Sadhus by Dolf Hartsuiker

It has been a year since this book Sadhus: Holy Men of India by Dolf Hartsuiker has been published. The truth is, I haven't read this book. Nor do I have the resources to make a purchase.

What interested me about this book was that of course, my spiritual bent of character but also that I loved an excerpt from the website. I was browsing or Googling How to become a sadhu or something. Dolf's website was the first link for the keyword.

I kept on reading a lot of information and his personal experiences with Sadhus were quite interesting. The ash-smearing, hash smoking, corpse eating sadhus are fascinating subjects to read about. I do want to buy the book. I hope I can, sometime. I also enjoy reading about the real life experiences of or with sadhus.

They are strange men and understanding them is beyond human comprehension. Books like Aghora by Robert Svoboda and "Sadhus: Holy Men of India" make the process easy and take us closer to the world of Sadhus. Reading books as these, lead to profound understanding of spirituality, our lives and our selves (the self).

Dolf Hartsuiker has written one more book on Sadhus titled "Sadhus: India's Mystic Holy Men". I would want to read these books someday. I should say, these are "want to read" books.

I also found another book that interested me about Sadhus. The title Sadhus and Shamans could draw a lot of interest. Written by Swati Chopra, the title is great. It marries both the East and the West and draws both the worlds toward the book.This is surely one of my "want to read" books.

Please let me know of books that you would want to read, you would want me to read and review and post about. Thank you! Keep reading! :)

Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution by Robert Svoboda

One of the reviews of the book reads "data dense". That's what you can attribute to Dr. Robert Svoboda. The information is too dense and engaging in Robert Svoboda's books and so it is in Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution (Affiliate). I have been mentioning Robert Svoboda for my recent reading for a couple of years centered around his books.

A lower priced version on Flipkart: Prakriti:Your Ayurvedic Constitution

Svoboda's books are life-changing in fact. He deftly drives home the philosophy which might otherwise be difficult to understand. There is hardly even an Indian who celebrated Indian lore as did Dr. Robert Svoboda. He had sometimes been critical as well.

He called a spade a spade, despite his reverence and admiration for Eastern Hindu spirituality. I am not in awe of Svoboda because of his love for Indian lore. I understand how difficult it is to make available and accessible Hindu wisdom to the west.

Unlike Carlos Castaneda, here is a man who struck the right thing! Be it tantra, spirituality, the path of bhakti, jnana, spiritual path is the ultimate path to tread.

I am not saying what it ought to be for everyone but if you seek ultimate knowledge, beyond what you believe to be the world you perceive with your senses, spirituality has the answers. So, his ability to find the right path and to live the path is what strikes awe in me!

I have a severe disability to remember objects, plants, leaves, medicines and anything physical. I am too lazy to handle physical objects. That's why I am just thinking and writing. However, what made me like this book was the profound about the body, mind and soul. The philosophy is very deep and one may be able to lead a natural and healthy life, after reading this book.

Sample this that Dr. Svoboda says that cancer is caused by unpleasant impressions. I am not probably stating it accurately. As he does, the book is full of profound secrets of life, the body, mind and soul. They are huge treasures. Read the book and know for yourself!

I would go with 3.5/5 for I am not an Ayurveda enthusiast and these types of books are not my favorites. However, what made me buy this book is the sweet style of Robert Svoboda that packs wisdom densely and has things work within our consciousness to create permanent changes in our personality.

The book could be rated 4.5/5 for the impact it has on the readers. Like Aghora I, II and III this book too is life-changing. The theme is universal, as it is about our body. Grab one for yourself and let the book work on your consciousness to effect permanent changes in you!

Lower Priced Versions of Aghora Series on Flipkart

Aghora: At the Left Hand of God
Kundalini: Aghora
Aghora III : The Law of Karma

Robert Svoboda's Aghora I, II and III

If ever a book can transform you, Aghora I, II and III can. Beginning with Aghora I: At the Left Hand of God, I could not put the book down or its successors: Aghora II: Kundalini and Aghora III: Law of Karma (Links are affiliate)

Lower Priced Versions on Flipkart

Aghora: At the Left Hand of God
Kundalini: Aghora
Aghora III : The Law of Karma

Why do Aghoris Eat Corpses and Feces of Dogs and Human Beings?

