Year 6 pupils were given a presentation on ‘What am I?’, a new publication that Mr and Mrs Jessup, Sanskrit teachers at St James, are launching on Saturday 8 June.

It is a translation into English of a Sanskrit text attributed to the philosopher Shankara, teaching the philosophy of non-duality. In the text the nature of ‘I’ is explored, challenging our usual assumptions. The first verse of the text, for example, says, ‘I do not grow old, nor do I die. I am consciousness, awareness of the inner Self. I am ultimate bliss, the resting place, ever complete.’ The grandfather of a Year 6 pupil, the artist Brian Wright, was inspired to paint an image in response to the last sentence of this verse. The illustration will appear on the front cover. If you would like to attend the launch lecture and associated events, either in person or online, please click on the below link. All are welcome. Several Year 6 pupils said they were ‘enlightened’ having engaged with the new text!

For almost 40 years now, Warwick Jessup has been teaching Sanskrit at St James Schools. In the late 1980s he began, along with a team of teachers, to develop text books and Sanskrit resources, both physical and later online, for children aged 4 to 18 years of age.

A native New Yorker, Elena Jessup has been teaching Sanskrit for 28 years and is one of the main Sanskrit teachers at St James Schools. She loves Vedic chanting and hopes her enthusiasm for all aspects of Sanskrit is shared by her pupils!