Description

Satish Kumar draws on the Indian Ayurvedic tradition which characterises the mind as having three gunas, or primary qualities: sattva (calmness, clarity and purity), rajas (passion and energy), and tamas (dullness and ignorance). The Ayurvedic aim is to live a sattvic life –simple and close to nature.

‘In Spiritual Compass, Satish Kumar articulates the timeless values and world views which support right living. His book will help us move from the mechanistic worldview, which has pushed us to the brink of survival, to an ecological worldview.’ - Vandana Shiva, author of Earth Democracy

‘This book by Satish Kumar is wonderful. Full of wisdom, it is simple and elegant, displaying the quality of sattva as he himself defines it with profound and original insight.’ - Ravi Ravindra, Emeritus Professor of Comparative Religion at Dalhousie University and author of The Spiritual Roots of Yoga

‘Spiritual Compass offers clear and joyful evidence of the bridge that can and must be built between the great spiritual teachings of the East and the onrushing, bedeviled life of our contemporary world.’ - Jacob Needleman, author of Why Can't We Be Good?

‘Satish Kumar's own life is an admirable example of simplicity, compassion and care. And this shines through on every page of this delightful, yet profound, little book.’ - Peter Russell, author of From Science to God

‘In this book Satish Kumar offers a holistic approach to humanity's problems by showing how a sattvic lifestyle can allow us to heal ourselves and contribute to the healing of humanity and the world. Those who wish to restore the broken balance in their lives will greatly benefit from the wisdom expounded in this book.’ - Deepak Chopra, author of Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment

About the Author

Satish Kumar was born in India. He was a Jain Monk for nine years and later studied Buddhism and Hindu philosophy. Living in the West over the last thirty years has shown him both the need and practicality of applying these principles to daily affairs. He is Editor of Resurgence magazine, Director of Programs at Schumacher College and an internationally renowned speaker on ecological and spiritual issues. Satish Kumar is the author of three other books: No Destination: An Autobiography; You Are, Therefore I Am: A Declaration of Dependence and The Buddha and the Terrorist: The Story of Angulimala. He has made a 50-minute program for BBC2 as part of the Natural World Series called Earth Pilgrim, which demonstrates his holistic view of nature.