John Levy (28 April 1910 – 28 December 1976) was a British mystic, artist, and musician, best known for translating the works of his
guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon, ''Atma Darshan'' and ''Atma Niviriti'' into English.
Born into a wealthy aristocratic family, Levy was an expert in Asian
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
, especially that of
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
. At one point in his life, he gave up his entire fortune and went to live in India with only a loincloth. In India, Levy was a student of
V. K. Krishna Menon.
He died in London in 1976, and, following his death, his collection was bequeathed to the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
, where it forms the John Levy Archive.
Publications
* ''The Nature of Man According to the Vedanta'' (1956), Sentient Publications, 2004,
* ''Immediate Knowledge and Happiness (Sadhyomukti): The Vedantic Doctrine of Non-Duality'' (1970), Thorsons, London.
References
External links
The John Levy Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, John
1910 births
1976 deaths
Advaitin philosophers
Converts to Hinduism
20th-century British philosophers
20th-century British translators