Dana Sawyer was born in Jonesport, Maine in 1951. He was a full-time professor of religion and philosophy at the Maine College of Art and an adjunct professor of Asian religions at the Bangor Theological Seminary. He is the author of numerous published papers and books, including Aldous Huxley: A Biography, which Laura Huxley described as, "Out of all the biographies written about Aldous, this is the only one he would have actually liked."
Sawyer has been involved in fund-raising activities for the Siddhartha School Project in Stak, Ladakh, north India, for more than ten years and is currently vice-president of the Board of Trustees. This project has resulted in the construction of an elementary/ middle school for underprivileged Buddhist children that has been visited twice by the Dalai Lama, who holds it as a model for blending traditional and Western educational ideals. Much of his work for this project has involved translating at lectures for (and teaching with) the school’s founder, Geshe Lobzang Tsetan, who is currently the abbot of the Panchen Lama’s monastery in Mysore, India.
Sawyer's interest in the phenomenon of Neo-Hindu and Buddhist groups in America led him to become a popular lecturer on topics of interest to these groups. He has taught at the Kripalu Center (Lenox, MA), the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (Barre, MA), the Vedanta Society of Southern California (Hollywood, CA), the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, and other such venues. This work has also brought him into contact with several interesting and important figures in this field, including Stanislav Grof, Andrew Harvey, Huston Smith, Laura Huxley, Stephen Cope, and Alex Grey.
Sawyer has been to India eleven times, most recently while on sabbatical during the winter and spring of 2005, and has traveled extensively throughout the subcontinent: Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Japan.
Related to academic work Sawyer has lectured at the Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Banaras Hindu University, the University of Riga, Latvia, the Huntington Library, and at colleges and conferences throughout the United States (interview footage of Sawyer from the Riga conference was featured in a British documentary, “Brand New World,” on the dangers of consumer culture). In August, 2005, Sawyer was a participant in the by-invitation-only conference on “Government, Education, and Religion” at the Oxford Roundtable, Lincoln College, Oxford University. He is a member of two academic societies: the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy (SACP) and the International Aldous Huxley Society, centered at the University of Munster in Germany.
Books:
The Perennial Philosophy Reloaded: A Guide for the Mystically Inclined
Aldous Huxley: A Biography
Huston Smith: Wisdomkeeper: Living The World's Religions: The Authorized Biography of a 21st Century Spiritual Giant
Website
Other interviews:
Dana Sawyer, with Jeffrey Kripal
Dana Sawyer in Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2
Dana Sawyer on Huston Smith
Summary and Transcript of this interview
Interview recorded 9/29/2010
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Background
00:04:03 - The Effort to Alter Our Subjective Experience
00:08:02 - Embracing the Mystery
00:12:10 - The Realization of the Need for Growth
00:15:55 - Seeking Certainty in Knowledge
00:19:24 - Embracing the Mystery
00:23:12 - Shifting Perspectives and Cultural Interpretations
00:27:12 - Breaking the Shackles of Routine Work
00:30:55 - The Story of Heaven and Hell
00:34:23 - Embracing Multiple Perspectives
00:38:03 - The Spectrum of Spiritual Teachings
00:41:37 - The Exercising of Esoteric Teachings
00:45:19 - The Growth of Spiritual Interest and Maturity
00:49:11 - Falling into Each Other's Emptiness
00:52:38 - Cultural Misunderstandings in India
00:56:31 - The Mystery and Paradox of India
01:00:07 - Witnessing Astonishing Feats
01:03:44 - Snake Charmer Tricks and Authentic Spiritual Teachers
01:07:23 - The Power of Eye Contact and Samadhi
01:11:21 - The Infinite is Everywhere
01:15:12 - The Relationship between Enlightenment and Spiritual Maturity
01:19:15 - The Paradox of Growth and Presence
01:22:51 - The Disconnect Between Enlightenment and Human Development
01:26:23 - Bringing Enlightenment into Your Life
01:30:16 - The True Meaning of Tantra
01:34:15 - Naga Baba's and Stoned Sadhanas in India
01:38:05 - Enlightenment and Cultural Diversity
01:42:04 - The Sacredness of Compassion
01:46:11 - The Nature of Awakening and Enlightenment
01:50:09 - A Connection Through Language
01:53:22 - Where to Listen or Watch Buddha At The Gas Pump