Ishan Shivanand Ji discusses a 1938 longitudinal study tracking three generations to see how spiritual practice shapes family well-being. He connects the research to his guru lineage, arguing that a parent's depth of practice influences their children and grandchildren, and wants to translate the findings into practical guidance for his community.
You're doing a study that's continuing for generations.
Yeah.
The study started, I don't know, you said 75 years?
87. 1938.
Boy, that's a long time.
It's a long time. You get to look at the people, their kids, their grandkids, and just the, just the, the, just the two generations, the kid, the, the original people and their children.
And I love it because you are giving, you are bringing articulation to this because this is something that is so common in my life because my father was the guru before me.
Yeah.
Then there was the guru before him. So there was the guru before him.
Yeah.
So we, the families that are associated with the path, I have seen their grandfather and their father. I have grown up with their kids.
Yeah.
And I see sometimes that, you know, people who are half-assing their spiritual practice, how that impacts their kids, or people who are very sincere about their practice. And, you know, these are things that you start to understand, but you don't really put words to them. And then you see through experience, like a chef would know how much salt to put just by feeling. Yeah, he doesn't know. It's just that flavor. And through time, he has mastered that art. The same I would see. And then from those people, I would learn, and I would pick up the traits that really help, and what they did to help their kids. Then I can teach to the other, uh, people. And you are actually studying it and putting words to it. So I would really love to look at your study and really implement it in my community as well, because this is what we do. Generational spiritual growth.
I would be glad to show you what we've learned. And, you know, I mean, I can give you— there are lots of articles, there are lots of scientific papers, many of which will put you to sleep. But as a, you know, with a research background, you might be more interested. But it's very, you know, as you know, these things are written in such technical language, but they are about the essence of well-being. At the, at the core. And so it, um, yeah, I would, and I would really love to know more about what you are doing and the different experiments that you're conducting.
And, and this is important, sir, because I think the whole point of civilization is learning the lesson from each other.
Oh yeah, yeah.
And this is, I think, in the past 50 years we've forgotten to do. We, we have become alienated, isolated, and we don't learn from each other. And this is the whole Guru Parampara. This is what, you know, the technical jargon is not technical for me. It is adventure when I'm reading all this because we are learning from other people's experiences so that we don't make the same mistakes and we can benefit from the behavior that they benefited from. And I think this is most beautiful and powerful. And this is from where the concepts of Dharma come from? Because, you know, sometimes I sit and think, and I think to myself that all these scriptures that we read in theology and Eastern philosophies, there must have been some rishi, some great monk, and his team of people, of researchers, who would have looked at everybody and who would have said that, okay, this makes sense, this doesn't make sense, let's compile it all into that. Yeah, let's give it to the next generation. And I think it's very important that the same exercise be done today. I think that's where research comes into play. So, right, that's why I love data. I love working with different groups of people. And as I said, you know, learning from each other.
Well, I'd be glad to show you any data you would like to see in our study. Um, I know Luke had said that we are, uh, much over our time, but this is such a pleasure talking to you. I mean, it's strange getting to meet you online in this way, but what, what a pleasure.
