Although the domain of spirituality seems male-dominated, many women feature on the list of famous spiritual leaders and have a good following. They have earned respect among the common masses, helped several spiritually inclined individuals on their journey towards enlightenment, and through their speeches and writings, these female spiritual gurus have spread knowledge around the world. Their life and work have broadened the understanding of many about various aspects of spiritualism, such as finding life’s purpose, seeking the divine, pursuing success and growth, achieving joy and peace and walking the path to spiritual enlightenment. Due to social media, most of them have a prominent presence online. They have travelled across the globe to impart knowledge, they have influenced many through their teachings, their work has helped many to achieve self-transformation, and they have touched several lives. Here is a look at 5 famous women spiritual gurus.

Anandmayi Ma

 

Believed to be an incarnation of goddess Durga, she was an Indian ascetic, teacher and mystic. Her teaching revolved around the idea that the supreme calling of every individual is to aspire for self-realization. She believed that everyone is correct in their own standpoint and never advised the same spiritual methods to everyone. She used to guide people of all paths and religions. She did not like being called a guru. She advised how to lead a God-centred life.

Her method of teaching included jokes, songs and instructions about daily living, coupled with meditation and long discourses. It is said that since a young age she was seen detached from the material world and immersed in the divine. Today, she has many active followers in India. Learn more about her here.

Sarada Devi

 

She was the wife and spiritual consort of Indian saint Ramakrishna, who called her Sarada Devi and the incarnation of the Divine Mother of the Universe. She spent a long time in pilgrimages, meditation and sadhana and guided young students of Ramkrishna. The group of disciples she guided was led by Swami Vivekanand, who accepted Sarada Devi as his guru and joined the Ramakrishna Order.

Sri Sarada Math and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission is based on her life and ideals. She was instrumental in popularizing the Ramakrishna Movement. She advocated the practice of meditation, said that the mind is everything and it is only the mind that feels pure or impure. She said that to have peace of mind, one must see their own faults and that to achieve salvation, one requires to have complete devotion towards their guru.

Mirra Alfassa

 

Her followers call her ‘The Mother’ or Shri Maa, and she is one of the highly revered spiritual gurus, and an occultist and yoga teacher. She had occult experiences since childhood, and had visions during youth. Her notable works include the development and management of Sir Aurobindo Ashram, establishment of a school in that ashram, and the building of Auroville, an experimental township aimed at uniting humanity.

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

 

She was the founder and guru of Sahaja Yoga, a new religious movement in which practitioners attain a state of self-realization through kundalini awakening, and with it, the practitioner also experiences thoughtless awareness. She called herself a divine incarnation or an avatar of Adi Shakti. She set up a house for the rehabilitation of destitute women in Delhi and an international music school in Nagpur. She travelled to various regions, giving public lectures, pujas and interviews to media.

Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

 

Known as Amma, she is an Indian Hindu spiritual leader, guru and humanitarian. She is the chancellor of the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, a multi-campus, multi-disciplinary deemed university in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated her for giving the biggest contribution to Swachh Bharat Mission, and she has received the Vishwaratna Puraskar and is its first recipient.

Her unique way of giving darshana is hugging people, which is why she is known as the hugging saint. She advocates the importance of meditation, karma yoga, selfless service and cultivation of qualities like compassion, forgiveness and self-control. She has recorded over 1000 bhajans in 35 languages and composed many bhajans. According to her, devotional singing is a spiritual practice. Her humanitarian work spans many areas like food, shelter, healthcare, education, disaster relief and environment.

These were some prominent names among famous female spiritual gurus who have proved to be powerful leaders in the fields of spirituality and religion and mentored several individuals on their spiritual journey and helped them attain self-realization, eternal peace and joy.

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Life and Work of Adi Shankaracharya

Adi Shankara, as he was referred to, was born in 700 CE, though arguably so, as modern scholars assign him this span but scholars of the earlier generations say that he belonged to the period between 788 and 820 CE while the cardinal Advaita Mathas place him between 509 and 477 BCE.

