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| Some Personal Reflections ... |
| I first met Dr. Phulgenda Sinha while living at the Ananda Marga Ashram Jagarti in Washington, DC. The time, was the winter of 1986 and it was a mere coincidence that we met. Dr. Sinha maintained a small modest room in the attic of the house. Although, he was vehemently opposed to "gurism" and mystical traditions he was also an unapologetic realist and pragmatist. Consequently, few residents until the publication of his book -- "The Gita As It Was ..." In December 1986 I became a student of Dr. Sinha to obtain a Diploma In Yoga Therapy as a certified Yoga Therapist. The intensive course was at times gruelling and the pace a bit overwhelming for me, because we were trying to learn in six months what might normally take one to two years of training. Sinha readily embraced me as his favorite student and our personal relationship flourished. He secretly shared many insights into Seeded Meditation, Dharana Healing and Yoga Science that was not shared with other class members. I was amazed at his energy despite suffering from having throat cancer which resulted in the removal of his voice box. Sinha had been a chain smoker in his youth and as a student at University of Chicago, where he obtained his PhD. I remember the mechanical robotic voice as we strained to understand his lectures as he spoke through an electronic amplifier at his throat. I taped almost all of our sessions and hope to edit and prepare them as a library collection available to members of the AUM-IAIAS, Inc. with the opening of the ICGS in 2009. After my graduation ceremony in May 1987 I continued to work with Dr. Sinha on several of his projects as an administrative assistant/secretary. I typed letters, manuscripts and even made appointments for him along with being his personal chauffeur. We would chuckle as we drove in my outdated Chevy Malibu whose floor board had rotted away so that you could see the road surface as your drove. I felt he had become the "father" I never had and I confided in him my deepest thoughts and feelings. But, as I began to share with him my own works (Ikologiks) he seemed to reject anything that would not service his own agenda. So after helping him with a grant proposal being submitted to NIH and the American Diabetes Association on the efficacy of treating diabetes with Yoga Therapy, we slowly went our own ways. However, I would always check-in on him at his apartment in Arlington, Virgina from time to time. We had dinner together often and I was often surprised he ate chicken, meat (I was a strict vegetarian at the time) and even drank some wine. I often felt torn between what I had been taught by other Indian spiritual masters (Gurus) and this essentially atheistic teacher of Samkhya Darshan and Yoga Science. Sometimes, we even had heated arguments over these teachings and their contrast with the Vedic and Brahman teachings. Because, I was also a close associate of Swami Krsnapad (BT Swami, who recently passed away-- see tribute page) whose own spiritual teacher wrote the "Gita As It Is" -- the Hare Krsna "Bible" I would feel constantly torn. However, inside these apparent conflicts and contradictions were easily reconciled when I returned to the great wisdom bestowed to me in the Ikologiks: Nine Principles of Life." Ikologiks theory, although rejected by both Sinha and BT Swami actually transcended them both and helped me to understand what a unique and powerful tool had been imparted to me back 1977 when I received the Nine Principles of Life. As the years progressed, our personal relationship grew increasingly turbulent, because Sinha wanted to "clone" me as a representative of his own teachings. Whereas, I already had been developing my own teachings (Ikologiks) years prior to meeting Sinha. Consequently, prior to the publication of UMP in 1999 we lost contact and as I went overseas to South Korea, we would not talk or meet again. I always felt that it was as it should be, because a true teacher wants his student to become a teacher not a mere follower. Today I can see that some of Sinha's other former students are writing books, establishing yoga centers or developing websites mimicking Phulgenda Sinha's works. Most have done this without any innovation of their own. Some even have exploited Sinha's works for their own profit. While I implicitly support the right of others to benefit from the teachings they invested in studying, nevertheless, it is sad to see that few have offered any memorial or tribute to this great teacher. I'll always remember that robotic voice saying "hello, hello, ohh, Adisa --- how are you?" I'll forever remember his gently pats on the back and his pure child-like joy and excitement when he realized I understood an aspect of Samkhya Darshan that was hard to explain. I know a great part of him is inside me and is manifesting in all my books and teachings about yoga, meditation and healing. HE IS A SELF-MADE MAN! SADGURU! copyright 2006, All Rights Reserved. |
| A young Phulgenda Sinha,PhD practicing Yoga Asana. |
Former Students, Associates and the General Public are welcome to share their own memories, views and condolences for our beloved SadGuru, Phulgenda Sinha PhD on this website. Please use the below submission request so we can post your entry on this page. |
| Indian Institute of Yoga Graduation Ceremony May 10, 1987 - Wash., DC |
| Phulgenda Sinha awards Roger Davis (Adisaji) with his Diploma in Yoga Therapy (1987) |
