The Ashram is a book with lessons to teach us if we have the courage to study them. The lessons are for those of us who would put their spirituality in just another compartment of their daily lives, for those who would profit from the spiritual needs of others, and most of all, for those of us who would exclude the material world and service to others to pursue mountain-top spirituality.

The story is that of Michael (Mukundra), a young man who encounters an Indian sage as a young boy and has uncommon spiritual gifts. He is in line to succeed Gurudeva, the spiritual leader of an ashram in California. Gurudeva, a gifted leader with astounding spiritual powers, leaves much of the daily running of the ashram to his main followers. We realize early in the story that things at the Ashram are not wrong, but they are not right either. There are fancy cars for the Guru, specially prepared lunches for the Guru, very comfortable lives for the inhabitants, and significant tension beneath the serene surface of this spiritual haven. We meet Markandeya, a businessman clothed in spiritual robes, with big plans for videos, and retreats, and development of the 80 acres recently purchased by the ashram. We meet Madalassa, a middle-aged control freak, who would love for the ashram and all of its inhabitants to seek pure spirituality. Madalassa (in whom I see some of myself as I am sure will many other 50-something women) is quite good at manipulating the lives and affairs of others in the ashram. We meet Gita, childhood acquaintance of Mukunda, and newly seeking a spiritual life. The undercurrent of love developing between Gita and Mukunda adds interest to the story. There are many other very human characters who inhabit this spiritual place as well.

Mukunda, whose lifelong dream has been to enter the ashram as a resident, seeks true spirituality and is not finding it living in the ashram. He only finds his spirituality when he ventures into some unusual, unexpected, and dangerous places both in the world without and the world within himself.
This is not a perfect story. It is a wonderfully human story about the spiritual side of life. Do not read it if you are not ready to confront yourself and your own spiritual search. Be prepared to laugh, to cry, to be angry. Be prepared to find true spirituality not in an ashram isolated from the world, nor on a mountain-top while meditating. Br prepared to learn that in seeking spirituality you will not find it, but in being of service and doing, spirituality will find you. And, be prepared to enjoy a good story as well.

Back to top