His name literally means the first Shankaracharya and he was an Indian Vedic scholar and teacher of the Advaita Vedanta. He is believed to have re-established the Hindu dharma from the attacks of Buddhists and Jains and helped to remove Buddhism from India. It is also said that by introducing Panchayatana or Pancha Devi Deva Puja (a form of simultaneously worshipping 5 deities Ganesha, Surya, Vishnu, Shiva and Devi), he united various sects like Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Saktism.

Hagiographies from the 14th century to 17th century depict him as someone who travelled across India in the effort to restore Vedic studies. His teachings are based on Smartism or Smarta tradition. He believed that all deities were different forms of one Brahman, the invisible supreme being.

According to the earliest hagiographies, Shankara was born in a village Kaladi in Kerala, in a Nambudiri Brahmin family. His parents were old and they used to serve the poor. They named him Shankara, which means ‘the giver of prosperity’. His father died when he was very young, and his upanayanam was performed by his mother. It is said that Shankara was drawn to hermit-life since childhood. According to a legend, once when he had gone with his mother to a river for bathing, he was caught by a crocodile. He asked his mother for permission to be a sannyasin and said that if she allows, the crocodile would release him. His mother quickly permitted, after which he left his house for education. He was aged only 8 that time.

Shankara reached a Saivite sanctuary along a river in north-central India and accepted Govinda Bhagavatpada as his guru. According to some hagiographies, Shankara’s schooling took place along river Narmada, some hagiographies state Varanasi as his place of schooling, while some sources state that he took education in Badrinath. He learned the Vedas, Upanishads and Brahmasutra from Govindapada. He also learned Gaudapadiya Karika with him. It is believed that Shankara also met many scholars and Buddhists during this time, and he wrote many notable works during youth.

Hagiographies state that Shankara travelled a lot, took part in debates, went on pilgrimages, installed yantras and lingas, and founded monastic centres in various parts of India mainly in Gujarat and Bengal. He inspired the establishment of many Sannyasin schools which gave rise to about ten monastic orders. Four of them have continued in his tradition. They are Bharati (Sringeri), Sarasvati (Kanchi), Tirtha and Asramin (Dvaraka).

Shankara got many disciples during his travels. Some of them are Padmapadacharya (also called Sanandana), Sureshvaracharya, Totakacharya, Chitsukha, Bodhendra, Sadananda among others, who wrote about Shankara and Advaita Vedanta.

Hagiographies of the 14th century and later describe Shankara as the founder of Dasanami Sampradaya, which means he organized Hindu monks of 10 sects under 4 mathas (monasteries) with headquarters in Dwarka, Jagannath Puri, Sringeri and Badrikashrama, and each matha was led by one of his disciples.

As per some prominent hagiographies, Adi Shankara died at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, India. It is said that his students saw him behind the Kedarnath temple walking in the Himalayas, and after a point he could not be traced. Some texts say that Shankara died in Kanchipuram.

Strangely, Shankara was unknown during his lifetime and for centuries after his demise, and he has neither been mentioned in Buddhist or Jain texts nor he has been written about by any of the 9th and 10th century philosophers.

Mandana Misra, a Mimansa scholar and follower of Kumarila, was believed to be the main representative of Advaita. His written work Brahma Siddhi was known in the modern times and he overshadowed Adi Shankara. Mandana Misra’s disciple Vachaspati Misra, said to be an incarnation of Shankara, authored Bhamati, a work that reviews Brahma Sutra Bhashya written by Shankara. As per Bhamati, Jiva is the source of Advaita, and yogic practice and contemplation are crucial for the attainment of liberation, and Vedic studies and reflection help in the process.

As per Hajime Nakamura, an academic of Vedic, Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, till the 11th century, Vedanta was limited to a small group of intellectuals and only after Shankara, theologians of different sects of Hinduism used Vedanta philosophy as the basis of their doctrines and it thereon influenced Indian society at large. The main theme of Shankara’s writing is the knowledge of jivatman (individual self).

