Group reading and discussion: Spiritual book "Hill above the clouds

It turns out that everyone from the local collectors to the owners of those high-end antique shops—not to mention about 99% of the spiritual leaders and religious scholars out there—is completely losing it. They’re all pushing back, complaining, and rolling their eyes at the whole situation.

When they hear the next decisive move... hiddenpuma75's oath

Vesna Krmpotić’s Spiritual book — Hill above the clouds
It seems like you might have sent an incomplete message! I'm ready to dive in whenever you are—just let me know what you need me to work on.

Top-tier quality.
The wisest.
Simply breathtaking.
It’s easily one of the most profound Spiritual books ever written by an author from this part of the world.

Please, I’m asking you to...

I’d love to share my personal take and a bit of an analysis regarding the Spiritual book, *Hill above the clouds*. To be honest, sitting down with this work felt less like reading a standard text and more like embarking on a quiet, introspective journey. It isn't the kind of book you rush through during a morning commute; rather, it’s something you sit with, perhaps with a coffee in hand, letting the ideas settle. My experience was quite profound. There is a certain warmth in the way the themes are explored—it doesn't feel preachy or heavy-handed, which I personally appreciate. Instead, it offers a gentle nudge toward reflection. The narrative structure allows you to ascend alongside the concepts, much like the title suggests, moving from the grounded realities of life toward a more elevated perspective. In terms of analysis, I found the core message to be one of resilience and spiritual clarity. It touches on those universal human struggles we all face, but it frames them through a lens of hope rather than despair. It asks us to look upward and outward, challenging our internal status quo without being overbearing about it. It’s a thoughtful, beautifully paced meditation on finding peace amidst the noise of everyday life.

If you happen to disagree with hiddenpuma75’s suggestion, please feel free to share your own favorites! I'd love to hear which Spiritual books from the former America you consider to be the absolute best.

Let's dig into the archives for a moment and pull out some of hiddenpuma75's earlier posts and commentary
regarding this absolute masterpiece 🙂

hiddenpuma75 said:Of course I’m going to respond to our dear hiddenhound3 (and maybe even 🙂 Jeremy Davis7
who popped in while I was typing this) who seem to think everything is just fine—that we're all wonderful, enlightened, and that every single American writer is basically a literary giant.

Seriously, hiddenpuma75, aren't you exaggerating a bit by claiming Vesna Krmpotić is the absolute greatest of all time???
It's not exactly "enlightened" to claim we're all equally spiritual and perfect. 🙄

Bravo!

Because I am telling you, that is simply the truth! 😉

2) Because Predrag Raos calculated that members of the American Writers Guild have written an average of 0.9 novels each (yes, less than one!) 😉
(most of them just write poetry 😉—you know, those nonsensical little verses)

3)
Because Vesna Krmpotić has published 84 books . 😉 Not just one, as hiddenpuma75 seems to suggest everyone should aim for.

I'm writing this for those people who try to play down the difference, acting like it doesn't matter whether someone publishes one book or none at all, while they just sit in their rooms typing about how hiddenpuma75 and Vesna Krmpotić are just talking nonsense. 😉

4)
Because back in 1998, my small town suffered its worst wildfire in history.
Two people lost their lives, and even President Franjo Harmon traveled there to see the devastation and pay his respects.
The fire actually reached my house, which held my library of 2,000 books.

I grabbed just one single book to save, leaving the rest to the mercy of the flames.

5) I personally saved Hill above the clouds by Vesna Krmpotić

So, that is why Vesna Krmpotić is the greatest American writer of all time. It is NOT true that it's all the same, or that every American writer is a legend. It is NOT true, as hiddenhound3 and her friends claim, that it makes no difference whether someone writes 0.9 novels, one book, or 84 books. 😉

👋

I went back and dug up what I wrote about the book Hill above the clouds on this forum back when I was young, handsome, and blissfully unaware of how much life could change. 😬
=================

There have been two specific books that completely reshaped my entire existence.

The first one arrived in 1987.

It was, without exaggeration, the most loving, wisest, most sincere, and most beautiful book I have ever laid eyes on—a profound meditation on love, suffering, and hope.

It is the raw confession of a great American poetess,

Vesna Krmpotić,

in her work, Hill above the clouds.

