Introduction

    Gurus know something out about life that most of us are totally ignorant of. They have a purpose which they will totally devote themselves to no matter what. There are two main aspects of a guru's lifestyle which I envy, the first being their extreme devotion to the practice of their religion and pursuit of truth, and the second being the courage which these people must have to undertake such a drastic change in their lives. Sages remove themselves from the corrupted parts of this world. They practice a life of minimalism and denial. The path of their lives is as straight as an arrow. Through their lives, gurus attempt to achieve salvation for themselves and the world, which I think is the most noble task that a person can pursue. I think that everyone can gain something great if they make an attempt to better understand and relate to the lives of gurus.

     Gurus, sages, hermits play an extremely important part of Indian culture. Their lives of denial and the pursuit of truth provide guidance for the modern day Indians. It was the guru Vishwamitra, who had given up his role as a king to pursue a true and simple life, who started Rama on his action packed journey. In epic stories from India, such as Ramayana, this group of people fills many different roles. Many are teachers, imparting knowledge upon those who travel past them. Others contain immeasurable powers, such as Gautama able to hold even the Gods accountable for grievous actions and sins.

    Gurus still play a huge role in modern Indian culture. Mahatma Gandhi, one of India's most famous and revered modern persons, pursued a lifestyle which favored simplicity. Millions upon millions of people still pursue life and truth and liberation with a similar zeal that ancient gurus used to, even if they themselves are not gurus. With so many of these people still existing and practicing a minimalist lifestyle across India, it is important to understand the purpose and history behind choosing such a lifestyle.

    I attempted to give the reader a greater understanding of the simple lives and minimalist ideology of Gurus. I showed the reader what kinds of messages can be portrayed through the fictional lives of ancient gurus. I did this through the eyes and ears of Alexander the Great. Because Alexander the Great led the invasion of India during one of his military campaigns, he was exposed to the people and culture that India had to provide. For example, during his campaign Alexander captured ten gurus who had take a minimalist lifestyle to such an extreme that they even believed clothing and food as items which corrupt they pursuit towards purity. I told stories of different devotees through Alexander's letters back home to various family members and government officials.

    One of the devotees included in my storybook is Gautama. I gave a retelling of his life because of the purity of mind which he possessed. To obtain a purity of mind, one must remove all evil and lustful thoughts. Another devotee who found his way into my story was Viśvamitra. I chose him because he gave up an entire kingdom to pursue a life as a guru. I also wrote about a Guru named Parasurama. He chose to use teaching as a way to restore Dharma. The final Guru in my storybook goes by the name of Mankanaka. He was an aceteic who lived off the Grasses and Weeds. Manaka almost kills the world with his joyous dancing.

    AFter reading each of these letters home, the audience gains a little more understanding into the personal struggles that filled Alexander's life. Even thousands of years later, these ascetics still have something to teach us.