Utne Reader: January-February, 98 Publisher: Lens Publishing, Minneapolis, MN Article: "Satish" by Jay Walljasper, p76+ >

It seems, when I looking through magazines, the articles that I am drawn to are the ones about or by people who have gray hair, or in this case, little hair. Age is seeking out it's own. Satish Kumar is a former monk from India living in England and is the editor of the magazine entitled, "Resurgence." Resurgence is a prestigious magazine, printed in England, in which none of the contributors have ever been paid for the articles they have printed in it. Satish is a lecturer, writer, teacher, reformer, spiritual thinker, crusader for causes and in spite of all the technological advances and fast pace of the world, tries to live a simple, appreciative life. >

Satish was influenced by the writings of Gandhi when he was a young man, and that would be a great person to be influenced by. He is on an energetic mission to promote spiritual consciousness. He sees the world being on a course of just wanting to accomplish something, rather than to experience something. Progress, he feels, is obsessive, and not enchanting. >

My favorite short anecdote in the article was about Satish and his friend, Prabhackar Menon. They were upset about the nuclear bomb bantering between the United States and Russia in the 60's and decided to take a message of peace to the world's leaders of the four nuclear nations. They walked most of the way from Delhi to Moscow, Paris to London, and to Washington, with no money or organizational support and depended on the food and shelter of others. Sometimes they were offered transportation. Their objective was to sit with the world leaders of these countries and promote peace. To each world leader, they gave a packet of tea, and asked that each one brew a pot of tea before making any decision to fire missiles. Isn't that a startling idea, to think and discuss before acting? >

Spiritual consciousness, he explains, means that the world and its ecological systems are sacred. That isn't news to any culture or religion. That is what we believe, but why doesn't something happen to the good and that will benefit our depressed areas? Are we that hypocritical? Progress is overtaking spiritual consciousness. Mankind wants the challenge of invention and invents to make life better, easier and safer. Will there ever be a way or time to join the spiritual consciousness with invention, before there is a total loss of meaning? I think it is time for the simple, back to the basics, appreciative life to re-enter our consciousness.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 1999