Eknath Easwaran

Eknath Easwaran (1910–1999) was born in Kerala, India, and became a professor of English literature. He came to the United States through the Fulbright exchange program in 1959, later settling in Northern California. In 1961 he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, where he taught the method he called passage meditation.

His writing brings spiritual practice into ordinary situations rather than treating it as a retreat from daily responsibilities. In translations, commentaries and practical guides, he returns to self-mastery, disciplined attention, nonviolence and service. His prose is direct and teacherly, shaped for readers who may be encountering Indian philosophy for the first time.

Easwaran’s major works include translations of The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads and The Dhammapada. He also wrote the three-volume Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living, the meditation manual now titled Passage Meditation, and Gandhi the Man. His Nilgiri Press, established in 1968, continues to publish his books and recorded teachings.

Begin with The Bhagavad Gita. Its battlefield opening finds Prince Arjuna unable to act until Krishna helps him reconsider duty, identity and the consequences of attachment. Easwaran’s introduction and chapter notes present that crisis as an inward struggle for wisdom and self-command, making this edition a natural entry point to both the scripture and his wider body of work.