So, as Aghoris eat corpses, feces of dogs or human, eat human brains, engage in orgies, just what are they doing? And why are they doing them? The answer is that aghoris perform such acts to get close to God! Such actions effect their spiritual transformation! More importantly, the oneness of all creation! That which a flower is made of, feces are also made of, the same!

The book reveals the shocking life of Aghoris through the life of Vimalananda, Robert Svoboda's Guru. The former was an Aghori who lived in the smashans (Cremation grounds) fully naked, sky-clad and ash smeared as Sadhus usually would be. Vimalananda continues to live in Mumbai to work out his karmas, when Robert Svoboda finds him, as though predestined. Vimalananda predicts that Robert Svoboda will cremate him, when he is dead and it happens that way, eight years later.

Together, Robert Svoboda and Vimalananda explore and teach us how karma works, functions and how God's power can be tapped through the deities. Smashan Tara, the Goddess of the dead, a form of Mother Kali, Shiva's Grand Consort, who lives in the Smashan makes an appearance before him in a ritual involving a corpse. Those episodes struck awe and it had been quite difficult to get over those impressions for months on end.

The myths worked through my mind and seeded spiritual truths and realities, as intended by Robert Svoboda. This book effected so much of changes in me that I lost interest in life completely. My mentor forewarned me while suggesting me the book, though he was too willing to because he wanted me to become spiritual.

My mentor said, "If you read the Aghora series, you will lose interest in earning money!" It happened that way. I did not take my mentor seriously, though I knew he knew what kind of inputs I would like or want. Being a Brahmin, my mentor never discriminated and respected all forms of worship. He also introduced me to Don Juan's Teachings by Carlos Castaneda, a book similar in style but explores native Indian mysticism in the Americas. This is another gripping book that tears pierces and tears you to shreds, which I will write about.

Robert Svoboda, Vimalananda and the Aghora series pounded into the very core of my being that I developed so much detachment with life. This led me to my own spiritual practices and experiences, which I have written about in this book and in another version

I did not attribute or mention Robert Svoboda, Vimalananda and Aghora as the inspiration behind my book, because they are inspiration for my whole life and not the book. The book or the books had another source of inspiration, who guided me all along my minuscule spiritual experiences. Any lack of progress is solely mine, my reluctance. Providence, the Divine Mother or Kali effected spiritual changes in me, where Aghora does play a significant role. I do not also want to mention a book as inspiration for another, which actually is not the reality or truth. The Aghora series caused changes in my life and it is out of personally felt moral obligation that I mention this fact here.

No act or action is good or bad, right or wrong, though there is karma--a very natural mechanism, law or rule that causes events to happen in the world. We do not know if karma expresses personal self- awareness or performs duties consciously. It's a natural law which is the same as Newton's Third Law of Motion.

There is no concept of sin that the sin bearing acts are not earmarked. Karma is caused by impact and affliction. If you or your actions bear an effect or impact on the world, that action is a karma whose consequence or result you will have to face, bear or endure. This is what Indian traditions had to say through the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas (Mythology), Bhakti (Devotion) and Jnana (Wisdom or Knowledge).

This blog is about the books that can be bought and read. So, I do recommend this book for an absolute, compulsive reading. I am not sure if all the readers will like the book but since reading, there has been no other books like the Aghora series or the Don Juan's Teachings.

I would go with 5/5 for all the three books. I am not being generous. I just do not find anything limiting. Enjoy this book! A gripping read! Cheers!

Free Days on Amazon KDP Select Profit or Loss?

There can't be a Yes or No answer for this question. Some benefit from it and some do not. However, the five free day promotions can be neither said to be beneficial nor utterly useless.

