Madikeri: Biddanda K. Subbaiah,  fondly called as Jack Subbaiah, who was revered as a Guru by thousands of people in Kodagu and outside, passed away in Bengaluru last evening. He was 84. Subbaiah founded Soham Dhyana Yoga and owned Modur Estate near Madikeri. He was also the President of Kodagu Vidyalaya. 

He propagated Advaitha philosophy and had many followers even in foreign countries and he used to stress on Dhyana Yoga. Oneness and unity with God was among his preaching and he criticised the common habit of praying for divine intervention for problems faced by human beings. Whenever problems bother a person, Jack used to say, “Time to Pass”. He used to advise people that like passing clouds, problems too will pass.  

A distinct quality of Jack Subbaiah was that during Satsanga, he used to preach Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Sufi philosophy Zen Buddhism, Kabala and Shaivism. He used to preach in a language that is understood by common man. 

Apart from being a Guru, Jack was a good photographer, avid agriculturalist and had a deep interest in sports. Despite being a Guru, he lived the life of a common man and this character made him connect with the masses. He was way apart from other spiritual leaders who with a little spiritual knowledge lead a lavish life. Subbaiah leaves behind his wife, a son and two daughters. The mortal remains will be cremated on Aug. 27 in Bengaluru, said family sources.