Sai Rapture ~ The Ecstatic Journey of a Modern Day Gopi highlights the spiritual journey of the author, Sonya Ki Tomlinson. A poet and artist by nature, Sonya Ki's poetic writing style and her great love for Sathya Sai Baba permeate every page of this book. Sonya Ki first found Sai Baba in 1990 and has traveled to India eleven times to pay homage to him as her Sat Guru and to bask in His Radiant Presence. Beginning with the birth of her daughter, she has had many breathtaking experiences, leelas, dreams, and divine contacts with Sathya Sai Baba. Her personal experiences are supplemented by well-selected, enlightening quotations from Sai Baba's discourses. Adding to the brilliance of her own experiences, Sonya Ki sought out a number of her Sai friends and a few stellar dignitaries and former students of Sai Baba whom she diligently interviewed for this book. These include Mr. R. Padmanaban, Sai Baba's past photographer, Father Charles Ogada of Nigeria, Dr. Gnana Bhaskar Tenali, a former student of Sathya Sai University, and Gloria Blake, a nurse at the General Hospital in Puttaparthi... to name just a few. The stories of these individuals are thrilling and spiritually uplifting. Ms. Tomlinson's 'God-intoxicated' ecstatic poems surely add to the sheer enjoyment of this book. With the hand of a true artist, Sonya Ki has masterfully woven all of these myriad parts into a beautiful tapestry of reading pleasure. Clearly, this book was written under the Grace and Inspiration of the Master Author Himself - Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba! Those who read this book will receive great spiritual inspiration and may even feel the blessings of her Swamiji.
Excerpt
The Awakening Flower
ASTRAL FLIGHTS
My dance with God officially began in my early twenties. The birth of my daughter heralded my true initiation into the life of a seeker of knowledge and the journey to God. Disillusioned with the hypocrisy of conventional Christianity, I had abandoned the church and its religious practices. I was like a boat without a rudder, drifting aimlessly in a sea of intellectual agnosticism. What happened in the delivery room was so life-changing and self-altering that I must attempt to describe the circumstances in detail.
I was forced to go into the hospital a week or so before term. It seemed my water had broken and I sat amid the wailing, blood curdling screams of women in labor; my immature 22-year-old mind shuddered in fear of what was in store for me. At some point, the physician administered an IV of oxytocin to induce labor. He made me promise that I would not shout or scream. As the medicine was quick working, my contractions started with a vengeance, very close together, indescribably painful. At one point I remember telling the doctor that I had to leave. He asked me where I thought I was going, my legs were strapped down and my arms too. But I just kept insisting that I had to go. I was wheeled into the delivery room; a few doctors surrounded me asking seemingly simple questions about my telephone number and address.
They seemed to be discussing the possibility of forceps delivery. Then quite unexpectedly, as if all the drama and noise of a television program going full blast was suddenly switched off, I found myself clearly out of my body standing across the hospital room watching my body give birth. I thought to myself, “What am I doing over here?”
The absolute serenity, tranquility and above all painlessness I felt in that surreal moment was incomparable. After a while, I felt myself whirling back into my body and all the lights, camera and action that goes with physical existence flooded my consciousness. I made a special note in my mind to remember this experience for it was a crucial turning point in my life. I realized that I was much more than this physical body. There was a dimension to my existence that transcended the boundaries of the five senses and the earthly material plane.
Professional Reviews
Blissful reading
Sonya Ki, the author, makes her description so vivid that I experienced what she described in a very special way. While giving birth to her daughter, she described an out of body experience that was very enlightening to me. The book is enriched with personal interviews with Sai Baba and stories of His miracles. The book also includes stories of other Sai Baba devotees which makes it very interesting. Sonya Ki describes her journey with such a deep understanding and appreciation of Indian culture and mythology, I felt as though I, myself, were having the experience. Her blissful description of her dreams and miracles with the Avatar have personally enriched my faith in Him. The beautifully written poems about Sai Baba have deeply touched my soul. May God bless Sonya Ki for writing this marvelous spiritual book.
Pure love and devotion on every page
When reading this story of true love and devotion for Sri Sathya Sai Baba, I couldn't wait until my reading time each night to continue. It is a most fascinating story of many years of living, growing and loving the Lord. I was captivated and inspired with the story of how one life has been forever changed and blessed by the personal interaction with Sai. I have gifted the book to many of my friends, knowing they will surely enjoy it too. I did not want this book to end and look forward to reading another from this same writer.
Ecstacy!
This is a heartfelt "page-turner" that I could not put down. The Divine Love for and from Sathya Sai Baba is palpable in these pages, and the author's experiences, trials and transformation are lovingly expressed. A beautiful work that will not disappoint.
Because we have an opportunity to choose our attitude and focus our intentions in the present moment, the world and our own personal lives are a reflection of our thoughts. It is our 360 degree review on how we think. Put simply, our job is to fully
