Cover illustrations by Don Bachardy; In this book Isherwood tells the story of his relationship with Swami Prabhavananda of the Ramakrishna Order from their first meeting to the death of the swami - and beyond. He writes of his introduction to the spiritual world; problems with his homosexuality; his attempt at leading a monastic life; the problems he had to face while writing his large Ramakrishna biography; of Ramakrishna and His Disciples and his renunciation of any kind of spiritual teachership. The book is in large part based on extracts from his diaries and is well-written and entertaining. In part the ironic and intellectual Englishman takes over but by and large the book is soaked in a fitting and rather beautiful humbleness. A good read that also paints portraits of fellow seekers like Aldous Huxley and Gerald Heard.