Phiroz Mehta
Encyclopedia
Phirozshah Dorabji Mehta (October 1, 1902 - May 2, 1994) was an India
n-born writer and lecturer on religious topics. He also had many other interests including astronomy
, poetry
and philosophy
.
parents in Cambay, India
, and was brought up in the Zarathushtrian
religion.
His interest since early boyhood in all the major religions of the world was not confined to a theoretical study. Deeply concerned with discovering through personal experience the Truth which is the Heart of Religion, he practised both the outer and the inner disciplines of several great religions.
where he read Natural Sciences and History. The scholarship was not allowed however because he had no birth certificate and even though the case was taken as far as the House of Lords
no grant was given! Fortunately private sponsorship was found and he was able to commence his studies. During his final year at Cambridge he fell ill and was unable to complete his studies. Twenty six years later, after studying intensively for only ten weeks, he took the finals exam in history and was awarded his Master’s degree.
. Again illness struck and he was unable to follow his chosen career as a concert pianist and
piano teacher. The conductor Zubin Mehta
was one of his early piano pupils.
cricket
captain, and Douglas Kennedy, English Folk Dance and Song Society
president, came to him for lessons.
From early childhood Phiroz Mehta had a burning interest in religion
and philosophy
and he was closely involved with the Theosophical Society
for many years. At the age of 16 he was running the Colombo
branch.
In 1956 his first major book, Early Indian Religious Thought, was published. It was not however until 1976, after extensive study, research and travel in India that he completed The Heart of Religion, a profound study of the essence common to all religious experience. During these years a frequent visitor to his south London home, Dilkusha, for advice on Eastern religions was Fritjof Capra
, author of The Tao of Physics
et alia. He subsequently published three more books, Zarathushtra (1985), Buddhahood (1988) and Holistic Consciousness (1989).
Through his knowledge of current scientific thinking and his lifelong study of all the major religions (notably Christianity
, Buddhism
, Zarathushtrianism
, Hinduism
, and Qabalah) together with life experience in both India and Great Britain, Phiroz Mehta not only bridged the fields of science and religion but also linked the cultural heritage of the East and the West.
During his lifetime he gave over three thousand lectures on religion and Indian culture to learned societies, university students, schools and conference centres in England
, Holland, Germany
, India and at his London
home, Dilkusha.
Phiroz Mehta always insisted that he was not to be regarded as a guru or as a leader of any movement but essentially as a fellow student. He regarded every person as being unique, discovering truth through his or her own way of life.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n-born writer and lecturer on religious topics. He also had many other interests including astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
.
Early life
He was born to Parsi ZarathushtrianZoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
parents in Cambay, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and was brought up in the Zarathushtrian
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
religion.
His interest since early boyhood in all the major religions of the world was not confined to a theoretical study. Deeply concerned with discovering through personal experience the Truth which is the Heart of Religion, he practised both the outer and the inner disciplines of several great religions.
Education
After his schooling at Royal College, Colombo, he won a scholarship to Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
where he read Natural Sciences and History. The scholarship was not allowed however because he had no birth certificate and even though the case was taken as far as the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
no grant was given! Fortunately private sponsorship was found and he was able to commence his studies. During his final year at Cambridge he fell ill and was unable to complete his studies. Twenty six years later, after studying intensively for only ten weeks, he took the finals exam in history and was awarded his Master’s degree.
Pianist
From 1924 until 1932 he studied the piano with the world renowned pianist Solomon, giving recitals in India and BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Again illness struck and he was unable to follow his chosen career as a concert pianist and
piano teacher. The conductor Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
was one of his early piano pupils.
Philosophy
He now devised his own system of physical education to promote health and self-expression through rhythmic movement and breathing and taught this method for fifteen years. People as diverse as C.B. Fry, the EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
captain, and Douglas Kennedy, English Folk Dance and Song Society
English Folk Dance and Song Society
The English Folk Dance and Song Society was formed in 1932 when two organisations merged: the Folk-Song Society and the English Folk Dance Society. The EFDSS, a member-based organisation, was incorporated as a Company limited by guarantee in 1935 and became a Registered Charity The English Folk...
president, came to him for lessons.
From early childhood Phiroz Mehta had a burning interest in religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and he was closely involved with the Theosophical Society
Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society is an organization formed in 1875 to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. The original organization, after splits and realignments has several successors...
for many years. At the age of 16 he was running the Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
branch.
In 1956 his first major book, Early Indian Religious Thought, was published. It was not however until 1976, after extensive study, research and travel in India that he completed The Heart of Religion, a profound study of the essence common to all religious experience. During these years a frequent visitor to his south London home, Dilkusha, for advice on Eastern religions was Fritjof Capra
Fritjof Capra
Fritjof Capra is an Austrian-born American physicist. He is a founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California, and is on the faculty of Schumacher College....
, author of The Tao of Physics
The Tao of Physics
The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism is a book by physicist Fritjof Capra, published in 1975 by Shambhala Publications of Berkeley, California. It was a bestseller in the United States, and has been published in 43 editions in 23 languages...
et alia. He subsequently published three more books, Zarathushtra (1985), Buddhahood (1988) and Holistic Consciousness (1989).
Through his knowledge of current scientific thinking and his lifelong study of all the major religions (notably Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Zarathushtrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
, Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, and Qabalah) together with life experience in both India and Great Britain, Phiroz Mehta not only bridged the fields of science and religion but also linked the cultural heritage of the East and the West.
During his lifetime he gave over three thousand lectures on religion and Indian culture to learned societies, university students, schools and conference centres in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Holland, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, India and at his London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
home, Dilkusha.
Phiroz Mehta always insisted that he was not to be regarded as a guru or as a leader of any movement but essentially as a fellow student. He regarded every person as being unique, discovering truth through his or her own way of life.
Posthumous publications
- Insight into Individual Living (1995)
- The Oakroom Talks on Buddhism (1998)
External links
- Being Truly Human - The website of the Phiroz Mehta Trust