This is one of the self-help books written by a spiritual yogi, who believes in creating once destiny. The book is intended to be a spiritual guide with practices for personal growth, and also a look at the author’s own spiritual journey. According to him, “Creating your own destiny does not mean you have to control every situation in the world. Creating your destiny is about steadily heading toward your well-being and your ultimate nature, no matter what the content of life is around you. It simply means making yourself in such a way that, whatever the events and situations around you, you don’t get crushed by them; you ride them.
Sadhguru says that, “If you have mastery over your physical body, 15-20% of your life and destiny will be in your hands. If you have mastery over your mind, 50-60% of your life and destiny will be in your hands. If you have mastery over your life energies, 100% of your life and destiny will be in your hands.” According to him, the physical body is made of accumulation and your mind is the accumulation of the accumulations on your psyche. He however does not explain about Karma and the impressions one has created in so many births , neither does he elaborate on sanchit karma or sum total of all the debits and credits of all lives of a Jeevatma and also about Prarabdha which are the debits and credits assigned for this life and the proactive karma which is kriyaman karma.
The book mentions Karma as a software and according to this book, there is no good karma and bad karma. He advocates “kriyaman Karma” where one has the ability to choose the response to a given situation ( even though predestined). I begged to differ on this aspect.
The book had many insights from the suggested Sadhana. I have already started practicing some of them which is the most beneficial part of the book. Yet as a spiritual seeker, unable to understand how, destiny can be mastered, something that Sadguru says with certainty in this book. Probably I may find path through the sadhana. The book is a good read, with many anecdotes, stories of Shankaran Pillai. Yet if I were to pick up a book for inner transformation after more than 2 decades it would still be “ Awaken the Giant Within ” by Tony Robbins, the acknowledged expert in the psychology of change and has given a step by step way to take charge and control of once r Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial wellbeing. If you can use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t life controls you.
Quintessential Indian 