Eknath Easwaran

Eknath Easwaran (17 December 1910 – 26 October 1999) was a spiritual teacher, an author of books on meditation and ways to lead a fulfilling life, as well as a translator and interpreter of Indian literature.

Quotes

• By giving full attention to one thing at a time, we can learn to direct attention where we choose.
  • Easwaran, Eknath (2005). Words to live by: A daily guide to leading an exceptional life. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri. ISBN 978-1-58638-016-8.  (page 12: comment for Jan. 3 on quote by Shelley) (work originally published 1990)

• We all need joy, and we can all receive joy in only one way, by adding to the joy of others.
  • Easwaran, Eknath (1993). The end of sorrow [vol 1 of the Bhagavad Gita for daily living]. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri. ISBN 9780915132171.  (p. 109). (work originally published 1975)

• But patience can't be acquired overnight. It's just like building up a muscle. Every day you need to work on it, to push its limits.
  • Easwaran, Eknath (1997). Your life is your message: Finding harmony with yourself, others, and the earth. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 0786882662.  (p. 42) (work originally published 1992)

• Love is so exquisitely elusive. It cannot be bought, cannot be badgered, cannot be hijacked. It is available only in one rare form: as the natural response of a healthy mind and healthy heart.
  • Easwaran, Eknath (1996). Original goodness: On the beatitudes of the sermon on the mount. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press. ISBN 0915132923.  (p. 155) (book originally published 1989: p. 131)

• To enjoy anything, we cannot be attached to it. William Blake understood this beautifully: He who binds to himself a Joy, Doth the winged life destroy; But he who kisses the Joy as it flies / Lives in Eternity's sunrise. What we usually try to do is capture any joy that comes our way before it can escape. We have our butterfly net and go after the joy like a hunter stalking his prey. We hide and wait, pounce on it, catch it, and take it home to put on our wall. When our friends come to visit, we say, "Hey, Stu, would you like to see my joy?" There it is on the wall - dead. We try to cling to pleasure, but all we succeed in doing is making ourselves frustrated because, whatever it promises, pleasure simply cannot last. But if I am willing to kiss the joy as it flies, I say, 'Yes, this moment is beautiful. I won't grab it. I'll let it go.'
  • Easwaran, Eknath (2006). Take your time: How to find patience, peace, and meaning. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press. ISBN 9781586380182.  (p. 103) (work originally published 1994)

Quotes about Easwaran

• Like Gandhi, like the Buddha, like all great spiritual teachers, Easwaran had no use for beliefs unless they generated actions. Doing, not saying, is what counts.
  • Huston Smith, Foreword to Thomas G. Plante, ed (2010). Contemplative practices in action: Spirituality, meditation, and health. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-313-38256-7.  (p. viii)

External links

• Easwaran biography (text)
• Quietly Changing the World (4-part video biography, 1959—1979)
• Quotations from Easwaran's translation of the Bhagavad Gita