Shankara wanted to establish Upanishads as an independent source of knowledge. He aimed to explain how moksha can be achieved by recognizing the real identity of jivatman as Atman-Brahman. Shankara said that the purity and steadiness of mind attained through yoga helps gain the knowledge of moksha. Shankara’s teachings emphasize on withdrawing the mind from sense objects, but not practicing thought suppression, and rather withdrawing the mind from the particular and identification with the universal, leading to contemplation of oneself as the Consciousness. According to Shankara, Atman and Brahman, at the highest level of reality, are identical.

Many biographies of Shankara were written and published in and after the 14th century. One famous biographical work Sankara Vijaya was authored by Madhava Vidyaranya, the 12th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sarada Pitham. He created stories to turn Shankara into a divine folk hero. He popularized Shankara’s teachings and regarded them as the most inclusive. He established a matha, and claimed that it was established by Shankara himself. He garnered help from the royals and his sponsorship and efforts resulted in further increasing the popularity of Shankara.

More on Nirvana Shatakam Mantra – Origin, Sanskrit & English Lyrics, Meaning and Benefits

In the 19th and 20th century, when Neo-Vedantins and western Orientalists said that Advaita Vedanta united Hinduism into a single religious tradition, Adi Shankara gained greater importance. In 2019, a 12-foot status of Adi Shankara was unveiled in Kedarnath. In September 2023, a 108-feet statue of Shankara was unveiled near Omkareshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh.

There are 14 different hagiographies of Adi Shankara’s life. They have been written at different times between centuries to almost thousand years after Shankara’s death, and in Sanskrit as well as other languages. They have differing accounts of Shankara’s life and there is authentic information about him is meagre. However, Shankara’s life, work and wisdom have intrigued scholars since centuries and he is widely known as the ideal sannyasi who founded the nondualist Advaita Vedanta school. In the words of Sadhguru, Adi Shankara was a shining spiritual light who illuminated the land of Bharat with teachings that are impactful even today.

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We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection. ~ Dalai Lama

The 14th Dalai Lama, as the incumbent Dalai Lama is the highest spiritual leader and the head of Tibetan Buddhism. He is 1989 Nobel Peace Prize Winner and has been named by the Time Magazine as Gandhi’s spiritual heir to non-violence. He travels the globe to teach Tibetan Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. He has been instrumental in uniting the Buddhist communities worldwide. Let us take a sneak peek into his life through this biography of Dalai Lama.

Life Story of the 14th Dalai Lama

Born on July 6, 1935, in a farmers’ and horse traders’ family, in a hamlet Taktser in Amdo, Dalai Lama’s birthname was Lhamo Thondup. He went on to be selected as the successor of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1937, and came to be known as the 14th Dalai Lama in 1939. He was ceremoniously enthroned on February 22, 1940 in Lhasa. He came to India in 1959, during the 1959 Tibetan Uprising, and in April of that year, he founded the independent Tibetan government in exile in Mussoorie, India. Since 1960, he has been staying in Dharamshala in India.

Story of Being Selected as the 14th Dalai Lama

Lhamo Thondup was one of the 7 surviving children in their family. His first language was Xining, a dialect of Chinese. The story behind how he came to be the 14th Dalai Lama is quite intriguing. It so happened that after the demise of the 13th Dalai Lama, search teams were sent out in the north-east, the east and the south-east, to look for his successor. Reportedly, the head of the embalmed body of the 13th Dalai Lama had turned to face the north-east, which was interpreted as the direction in which the next Dalai Lama would be found. During that time, the Regent Reting Rinpoche had a vision of a holy lake of Lhamo La-tso, which was interpreted as Amdo being the region where the next Dalai Lama would be found. The image in the vision resembled the house where Lhamo Dhondup lived. The search team members came to this house, one of them posed as a servant, and entered the kitchen. He held an old mala which belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama. Lhamo Thondup, who was only 2 years old then, asked for the mala. The search team member then said that if the child knew who he is, he could have the mala, to which the child supposedly replied, ‘Sera Lama, Sera Lama’. The search team then told who they were and asked if they could give the young boy some tests. In one of the tests, the boy was given different pairs of objects, where one object in each pair belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama and the other did not, and each time the boy selected Dalai Lama’s object. He was selected as the successor of the then Dalai Lama.

