R.P. Kaushik
Encyclopedia
R.P. Kaushik was a philosopher best known for his book Towards a New Consciousness, a classic of the American spiritual renaissance of the 1960s and 70s.
After the death of a friend during his adolescence, Dr. Kaushik began a search for understanding that took him through various spiritual beliefs and practices. At the suggestion of a friend, he read the Bhagavad Gita
, looking for answers about what happens after death, and went to see various spiritual teachers. These, he said, did nothing for him, such as the illiterate man who made him read texts without explaining them, or the teacher who professed to believe in God but was nonetheless surrounded by armed guards.
The philosophy Kaushik eventually developed can be categorized as nondualist, breaking down dichotomies such as life vs. death or self vs. not-self. Kaushik ultimately determined that life can only be lived from moment to moment, without prescribed beliefs or practices. His goal, as he once stated, was to expand his individual consciousness to include "the whole of the universe," rather than to serve specifically as a yogi
or guru
, a result of his disillusionment with his earlier spiritual teachers.
According to Kaushik, yogis were expected to undertake twelve years of intensive work to safely elevate the Kundalini. And following sanctioned methods was no guarantee of success. Kundalini releases "so much unconscious material" and "so many different obscure energies" says Kaushik, that "this whole process was a bit dangerous, frightening, and lengthy." (from The Ultimate Transformation)
Kaushik was the author of six books. Interested also in alleviating human suffering, he was a doctor until 1973, when he began travelling throughout the world to speak on meditation and spirituality.
(Dakshina Murti is a yoga institution created by him during mid seventies. He travelled all over the world to teach yoga and spiritualism. His followers still come to Dalhousie and stay at Dakshina Murti 200 mts away from Subhash Chowk on the small Mall known as Garam Sarak.)
For further information, you may join Dr. R. P. Kaushik on Face Book.
After the death of a friend during his adolescence, Dr. Kaushik began a search for understanding that took him through various spiritual beliefs and practices. At the suggestion of a friend, he read the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
, looking for answers about what happens after death, and went to see various spiritual teachers. These, he said, did nothing for him, such as the illiterate man who made him read texts without explaining them, or the teacher who professed to believe in God but was nonetheless surrounded by armed guards.
The philosophy Kaushik eventually developed can be categorized as nondualist, breaking down dichotomies such as life vs. death or self vs. not-self. Kaushik ultimately determined that life can only be lived from moment to moment, without prescribed beliefs or practices. His goal, as he once stated, was to expand his individual consciousness to include "the whole of the universe," rather than to serve specifically as a yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
or guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
, a result of his disillusionment with his earlier spiritual teachers.
According to Kaushik, yogis were expected to undertake twelve years of intensive work to safely elevate the Kundalini. And following sanctioned methods was no guarantee of success. Kundalini releases "so much unconscious material" and "so many different obscure energies" says Kaushik, that "this whole process was a bit dangerous, frightening, and lengthy." (from The Ultimate Transformation)
Kaushik was the author of six books. Interested also in alleviating human suffering, he was a doctor until 1973, when he began travelling throughout the world to speak on meditation and spirituality.
(Dakshina Murti is a yoga institution created by him during mid seventies. He travelled all over the world to teach yoga and spiritualism. His followers still come to Dalhousie and stay at Dakshina Murti 200 mts away from Subhash Chowk on the small Mall known as Garam Sarak.)
For further information, you may join Dr. R. P. Kaushik on Face Book.
Books
- Darshan Yoga
- The Ultimate Transformation
- Organic Alchemy
- Energy Beyond Thought
- Light of Exploration
- Towards a New Consciousness, 2008 edition, Sentient Publications, ISBN 978-1-59181-058-2
See also
- American philosophyAmerican philosophyAmerican philosophy is the philosophical activity or output of Americans, both within the United States and abroad. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy notes that while American philosophy lacks a "core of defining features, American Philosophy can nevertheless be seen as both reflecting and...
- List of American philosophers