| Magnetic, inspiring, disciplined, heroic, defiant, and magnanimous... these are just some of the words I could use to describe this great intellectual sage of wisdom and knowledge. "Dr. Sinha" as we affectionately called/knew him whenever he taught us at his Indian Institute of Yoga was a man who did not conform to our traditional notions about Yoga Masters or teachers. Sinha was soundly and diligent teacher that made no compromises in his desire to rid Indian society of the plague of "gurism" and diligent teacher that made no compromises in his desire to rid Indian society of the ." He was a frank and the mystification of the ancient books of India such as the Bhagavadgita and Yoga Sutras of Patanjili by the Brahman religious elites. Sinha was a devoted student of the ancient Indian sage Kapila (700 BC), who was responsible for introducing the powerful philosophical school known as Samkhya (Sankhya) Darshan or Philosophy. Sinha was inspired to write a monumental book in the late 1989s entitled "The Gita As It Was: Rediscovering the Original Bhagavadgita" which has enshrined the importance of Kapila, as a precursor to Buddhism and Patanjili. I fondly remember working with Dr. Sinha during the final stages of him writing the book. I would shuttle him daily to the Library of Congress (where he maintained a reserved "cage") and assisted him with preparing the indexing of the book prior to publishing. We would have lunch afterwards and he would always spend time answering my many questions about yoga therapy, seeded meditation and Dharana Healing. He deeply influenced my own monumental literary work published in 1999 - titled Ultimate Mental Power, which in some ways was a tribute to my beloved mentor and guide. Although, he did not personally support my independent efforts or the Ikologiks theoretical method, he did always suggest I do what was in my heart. The passing of Phulgdenda Sinha is a great loss not only to those that loved him and studied under his guidance, but to the world. Because, the world has increasingly silenced those that would dare challenge the orthodox teachings and views of their times. But, Sinha planted many "seeds" and the work I perform through Ikologiks and the IAIAS, Inc. is just one manifestation of the legacy that Sinha has left to the world. |
| In Loving Memory of My Yoga Teacher & Mentor Phulgenda Sinha - by Adisaji - |
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| Phulgenda Sinha was born in a rural village in the Indian State of Bihar, called Patna under rather humble beginnings. The village was located near the Indian border with Nepal. The area was well known for being the birthplace of several notable Indian sages such as Kapila and Siddharta the Buddha, which may have had an influence upon the young Sinha. As a boy, Sinha was very slender and almost malnourished due to the impoverished state of his family. However, in alignment with Indian customs and cultural traditions he took his wife barely past his teen years. his family and maintain marriage. He also was a disciplined student and easily obtained grades that made him eligible to go to college in Patna on the undergraduate level. He had a dream of coming to America to fulfill his life ambitions and successfully studied at the University of Chicago, where he obtained his Masters Degree in Political Science. He later attended American University where he was granted his PhD degree. It was in Washington, DC during the early 1960s that Sinha began teaching traditional Hatha Yoga, a practice that started in his youth. In 1965 he founded the Yoga Institute of Washington. However, he had never pursued the practice seriously until he came to America. He taught Yoga primarily to support his academic studies. But, his main interest was in political science and the social transformation of Throughout his youth, Sinha had a talent for starting various local enterprises to help support his family and maintain marriage. He also was a disciplined student and easily obtained grades that made him eligible to go to college in Patna on the undergraduate level. He had a dream of coming to America to fulfill his life ambitions and successfully studied at the University of Chicago, where he obtained his Masters Degree in Political Science. He later attended American University where he was granted his PhD degree. It was in Washington, DC during the early 1960s that Sinha began teaching traditional Hatha Yoga, a practice that started in his youth. In 1965 he founded the Yoga Institute of Washington. However, he had never pursued the practice seriously until he came to America. He taught Yoga primarily to support his academic studies. But, his main interest was in political science and the social transformation of Indian society after British colonial rule. Sinha was briefly aligned with Praja Socialist Party and was close friends with other activist like the famous Indian political scientist George Fernandes. But, his true mentor was Jayaprakash Narayan who inspired his impassioned mission to find ways to better Indian society. According to his own autobiographical accounts, Sinha stated that after receiving his PhD in Political Science from American University he returned to India to continue his activist work in the empowerment of the Indian masses that he had championed unselfishly from 1946 to 1957. During those years he started numerous campaigns and organizations including the 'Bharat Sundar Banao' or 'Make India Beautiful' campaign. He ultimately became disillusioned