Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

The Chandi Path is an old and respected sadhana for sadhus in India. Many have been the commentaries written about it. But the modern commentary written by Swami Satyananda Saraswati of Napa, CA is a masterpiece. Now this book Sahib Sadhu is the story of this Swami. It traces his growth - from a young American man with the urge to know more to his meeting with the Guru, his seva and ultimately initiation from the Guru. It is depicted with humor and gentle understanding the prejudices faced by a "Sahib" - a white man - at the hands of the native villagers and then their growing respect and acceptance of him. It is written from the viewpoint of a young village boy who was so fascinated with the Swami that he kept sneaking off into the cremation grounds to do seva for him. And when the Swami matures into a great man, so does the author - from a simple village boy to one that holds an important position in the Indian government. A wonderful heartwarming book.

Sahib Sadhu is a very fun read full of deep interest for those inclined toward spiritual quests. The contents of these pages are apt to add octane to an aspirants efforts. Some might even find these tales to be high test rocket fuel with which to soar above the clouds. Still this book is not a tell all. There are gaps. It might have been even more interesting of a read if it all started when this Swami Satyananda character first set foot on the subcontinent. There are unanswered questions which may crop up in the minds of some readers. For instance, how did Satya come to develope his rapid fluency in the Indian languages which enabled him to go native so effectively? There had to be some sensible progression even to his rather accellerated learning curve. As informative of this book is, it creates plenty of mystery. Thumbs up to Sushil Choudhury and Shree Maa.