Penguin Books Ltd The Seeker [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2014] KARAN BAJAJ

I got kindle edition of the seeker and loved it from the start . I finished it in two days. I wish Author- Karan Bajaj writes sequel to it. In the sequel he could focus on whether Max is able to meet Brazilian doctor or not.

Wonderful book! Worth buying and reading. One of my favorites for sure!

Great read!

I received a review copy of the book. Actually, I begged him via his Facebook page to send me a review copy because it wasn't out on Amazon yet. He was kind enough to accept my request. Thank you. It's a privilege to be one of your first readers. I have been a big fan of Karan since his first book. I read his other two books when I was in college ('Jonny Gone Down' and 'Keep Off the Grass'). He is such a modest guy.The story is about a guy called Max (Maximus Pzoras). He travels from New York to India to find himself, to find out the 'true' meaning of life, to be one with the higher energy, to become enlightened.The story forces you to imagine the characters. I imagined Max with a blue and white jacket with a red backpack. He travels all the way up to the Himalayas to find a blogger who is rumored to have found enlightenment.Then, he goes to a remote village in South India to live in an ashram. It was hit by drought and he had to live on air (literally). He discovers a lot about himself, learned yoga asanas, meditation and the power of silence.He heads back to the Himalayas to live in a cave. He had frequent encounters with wild beers. By then he has already learned to communicate with animals, walk on water, read minds, etc..He comes down from the cave to an old shelter and starts helping tourists and travelers.The plots have been exceptionally written. You will come up with vivid imaginations. It's not one straight fiction. It's a message the author wants to convey to the world through this story.How can one find enlightenment? Is it by meditating and doing yoga or does it has to do with one's Karma or actions? What makes a human, super-human? Can anyone become a super-human?I have read a lot of books on enlightenment (mostly non-fiction) but this is perhaps the first and only fiction book available that talks about enlightenment.This book has changed my life.Karan has opened up a whole new chapter in my life with this book. I am not sure what you intentions were with this book, but you have changed one life. So kudos to that!After I had finished reading "The Seeker", I realized that I have always been an aspiring Yogi. I am the seeker. I started doing my research on MetaPhysics, the first branch of philosophy that talks about the conscience, the higher mind, or the being.Just yesterday, I enrolled myself for an online doctorate (Ph.D.) program with IMHS Metaphysical Institute, USA.It's a whole new chapter in my life. Thank you; Karan, for writing this book. Every one of us has been born to fulfill a particular purpose, to touch lives and you surely have done it with this book in an exceptional way.This book is written for all ages. Make your children read it. They need to learn why they were born, what they should expect from life. Elders should definitely read it. Life is not what we perceive. It's much more beautiful. Read this book. It will change your life.

A chance incident leaves Wall Street banker Maximus Pzoras shaken. After the incident, he starts to question himself about life, death and suffering – things that have bothered him for quite some time yet he never confronted them. But he finally decides to embark upon a journey to find these answers. His search leads him to different corners of India. From the freezing temperature of the Himalayas to the boiling hot weather of South India – he travels far and wide. But does our ‘Seeker’ finally find what he was truly looking for?I have to admit that I had read Johnny Gone Down when it had come out first and while I did enjoy it the, I really did not understand why people were going ga-ga over it. And, until recently I maintained that it was one of the over-hyped books. But then a friend of mine suggested that I should re-read it now when my tastes have evolved some and that I just might like it a bit more. I have been meaning to do so since last couple of months and that’s when The Seeker arrived! I started reading this book with an open mind… and yes! I have thoroughly enjoyed this one.Maximus is a brilliant protagonist to know about and to follow. While he takes time to warm up to the reader, he does become endearing by the end. The Wall Street banker that we see is not all that Maximus is and that is soon evident as he takes on his journey towards achieving enlightenment. The other character that leaves a mark on the reader is that of Ramakrishna. There are a number of characters aside from these two and are as well developed and vibrant as the two main characters. The plot of the book was well hatched and the narration is beautiful. From what I understand, some of the experiences are almost autobiographical as the author had been on one year spiritual sabbatical. He learnt Yoga, meditation and experienced living as a Buddhist Monk as well. It is no wonder that when he narrates Maximus’s journey, it is easy for a reader to feel like they are with Maximus at the moment – seeing what he sees and feeling what he feels. The language and the narration of the author was pure magic!Needless to say, apart from experiencing few hours of beautiful literature, this book also offers its readers certain lessons/opinions that can be utilized in every individual’s life. I am certainly going back and re-reading Johnny Gone Down again. And with The Seeker – I am one of those readers who is going ga-ga over the book. Go and pick up this book… SOON!

