Father Gabriel Ideologue Alchemist Sattvic

By EGK Menon

Multifaceted genius. Priest. Organiser. Educationist. Administrator. Teacher. Social Engineer. Humanist. Fr. Gabriel left his indelible mark on virtually all areas of life in South India. Fathers contribution to education and health care will remain matchless. The great ascetic, a centenarian now, is resting at Amala ashram after his yeomen services spanning ten decades.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Mar 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781482871609

EGK Menon

EGK Menon (with the Father above), an alumnus of Father’s Christ college has published works in Malayalam and English, on psychology, literary criticism and philosophy. Lives and works in Bombay, India.

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Copyright © 2016 by EGK Menon.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4828-7161-6

                eBook          978-1-4828-7160-9

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Contents

Acknowledgement

Genesis I

Genesis II

Preface

Chapter I Ideologue in the making

Chapter II Alchemist at work

Chapter III Sattvic on the move

Thus spake the Father

Milestones in the Life of Father Gabriel

Father’s style of writing

‘He was not of an age,

But for all time’.

-Ben Jonson

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The sources of the content of this work are Fr. Gabriel himself, Dr. Shankunni’s superb interview with the Father in his book ‘Karmayogi’, Amala’s public relations establishment and the references available at Christ college. I express my profound sense of gratitude to them all. The idea, ‘the monads of Leibniz…’ is that of Aubrey Menen in his moving autobiography ‘The Space Within the Heart’.

GENESIS I

My father at home, and in private was the true clone of Mr. Hyde of the R.L. Stevenson classic Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. For the outside world, of course, he was the replica of Dr. Jekyll.

Mr. Hyde cursed me right from my birth to the last of his breath.

As his male child, Mr. Hyde concluded that I can only grow into another Mr. Hyde; cause enough for him to subject me to abuses, assault and suppression.

Mr. Hyde scrupulously kept his happiness for himself and forced his misery on others. Our house was another Dachau.

I owe my sanity in toto to the world outside my house consisting of my teachers, friends, relations and books.

Teachers saved my mind, right from my first standard Sir, Lawrence master, to the Principal Fr. Gabriel, extending love and recognition, in the formative years of my psyche.

They released me off Dachau and ensured my regular future free, without spending it at either in an asylum or in a clink.

Fr. Gabriel symbolizes all that my great Gurus represent. By this tribute to the Father, I am humbly trying to repay my debt to all those who gave me education, sweetened with love.

GENESIS II

Remembering you all, Sirs and Madams, my beloved teachers, with deep