Hidden Way: A Study in Modern Religious Esoterism

The purpose of the present study is to present Swami Narayanananda as a prototype of a modern successful guru, who in his twilight language seems to be offering a definite kind of synthesis of all religions. Narayanananda, however, cannot be studied in isolation. He has to be studied in concreto within the movement of guruism. This single guru can be seen as a focus for the general movement of New Age which has taken the whole world by surprise. There is much more to be said, not least about the parallel movements within and out of Buddhism, which has its own esoteric and occult experiments. East and West cannot meet, according to Kipling, except when men cooperate in friendship across the differences and in spite of the traditions in mutual respect and friendship. Johannes Aagaard is from Denmark and has had a long theological life with not least Indian experiences and global perspectives.

He grew up as an Evangelical-Lutheran Christian, concerned with the new dimension of the Church worldwide in its encounter with the wisdom of the classical and modern religions. Moti Lal Pandit is from the Kashmir in which Hinduism had one of its most original forms. He was educated as a Catholic theologian and trained in modern humanities and classical languages to become a prolific and challenging writer and communicator of today's Hinduism and Buddhism when they encounter the modern world. The two friends have traveled together in both Asian and European countries and have become a solid demonstration of the fact that East and West can meet and can inspire one another. For both of them dialogue is both a lifestyle and a challenge in their mutual search for truth.