My acquaintance with Dr. T.D. Singh is not older than five years or so, once a year on the average. The scantiness of this acquaintance is, however, contrasted by a certain fullness of realization, on my part, of the greatness of this person. This, of course, is not the greatness of a celebrity, or of an International Guru. It is a greatness that does not exude charismatic visibility. Rather, his is a greatness to be felt by a perceptive observer, who can pierce through the veil of his simplicity, humility and forthrightness. When so viewed, Dr. Singh appears to be a soul that dedicates itself towards the attainment of lasting peace for every other soul. Both for social harmony and individual happiness, he attempts to work out appropriate measures of intellectual and devotional nature. Indeed, this is his spiritual mission, and spirituality is the central dynamism of his life.

Dr. Singh’s spirituality is occupationally tied up with “Krishna Consciousness”, a traditional Hindu metaphysical world-view that charts a spiritual journey for the liberation of humanity from cosmic ignorance (avidya). This occupational involvement is at once devotional and reflective, and the reflective dimension is represented by Dr. Singh’s engagement in the intellectual activities organized by the Bhaktivedanta Institute. Through this institute he is constantly involved in organizing symposiums and conferences on the theme of the relation between science and religion. Consciousness is the topic on which the enterprise of unifying science and religion, materiality and spirituality, revolves. Himself trained as a chemical scientist, Dr. Singh tends to look for a common core of consciousness that ultimately would prove the ultimate unity of the innermost secret of nature and the innermost reality of personal being. I find this effort of Dr. Singh most laudable, and on this plane he seems to have already achieved a great deal in bringing the great minds of science and spirituality together for continuing dialogue and towards an integral vision. I suspect that Dr. Singh considers this sort of an integral worldview to be the underlying essence of Krishna Consciousness. Apart from his occupational involvement in the global mission of unifying science and religion, Dr. Singh is also animated by a passionate concern for the cultivation of culture, popular as well as classical. Born and brought up in the rich cultural climate of Manipur in north-east India, he cherishes that cultural heritage and finds it meaningful to provide his leadership in bringing the best specimens of Manipuri art – dance, drama, music and martial art – to international exposure. Unlike other gurus of spirituality, the culturally animated personality of Dr. Singh constitutes a unique aspect of this man. One of the finest aspects of the personality of Dr. Singh is that he does not give the impression of being spiritually aloof from the common person. Rather, one feels spiritually akin to him as soon as one faces him. The soft smile that he always wears on his face, and gently expresses through his eyes, strikes me as a wonderful symbol of the kind of stable contentment that genuine spirituality promises. Professor Bijoy Boruah Professor of Philosophy, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

 

It is my privilege to pen a few lines in honor of Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja (Dr. T.D. Singh). I have had intimate academic interaction with him for over fifteen years since the ‘First World Congress for the Synthesis of Science and Religion, held in Bombay, in January 1986. I am amazed to see the Bhaktivedanta Institute, the wonderful international institute he is directing under the order of his spiritual master, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, active in Asia, America and Europe and undertaking a true symbiosis between science and technology on one hand and humanities on the other. I’ll always remember his incisive tantalizing exposition on a central problem of philosophy “who am I, where do I come from and where shall I go”, a nagging problem which has confronted every doctor who has studied ‘near–death experiences’ and ‘clinical death’

in the operation theatre. Over the years I have come fascinated by the Herculean task to which he has dedicated himself: the establishment of an University for studying the source of Vedic culture and civilization, the University of Bhagavata Culture. On this auspicious occasion of Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s 65th birth year celebration, I wish him many more years of ennobling life as a friend, philosopher and guide to the community of scholars at large. Dr. P.K. Roy Chief Medical Officer, Govt. of India Organization Visiting Faculty, University of Sussex, U.K.

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