About the Author

Sri Madhava Ashish (1920–1997) was a Scottish-born naturalized Indian spiritualist, mystic, writer, and agriculturist. When World War II ended, he stayed on in India to continue his spiritual searches. He moved to Mirtola Ashram, a spiritual base at the foothills of the Himalayas. He also took up the name Madhava Ashish. When Sri Krishna Prem, head of the ashram, died in 1965, Ashish became the head and oversaw the management of the institution until his death. He was the author of What Is Man?; Man, Son of Man; and An Open Window. In 1992, the Indian government awarded him the civilian honor of the Padma Shri for his contributions to the agriculture sector in India.

Sri Krishna Prem (1898–1965) was a British spiritual aspirant who went to India in the early twentieth century. Together with his spiritual teacher Sri Yashoda Mai, he founded an ashram at Mirtola, India. The ashram has continued to be aligned with strict orthodox Vishnavism. Despite his English origins, Krishna Prem became widely accepted and admired in the Indian Hindu community and had many Indian disciples. Krishna Prem transcended the gomas and practices of his early Vaishnava sectarianism and affirmed a universal spiritual path.