One Hundred Suns: A Commemoration of the centenary of the Narayana Guruula 1923-2023
Contents: Preface. Introduction/Swami Vyasa Prasad. 1. Adoration for an Absolutist Guru Why Values? /P. Natarajan. 2. History of Gurukulam/Muni Narayana Prasad. 3. Structuralism as I See It/Muni Narayana Prasad. 4. Presidential Address/Muni Narayana Prasad. 5. Guru Natarajan/Swami Tyageeswaran. 6. My Life at Narayana Gurukula/Swami Tanmaya. 7. The “Frame of Reference” of Narayana Gurukula/P.K. Sabu. 8. Founding Island Gurukula Aranya/Nancy Saumya Yeilding. 9. The Portland Gurukula/Scott Teitsworth. 10. Hundred Years of the Narayana Gurukula/Deborah Buchanan. 11. What Narayana Gurukula Means to Me/Peter Oppenheimer. 12. How Nataraja Guru Changed My Whole Life/Swamini Brigitte. 13. Notes from the Neutral Centre/Swami Vyasa Prasad. 14. An Integrated Science of the Absolute - The Science of Sciences/S. Omana. 15. Element of Wonder in Guru’s Philosophy/B. Sugeetha. 16. The Path of the Gurus/Prabhavati Prasannakumar. 17. Guru’s Discourse in a Post-Liminal State/Shareena Banu. 18. A Glimpse of Indian Spiritual Evolution/Swami Mangalmurti. 19. Narayana Gurukula: An Invaluable Bliss/Deepanjali. 20. Why Zen? An Intro to How? Why? And What? about Zen Practice and How It Can Be Beneficial in an Indian Cultural Setting/Gita Gayatri. 21. Essence of Narayana Guru’s Advaita Darśana/Gita Gayatri. 22. Living with Kokua, By Any Other Name/Peter Moras. 23. Vision 4023: The Future of Narayana Gurukula/Bijoyees O.B. 24. Twenty-first Century Reflections on the Narayana Gurukula/Nancy Saumya Yeilding. 25. Narayana Gurukula Publications. Index.
One Hundred Suns commemorates the centenary of the Narayana Gurukula, celebrating its growth from humble beginnings into a global movement dedicated to a contemplative life based on the wisdom teachings of Narayana Guru. Recognizing that “man does not live by bread alone”, the Gurukula values enduring happiness through the guidance of the Guru’s Word.
This collection of articles provides readers with glimpses of timeless wisdom imparted through the guru-parampara, a lineage that has nourished generations of disciples. The Gurukula brings together individuals from all walks of life – seniors and juniors, aspirants and adepts, Eastern and Western – bound by a shared commitment to unitive understanding. The personal factor in each case is intact, keeping dogma and credo at bay.
True wisdom transcends distinctions of personal outlook or cultural background, making no divisions between optimism and pessimism, liberal and conservative, orthodox and heterodox, contemplative and active, or Eastern and Western. There is an urgent need for new literature that unifies rather than divides, that balances synthesis with analysis, and that introduces Absolutist norms to provide a steady frame of reference – without which, unchecked fragmentation persists. The articles in this souvenir represent a step toward integration and coherence, and are a testament to undivided perennial wisdom, lighting the way forward as we step into the next century grounded in enduring values, leading to lasting Happiness.
