Book excerpt: Since 1968, Swami Paramatmananda Puri Has Lived The Life Of A Renunciate In India, Moving There At The Age Of Nineteen. It Has Been His Good Fortune To Have Kept The Company Of Many Saints And Sages Over The Years, Culminating In His Meeting With His Guru, Mata Amritanandamayi, Amma, In 1979. As One Of Her Senior Disciples, He Was Eventually Asked To Return To The U.S. To Serve As Head Of The First Ashram In The West, And Did So From 1990 To 2001. Many Of The Residents And Visitors To The Center Have Shared That One Of The High Points In Programs Were Swami’s Talks. With Wit And Humor, He Has Synthesized East And West And Created A Forum For Spiritual Learning. Contents: Obstacles On The Path; Becoming The Absolute; Gaining Equilibrium; Free Will And Grace; The World Is A Dream; True Nature Of The Ego; Selflessness Or Selfishness; About Giving; Sadhana And Realization; Christ The Avatar. Published By The Disciples Of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Affectionately Known As Mother, Or Amma The Hugging Saint.