Prem Ras Siddhant
I vividly recall a childhood memory when I was around seven or eight, visiting my grandmother's house during summer vacation. A boy my age asked me two unexpected questions: "Who are we?" and "Why have we come to this world?" Back then, these seemed like trivial musings, but decades later, they resonate as some of life's most pressing questions.
For years, I wrestled with such thoughts, and despite reading countless books on philosophy, my doubts only multiplied, and I found myself caught in a maze of complex theories. Then, on my 25th birthday, a friend with a deep interest in spirituality gifted me a book titled 'Prem Ras Siddhant - The True Philosophy of Divine Love'.
The book was authored by the fifth original Jagadguru, Kripalu Maharaj. As someone skeptical of cult leaders, I let the book gather dust. Yet, one idle day, I casually flipped through a few pages. The subject matter sparked my interest, so I sat down to read.
Time flew by as morning turned to afternoon, and afternoon to evening. When I finally set down the book, over 300 pages later, it was 5 PM. I hadn't felt hunger or thirst all day; my mind was consumed with an exhilarating realization-I had finally uncovered life's ultimate truth.
Immediately, I called the friend who had gifted me the book. My excitement surprised him; he'd thought someone like me, a skeptic, would never engage with a guru's work. I, too, would've thought the same, but from that day, a profound transformation began within me.
You might wonder what made this book so impactful. Most books cling to a single viewpoint and strive to defend it. But Prem Ras Siddhant stood out for its balanced discourse, blending science with spirituality, and philosophy with reason in a harmonious way.
For those who already believe in God, this book is easy to embrace. Yet even for those who seek to scrutinize every claim against the standards of science, its arguments are compelling. In 14 chapters, it begins by probing the purpose of life-a question each of us have pondered. The exploration from multiple perspectives and its undeniable solutions will pull you toward the next chapters.
What is true happiness, and how can we attain it? We tirelessly pursue jobs, wealth, homes, believing these will make us happy. But after all this effort, have we found happiness? And even if we think we have, why is it so fleeting? Why does it so quickly give way to anger or greed?
Does God truly exist? Who is God? Can we find Him? What practical approach can lead us there? What precautions must we observe along the way? Ultimately, what will one gain? Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj addresses these questions in this book in a simple and lucid manner.
I've intentionally refrained from delving into these topics in detail, as I felt I couldn't capture the book's depth in so few words. If you're seeking answers to these questions and wish to quench your curiosity once and for all, consider reading Prem Ras Siddhant for yourself.
