Eknath Easwaran facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eknath Easwaran
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| Born | December 17, 1910 |
| Died | October 26, 1999 (aged 88) |
| Nationality | India, United States |
| Known for | Spiritual teacher, author, translator and interpreter of spiritual literature, teacher of Passage Meditation |
Eknath Easwaran (born December 17, 1910, died October 26, 1999) was a special teacher and writer from India. He helped people understand old Indian spiritual books like the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads.
Easwaran used to be a professor of English in India. In 1959, he came to the United States. He taught classes on meditation at the University of California, Berkeley. These were some of the first classes in the country where you could get school credit for learning about meditation.
In 1961, Easwaran started the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation. He also created Nilgiri Press, which published over thirty books he wrote. Easwaran was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, whom he met when he was young. Easwaran created a way of meditating called Passage Meditation. This involves silently repeating inspiring words or phrases in your mind.
Contents
About Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran was born in 1910 in a village in Kerala, India. His grandmother helped raise him and taught him about spiritual things. He went to college and studied English and law. Later, he became the head of the English Department at the University of Nagpur in India. Easwaran was a vegetarian his whole life.
In 1959, he came to the United States to study at the University of California, Berkeley. Starting in 1960, he began teaching meditation classes. He met his wife, Christine, at one of these talks. Together, they started the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation in 1961.
In 1970, he founded a community called Ramagiri Ashram for his dedicated students. He also started Nilgiri Press to publish his books. His first book was Gandhi The Man. It told the story of Gandhi as a spiritual leader.
His Books and Teachings
Easwaran wrote many books and articles. He also gave many talks that were recorded as videos and audio.
Translations of Ancient Texts
Easwaran translated important ancient Indian books. These include the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the Dhammapada. Many people, including famous scholars, have praised his translations. They say he truly understood the deep meaning of these texts.
One scholar, Huston Smith, said that Easwaran was the most qualified person to translate these important books. This is because Easwaran didn't just translate them; he lived by their teachings. His translations have been very popular in the USA.
Books Explaining Spiritual Ideas
Easwaran wrote books that explain the meaning of these ancient texts for modern life.
- Essence of the Upanishads explains how an old story from the Katha Upanishad teaches about finding lasting happiness.
- In Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, Easwaran talks about how the Gita can help us solve problems and live in peace.
- Essence of the Dhammapada shares the teachings of the Buddha. It helps readers learn about spiritual effort and finding inner peace.
Books on Meditation
Easwaran wrote several books about his meditation method.
- His book Passage Meditation explains his Eight-Point Program for spiritual growth.
- Conquest of Mind goes deeper into how to use these practices every day.
- Mantram Handbook focuses on the "Mantram," which is a holy name or phrase you repeat silently.
- Strength in the Storm teaches how to use the Mantram to handle daily challenges.
- Take Your Time explores how to slow down and focus better in life.
Daily Wisdom and Reference Books
Easwaran also put together collections of inspiring writings.
- God Makes the Rivers to Flow is a collection of sacred poetry and prose from different cultures. It's meant to be used for meditation.
- Words to Live By offers daily readings with Easwaran's thoughts on how to apply them to your life.
The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living
This is a large, three-volume work where Easwaran explains the Bhagavad Gita verse by verse. It's like a guide for living a spiritual life.
- Volume 1 talks about how people can start to change themselves, even with busy lives.
- Volume 2 discusses how science and spiritual wisdom can connect. It also explains how understanding the unity of life can improve relationships.
- Volume 3 shows how our inner self connects to the whole world. It also talks about how we can help the environment and create peace.
Spiritual Biographies
Easwaran wrote books about the lives of other spiritual leaders.
- Gandhi the Man tells how Mohandas Gandhi became a great spiritual leader.
- Nonviolent Soldier of Islam is about Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. He was a Muslim leader who created a nonviolent army to help India gain independence. This book even inspired a movie!
Commentaries on Christian Writings
Easwaran also wrote about Christian spiritual texts.
- Original Goodness is about the Beatitudes from the Bible.
- Love Never Faileth comments on the writings of St Francis, St Paul, St Augustine, and Mother Teresa.
- Seeing with the Eyes of Love is about a famous Christian book called The Imitation of Christ.
Articles and Talks
Easwaran wrote many articles for newspapers like The Christian Science Monitor and The New York Times. He also wrote for spiritual magazines. Many of his recorded talks are available as videos and audio.
Eight-Point Program
Easwaran's program for spiritual growth has eight main parts. He explains them in his book Passage Meditation.
- Meditation: Silently repeating inspiring passages you've memorized. You do this for about half an hour each morning.
- The Mantram: Silently repeating a holy name or phrase.
- Slowing Down: Learning to set priorities to reduce stress and hurry.
- One-Pointed Attention: Giving your full focus to whatever you are doing right now.
- Training the Senses: Enjoying simple things to avoid wanting too much.
- Putting Others First: Being kind and helpful to others instead of focusing only on yourself.
- Spiritual Companionship: Practicing meditation with friends or a group.
- Reading the Mystics: Getting inspiration from the sacred writings of all religions.
Other Ways Easwaran Influenced People
Easwaran's teachings have inspired many people.
- His students, inspired by his ideas about caring for the environment, wrote a popular vegetarian cookbook called Laurel's Kitchen. It sold over a million copies!
- Easwaran's teachings are sometimes used in college courses. Health professionals also use them to help people manage themselves.
- His ideas have been included in collections of wisdom from different teachers.
- Many writers have quoted from Easwaran's translations and other books.
A psychiatrist named Aaron Beck even quoted from Easwaran's writings. Many people believe Easwaran had a big impact on the spiritual lives of others. The poet Robert Lax followed Easwaran's method of passage meditation.
A politician named Latha Mangipudi gave then-Senator Barack Obama a copy of Easwaran's book Gandhi the Man in 2006. Easwaran is known worldwide as an important writer and speaker on religion and spirituality.
Bibliography
Easwaran's books were first written in English. They have been translated into more than 20 other languages. These include Spanish, German, French, Japanese, and Chinese.
- The Bhagavad Gita (Translation and Introduction), 2007 (ISBN: 978-158638-019-9)
- The Dhammapada (Translation and Introduction), 2007 (ISBN: 978-1-58638-020-5)
- Upanishads (Translation and Introduction), 2007 (ISBN: 978-1-58638-021-2)
- Passage meditation – A complete spiritual practice, 2016 (ISBN: 978-1-58638-116-5)
- Conquest of Mind: Take charge of your thoughts & reshape your life through meditation, 2010 (ISBN: 9781586380472)
- The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living (Translation and Verse by Verse Commentary), three volumes (1975–1984, reissued 2020)
- Essence of the Upanishads: A Key to Indian Spirituality, 2009 (ISBN: 978-1-58638-036-6)
- God Makes the Rivers to Flow: An anthology of the world's sacred poetry & prose, 2009 (ISBN: 9781586380380)
- Gandhi the Man: How One Man Changed Himself to Change the World, 2011 (ISBN: 978-1586380557)
- Nonviolent Soldier of Islam: Badshah Khan, A Man to Match His Mountains (ISBN: 9781888314007)
- The Mantram Handbook (ISBN: 9781586380281)
Images for kids
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Eknath Easwaran teaching a meditation class at U.C. Berkeley in 1968.
See also
- Perennial philosophy
