Mouni Sadhu; Mieczyslaw Demetriusz Sudowski; Michael Sadau; Michael Sadowski

Sadhu, Mouni, 1897-1971  

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This is a file in the correspondence of Thomas Merton under the heading: "Sadhu, Mouni".

Biography

Mouni Sadhu, born in Poland as Mieczyslaw Demetriusz Sudowski. Although he published a number of books, the details of his life are sketchy. He was known variously as an occultist and a practicing Catholic to his death and a bridge-builder between Christian and Hindu traditions. As a young man, he fought for Germany during World War I. He married in 1936, but his wife was said to have died in a German bombing of Poland in 1939. He fought against the Germans in World War II, was captured and imprisoned until liberated by the Allies in 1945. He then went first to France and after another year to Brazil. There, he wrote his first book (in Portuguese), Quem Sou Eu?. Thence, he spent a year studying under Sri Ramana Maharshi before permanently residing in Australia. He writes to Merton from Box Hill, Victoria, Australia, asking Merton to write a Foreword for a planned book, Contemplation: an Outline for Practical Study (published under the title Meditation: an Outline for Practical Study). (Source: Pugsley, Tim. "Mouni Sadhu - Information." Website. Accessed 2006/03/15. ‹http://www.mounisadhu.com›.)

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