with much of his political work and that is when he began to see elements in the ancient Yoga and Meditation sciences of India that might serve to better empower the Indian masses. He began to realize that Yoga was being taught as part and parcel of secular Hinduism. However, he gradually studied that Yoga pre-dated Hinduism, Brahmanism and the mystical style of Yoga that was being spread around the world by various Indian Swamis and Gurus. It was during this period of soul-searching and reflection that Sinha began to elucidate his own ideas about the "true meaning and value" of Yoga and Meditation practices. He announced to the world that the mysticism and superstition rooted in Hinduism had affixed itself to Yoga and meditation to such an extant that the original system of Yoga expounded in the Samkhya Darshan of the Indian sage Kapila had been lost. In the 1970s Sinha intensified his knowledge and practice of Yoga and became an adept in the more advanced teachings held in Raja Yoga. Sinha began to teach not only Hatha Yoga but also the therapeutic application of Yoga (Yoga Therapy). It was also in the early 1970s that Sinha set-forth on his mission to challenge the mainstream advocates of Yoga and began research which would culminate in 1987 with the publishing of "The Gita As It Was: Rediscovering the Original Bhagavadgita." This book would be a direct attack on the prominent Hare Krsna (ISKON) movement of the 1960s and 70s and their founder's (Swami Prabhupad) book of a similar title "The Gita As It Is." Following the publishing of this monumental work, Sinha was attacked ferociously by the Orthodox Hindu community and especially those that sought to maintain the practice of Yoga not as a science, but a religion. Prior to his death, and throughout the 1990s Sinha was semi-retired having been a victim and survivor of throat cancer. The cancer had taken him earlier in his life (1970s), which resulted in the removal of his larynx and vocal cords. He had to use a voice-box amplifier to speak for the remainder of his life. While living in Arlington, Virginia he co-founded a community health center in Washington, DC known as the Abundant Life Clinic where he offered his expertise in Yoga Therapy and teaching Hatha Yoga to students. Sinha is survived by his wife (Shanti Devi) and elder son (Vinay Sinha) and the remaining staff of the Indian Institute of Yoga in Patna, India. He is the author of the best-selling book Yoga Therapy for Common Heath Problems (18th Printing) and over 18 other books on Yoga, Meditation and Healing, including Dharana Healing. His unpublished works include a major treatsie and commentary on Patanjili's Yoga Sutras and his own autobiography "Self-Made Man." |
| Written by Roger M. Davis Copyright 2006, All Rights Reserved. |
- Dr. Phulgenda Sinha (1924-2006)
Obituary Notice:
He (Sinha) was living in Arlington, Virginia, USA., (and was) admitted in Arlington hospital on (the) 27th (of) Feb 2006, (he) underwent a
heart operation on 3rd of March, 2006, which was successful. But,unfortunately (he) passed away on the 18th of March, 2006. His body was brought to India on the 2nd of
April, 2006 and (he) was cremated on the 3rd of April, 2006 at his village, Jabdi, Dist.Sitamadi, State of Bihar, INDIA.
- Posted by, Yatindra - August, 2006-
POST: Jaykrishnan, DUBAI -- GRAPHIC DESIGNER: December, 2008
"A GREAT LOSS TO SOMEONE I ASSOCIATED WITH, AS A YOGA STUDENT - I AM A PERSON WHO BENEFITED WITH HIS
GREAT BOOK "YOGIC CURE FOR COMMON DISEASES" I ALSO RECOMMENDED THIS BOOK TOO SO MANY PEOPLE AND
GIFTED IT TO MY CLOSE FRIENDS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM VARIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS. HIS BOOK ESPECIALLY
HELPED CORRECT MY BACK PAIN, STOMACH PROBLEMS AND SO ON. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK TO KEEP IN ALL HOUSES-
HIS CONTRIBUTION TO INDIAN COMMUNITY IS GREAT!"
| Website Visitors Comments on Death of Phulgenda Sinha Your Posts Here! |
In November 2007 Adisa Maina Omar (Roger M. Davis) aka Adisaji published the
hardcover edition of the "The Yoga Therapy Handbook" as a lasting tribute to
the life, work, teachings & scholarship of Dr. Phulgenda Sinha. The book
touches upon many of the themes, ideas and prescriptions taught by Sinha and
that Adisaji learnt from him as a Yoga Therapy student in 1986. The book offers
the expansion of many of Sinha's ideas with an expansive discussion of topics
ranging from mental health to the African relationship to the ancient Dravidians
(Tamils) of south India.
To those former students of Sinha this book would serve to continue his legacy
and the recognition of his name & works for prosperity.
* The book is available at Amazon.com or through this website.
hardcover edition of the "The Yoga Therapy Handbook" as a lasting tribute to
the life, work, teachings & scholarship of Dr. Phulgenda Sinha. The book
touches upon many of the themes, ideas and prescriptions taught by Sinha and
that Adisaji learnt from him as a Yoga Therapy student in 1986. The book offers
the expansion of many of Sinha's ideas with an expansive discussion of topics
ranging from mental health to the African relationship to the ancient Dravidians
(Tamils) of south India.
To those former students of Sinha this book would serve to continue his legacy
and the recognition of his name & works for prosperity.
* The book is available at Amazon.com or through this website.
| Phulgenda Sinha, PhD 1924 - 2006 |
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