About the Author

Eknath Easwaran (1910 - 1999) was born in South India and grew up in the historic years when Gandhi was leading India nonviolently to freedom from the British Empire. As a young man, Easwaran met Gandhi, and the experience left a lasting impression. Following graduate studies, Easwaran joined the teaching profession and later became head of the department of English at the University of Nagpur. In 1959 he came to the US with the Fulbright exchange program and in 1961 he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, which carries on his work with publications and retreats. Easwaran's translations of the Indian spiritual classics (The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and The Dhammapada) are all bestsellers in their field. More than 1.5 million copies of his books are in print. Easwaran lived what he taught, giving him enduring appeal as a teacher and author of deep insight and warmth.