Living the Rig Veda: Hervé’s Extraordinary Story

Heartfelt narratives on humility and divinity

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I recently made a wonderful and eye-opening connection through a simple comment on my Medium post. Hervé Le Bevillon, who has spent many rich years studying and living with the wisdom of the Rig Veda and written several deep books about it (which we'll look at in-depth soon), replied to my writing. This led to a moving and enlightening talk about his life's unique story.

Brittany

Hervé, now 77, has made his home in Locarn (Lokarn in Breton) in the gentle heart of Brittany, where he's lived for about 15 years after moving from St Brieuc. His work life took many winding paths - he lit up movie screens for 8 months in 1967, then brought goods to market stalls, ran a warm and busy café, and later started and led a group helping others find their way back to work.

But it was his deep path to find life's true meaning that caught my heart and mind. Here are the bright gems from our talk:

Me: "Can you tell me about your time as a sadhu in India?"

Hervé: "I stepped into India in early 1973. I wasn't a 'real' sadhu since I didn't want a guru. My wake-up to spirit - what we call Moksha - had already lit up my soul in Morocco in 1970. I began this path with next to nothing - just a wrap and cotton sheets to wear.

A Naga Baba, covered in ash - WikiCommons Image

A few sweet days after I got to Varanasi, I met the naga-babas - holy men who live almost bare, with sacred ash on their skin. They warmly asked me to sit with them by their fire, which burned with wood from the burning ghats. I stayed about two bright months there, eating from prashad - blessed food that temples give to those in need.

It's God giving to God

Then I walked to Rishikesh, where I found peace in caves across from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's place - yes, the same wise guru who taught the Beatles. I moved like a free spirit through North India, finding my way to spots like Haridwar, Kullu, Manali, Ajmer, and Agra. I spent two holy months at a temple in Kullu. The soul trip went on for almost a year until I got very sick from bad water - it made me so weak I weighed just 50 kg even though I was 1.83m tall. They had to send me home in time."

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - WikiCommons Image

Me: "What shines brightest in your mind from that time?"

Hervé: "Many things touched my heart, but one sits like a star above them all. Early in my walks, I was riding in a truck. The driver and I couldn't share words - he knew no English, and I knew no Hindi. When he stopped at a small road café, I stayed in the truck as my pockets were empty. I saw him talk softly to the owner while looking my way. Then the owner waved with kind eyes for me to come in. He asked me to share his food, and when I tried to give thanks, he said words that lit up my soul: 'Don't say thanks - it's God giving to God.' That light stays in my heart to this day."

Our ego holds us like chains

Me: "How did letting go of body and ego change how you see our world now?"

Hervé: "The deep shift that woke in Morocco and grew in India keeps flowing now. When I look at how we live, which hasn't changed much since old Sumer, I see we're at the edge of a cliff. The way we chase things, our deep greed, and blind pride, most of all in the West, have put us all in the shadow of danger. The dying climate, wild storms, endless wars, empty food bowls, quick-spread disease, unfair splits of wealth - these are real now, not just far-off fears. I think we have a few tens of years before we can't fix our home. I hope my heart is wrong, but I doubt we can change - our ego holds us like chains.

Rig Veda

Yet sitting still would be just as dark. That's why I give my days to the Rig Veda. Past its deep spirit light, it shows me a world with no ego - spread like a soft blanket over a million square kilometres and living in peace for at least 1,500 years with no wars, no armies, no slaves, no walls between rich and poor. No other group of souls has touched this dream. It's the mirror flip of how we live now.

Rig Veda - WikiCommons Image

I think sharing these old truths matters because when our way dies, we'll need to plant new seeds - people can't bloom alone."

And…so?

Now in his quiet years, Hervé fills his days with the light of the Rig Veda and the world of that golden time. He's brought this old text to life in both English and French and written a heartfelt book about the world of the seven rivers. His burning wish to share this old wisdom that could help us build a better dawn is truly moving.

I warmly invite you to walk through more of Hervé's deep ideas at his blog: https://rigveda.blog/. In the stories to come, we'll look with fresh eyes at his work on the Rig Veda and what this ancient text might teach us about making a world where all souls can dance in harmony.

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