John: old post reference/Eknath Easwaren

[Guest guest]

Jill,

 

I agree about Sri Easwaren's books! His style is very expansive and beautiful.

I teach advaita vedanta here in NYC, and use his translation of the Gita.

 

--Greg

 

At 09:15 AM 5/29/02 -0400, Jill Eggers wrote:

>Hi John,

>

>A week or two ago in a post you talked about paying full attention--you were

talking about driving, prefering not to have the radio on. (Was that you, or

another John?) Anyway, I meant to mention, this made me think of a book I think

you would like, _Take Your Time_, by Eknath Easwaren. It is about opening

awareness and attention in daily life. Sri Easwaren was the spiritual leader of

the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation in Tomales, California until his death

two years ago. He has written beautiful translations of the Gita and the major

Upanishads. The publisher for all these is Nilgiri press.

>

>Jill

[Guest guest]

>>> goode 05/29/02 11:14 AM >>>

Jill,

 

I agree about Sri Easwaren's books! His style is very expansive and beautiful.

I teach advaita vedanta here

in NYC, and use his translation of the Gita.

 

--Greg

 

Hi Greg! If you like his writing, you may like another treat in store--there

are some tapes available of him reading favorite passages from the world's

spiritual literature. He has the most gorgeous compelling voice; it will send

you into a meditative state. But I got in the habit of listening while driving,

a dangerous course.

 

Some years ago when I was living in Chicago I met Michael Nagler, also of the

Blue Mountain Center. He wrote the chapter introductions to the Easwaren

translation of the Upanishads. He has also written some books on non-violence,

and like Easwaren, was a lifelong student of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

Nagler taught comparative lit at UC Berkley for many years. We got together in

a small group for satsangh and meditation while he was in Chicago. This was 10

years ago; I was in the terrifying throes of the first months of kundalini

activity and Michael Nagler was one of the first people I spoke to about it. He

showed me great compassion and kindness as he did to everyone. That meeting

made a great impression on me. After that I felt connected to the BMC, and

even more connected than before to Sri Easwaren, who I knew only from his

writing. I always wanted to go to Tomales to a retreat there, but was never

able to do so. I felt a great loss when Sri Easwaren died, although I had never

met him.

 

Jill

[Guest guest]

>>> MikeSuesserott 05/29/02 18:06 PM >>>

Hi Jill and Greg,

 

am so happy to hear that you, too, love E. Easwaran's books. Such a wise and

kindly soul he was, and one who truly made this world a better place.

 

Michael

 

Hi Michael,

 

Aren't his books wonderful? I really like his simple Gandhi biography, too. (I

loaned my copy to a student though, and it never made it back to me.) Whenever

I see your name in the emails, Michael, I always think of Tolstoy, how much you

like him. I wonder what other writers we share. I think I would like to come

over and rummage through your books!

 

Jill