Icon Show: Interviews

Bhakti Nath

<strong>Bhakti Nath</strong> & his interview

Photo by Gisele

Biography

Bhakti Nath, or Dr. Glen Kezwer, was raised in Toronto where he received his doctorate in physics in 1978. During his studies he found that although scientists had the answers to many questions, their knowledge was incomplete because it did not provide them with lives of total fulfilment, contentment, and ease. Therefore, he turned down a job offer at a prestigious university and along with his wife Arlene, went to India where they met Swami Shyam, seemingly by accident and stayed for foSur months the first time.

Bhakti Nath has found that the findings of modern physics are in harmony with the philosophy of meditation. He has written several articles and a book called "Meditation, Oneness and Physics," which has been published in India and is selling quite well. Bhakti Nath has lectured in India, Europe, and North America on the scientific approach to meditation.

Written by Gisele Beaupre

Interview

Gisele: Bhakti Nath, what was your first impression of Swami Shyam?

Bhakti Nath: The first meeting seemed like 20 minutes, but when I looked at my watch afterwards, five hours had gone by. When I left the room, I knew I had been in the presence of a man who had tremendous knowledge, who knew something that I wanted to know!

I had asked him a question which was, "What are Scientists lacking?" Swami Shyam answered by saying, "What they have left out of their science is their own self." My response was that I didn't understand what he meant. He said, "They are missing their own being, that's what they are not performing their experiment upon, that's been excluded!" I said, "Well how do you do that?" Swami Shyam said, "There is a way, it is very scientific, and it is called meditation."

As I was leaving he said, "You can write me if you want". When I got outside, I said to my friend, "What does he mean write? I want to stay!" Don said, "He is just giving you an out. He is so one with everybody - in case you do not want come back - he is making it clear from his side that you are fine, but you are also free to come back."

Gisele:: So obviously you stayed!

Bhakti Nath: Yes, my wife Arlene and I were the first at satsang the next day. When Swamiji came in, and he looked at me and he was surprised that I was there. He said, "Dr. Glen, What is beyond space?" I said, "Swamiji, it is my first day here." He laughed and I was off the hook. That was in 1979. We stayed for 4 months and came back in 1982, and we've been here ever since.

Gisele: What have you done here in Kullu since then?

Bhakti Nath: Well, basically it is a personal work. The work is very much on one's own consciousness. I also write. I have been working on a book called "Meditation, Oneness, and Physics," which will soon be published in India. The thesis is that Physics only goes so far, then you have to turn to the science of Oneness or meditation. In meditation, the mind isn't there to make the biases inherent in a given experiment, so meditation is the only true experiment. In meditation, the distinction between the seer, the seeing, and the seen dissolves, and only "pure seeingness" remains.

Transcribed by Gisele Beaupre

Top of the page