On The Way by Vanisha Uppal – Book Review

I sat on the high stone and watched the Ganga carefully and said, “Mother, please don’t take a long time. Send me the gift now.”

And the mother sends a gift to the author that she has ‘demanded’ from her mother with an authority ‘that a child has on their parent’s property’. 

There are many occasions discussed in the book when a reader will have to admit that miracles and ‘wonders’ are no longer a far-fetched concept in human life. We can all witness the deeds of god or godly acts if we are open to it. The book by Vanisha Uppal, On The Way, is about realisation. And this is realising one’s own existence and also the thing that life cannot be controlled. All we can do is control ourselves and let things around us unfold on their own. 

Vanisha has also dedicated a chapter in her book to Kriya Yoga and one to meditation. She has also dedicated her book to her Guru, Per H. Wibe, the person who introduced her to Kriya Yoga and helped her realise that she can continue the daily chores in her life and practise at the same time. Vanisha also writes that meditation and the usual life can go side by side if one has mastered the art. 

On The Way is a simple book of ideas, opinions, observations, independence from external elements in life, goals, focus and eventual realisation… the author shares episodes in her life and tries to relate the same to the bigger picture. How can a small event teach us bigger lessons in life? How can a day with grandparents shape our future perception of things? How can a tough phase in life make us more aware and realise?  

Life is about the journey and this journey could be beautiful and enjoyable if we are not rushing. 

In a nutshell, this is what the author wants to suggest through this book. We can understand life only if we are not in a hurry to complain about every next thing that happens. How the author has changed herself passing through various phases in life is an exemplary show for everyone to witness and apply the same ‘rules’ and observe the same responses… in order to feel the change within themselves. 

Simple language and very simple analogies make the book very easy to understand. The author has not tried to take a moral or ethical or intellectual high ground in the book. On The Way is everyone’s journey and Vanisha has shared her observations with other co-travellers. You can enjoy it, learn from it and appreciate it if you like the same. 

On the note of spirituality and religious undertones to the book, this is natural. We cannot perceive human life without divine intervention. Logic, rationale and science have limited connotations when we raise questions of philosophy. Spirituality, as I could gather from this book, is the curiosity of spirit… And there is too curious a spirit in this book in the form of a narrator and you will surely submerge your curiosity with the author’s if you also want answers to the same questions. 

You can get a copy of this book from Amazon India and read it today! Click the link below: 

Buy the book now – click here to get a copy 

Review by Parakashtha for The Last Critic