Written by Mary Heath, Dorset Teacher
This beautiful book, a copy of which is now available to borrow from the DHIY library, is comprised not only of some of Guruji's own words and teachings, but of contributions and tributes to him from all over the world, along with scientific articles recognising his impact on the subject of yoga beyond the physical.
It records the many milestones in his life, including in his later years:
a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize (2014)
the prestigious Padma Vibhushan Award (2014) - the second highest civilian honour anyone can achieve in India, awarded by the Prime Minister of India
a nomination for the Templeton Prize for Religion* (2015) put forward by the Trustee of the Dalai Lama's Foundation for Universal Responsibility.
(*Its scope gradually widened to include people considered to be at the intersection of science and religion.)
In the later stages of his life especially, Guruji was constantly expounding the relationship between the individual and the universal, the microcosm and the macrocosm, the finite and the infinite, for the transformation of consciousness/chitta.
"My body is singing, ringing yoga, so naturally one has to feel the bell when I walk by." (YES!)
"When you see fully, you are not seeking. I have seen but I can't explain."
Guruji's understanding and experience is supported by scientific articles included in this book, for example:
From German physicist Professor Dr. Hans-Peter Dürr:
"In fact, quantum physics has come very close to the ancient Indian philosophy of the Sãmkhya School". (p.253)
And from nueropsychiatrist John Raymond Smythies:
"There is an energy which is not seen, yet can be physically detected by the behavior of another atom. What this means is that our thoughts are energy and can alter the behavior of our cells and actually override their predisposition of behavior." (p.263)
And I love the connection Guruji made, which is quoted in this book, between the trigunas, the three forces of nature, and Einstein's famous equation E=MC² where:
E is energy/rajas
M is mass/tamas and
C is the speed of light/sattva
Because of the format of this book, one can in fact open it anywhere and just dip right in, to read anything from "What is an Asana?" to "Teaching of Pranayama" to "Samkhya Philosophy and the 5 Gross Elements" to "Classical to Modern Physics" ... or simply in order to appreciate the stunning array of photographs of Guruji, whether in black and white or glorious colour. Some of these breathtaking photographs are in themselves to me a experience in meditation, beyond words.
