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In 2008, I looked at the stats for this website and noticed that thousands of visitors enter this site by searching for information about me. I find this to be quite odd and decided to pull the page filled with my biodata. What really matters is my work, which I realize is also ephemeral like everything else.
If you need to know more, let me just mention that I left behind my indological research in order to dedicate myself as much as possible to the present-day environmental and social crisis. I do, however, continue to work on TYS's distance learning courses. Also in 2008, it struck me that I should avoid as much as possible publishing my books through regular publishers but make them available primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) in PDF format. Thus, we released Green Dharma and Connecting the Dots as free-of-charge PDFs. By the way, our course materials and other published items are all printed on 100 percent recycled ancient-forest-friendly paper.)
The reason for taking this drastic step is that regular publishing is incredibly hard on the environment (mainly because most publishers still refuse to use 100 percent recycled ancient-forest-friendly paper or even just recycled paper, and they also ignore the pollution caused by transporting paper from the papermill to the printer, from the printer to the distributor or wholesaler, and from there to individual bookstores or customers, with possibly even more loops involved). Unfortunately, I am not in a position to buy out my various publishing contracts, and so my publishers continue to devastate the environment by keeping my books in print on regular paper, regardless of my own wishes. I respect those few publishers who have (mostly reluctantly) switched over to at least recycled paper.
By the way, I don't respect authors who, despite the present crisis, do not oblige their publishers to make the necessary switch; surely, they can't plead ignorance, only indifference. For my thoughts on the dreadful state of the world, please click here. As readers of books and magazine articles, you ought to take the initiative of complaining to publishers who don't use reycled paper.
You might think that "Ah, Feuerstein has made enough money off his writings to afford the luxury of going green." Dead wrong! First, contrary to popular belief, most authors don't wade (never mind swim) in money. To any budding writer, I can wholeheartedly recommend to first learn and master a down-to-earth trade before delving into authoring professionally, if at all. This seems a sound notion especially given the hard times ahead of us. Second, my green stance is purchased at a significant personal price, mainly having to live near a busy highway in a rural town rather than in the woods. But I see a green attitude as absolutely necessary. As far as I am concerned, this is the kind of stuff that really matters. I invite you to consider this position for yourself.
Apart from my concern about paper wastage, both my wife and I also promote a sustainable life-style and veganism/vegetarianism. (Read Sharon Gannon's courageous new book Yoga and Vegetarianism.) By the way, there are no part-time vegetarians! And, yes, the category of "meat" includes fish!
Since October 2008, I have considered myself in full retirement. Please know that I no longer write forewords, endorsements, etc. or respond to queries, especially those that are answered on our site or in my books. My wife is kindly handling all regular TYS business.
May everyone's life be blessed!
—Georg Feuerstein