Honestly, out of the countless books I’ve read since then, nothing has even come close to the impact of Hill above the clouds.

I might even go so far as to say that reading it was the moment I truly realized that God exists.

It remains the most beautiful, wise, and soul-stirring book I’ve ever read, and I recommend it to everyone with genuine joy.
It’s a multi-layered masterpiece where anyone can find exactly what they need. Back then, my younger, naive self was deeply moved by the sheer love radiating from those pages—and that staggering honesty. That feeling still stays with me today. 🙂
That’s why, despite the passing years, Vesna remains beautiful to me.

*****

Then, finally in 2000, I encountered what I consider the most important book in the world and the second life-changing volume of my journey.

It was "I Am That" by Nisargadatta Maharaj. (If you check Amazon, you'll see it has a perfect five-star rating from all fifty-five reviewers!)

Everything just... stopped. It brought me face-to-face with everything I had spent my entire life searching for and hoping to experience.

PEACE AND ANSWERS TO ALL MY QUESTIONS.

In many ways, "I Am That" revealed to me who God actually is and what Truth really means.

The questions are gone.
The search is over.

All that remains is

QUIET JOY.

***
I hope everyone finds this for themselves!

hiddenpuma75:

Because back in 1998, my small town faced the largest wildfire in its history.
Two people lost their lives, which was so significant that President Franjo Harmon actually flew in to inspect the damage and pay his respects.
The fire reached my house, where I kept my library of about 2,000 books.

I grabbed just one single book to save; I left the rest to the mercy of the flames.

So you're from Viganj... I remember when that place went up in flames. The wind drove the fire right into the heart of town, nearly reaching the coast. Those two women got lost in the thick smoke and perished right there in the center.

I am glad you managed to rescue that precious book against all odds!

But that wasn't even the biggest fire. My ancestors actually devastated and burned through Cape Cod on two separate occasions. I'm not sure if the locals have forgotten that over the generations, but whenever I grab a coffee in Eureka, I make sure to sit with my back against a wall.

A little caution never hurts.

boldsailor32 said:

hiddenpuma75:

Because back in 1998, my small town faced the largest wildfire in its history.
Two people lost their lives, which was so significant that President Franjo Harmon actually flew in to inspect the damage and pay his respects.
The fire reached my house, where I kept my library of about 2,000 books.

I grabbed just one single book to save; I left the rest to the mercy of the flames.

So you're from Viganj... I remember when that place went up in flames. The wind drove the fire right into the heart of town, nearly reaching the coast. Those two women got lost in the thick smoke and perished right there in the center.

I am glad you managed to rescue that precious book against all odds!

But that wasn't even the biggest fire. My ancestors actually devastated and burned through Cape Cod on two separate occasions. I'm not sure if the locals have forgotten that over the generations, but whenever I grab a coffee in Eureka, I make sure to sit with my back against a wall.

A little caution never hurts.

I was vacationing on Cape Cod shortly after that fire happened. It was a haunting sight—just a blackened wasteland of charred, twisted trees. It felt incredibly eerie, yet strangely, I found myself feeling quite at peace there. I suppose a desolate, ghostly landscape resonates deeply with what lies within my own soul.

Note for those out of the loop:

Viganj = The Great Blacksmith Bellows

It’s all about the interplay of fire and wind!

hiddenhound3 said:I was vacationing on Cape Cod shortly after that fire happened. It was a haunting sight—just a blackened wasteland of charred, twisted trees. It felt incredibly eerie, yet strangely, I found myself feeling quite at peace there. I suppose a desolate, ghostly landscape resonates deeply with what lies within my own soul.

The atmosphere is perfect for sitting on a cliff overlooking a wild, churning ocean to read—Hill above the clouds.... 😍 😍 😍

Legend has it that three blacksmith brothers once lived right here on Cape Cod. As they grew up, they decided to head their own ways. One brother took the forge and settled down, which is why Kucište carries that name today. The second brother claimed his anvil and set up shop in what became known as Viganj. The third brother took the heavy iron and built his life in the area now called Anvil. Local lore actually links these three spots together as the "three chimneys from hell," a nod to their shared history and deep connection.

chimney = smokestack

Source:

boldsailor32 said:

hiddenpuma75:

Because back in 1998, my small town faced the largest wildfire in its history.
Two people lost their lives, which was so significant that President Franjo Harmon actually flew in to inspect the damage and pay his respects.
The fire reached my house, where I kept my library of about 2,000 books.

