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 b ...

, 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 so ...

. 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 Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon (3 May 1896 – 6 October 1974) was an Indian academic, politician, and non-career diplomat. He was described by some as the second most powerful man in India, after the first Prime Minister of India, Jawa ...

. 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