In Loving Honour of Harvey Koniak

Our dear sangha brother, Harvey Koniak, left his body on the 14th of January 2026 at home in Sicily, with his beloved wife, Padma, by his side.

When Guruji heard the news that Harvey had left his body, he shared this message and blessing with Padma:

“Our beloved Harvey has departed from the physical form. I cannot say that I am sad, because I know where he is. Upon departing from this form, we are immediately in a new form, a new space of being. This is why I’m not sad, because this is true.

Harvey is released from the heavy burden of a human form that is not well. But he himself, he’s a sangha man, and so his spirit is very, very much alive in the most beautiful way-more alive than he was on the Earth and in an Earth body.

Bless you Harvey. Bless you Baba, because now you are free from the shackles of an unwell human form. But you, in your heart and spirit and soul, are very well.

God bless you.

I love you onwardly. Our connection is not finished, but rather it is released and more heightened. I am going to tell you that I am happy for you, for you both, and I bless you in the heart. And now that you are free from the burden of a sick body, you will also bless those who you love and who are your sangha.

I bless you Harvey, for the most elevating and evolved experiencing in the climate of the spirit, of true being, having dropped the human body for now. And I send you my love, even the word, ‘send’, feels a little bit too distant, because as we speak, you receive. This love and this blessing does not have distance to cover, it is immediate in the spirit.

Bless you Harvey. I love you.”

From the age of 20, Harvey was seeking the truth. He followed the teachings of Gurdjieff, bringing conscious inquiry into his daily life through self-observation and an examination of the ego. Along the way, life unfolded for Harvey in many rich and varied chapters, including the blessing of having 4 children and 7 grandchildren.

In the swinging 60s, he became a renowned hairdresser in London, working for Vidal Sassoon and styling the hair of the Beatles, Twiggy, and many others. Even then, Harvey spoke openly with clients about spirituality and inner life, lifting their hearts and inspiring them toward greater awareness. He later founded his own company, the now well-known hairdressing and cosmetics line, Molton Brown. After 20 years of building and running his business, Harvey stepped away from it all and became a Bikram yoga teacher in London. Yet throughout every chapter, his longing for deeper meaning and truth never faded.

In 2012, Harvey and Padma were introduced to Guruji by a friend—though Harvey later recalled having seen Guruji many years earlier in Brixton market. Over time, Harvey came to recognize that although he had been on a spiritual path for nearly 50 years, it was Guruji who would take him all the way home. It was Guruji who opened his heart fully.

Harvey’s love for Guruji was pure and without pretense—marked by a childlike innocence, simplicity, and clarity. His devotion carried no performance or complexity, only sincerity and openness. During an online intensive, Harvey offered a powerful sharing:

“Although Guruji’s physical presence is 1,500 miles away,
my experience is that he is next to my side always.
He can be many places at the same time, because form and shape are not him.
The real Mooji is everywhere and helping everyone.
I see it so clearly.”

After his last visit to Sahaja in 2023, Harvey was diagnosed with kidney dysfunction, and his health gradually declined. Over the following two years, Padma lovingly supported and cared for Harvey, helping to ensure his comfort and well-being. Padma shares that after a fall last year in which Harvey broke his thigh bone, something shifted even more deeply within him, and he became noticeably freer.

Padma also reflects:

“Harvey always felt like a magical Mr. Poppins to me—a soul much like Mary Poppins
—arriving quietly, leaving joy behind, and lifting hearts wherever he went.
His smile carried light, his words carried wisdom, and his heart carried love.”

Harvey’s life was one of sincere seeking, quiet devotion, and gentle service.
He touched many hearts, often without knowing it, and leaves behind a fragrance of love, humility, and truth.