Dana Sawyer
The only hope for the world of time lies in being constantly drenched in that which lies beyond time.
Dana Sawyer’s lifelong interest in the nature of consciousness, Tibetan Buddhism, Hindu mysticism, psychedelic experience and alternative philosophies have propelled him around the globe, from Kyoto to Latvia. He travelled to India thirteen times to research the views and practices of Hindu swamis who belonged to a sect descended from Adi Shankara, a 9th century philosophy of Vedanta, during which time he often lived and meditated with the monks. As a Professor of Liberal Arts at MECA&D, he continues to probe issues ranging from spiritual development to sustainability in classes such as “Issues in Ideology” and “Potentials of Human Consciousness.”
As Dana pursued his academic career, he also became interested in Hindu spiritual practice, studying with Nechung Rinpoche in Hawaii and with the Beatles’ guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Dana’s own interest in Asian religions made him curious as to why Westerners were so attracted to Eastern thought, which led him to focus on writer Aldous Huxley’s “perennial philosophy,” which Huxley believed was at the core of all religion and spirituality. As a result, Dana wrote the critically acclaimed spiritual biography Aldous Huxley: A Biography, followed a decade later by Huston Smith, Wisdomkeeper, an authorized biography of a spiritual giant occasionally described as “religion’s rock star.”
Dana is also the editor of Peaceful Mind, Compassionate Heart by Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobzang Tsetan, the abbot of the Panchen Lama’s monastery and founder of the Siddhartha School in Ladakh, India. Dana and Khen Rinpoche’s friendship date back to the ‘80s, resulting in numerous cultural exchanges between Ladakh and Maine.