JI
Aryan Culture
Jinamanjari
Vol. 29 · No. 01
Article details • Title: My Encounter With Jainism • Author: Mr. Leon Bensimon • Journal: Jinamanjari: International Journal of Contemporary Jaina Reflections • Issue: Vol. 29, No. 1 (April 2004) • ISSN: 1188-0287 (print) Short bio (verifiable highlights) • Background & India ties: Léon Bensimon was a French pacifist/yoga teacher who went to the subcontinent in 1951 with the Service Civil International, lived in Indian ashrams, and was closely connected with Acharya Vinoba Bhave (Gandhi’s spiritual heir). • Paris years: Taught hatha-yoga in Paris for many years; acquaintances included figures like B.K.S. Iyengar and J. Krishnamurti (per contemporaneous recollections). • Publications: He also wrote reflective pieces on spiritual life, e.g., “Deux expériences intérieures en Inde” (3e Millénaire). • Later life: Sources recall him as Moroccan-born (Fès) and note a date of death in 1991 (memorial reflection). Early Paris Life & Teaching • By 1974, Bensimon had already been teaching yoga in Paris for many years. • He lived in a small attic on Rue de Vaugirard, near Luxembourg Gardens. • His room was very modest—just a bed, desk, and sink—radiating balance and tranquility. • On the walls were photographs with Pandit Nehru, the Dalai Lama, Vinoba Bhave, and one of himself in the yogic lion pose (tongue out, which he joked was to welcome visitors). • Practiced detachment and simplicity: valued inner life over possessions. Views on Freedom & Yoga Teaching • Believed true freedom requires not identifying with anything—but admitted he hadn’t fully achieved this. • Had been teaching hatha yoga (learned in India) for more than a decade. • Chose students carefully, insisting they be sincere and persevering. • Emphasized presence, breathing, relaxation, and releasing tension (“as long as there is a tense fingertip, you cannot go further”). • Adapted intuitively for each student: “For each student, I feel what is needed.” India Experience & Encounters • Went to India in 1951 with the International Civil Service (ICS), driven by pacifist ideals of nonviolence, cooperation, and service. • Lived in many ashrams, met Swami Sivananda (Rishikesh sage) and J. Krishnamurti. • With Krishnamurti, had a profound experience: his mind cleared of questions, felt merged with everything (“I was the cow, I was the water carrier, I was everything”). • Strongest influence: Vinoba Bhave, Gandhi’s spiritual heir and founder of the Bhoodan (land donation) movement. Bond with Vinoba Bhave • Felt a mystical connection with Vinoba on April 18, 1951, in Grenoble—the same day Vinoba began his first land donation walk. • Lived with Vinoba at Sevagram Ashram, accompanied him on his pilgrimages across India. • Witnessed Vinoba’s immense efforts: walking thousands of kilometers, persuading landowners, and distributing 2 million hectares of land to peasants. • Vinoba encouraged villages to be self-sufficient and republic-like. • Bensimon admired Vinoba’s detachment, humility, energy, and practicality: “Vinoba himself does not act, he is ‘acted’.” Daily Life with Vinoba • Routine: up at 3 AM, prayer, then walking with Vinoba from 4 AM onwards. • In villages, locals welcomed Vinoba with flower garlands and guards of honor. • Through these pilgrimages, Bensimon felt freedom, joy, and peace. Return to Paris & Reflections • Eventually returned to Paris but saw himself as a citizen without borders; considered India his second homeland. • Felt urban Paris wasn’t conducive to contemplation, but he wanted to share what he learned. • Motivated students to visit India—saw their journeys as a continuation of his own. • Often said his greatest joy was in those mystical, harmonious moments “when the entire universe passes through you.”