Muni

This fascinating novel illustrates how the law of karma operates as well as the power and efficacy of meditation. It is a pen-portrait of Sri Lankan society with its colourful customs and practices. When Muni gets into a trance and recognises people and places he knew in his previous life we have evidence of rebirth.

This fascinating novel illustrates how the law of karma operates as well as the power and efficacy of meditation. It is a pen-portrait of Sri Lankan society with its colourful customs and practices. When Muni gets into a trance and recognises people and places he knew in his previous life we have evidence of rebirth. Precocious Muni, who is given to Meditation, talks and behaves like a learned and saintly sage of ancient times. When he is interviewed by a journalist, Muni asks us not to be fooled by the external appearances of the so-called races, for if people only look within themselves they will find that all human beings are essentially the same. Muni gets into a trance and recognises the house where he had lived in his previous life. There is a happy reunion with the owner of the house, who had been Muni’s secretary in his last life. Several such instances bear testimony to Rebirth. When Ramya, Muni’s jealous sister, hires two men to kill Muni, both attempts on his life are unsuccessful, and the assassins end up having fatal accidents. The vivid descriptions of these events illustrate how Karma operates. In the novel there are other examples of the functioning of this law of cause and effect. Ramya discovers the root cause of her hatred of Muni. She realises that in their previous lives she had been passionately in love with Muni but he had turned her down. The bitterness of having been a spurned lover in the last life is a trait she had carried over to her present one. Ramya repents and Muni forgives. Under Muni’s favourite mango tree there is a reconciliation between brother and sister.

About the Author Dr Susunaga Weeraperuma is a prolific author whose writings are mostly about philosophy, religion and pacifism. His 4 collections of short stories are replete with psychological insights. They are titled The Holy Guru, The Stranger and Other Stories, Mysterious Stories of Sri Lanka and The Homeless Life. The 7 books on Krishnamurti that he wrote include 3 commentaries on Krishanmurti’s teachings and 2 extensive bibliographies. His celebrated book of reminiscences titled J.Krishnamurti as I Knew Him has been translated into several languages. Weeraperuma’s Major Religions of India is a fascinating introduction to the four great religions that originated in India: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. The author’s Memoirs of an Oriental Philosopher is much more than a mere book of autobiographical essays of a spiritual seeker. It also consists of thought-provoking and at times hilarious episodes in his life in different countries. Although he was born in Sri Lanka, Weeraperuma has been spending the major part of his life in England, Australia, Switzerland and France. After taking a Master’s degree in Economics and Political Science at London University, he qualified as a Librarian and thereafter became a senior member of staff in the London-based British Library and the South Australian Parliamentary Library in Adelaide. It is interesting that this bibliophile, who is a Doctor of Letters, enjoys doing a lot of manual work such as weeding and watering plants. The teachings of the Buddha, Krishnamurti, Ramana Maharshi, Mahatma Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy and Rabindranath Tagore have all exerted a strong influence on him. Weeraperuma’s works testify to his profound understanding of Indian philosophy, Vedanta and Buddhism. English literature is his great passion. He likes living and working in the rural quietness of the French medieval village called Les Arcs-sur-Argens where his time is devoted to Hatha Yoga, Meditation, Writing and Organic gardening. His website is: www.weeraperuma.com