Eknath Easwaran

Eknath Easwaran (1910-1999) is one of the twentieth century's great spiritual teachers and an authentic guide to timeless wisdom. He is a recognized authority on the Indian spiritual classics. His translations of The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and The Dhammapada are the best-selling editions in the USA.

After finishing college, Easwaran visited Gandhi’s ashram to observe the Mahatma closely in his interactions with others. One evening, during Gandhi’s prayer meeting, Easwaran watched spellbound as Gandhi sat meditating on verses from the Bhagavad Gita. The experience inspired Easwaran to look at the scripture with fresh eyes. “It was when I heard Gandhi say that the Gita contains the answer to every problem that life has to offer,” said Easwaran later, “that I began to grasp its true significance. Gandhi had meditated on the Gita for half a century and had made it the reference for his every action. Systematically, little by little, he had translated his highest ideals into daily life.”