If Truth Be Told

Title: IF TRUTH BE TOLD: A MONK’S MEMOIR
Author: Om Swami
Publisher: Black Lotus
Pages: 264
Genre: Spirituality/Memoir

If Truth Be Told: A Monk’s Memoir is an honest and straightforward account of Om Swami’s life, one of the foremost spiritual leaders of India. Summary of the Book If Truth be Told is an extraordinary memoir of the making of a spiritual life in today’s demanding, competitive, and baffling times. The book unravels the life story of Om Swami and his journey to becoming a monk. As an 18-year-old young boy, Om Swami headed to Australia to realize his worldly dreams and aspirations. He struggled to make his ends meet but two years down the line he was a multimillionaire earning $250,000 a year. He always had a burning desire to explore his spirituality. As an 8-year-old he saw a vision of God in a dream which transformed his life forever. This triggered off his desire to meet God and he practiced astrology, meditation and tantra in his pursuit to know God. Yet God was nowhere in sight, deeply frustrated he plunged into the worldly affairs to distract himself from the restlessness and commotion within. After spending several years in Australia he moved to India and led his life in solitude in the Himalayas. He battled death as he starved, faced the wrath of nature and wild animals. But finally his sadhana brought him to the ultimate realization – I am what I have been seeking, which became the basis of all his teachings. This astounding memoir is a must-read for those interested in the life and teachings of Om Swami.

Om Swami is an India monk who lives in a remote place in the Himalayan foothills. He holds an MBA degree from University of Technology, Sydney and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Computing from University of Western Sydney. He founded a profitable software company with offices in San Francisco, New York, Toronto, London, Sydney and India.

My Review

If Truth Be Told was a very interesting book about Om Swami's journey from a multimillionaire to a monk. I found it interesting how he had all the money a person could want and yet found true fulfillment not in his money, but in his calling as a monk. I found the journey very interesting and I really liked how the author included aspects of childhood and not just adulthood in the book. Overall, I found the book to be rather inspirational and I would recommend it to anyone who feels like they are missing something in their life.