visiting him every year for one to three months
and applying his teaching in daily life.
In 1971, after going through a crisis in his
personal life, Desjardins went to Swami Prajnapad
and experienced a deep shift of inner perspec-
tive. Now aspiring to a quieter life, he planned
to end his professional career as an administrator
in French Television, but Swami Prajnapad saw a
different future for his student. The guru plainly
told him that his true calling lay in passing on
the teaching, even if only to a few people. Since a
group of people who had seen his films and read
his books wanted to embark on the path with him
as their guide, Desjardins started planning the
opening of what was to be the first French ash-
ram, examining it in detail with Swami Prajnapad.
Having bought Le Bost, a large but modest house
hidden in the heart of Auvergne, Arnaud retired
from television and, in 1974, started welcoming
a few students, whom he trained in the spirit of
what he himself had experienced with Swami Praj-
napad. A few weeks after Le Bost opened, Swami
Prajnapad passed away in India.
The ashram was not open to visitors or adver-
tised. Nevertheless, word of mouth spread and
Desjardins was soon faced with an ever more
demanding schedule. Nine years after he had
opened Le Bost, after having experienced serious
signs of utter exhaustion, he decided to rest for a
few months and then open a new, more open ash-
ram in the south of France. That was Font d’Isière,
which also lasted nine years. Despite the lack
of publicity, Arnaud’s reputation as teacher kept
growing. In 1987, he and Denise parted ways as
husband and wife, although their friendship and
collaboration in the work continue to this day.
In 1995, at the age of 70, Desjardins embarked
on a daring adventure—the foundation of a large
ashram under his leadership where others could
teach as well, and where many people could study
and practice at different levels.
Surrounding himself with a few senior stu-
dents and staff, Desjardins founded Hauteville,
in the Ardèche, a place dedicated to traditional
SADHANA (spiritual discipline), interreligious dia-
logue, and sanctuary for spiritual aspirants. Des-
jardins has become the best-known and most
respected Hindu teacher in the French-speaking
world. Seekers from all over the world travel to
Hauteville for retreats where they meet not only
Desjardins himself, who still is available, but also
his senior students. In 1996, Desjardins married
Veronique Loiseleur, one of his long-term col-
laborators.
Today the words of Desjardins are published
by Hauteville’s publishing house, La Table Ronde,
in Paris. Desjardins travels widely, especially to
Quebec, where he has a thriving ashram. Only
two of his numerous books have been published
in English. He regularly participates in inter-
religious dialogue at Karma Ling in the Savoie
region of France with Lama Denis Teundroup, a
Frenchman given the title of lama in the Tibetan
tradition.Further reading: Arnaud Desjardins, The Message of
the Tibetans. Translated from the French by R. H. Ward
and Vega Stewart (London: Stuart and Watkins, 1969);
———, Toward the Fullness of Life: The Fullness of Love
(Putney, Vt.: Threshold Books, 1990); ———, Yoga
et Spiritualité, l’hindouism et nous (Paris: La Palatine,
1969); Gilles Farcet, Arnaud Desjardins, ou, L’adventure
de la Sagesse (Paris: Table Ronde, 1987); ———, The
Anti-Wisdom Manual: A Practical Guide to Spiritual
Bankruptcy (Prescott, Ariz.: Hohm Press, 2005).deva
Deva, from the Sanskrit root meaning “to shine,”
is the word for god in Indian mythology. There
are numerous gods in the VEDAS and PURANAS, so
the word has a polytheistic connotation. When
one calls out to a singular God one uses the term
BHAGAVAN. The gods of the Vedas are numerous;
the most important are INDRA, god of storms, and
AGNI, god of fire. Later VISHNU, SHIVA, and the
GODDESS or DEVI (feminine form of deva) became
the preeminent divinities.deva 127 J