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Books

Swami Rama wrote several dozen books, each written from the highest perspective of direct experience. These teachings describe the profound practices of the Himalayan tradition in straightforward language that is quite accessible to the modern student.

Many of Swami Rama's books are available through a wide variety of bookstores and online sources, although some of the titles are now out of print. These out-of-print titles and previous editions of current titles are sometimes available through the used book vendors that operate online. Unfortunately, most of the 50-100 hours of video tapes are also no longer available.

Although Swami Rama's first books were published in India, most have been published through the USA Himalayan Institute Press. After leaving the Himalayan Institute of USA in 1993, Swami Rama's final two books (Sacred Journey and Sadhana) were published through the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust in India.

Direct links to these publishers are here:
Himalayan Institute Press
Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust
Lotus Press (USA distributor of the books published by the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust)

While all of these books may be valuable, the reader who is intent on accuracy should be aware of two things that have happened to varying degrees with these publishers:

• First, some of Swami Rama's books have been revised since he left the body in 1996, allowing them to be republished as new releases. This has included both changes in titles, as well as the body of the text itself. While some of the text changes are minor, others significantly alter the meaning. Many of the original Introductions or Prefaces that were authorized by Swami Rama have been deleted. In the book industry it is necessary to revise the text if the publisher wants to republish as a new release. Having a new release gives a fresh marketing visibility of the title within the industry.
• Second, after Swami Rama left the body, there have been several new books published that did not previously exist. These books were compiled, edited, or written by other people, after Swami Rama was gone.

These practices of posthumously revising the old books and publishing new books under his name continues today, nearly ten years after Swami Rama left the body. Those published by the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust openly state in the Foreword or Preface that the books have been compiled and edited in this way. Those published by the Himalayan Institute Publishers in USA do not so clearly reveal these rewritings.

Those wanting to insure accuracy might consider purchasing not only the currently published books, but also searching out copies either printed before 1996, or which have clearly been determined, by copyright dates or other means to have not been revised. In addition, the sincere aspirant might want to also inquire with these publishers about the availability of video and audio recordings, which are mostly unedited. Most of the video and audio recordings are no longer published, but the few which are are well worth experiencing.

The written and recorded teachings of Swami Rama are extremely useful, and will continue to serve the generations of seekers to come.

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