Spiritual Compass: The Three Qualities of Life

Description

In a world facing an unprecedented global crisis, we need to restore the values of care, compassion and respect. Spiritual Compass is a call for us all to live a more balanced life, and one that is in harmony with our surroundings. Spirituality must be a part of our everyday existence - in business, politics, farming, cooking and in our relationships. Satish Kumar writes: 'In Indian thought, there is a way to perceive the world as being made up of three qualities. When we see ourselves and understand our condition using the three qualities as a compass, they can tell us who we are and where we are. They can orient us towards the direction in which we wish to go. They can help us to recover the art of living and lead us out of our anguish towards a peaceful, joyful and contented existence.' 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.

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.

'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.