Narasingha Das

Well, my biography is to tell you a bit of who I am. So what if I told you that my life to date has been in search of the answer to that very question? And of course, along the way, I've been, had, done so many things - and I will share a few of these, to perhaps give you a sense of the personality behind the pages of my books. But I do want to share this with you first: my purpose as an author is to help you find out who you are too.

OK, something about me then.

I started writing while living in a cave in India, over 45 years ago. I wanted a neutral environment to reflect on life, away from the social programming about what we should dedicate our lives to, and how to go about such.

I had grown up in England, but wasn't so excited about my prospects there. I had done well at school, receiving an above average education at a series of private schools. I completed my university entrance exams 2 years earlier than the usual schedule, and decided to take time to work and look at life outside of the school system before attending. But I found I felt more at home in the burgeoning 'underground' or alternative culture, and found myself disconnecting from the norm.

At the same time, I didn't really feel at home there either.

I determined I wanted to be free to find something else entirely; and so I gave away almost everything I owned, got a small backpack, and spent many months hitchhiking across Europe and Asia before arriving, almost penniless, in India. I immersed myself into India's ancient culture, living there for several years, thus opening myself up to a world of experiences that were simply unimaginable in relation to where I came from. And I began to consider the different ways we all view life.

In fact, I filled many notebooks with seemingly profound scribbles while living in my cave overlooking the River Ganges in northern India during my early 20's. Then one day I came to the inescapable conclusion that for all my thoughts on life and everything, that was all they were, just thoughts. I still didn't truly know what was going on, who I really was, what life really is. So I gathered all my pages, representing countless hours of creative inspiration and reflection and editing and ... and I made a simple little raft with some pieces of tree branches and string, set all my many pages of notes on top of it, before placing it on the Ganges and setting fire to it all with a match before gently pushing it out into the river's current.

And that was the beginning of the rest of my life - when I finally made room for teachers and teachings far beyond my own experience and understanding to be able to actually approach me and find some room in which to take hold.

I spent decades studying and practicing various disciplines under the direction of several yogis and mystics, before finally finding myself in front of my spiritual gurus, the depth of whose love and wisdom I am barely beginning to appreciate even now. My books represent my attempts to share the selfless and harmonizing wisdom embodied in their teachings, with people from my own culture. Or rather, I am but trying to clear the way so that others may be intrigued and attracted to discover and contemplate such teachings and teachers for themselves.

So in my own books I focus on addressing those entrenched beliefs and perspectives we have been conditioned to uncritically accept as 'true'; that form the ground for our particular values, goals, ways of interacting with others, and our overall experience of life ... and that lock us in to the experience of reality as we believe it to be.

Meanwhile, as far as my own story is concerned, after living in India for three and a half truly formative years, I came to America, where I experienced the joys and challenges of two marriages, that produced four wonderful children between them, while I also navigated the arena of living a regular responsible material life.

I currently live in Austin, Texas, where I am at work on several more books, including the story of my adventures both traveling to and then living in India back in the late 1970's.

Having begun the practice of Bhakti-yoga in India 45 years ago, I regularly journey there on sacred pilgrimages and to receive further guidance and blessings from beloved masters in this tradition. Through workshops, speaking engagements and writing, I also try to share these teachings, along with the beautiful shared mantra-meditation practice known as 'kirtan' in such a way as to help others recognize the non-sectarian value of all such, and the profound guidance, joy and sense of purpose these offer their own lives.

I am also available as a guest speaker, especially in relation to Science, Philosophy & Spirituality; the non-sectarian universal teachings of bhakti-Vedanta; and also in regards to the different arenas of Relationship, namely with self, others and God.