Finishing Shantaram

As I finally turned the last pages of this epic offering of modern literature, I cannot help but recommend the gift to all walks of life. It would be easy to write the book off as a fantastically violent, over-dramatized collection of thoughts. But, I must say, linking into the pure, unfiltered energy of this offering, that all stories, as far-fetched as they seem, all took place in this man's world. David Gregory Robert's ability to create imagery with his words lock the reader into a state of complete submersion. With each passing sentence, I witnessed myself sinking further into this man's world. Deeply in love, repaying the karma of his past, Shantaram experiences the depths of the Actual Dark and So-Called Dark worlds. His profound awareness in each breath point me to cower in the sharing of my visits in the sphere of the globe. It is evident that this man was placed on this earth to tell his story, a story that has made shaped my mind as I walk the streets of South Mumbai. I now see the slum regions as the most intriguing places on the planet, knowing from my experience and his, that there is more love and interconnectedness in the very few torn down acres of poverty then exists in all the material wealth in the planet.

This book drove me to tears, to sexual desire, to deeply heart felt compassion, to hatred, to empathy, apathy, terror, fear, longing, and most of all to LOVE, of everything in this planet. At this point in my life I do not foresee such a deep seated karmic battle in my journey for freedom, but I can relate to the struggles and unbelievable happenings of this life. May it be a past life that I was in a similar situation or may it be that this man's actual experiences are the experiences that we, as a collective consciousness, experience in some way, shape or form, everyday of our lives. I believe this is a book that can shape a generation, if seen through the eyes of consciousness and not as another violent channel of human torture. I must say I am grateful to have such a gift of human struggle open the eyes of our nation, world and universe. God Bless Shantaram!!!