SRI SATHYA SAI BABA BOOK & INFORMATION CENTRE

290, Merton Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1A9, Canada

Official Book Centre of the Sai Organization in Canada
Phone: (416) 481-7242  Website: http://www.saibooks.org
Fax: (416) 481-7292       Email: saibooks@hotmail.com
NEWSLETTER OF THE CANADIAN SAI BOOK CENTRE
June 2002 Volume 7 No. 10

We are very happy to inform you about Dr. Charanjit Ghooi's visit to Toronto. Dr. Charanjit is a medical doctor and serves at the hospital in Puttaparthi. She visits Toronto every summer and gives informative and inspirational talks to all the Sai devotees here. She will be visiting Merton Sai Centre on June 13th at 7.15PM, and June 16th at 11AM during Satsangh and share her Sai experiences and her knowledge on Yoga & Meditation. She will also be the guest speaker at the Picnic on June 15th at High Park areas 2 & 3 organised by the Region II Pilgrimage Committee. Please check the events calendar at www.saibooks.org for more details.
Dr. Charanjit has written three very educative books titled Bhakti & Health, Spirituality & Health and Vedantic Method & Virtuous Children (see reviews later). Also featured in this issue are the three fabulous books written by Prof. K N Sinha who served as the head of the department of English at the Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning as well as a brand new book from a close devotee of Sai Baba since 1944 titled Nectarine Leelas of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

K N Sinha, the author of this book experienced and understood the divinity of Sri Sathya Sai Baba only after he was rescued from the jaws of death and his daughter was cured of her mental illness by Baba. This book gives a detailed account of the Divine principle that incarnated in the past and completed Its' mission, although each one had different name at the body level and were called Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Christ and Shirdi Sai Baba and presently as Sathya Sai Baba and also about the next Sai Avatar to be known as Prema Sai. This book contains many of Sai Baba's sayings from His divine discourses which create lasting impact on its listeners and also quotes from devotees such as Dr. Sandweiss, Dr. Hislop, Dr. Gokak and Prof. Kasturi to illustrate what a great fortune it is to experience the living God in India. The book covers a variety of incidents from the lives of devotees who were God-intoxicated and found bliss and nirvana (merger) into God Consciousness and concludes with messages of Baba recorded from His direct answers to some well-known devotees' questions on sadhana and meditation practice. Sai Baba shows the way in which the Avatar has to be used for a pilgrim's progress and attain liberation. The book is a valuable and enriching source of help for seekers on the inward path and will be rewarding intellectually to many.

Price: $8.25; US$5.80

This obscure enigmatic title hides a phenomenal proposition. In this book Dr Charanjit Ghooi, a fully qualified doctor in both western and eastern medicine, sifts the medical and spiritual information from the Indian ancient scriptures pertaining to how couples can conceive both a male child and a child of good character (she calls these virtuous children). Dr.Ghooi gives very precise details of how to achieve this, involving phases of the moon and temperature graphs to determine ovulation etc. Even for those of us not in immediate need of this information, we can learn a tremendous amount from this book which translates puranic terminology into modern scientific terms and comes out with some startling results. Dr Ghooi has been practicing these techniques in her clinic in Bhopal for some time. In order to help her explanations, she includes many helpful diagrams, charts and drawings. This work is inspired and blessed by Swami, who declared as part of his mission that he would restore some of the ancient wisdom which has been lost.

Price: $7.95; US$5.60

The author of this book has spent over half of the last century in association with Baba and describes his visits to Baba from the year 1944 when Sai Baba was only 18 years old. He writes about his unique experiences, the incredible miracles he witnessed as well as how he went through trials, tribulations and monetary hardship for over a period of twenty- five years. Going to Baba does not result in the end of our problems and Mr. Balapattabi (the author) was no exception. However he knew of Baba’s Divinity and motherly love for His devotees. He offered total surrender to Baba, even against the criticism from his close family members for his visits to Baba. Baba in turn rewarded him with His grace, in form of protection, peace and bliss throughout his difficulties in business and social life. Baba supported and looked after him, including bringing back to life his daughter who had died during one of the visits to Baba. The lessons he learnt, while passing the tests given by Baba, was to have unshakable faith and steady devotion to the Lord under all the conditions of life. The book will help the readers to know the powers and divinity of Baba and inspire everyone on the path of spirituality to cultivate strong faith and unconditional love for Him to earn His grace and guidance to complete the spiritual journey successfully.