I bled over the free downloads for my book version 2, wondering if I also had to pay for the delivery costs. (Someone please let me know on this one!).

Let's do some simple arithmetic. I had about 120 downloads! Yes, that's quite poor for a free download :) I know! However, I have taken the esoteric spiritual route. It's kind of supernatural with philosophy as Hinduism usually is. What surprised me was that about 75% of the downloads were from the US, followed by the UK and Germany.

Meanwhile, a sale happened for the book version 1, from somewhere outside of the US, through the amazon.com marketplace. I guess that paid for it, if I had to pay for the delivery costs! I priced the book at $2.99 then.
So, 120 x $2.99 = $358.8
In Indian Rupees, this is:
$358.8 x 66 = Rs. 23680.8

A newbie software engineer gets paid this figure each month. In India, any man in a decent job gets paid this figure every month. For frugal writers like me (or us), I can live a month, a couple of months or three to four months, with this money. Or I could have paid 7 months of my very small personal loan EMI.

Not that, this should matter but I am just showing what the size of this money means to me or even to us, writers. 120:1 was the conversion, which could also have come from some other source.

However, being extremely optimistic, I would not think that I lost anything. Though it feels like a trade secret, I will reveal something.

Free is no loss at all

Sometimes, we price our books at $0.99. So, the loss, when priced at $2.99 doesn't actually exist. What if we calculate the loss with the same book at 99c?
I wasn't comfortable with the 35% royalty option at such a low price. So, I took to the 70% option again along with enrolling in KDP Select. This is important.

Gear Up for KU/KENP

I consider Kindle Unlimited (KU) or KENP (Kindle Edition Normalized Pages Read) as important. I had once had 639 pages read on a single day for my standalone book. I also learned that this would not repeat. However, this encouraged me to make my other version of the same book available for KDP Select, KU and KENP.

So, in the next few days, I would expect KU/KENP page reads or pages read than sales. I would not be too hard and fast toward sales. I would be happy with my book being read and paid in return.

Similarly, I took the five day free promotion option to keep some activity going. This is what you do, when you are going flat out. You need some goodwill, reputation and your name or book should be known at least to a few.

Sell Future Books through Free Downloads

The second version actually had 120 downloads because of the first version, which accounted for a free download of only 50. I think the same readers who downloaded the first version did download the second version, as I have seen that those who paid and purchased one version bought the second version as well. Both the versions show up against each other at "The Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought".

I also understand the readers, what they want, etc. I would say most writers are still learning the formatting for eBooks or for Amazon. I am one! I missed sales because I did not set preview pages though Amazon warned me about it more than twice.

Learn the E-Format

From the conventional Preface, Foreword, etc. we are jumping straight into the narrative or the meat of the writing, right from the first word! We do not want to miss readers. Do we? That's what the devices and the formats support! This is why my second version turned out to be a better read than my first version, though there are miles to go still. I am going for two other books and hope to publish them this week!

Love Yourself

All said and done, I do this because I love it. It's so much fun! Pays for your passions too! I love it! Just within a couple of days after your first book or even less, you learn how you must write your second one! The learning goes on infinitely. Marketing your books is also fun! Don't try to push the sale immediately over the roof! Just keep taking marketing efforts, as though you are just browsing to pass time!

For me, the free promotion is the best tool to feel good about yourself, to test yourself or to learn a trick or two! This can go a long way in taking yourself forward! Kindle Countdown Promotion Deal would be great, if it were open to all marketplaces than only the US and the UK! I love this digital eBook, Kindle book, selling experience. And the writing? That's the best thing! Get paid for what you do! No matter how little, remember, you are getting paid for doing what you love!

I would think I would just be very optimistic to go free or reduce price, etc. just to get my book out there and to build from there. I also remember that I am building from scratch! So, every effort does help! At least, about 1000 people know me from all over the world! This is really a great thing to happen! So, just be happy about it and never worry about things! Do not think about what you are losing! Let karma bring back your share that you lost through your free downloads!