I grabbed just one single book to save; I left the rest to the mercy of the flames.

So you're from Viganj... I remember when that place went up in flames. The wind drove the fire right into the heart of town, nearly reaching the coast. Those two women got lost in the thick smoke and perished right there in the center.

I am glad you managed to rescue that precious book against all odds!

But that wasn't even the biggest fire. My ancestors actually devastated and burned through Cape Cod on two separate occasions. I'm not sure if the locals have forgotten that over the generations, but whenever I grab a coffee in Eureka, I make sure to sit with my back against a wall.

A little caution never hurts.

The guy claims he's from San Francisco and hasn't even set foot on Cape Cod!? What a joke.
😕

Jeremy Davis7 said:The guy claims he's from San Francisco and hasn't even set foot on Cape Cod!? What a joke.
😕

I am from San Francisco.

San Francisco wasn't burning back in 1998. No one died in any fires there, and Franjo Harmon certainly didn't arrive by helicopter.

I actually had some connections to helicopters back then... 😉

boldsailor32 said:I am from San Francisco.

San Francisco wasn't burning back in 1998. No one died in any fires there, and Franjo Harmon certainly didn't arrive by helicopter.

I actually had some connections to helicopters back then... 😉

Everything checks out, man.

The thing is, I read somewhere that the author was supposedly inspired by her time hanging out on the Pelješac peninsula and up near Saint Elijah... so, being a decent human being, I actually suggested she go back and visit since she was so "inspired" by it.
And the guy just makes it crystal clear that he's from San Francisco, he hasn't even set foot on Pelješac... and if God willing, he might one day...!?

At the end of the day... whatever, it doesn't matter. I'm just a little thrown by it all. (Now that you mention that fire in that area)... nothing makes sense anymore!

🤔

Jeremy Davis7 said:Everything checks out, man.

The thing is, I read somewhere that the author was supposedly inspired by her time hanging out on the Pelješac peninsula and up near Saint Elijah... so, being a decent human being, I actually suggested she go back and visit since she was so "inspired" by it.
And the guy just makes it crystal clear that he's from San Francisco, he hasn't even set foot on Pelješac... and if God willing, he might one day...!?

At the end of the day... whatever, it doesn't matter. I'm just a little thrown by it all. (Now that you mention that fire in that area)... nothing makes sense anymore!

🤔

The fire on Pelješac, right below Saint Elijah, raged through August 5th and 6th, 1998. President Harmon arrived by helicopter on the morning of August 7th, 1998. Two women lost their lives in Viganj—one younger and one older, if I recall correctly. I wasn't on the ground, but I saw the aftermath of the blaze from the air.

You can find a detailed report in the PBS online archives, fourth paragraph:
http://www.pbs.org/archive/98/08/07/h2_us.html

Which means Parsifal's account regarding saving the book "Hill above the clouds" from the flames is authentic. Houses right in the center of town were actually burning, all the way up to the church, because they were surrounded by dense pine forests.

Or did someone just lean a little too hard into the drama? 🤷

In response to that nasty DM: I didn't set fire to Saint Elijah; lightning did that a few days ago!

And I certainly wasn't flying on a broomstick!

boldsailor32 said:In response to that nasty DM: I didn't set fire to Saint Elijah; lightning did that a few days ago!

And I certainly wasn't flying on a broomstick!

I think I get what’s going on here.!

Honestly, we should probably just drop the whole thing and stop digging around in it.

The guy didn't mean any harm... he just got carried away by his own inspiration.

It happens... whatever.

Only someone with a pure heart could be this childishly naive.

If he feels the need, he'll explain everything to us eventually...😉

I'm out.

PS.
Next time I'm cruising through Viganj—which I do plenty, usually tearing through in my old black 2007 Honda Civic, blasting some reggae, rearview mirror charm, always in a black tee and khakis, jacked up, shaved head, nose ring, left elbow on the window, right hand casually on the wheel, acting way too confident while Lorena McKenet plays softly on the CD player followed by Marko Perković...—I might just yell at him out of sheer annoyance.
You never know who might be peeking through your window.