Price: $7.99; US$5.60

Spirituality & Health is the title of the book written by Dr. Charanjit Ghooi and edited by the late Dr. Vinayak Krishna Gokak. Fully qualified in Allopathy, Homeopathy and Acupuncture, Dr. Ghooi has collected all the traditional views of the body vis a vis spirituality, vedanta and the statements of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and melded them into a comprehensive book. The topics range from the formation of the Universe, consciousness, the koshas or subtle bodies, training the mind, the nervous system and the hormonal system, the body as a moving temple, Yoga, Patanjali's 8-fold path, pranayama, meditation, Gayatri mantra, Auras, death and life after death and much more.

Price: $8.95; US$6.28

Note: Dr. Charanjit's other book titled Bhakti and Health contains mostly her personal experiences with Swami and the medical field.

This is the 2nd book written by Mr. Sinha on Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the first one being “Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Absolute Sole Lord of Life and Death” (see review later). The author has a doctorate in English literature from an American University and extensive experience of working at different educational institutions including the last one for over two decades at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. He has presented Baba’s glory and message in an articulate style of writing. He has also used suitable quotes of spiritually inspired poets like Dante and Eliot extensively throughout the book. The book starts with a brief account of life of both Shirdi Baba and Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He then describes some of the major miraculous events that took place in the lives of well-known devotees of Baba including himself and subsequent transformation that took place in their lives. The author who was in the jaws of death due to a severe paralytic stroke, high blood pressure and the loss of eyesight was answered his heartfelt and intensive prayers by Sri Sathya Sai Baba and cured completely so that he could continue to be His humble instrument. The author has also written at length about Baba’s divine teachings including the programme of education in human values with ample and authentic quotes from Sri Sathya Sai Baba in the later chapters of this book.

Price: $7.95; US$5.60

The book is a collection of experiences with divinity, as lived through by the author (K N Sinha) himself and his family, in their sojourn towards Swami’s Lotus Feet. Each incidence narrated dramatically and vividly reiterates that Baba loves all, without condition and restriction. First he leaves his visiting cards, in the form of beautiful materializations of Vibhuti and Kumkum, to adorn the family altar. From there, the author goes on to describe some miraculous occurrences, such as when Baba, as Shirdi Sai, steps out of the picture frame, to help his daughter face a terrifying battle of mind and spirit. In the midst of it all, all she knew was that her father and preceptor was Baba and He alone. This book traces a journey of such steadfast and unflinching faith, and its pages resonate with the passionate and yearning desire to serve the Lord, as His instrument, as the vehicle for His sweet and lilting music. When the professor himself faces the lord of death, seemingly at the culmination of his journey, Swami miraculously gives him another chance of life, to complete his mission.
The book also carries an invaluable appendix, consisting of ‘Sai messages for one and all’. This review, and indeed this life, would be hopelessly incomplete without their treasured wisdom: “Bring your heart to Me and win My heart. Bring your promise to me and I shall give you My promise but first see that your promise is genuine and sincere. See that your heart is pure."

Price: $6.95; US$4.90

• EMBODIMENT OF LOVE - CD PART I: During his public discourses Sai Baba often sings small verses carrying the essence of his teachings he wishes to convey. These chants have been the inspiration for the 2 CDs. Rich in content, profound in meaning and spiritual in music, the depth of the Raga (melody), Bhava (feeling) and Tala (beat/rhythm) of Indian music prompted the Ducros Brothers of Italy to fuse a western assembly to Sai Baba's voice and Indian Instruments with the aim of sharing this golden voice of peace and love with the whole world. The Part I CD includes also the bhajan "Murali Gana Lola" (devotional popular song) and the Gayatri mantra known as the most important prayer of the Hindu religion.
  
  Price: $12.00; US$8.40
  
  
• EMBODIMENT OF LOVE - CD PART II: : The Part II CD includes Indian traditional songs, mantras and verses used by Swami as a vehicle for His teaching during His Discourses. This cd has been arranged, as in part I, with an instrumental accompaniment to the Master's melodious voice. Among the pieces are "Asato Ma" (Liberation Prayer) and "Love is My form", an English song much loved by occidental devotees.
  
  Price: $12.00; US$8.40
  
  
• SAI BABA'S 76TH BIRTHDAY VIDEO: the 76^th Birthday celebration which includes the birthday discourse and lively concerts is now available.
  
  Price: $20.00; US$14.00.