So, please share your thoughts too! What are your thoughts on the five day free promotions on Amazon Kindle KDP Select? Is the Amazon KDP Select free promotion profit or loss?

Love yourself!
See you (in the comments)
DK

About My Book: How To See God

Note: Like I am posting here, you can post about your book for free on this blog. One of my blogs has had 50000 plus hits from all over the world. You name the country, I have seen hits from that country. So, there is a good chance that your book might catch a few eyeballs, you might make a few sales and find space for the keywords relevant to your book! You will neither pay me anything before posting nor after sales happen to you! It's totally free of cost! Just mail me information about your book! I will post here! Advertise your books, eBooks and Kindle books for free! Let's get started!

Now About My Book "How To See God"

My book was written out of a result of a guidance by Providence. She (I call Providence She) kept on thwarting all my other efforts, as I had been losing focus on what I must be doing. Providence guides you to what you must be doing while stripping you off of unnecessary qualities and attributes you have acquired over the years!

This can make you pathetic and penniless for a period of time but you will be helped by Providence Herself! If you have a good intellect, intelligence, ability to infer, understand and if you are in perfect sanity, your penniless state is not really bothersome. You can reverse it anytime but you have missed out on some important learning!

Whenever you are penniless, remember that there is something that you need to learn which Providence is guiding you towards! She just wants you to learn and move forward in the direction She shows you! This is because you have run out of karmas and karmic exchanges in your current profession, career, jobs and colleagues.

She tells you that you haven't explored your true side yet. You have, so far, lived in illusions and self-conceived images of yourself which were not accurate. So, She wants you to learn who you really are and the purpose of your birth. This causes your spiritual epiphany, your spiritual transformation.

She may give you a severe blow--severe financial loss or loss of a loved one or a grave affliction to you or others around you. However, transformation can happen, even within daily events. It depends on how much Maya (illusion) you are into. The greater the Maya. greater the suffering you will undergo with which She will strip you of negative karmas.

Then, She will appear before you to tell you that what happened was just intended to transform you. She would not justify the same as such! She would give you the assurance that She had always been there. From there, you will begin to do Her job and work for Her out of love for Her and She will protect you, as you work for Her. She is all of nature, verily the all of creation, creation deified.

I have sacrificed my personality and personal ego to assume Her personality and work for Her Will while sacrificing my personal Will. You will realize this, when you see that you are doing what the world most needs to believe in or to do, at the moment. There is no hope or faith (in the general sense) toward oneself and towards Creation, as we are part of it. Maybe, Providence wants me to instill faith and hope in the minds of my readers through the profound philosophies, wisdom and understand of life and events (as to how and why they take place) that She has taught me. Hence, this book happened!

I do not fully figure out what She wants me to do through me. I understand what She wants me to do! However, I do not know the mission in full. Yet, I go forward doing Her job in the world against my smaller Will! That's what my book is about!

Here are links for the two versions of my book:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013Y5DSBA?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014MRCZTK?

Mail me info about your book to my email: bobdeni244@gmail.com and I will post about your book on this blog for free of cost! No cost before and afterward! Hope for good luck as you might hit a few eyeballs and customers! Cheers!

Hi Post Your Books for Free Here

Hi,

A lot of us writers have started writing books and eBooks for Amazon Kindle and other e-readers. Print or eBook, I have started this blog, so that anyone can post about his or her book for free. If given free, I will also read and write a review for your books. Let's see how we can work this out!

As trust builds, I can also act as a verified purchase for your book and review your book on the Amazon comment review section. For now, the author will be me! I will be posting on this blog, if you mail me info about your book, eBook or Kindle book. Smashwords and other books can also be posted here.

Do not post on the comment area, though that area can be used for questions and comments. Mail me and I will post the article free of cost on this blog. You may hit a few eyeballs and they may become your customers! I will link to your Amazon book sale page from here!

Mail me info about your books to this address: bobdeni244@gmail.com

I will surely read about your books and post on this blog. Entries welcome! I will be waiting for you! All posts are for free of cost!