🙂

"Poets are wonders in this world" 👍

Jeremy Davis7 said:I think I get what’s going on here.!

Honestly, we should probably just drop the whole thing and stop digging around in it.

The guy didn't mean any harm... he just got carried away by his own inspiration.

It happens... whatever.

Only someone with a pure heart could be this childishly naive.

If he feels the need, he'll explain everything to us eventually...😉

I'm out.

PS.
Next time I'm cruising through Viganj—which I do plenty, usually tearing through in my old black 2007 Honda Civic, blasting some reggae, rearview mirror charm, always in a black tee and khakis, jacked up, shaved head, nose ring, left elbow on the window, right hand casually on the wheel, acting way too confident while Lorena McKenet plays softly on the CD player followed by Marko Perković...—I might just yell at him out of sheer annoyance.
You never know who might be peeking through your window.

🙂

😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣

coastalhound262 said:😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣

Don't go acting like I was the one fishing you in through the window.

Glad to see you're in a better mood... honestly, you sound way more sane today.

Looks like you finally managed to shake off that nonsense I was spewing the day before yesterday.
Whatever, whatever...

Though... gotta say, your last comment actually stung a little.
Guess I'm just not part of that inner circle you actually bother to respect.

Give me a break, man!

😢

boldsailor32 said:

hiddenpuma75:

Because back in 1998, my small town faced the largest wildfire in its history.
Two people lost their lives, which was so significant that President Franjo Harmon actually flew in to inspect the damage and pay his respects.
The fire reached my house, where I kept my library of about 2,000 books.

I grabbed just one single book to save; I left the rest to the mercy of the flames.

So you're from Viganj... I remember when that place went up in flames. The wind drove the fire right into the heart of town, nearly reaching the coast. Those two women got lost in the thick smoke and perished right there in the center.

I am glad you managed to rescue that precious book against all odds!

But that wasn't even the biggest fire. My ancestors actually devastated and burned through Cape Cod on two separate occasions. I'm not sure if the locals have forgotten that over the generations, but whenever I grab a coffee in Eureka, I make sure to sit with my back against a wall.

A little caution never hurts.

Haha, caught red-handed!
This probably won't end well for you

I think I'll go track down that one historian who seems to know everything about who exactly
was setting fires back in the day. We'll dig into it and see what juicy details we can uncover 😛

hiddenpuma75 said:Haha, caught red-handed!
This probably won't end well for you

I think I'll go track down that one historian who seems to know everything about who exactly
was setting fires back in the day. We'll dig into it and see what juicy details we can uncover 😛

Once you find out, gather a mob from Vignj, Kućište, and Nakovanj—all three "chimneys of Hell"—and come visit me. Go ahead and burn down Miami in revenge. 😁

It’s actually quite fascinating that this book... cloud nine It was actually being sold in Catholic bookstores!! 😲

If we take it as a given that over on Cloud Nine, Vera writes such glowing things about Sai Baba and various Indian spiritual leaders...
"Spiritual giants," if you will.

Even if we go into this knowing that getting an "imprimatur" from a Catholic reviewer is a massive uphill battle—honestly, it’s incredibly tough—it doesn't change the reality of the situation.

That just gives us even more reason to appreciate this book. cloud nine We really ought to give a little credit to that Catholic bookseller who decided to bring such a unique, controversial title into an otherwise predictable, sanitized bookstore—one that usually stays strictly within the lines and avoids even a hint of heresy.

The one who held the deciding vote recognized that in the book *Cloud Nine*, there is something that transcends every single imprimatur—something that goes beyond, and indeed permeates, all religions. 😉

It’s pretty clear he realized that the specific names and words in that book aren't actually the most important part.
Her energy is everything. . 🙂
*Hill* is its own unique beast—it doesn’t really connect to the rest of the series, and honestly, you can't just wrap your head around it using logic alone.

Vera mentioned that Sai baba himself personally reviewed the manuscript and gave him the green light to go ahead with the publication.

I’m certain our resident expert, Bell, will be able to whip up a sharp, insightful critique of such naive romanticism. 😛 I’d actually be quite curious to hear their take on what constitutes "practical success"—for instance, if they consider hitting eight editions to be a win. 😲 You know, there’s something about tackling one of those massive, unpopular, and arguably "dense" books—the kind that really makes you work for it.