Note : I received a free copy for unbiased review.Get ready to re-discover yourselfI have read quite a few books on transformation as well as Life search to purpose. It might just be the calling or some kind of a higher power that Karan reached out to me to do this review. Initially I was skeptical based on the initial flow of the book.Once MAX reached India, this book just consumed me. It was questions that I was having and was trying to find answers to. The path and struggle that one has to go through to get to the ultimate meaning of life.All of us know that expectation and attachment always causes disappointment and the way Karan had handled this was outstanding.There were sections of the book when I was totally convinced that unless one has personally experienced the feelings it would be impossible to pen it down.Small incidents with People in India. “Guru Outsourced” or the need to share and help each other. These are truly aspects of Indians that is felt only when you move away from the cities.Was a wonderful experience reading this. Would like to thank Karan to have sent the same to me.

Seeker is a great book and the person writing it must be an evolved soul too. All those who think spirituality is a fashion should read it. This book even ironed out some of my views about spirituality too. Extraordinary depiction of characters and scenes keeps you glued in till the end.

This book engaged me at all levels, right from the philosophical texts to the engaging storyAnd I am going to read it twice/thrice, one read doesn't do enough justiceThe author has gone really deep into fundamental spiritual/philosophical contexts. One would understand them even without prior experience. And I enjoyed the story even without thinking much about philosophical concepts.I would suggest you have some patience with the initial few chapters, and then it gets very very exciting from there.To the author - Bhai, tumne kill kiya hai! Hats off. Masterpiece hai. Just ended up reading Max's Yoga of discontent and Johnny Gone Down in the last 7 days

As the blurb says, the journey begins in Himalayas, then moves down south and then again ends in Himalayas. As you read more about the journey, you would feel that you are curious to know more. You keep reading about it so frantically and when you reach the end, you suddenly realize that this is not a book but an experience.Yes, you read it right. This is not a mere book. It is an experience. This is not a cut-copy-paste job where you get quotes and cliche words. This book speaks about experiences, changes that happen,doubts that come up and the attachements that refuse to leave the seekers. The troubles, travails and temptations of the seekers were very well presented. A lot of experience and research have gone into writing the book and one has to appreciate Karan for fantabulous job he did.I am overwhelmed by the number of things that got covered in the book, yoga, penance, samyama, laws of karma,castigating oneself for the bad karma, attachment with the near and dear ones, the way this turns out to be a block, then the divine powers that come to the seekers and the importance of silence and service. At times I was asking myself “can anyone put more stuff into a book”?What did I like? Everything! the research, the simple English that was used, the style and most importantly the ending. I read, re-read and re-read the ending to make sure that I understood it correctly. The journey starts with man and the universe and they finally becomes one, an awesome way to drive home the concept of enlightenment. A very nice way to depict “Tatvam asi”.The way the author chose the plot and depicts the journey is just awesome. I also liked the way the author painted that vivid imagery. We experience the harsh winter of the Himalayas, the drought ridden summers down south and empathize with Max as he endures it all.Coming to the characters, again, I did not find a single character that was there with out a purpose. The author keeps the story centered around the protagonist and we rarely feel distracted.I rarely buy books that have come to me for a review. Coming to this one, I pre-ordered for two copies on Amazon. I think this speaks volumes about the amount of liking I have for this book. I do agree with the blurb on the book which says “The SEEKER is both a page turning adventure story and a journey of tremendous inner transformation, a SIDDHARTHA for our generation.”

