In Zen, a Buddha (Sanskrit: awakened) is one who has
become fully enlightened. 20 years ago, I met a Marxist who was a student of
philosophy and who shared my interest in Zen. He was my Comrade Buddha! Narayan
Desai was forty-seven years older to me, but the gap never mattered. His
exuberance towards experiential wisdom would put a teenager to shame.
Born in Pernem, Goa on 16 December 1920, Desai completed Curso de Letras (Portuguese Literature & Philosophy) and started teaching at Margao. He got involved with the 'Kisan Sabha' and the freedom struggle for Goa. Post liberation, he travelled to Russia, Germany, Cairo, Iran, Berlin and other countries as an orator of the Communist Party of India.
As a writer that he received greater acclaim. He
wrote over 20 books in Marathi, Konkani, English, Gujarati and Hindi; Biography
of Lenin, Swami Vivekanand in 21st century, Me - a socialist, Buddha – my
companion, etc. He also compiled a Spanish-to-Marathi Dictionary. As Director
of Thinkers' Academy, Mumbai, he devoted his entire life to research and
writing.
Desai never gave up being a student and kept himself abreast with global happenings. He saw the bird’s eye view as well as the ground reality. He de-emphasized theoretical knowledge in favor of direct individual experience of one's own true nature. He would say that ‘thinking and experiencing’ was the only to live. That’s the way he lived, till he died on 5 August 2007.
Our thinking can BE BETTER with experiential application…
Desai never gave up being a student and kept himself abreast with global happenings. He saw the bird’s eye view as well as the ground reality. He de-emphasized theoretical knowledge in favor of direct individual experience of one's own true nature. He would say that ‘thinking and experiencing’ was the only to live. That’s the way he lived, till he died on 5 August 2007.
Our thinking can BE BETTER with experiential application…
Let’s align our deeds to Comrade Buddha’s inspiration!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
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