Set at an ashram in a remote forest in Tamil Nadu, India, Gurukulam
(meaning: family of the teacher; traditional place of study) follows a
French Muslim businessman, an American psychology professor, a Japanese
Yoga teacher, and a young South Indian Brahmin, as they study the
ancient practice of Advaita Vedanta, the Hindu tradition of non-duality
and one of the philosophical roots of the Yoga movement, as taught by
Swami Dayananda Saraswati, spiritual Guru of Indian prime minister
Narendra Modi and one of the few remaining traditional teachers of
Vedanta. Widely sought after for both his command of Hindu spiritual
texts, such as the Upani?ads and the Bhagavad Gita, as well as his
capacity to communicate ancient wisdom into living experience, Dayananda
weaves together daily chores, meditation, ritual, and rigorous study to
impart his knowledge and experience to his pupils and connect the
natural and spiritual worlds in moments of surprising revelation and
comic contradiction. Deeply observational and experiential, Gurukulam
evokes the presence of the place and a tactile sense of the sacred. From
Swami Dayananda’s first lesson: ‘Saying is only an expression of what
you see,’ GURUKULAM is a rare invitation to look, listen, and experience
a contemplative rhythm of life as old as the Bhagavad Gita and as new
as present-day India.