When he was only nine years old, Satish Kumar renounced the world and joined the wandering bortherhood of Jain monks. Dissuaded from this path by an inner voice at the age of eighteen, he became a compaigner for land reform, working to turn Gandhi's vision of a renewed India into reality. Fired by the example of Bertrand Russell, he undertook an 8,000-mile peace pilgrimage, walking from India to America without any money, through mountains, deserts, storms and snow. It was an adventure during which he was thrown into jail in France, faced a loaded gun in America - and delivered packets of 'peace tea' to the leaders of the four nuclear powers. In 1973 he settled in England, taking on the editorship of Resurgence magazine, and becoming the guiding light behind a number of ecological spiritual and educational ventures. Following Indian tradition, in his fiftieth year he undertook another pilgrimage: again without any money, he walked to the holy places of Britain - Glastonbury Lindisfarne and Iona. Written with a penetrating simplicity, No Destination is an exhilarating account of an extraordinary life.
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"Describes episodes in the author's life which may people would dismiss as fable were they not true." -- David Nicholson-Lord, The Independent
"If there is any single book which exudes both wisdom and tranquillity, then it is your autobiography." -- Victor Papanek, author of Design for the Real world
"One of the few life-changing books I have ever read. I wish everyone would read it." -- Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul
"Reading this book, you will have the rare pleasure of meeting a warm and witty, thoroughly genuine man, and one whose inspiration will not fail to move you." -- Kirkpatrick Sale
"Satish Kumar is among the most important educators of the 20th century. His lifelong odyssey adds a compelling flesh and blood reality to the wisdom of the East." -- Theodore Roszak
"Satish Kumar's unique story is stranger than fiction." -- Hazel Henderson
"If there is any single book which exudes both wisdom and tranquillity, then it is your autobiography." -- Victor Papanek, author of Design for the Real world
"One of the few life-changing books I have ever read. I wish everyone would read it." -- Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul
"Reading this book, you will have the rare pleasure of meeting a warm and witty, thoroughly genuine man, and one whose inspiration will not fail to move you." -- Kirkpatrick Sale
"Satish Kumar is among the most important educators of the 20th century. His lifelong odyssey adds a compelling flesh and blood reality to the wisdom of the East." -- Theodore Roszak
"Satish Kumar's unique story is stranger than fiction." -- Hazel Henderson
About the Author
Satish Kumar is an internationally renowned speaker on ecological and spiritual issues. He lives in England, and is Editor of Resurgence magazine, Director of Programmes at Schumacher College and founder of the UK?Schumacher Society.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By ian russell
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I came to this book after watching Adam Graham-Brown's spellbinding and beautifully filmed documentary on Satish Kumar; Earth Pilgrim, A Year on Dartmoor. Desiring to know more about the subject, I soon learned about the story of the ''Peace Walk'' undertaken by Kumar and was intrigued by the idea of walking across continents without any means of support, for whatever the cause it might be. Surely an astounding story is there to be read. In this I was sadly disappointed, both in the detail and the omissions. It was far too brief, whole countries rushed past in short paragraphs, and poor old Belgium didn't even get its own sentence. It gave a sense of a reluctance to tell this part of his story - or forgetfulness, perhaps; it was a while ago.
What came before the walk, his childhood in India, life with the Jains, and following Ghandiism, was fascinating and interesting. However, after the walk the story develops into a mixed bag of banal living in the west: business endeavours, house-hunting, family-raising, schooling, seasoned by a slightly incongruous, though thankfully brief, spell of adulterous sex-farce. Honesty all well and good but this was putting me off somewhat. Still, I persevered.
I'm glad I did. The pearl in this book is the longer account of his pilgrimage to Iona to mark his fiftieth. Taking in the length and breadth of Britain, he does this in the spirit of his earlier walk: on foot, mostly, and relying entirely on the goodwill of his friends and his magazine readership. It is brilliantly described and, unlike the earlier walk, I sensed he wanted to tell this story in full. I also felt I learned more about the man in this chapter than in the rest of the book. At the end of the second walk he mentions undertaking two further pilgrimages though gives us nothing about them. This is a shame as I feel, if these had been told as half as well as Iona, the three together would have made an excellent book on their own.
The book ends with an interesting and enlightening interpretation of Ghandi's tenets which Kumar follows and would like others to appreciate. This is the ''life changing'' bit they warn you about, I expect, and what better place to finish (although having said that, this could be a book I'd selectively revisit).
What came before the walk, his childhood in India, life with the Jains, and following Ghandiism, was fascinating and interesting. However, after the walk the story develops into a mixed bag of banal living in the west: business endeavours, house-hunting, family-raising, schooling, seasoned by a slightly incongruous, though thankfully brief, spell of adulterous sex-farce. Honesty all well and good but this was putting me off somewhat. Still, I persevered.
I'm glad I did. The pearl in this book is the longer account of his pilgrimage to Iona to mark his fiftieth. Taking in the length and breadth of Britain, he does this in the spirit of his earlier walk: on foot, mostly, and relying entirely on the goodwill of his friends and his magazine readership. It is brilliantly described and, unlike the earlier walk, I sensed he wanted to tell this story in full. I also felt I learned more about the man in this chapter than in the rest of the book. At the end of the second walk he mentions undertaking two further pilgrimages though gives us nothing about them. This is a shame as I feel, if these had been told as half as well as Iona, the three together would have made an excellent book on their own.
The book ends with an interesting and enlightening interpretation of Ghandi's tenets which Kumar follows and would like others to appreciate. This is the ''life changing'' bit they warn you about, I expect, and what better place to finish (although having said that, this could be a book I'd selectively revisit).
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
'No Destination' has left more of a lasting impression on me than any other book I have read for years. Satish Kumar draws an incredibly vivid, beautiful and uplifting picture of his life, and life going on around him, often describing a fascinating and alien culture, but celebrating the universality of the human spirit. It is a song for peace and the story of an incredible man.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Starting with his birth and ending in 1991, 'No Destination' is the autobiography of Satish Kumar, the campaigner reknowned for his epic pilgrimages in the name of peace. The book details his journeys and his life between these walks. It examines the influences on his life, from becoming a monk at 9 years old, to setting up a college to promote ecology and spirituality. At 287 pages long it is not always an easy read, at times the journeys feel like a list of place names, and at other times his life seems very distant from our western daily routines. Though, this is a book which can be picked up and put down at your leisure and should therefore, with slower reading, give clearer indications as to why Satish Kumar undertakes these challenges and also why he makes life decisions that are perhaps alien to some of us. His life is indeed extraordinary and for readers who enjoy journeys of self-exploration, this book must be at the top of reading lists.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting
Interesting, if not a little tedious at times. Accounts his pilgrimages across the world and around Britain. Give it a go.
Published 3 months ago by SR COOPER
5.0 out of 5 stars
Travelling without money
When the guru of Satish blessed his journey but told him to travel without money, the journey changed from being ordinary to
being extraordinary.
being extraordinary.
Published 5 months ago by Maggy
5.0 out of 5 stars
No Destination:an Autobiography by Satish Kumar
The whole world should read this book.It is written in such a beautifully simple way, a complete joy to read. Thank you Satish,the world needs more people like you.
Published on 8 Feb 2009 by MrsAMVeneto
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