A Flame On The Divine Breath
I first met Andrew in Lexington, Kentucky, in the mid-2000s when he joined the faculty of Matthew Fox's creation spirituality programs. We stayed at the same inn and got to know each other a bit. I remember his razor-sharp wit when someone asked him if the wallpaper reminded him of the inns in England, and he said, "Yes, except this one's on drugs!" Over the years, as he came to teach at the university in Oakland, we would meet, and sometimes, he would visit us at home.
Andrew is, above all, a mystic of the highest order. What is extraordinary about him is that he has the words for the experience. When it comes to mysticism, many people will say that it is difficult to describe. Not Andrew. Born in Coimbatore, India, and educated at Oxford, he became the youngest fellow at Oxford and later one the most influential spiritual voices in the world. His fiery, passionate way of speaking about mysticism became his trademark.
When Asha and I left India, we bid farewell to our beloved mentor, Bede Griffiths. I had been a monk under his direction, and he officiated at our wedding. Shortly after we left, he suffered a stroke. Then, as he recovered, Andrew arrived with an Australian television crew to record a powerful documentary on Bede's life, titled "The Human Search." Bede found a great deal of common ground with Andrew, and they grew quite close in their relationship. Bede would often speak of Andrew during his visits with us in the States.
As Bede was dying, Andrew was there at the ashram with him. We arrived shortly after Andrew left and had similar experiences of Bede on his deathbed. Although we did not meet Andrew at this time, our connection with Bede Griffiths was the glue that bound us together. In many ways, Andrew emulates Bede through his kindness and generosity of spirit and certainly with the quality of presence that only mystics are capable of. Their Englishness, their shared Oxfordian background, and their exceptional use of the English language also make them remarkably alike.
Recently, in a fire, Andrew lost all his unpublished manuscripts as a writer. It is a terrible experience that feels like all the lifeblood has been drained from you. While most people would be devastated by such a loss, Andrew rises like a phoenix from the ashes, radiant, loving, generous of spirit, and full of life and vitality, wanting to make a difference in the world.
Along with others, we want to help him recover from this devastating tragedy.
There are two ways you can join us in this venture:
1) Contribute whatever you can directly to the GoFundMe page dedicated to this purpose, where you can hear Andrew describe what happened in his own words.
If you are unable to contribute presently, please share this information with others so that they can support Andrew during his challenging time.
2) Sign up for Sacred Alchemy, a course in keeping with his vision. We will pass on all the proceeds to him, keeping nothing for ourselves.
Explore the mysticism of Kabir with Andrew and Russill, along with Jesus In The Lotus: The Marriage of East and West, and much more.
