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Manjul Photo by Raj Kamal

Biography Manjul, or Barbara, was doing her Master's Degree at McGill University in 1981. Her thesis supervisor, a devotee of Swamiji, introduced Manjul to Swami Shyam. She was immediately struck by his deep insight into human nature; by his sense of peace and humour in life, and by the vast depth and comprehension of his poetry. Manjul decided to study Shyam's philosophy and poetry and has been living and meditating in the Himalayas since 1984. During these ten years in India, she has written and published five books of poetry. Manjul is a writer, a poet, and an inspired seer. Written by Gisele Beaupre

Interview

Gisele: How did you come to Kullu?

Manjul: Well, in 1981 I was doing my Master's degree. My advisor was Paul Peeler. Out of my respect for him, I took his suggestion to attend a meeting at a Unitarian Church in Montreal, in which Swamiji was going to speak. At that time I had no concept of Gurus, and not really that much of an interest, but I had a deep quest for spirituality. I was very impressed by Swami Shyam, initially by his sense of humour. Because the little I had heard of Gurus, I had a definite image that they might be very serious. But he dismantled that idea; he was talking about how he had just been to the dentist that day, and the transcen dental experience. That lit me and warmed me, to think that his topic was very deep, but he wasn't serious and solemn the way I had seen spirituality presented up until that point.

Gisele: You mentioned that you are a writer?

Manjul: Yes, I have written five or six books in the last ten years. My experience is that since I began to meditate, the channel has opened even more. I have been writing since I could hold a pen. Most of my poems come out of spaces of meditation, when I have been sitting calmly and something just dawned inside, that I wanted to convey and bring into the field of manifestation. Some poems describe states of wavering emotion and thought, but always lead to a point of resolution. My own feeling is that the kind of poetry that I want to write and want to read is that which connects me to something higher, to my own self, to a state of centeredness. To me, that always brings in beauty or an ideal. I haven't been attracted to a kind of modernism which can emphasize the non-beauty side. I would prefer to use that which affirms life, than that which is describing the suffering state; and that is my personal motivation.

Gisele: What are you working on now?

Manjul: It is about my perception of inner states and always bringing the attention back to 'I', who is seeing. In India, a poet is considered to be a seer. This whole sense is of a poet as a saintly person, as someone who isn't just revelling in his own emotions or wallowing in his sensual experience, but is actually using imagery, not for the sake of concentrating on a form, but to draw the attention to the source, where source and form are one. That is where poetry, philosophy, and meditation converge - that's my inspiration!

Transcribed by Gisele Beaupre

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