the ultimate state of consciousness.

I see the concept of the book has lot of importance in modern times as it tries to resurrect that we Indians are Antrik and real innovation can only happen when we develop from within. When we understand self, align ourself with nature and the local culture, innovation will be much more natural having far reaching significance.

It is time that we connect from within, unravel our rich and marvelous heritage and build on it to bring about real innovation in India.

 

Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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