by Nada Khader
In her recently released memoir, Nancy Niiti Gannon takes us to a world of monks and nuns and Tantric Guru, far away from the humdrum of our 9-to-5 lives in the West. She shares with us her extraordinary encounters with the founder of Prout (Progressive Utilization Theory), Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, who in his role as Spiritual Guide was known as Shrii Shrii Anandamurti.
Gannon was an idealistic young American who grew up in the 1960s and was seeking to fulfill a deeper purpose in her life. In her own words, she “had thought mostly in terms of social change. Now I believed changing myself was as important, and I had learned a mystical means for it” through her initiation into the spiritual practices of Ananda Marga.
Her memoirs take us to India as she shares with us her new disciplined life style as a yoga nun with a structured daily spiritual practice. She also takes us with her as she travels to Far East Asia to work in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia.
Perhaps the most precious moments in her book are the meetings with her Master, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, first as part of a crowd of people and then more intimately with her personal contact with Him. Gannon’s experiences remind us that if we find the courage to follow our heart, the intelligence and love of the universe will create possibilities for us to for fulfill our deepest longings in spite of the most difficult of circumstances.
The editorial team of Rising Sun highly recommends this book to our readership as we enter what promises to be a challenging new year.
Niiti Gaggon is the author of four neo-humanistic books for children: Annie the Ant, Manny the Mouse, The Wise Woman of the Mountain, The Magic Bucket, and Captain Grimy. Her books are available on Amazon.com.