The climax of the book is just unexpected. Well that's not how you would expect me to begin a review, but it's simply not what I had anticipated. In fact with the twists and turns I actually had no idea how the book will end. Had completely given up all my presumptions.I'll be honest, first few pages were a little boring for me. Perhaps, because the beginning is slow or maybe because I thought this packing your stuff and going away is a 'very guy' thing.Alright, the fact is I was jealous of Max, that he could just walk away from his corporate life towards a different life......However, I continued to read; I was curious to know how far does Max go in order to reach that state where he feels detached from the world yet one with every tiny bit of the universe. And boy what a journey that was! I enjoyed it :)Though one might say that the story is about a foreigner seeking salvation, satisfaction or happiness in the snow-clad mountains of India, I'd say it's story of 'us', well, most of us.The tale is about how far can one go to answer his/her real yearnings!!!Coming back to the story of Max, there were times when I felt, Max will (and should) go back to his boring world for which he had struggled so hard, instead of struggling so hard without even being sure of consequences. And I waited with bated breath to see, if he budges or continues with his expedition.With the story of Max, the author explores if it is difficult to just let go? If it is difficult to just leave everything you have struggled all your life to achieve? That too just in a moment? The comfort, the leisure and the convenience of slogging your a** and robotically keying the words and numbers on a computer screen.The narration is compelling and that's another factor that kept me engaged. It kept me hooked onto Max's journey and experiences and feelings and observations.Overall, I'd say that this book is a keeper; whenever you feel lost in the world you have created for yourself, flip through this soul stirring journey!Read it, if you haven't yet!!!For more book reviews: [...]

Plot:“So if there is birth, age, suffering, sorrow and death, then there must be something that is un-born, un-aging, un-ailing, sorrow-less and deathless, immortals as it were.”An encounter with his mother’s loss forces Maximus Pzoras, an investment banker, to think deeply into the true meanings of life and death. The story is starts with this incident which makes him curious about his actual purposes of life, the secrets behind life and death and the world of Enlightenment. To find the answers that are hidden, he starts his journey by looking for a mentor who could direct him towards the path of Enlightenment, Nirvana.His first near death experience at Himalayas, patience towards starvation, learning of Pranayam, Asanas, Meditation and Silence help him in conquering his answers up to a certain level. But still there remains something which keeps obstructing his path of reaching the end of Yoga. Throughout his expedition, he keeps struggling with the pull of his family back home and the luxuries that were associated with his life in New York. In his final quest for answers and desire for enlightenment after years of Meditation and Silence practice, he leaves for Himalayas again for the solitude he needed. Will he be able to achieve Nirvana or the path he is travelling is just a misconception? Read this spiritual thriller to find all the answers.My Opinion:The Seeker is not just a story; it’s a transformation of a human life into an enlightened being, Max into Mahadev, luxurious New York life into tough and harsh Himalayan days, a Harvard student into Ramakrishna’s student, an investment banker into a Yogi.Can a man walk on water?? Yes he didCan he see the future?? Yes he didCan he read minds?? Yes he did.The depth, Karan has shown in his writing can't be written by an immature. It surely is a result of years of personal experience, knowledge and understanding of Yoga. The beauty of his words didn't let my mind roam anywhere else while reading. Each chapter written was a cherry on the cake experience, more beautifully described than the previous one. The two lives of the protagonist, the one spent in New York, the one spent at Ramakrishna’s Ashram and in Himalayas seemed two extremes, exceptionally connected with a strong thread of determination and memories.read more at: http://manikhanna793.blogspot.in/2015/06/review-seeker.html

A book about journey of a man from US to "spiritual enlightenment" in India. I was a bit skeptic since I always thought Karan Bajaj is a Chetan Bhagat kind of writer and is now moving to a Robin Sharma kind. But no, he has a league of his own. The book is a bit heavy as compared to Keep off the Grass and Johnny Gone Down but keeps you interested throughout the spiritual journey. This book is about an experiential journey as compared to the narrative style of The Monk who Sold his Ferrari. The book starts slowly (read boring) but catches pace as soon as Max reaches India. His travel to Himalayas, Mumbai, Pavur (Ramakrishna ashram), Dehradun has been well captured in the book. All in All, a much better work by Bajaj as compared to his previous books. Read it and you will know why. Four stars since I found the first few chapters boring.