Warlord Ma Bufang, ruler of Quinghai, who had captured the north-east corner of Amdo, refused to send the selected boy to Lhasa and asked for proof that the boy was the next Dalai Lama. The Lhasa government pretended that the reason to take the boy to Lhasa was to take him through further tests before declaring him as the 14th Dalai Lama. Also it gave a ransom of 100,000 Chinese dollars to Ma Bufong, after which he allowed the boy to go to Lhasa. He was kept at Kumbum where two of his brothers were already studying as monks. In October 1938, the Method of using the Golden Urn was drafted by Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission. On December 12, 1938, regent Reting Rinpoche informed the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission that three candidates were found and that the ceremony of Golden Urn would be held. On July 21, 1939, Lhamo Thondup, aged 4 embarked on his journey to Lhasa seated in a special palanquin carried by two mules. When they were out of Ma Bufang’s area, Kashag declared him as the 14th Dalai Lama, and they reached Lhasa on October 8, 1939. He was taken in a procession of lamas to Lhasa. Many Chinese and foreign dignitaries attended the enthroning ceremony of the 14th Dalai Lama.

Lhamo Thondup, now recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama spent his childhood years in Potala Palace and Norbulingka. On November 17, 1950, the 14th Dalai Lama, aged just 15, took the position of the ruler or head of state of Tibet.

According to the Seventeen Point Agreement ratified in 1951, Chinese sovereignty over Tibet was recognized, but China allowed the Dalai Lama to rule Tibet.

Aged 19, he toured China from 1954 to 1955, where he met eminent leaders and advocates of communism; and learned Chinese and socialist ideals. In September 1954, he attended the first session of the National People’s Congress as a delegate and discussed China’s constitution. Later he was selected as the Vice Chairman of its Standing Committee, and he held this position till 1964.

Dalai Lama’s Escape to India

When the 1959 Tibetan Uprising started, Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet and reached Tezpur in Assam, India on April 18, 1959. He then established a Government of Tibet in Exile in Dharamshala, India, which is called Little Lhasa. He re-established about 80,000 Tibetan refugees. He founded a Tibetan educational system to teach Tibetan children. In 1959, he established the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts and in 1967, the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies became the primary university for Tibetans. He was instrumental in re-establishing 200 monasteries and nunneries, which helped preserve Tibetan Buddhist teachings and Tibetan culture.

Later he appealed to the United Nations to recognize the rights of Tibetans, which led to the General Assembly adopting 3 resolutions in favour of Tibetans. In 1970, he founded the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamshala, which has more than 80,000 manuscripts and resources in Tibetan history, culture and politics. In the 1970s and 80s, he travelled to various countries to raise awareness about the state of Tibet, and apart from appealing to the United Nations, he met with the European Parliament and corresponded with Chinese leaders to take efforts to establish Tibet as an autonomous region of China. In 2011, Dalai Lama stepped down as head of Tibetan government in exile. Since the 1960s, he had been emphasizing on the necessity of an elected leader for Tibet, and since long before that, had seen himself as partially retired from political leadership, preferring to be Tibet’s spiritual leader. In 2016, Indian citizens and politicians said the Dalai Lama should be honoured with the Bharat Ratna.

Followers of Tibetan Buddhism regard the 14th Dalai Lama as the living Bodhisattva. His name means Ocean of Wisdom. Tibetans know him as Gyalwa Rinpoche, the Precious Jewel-like Buddha Master, Kundun, the Presence and Yizhin Norbu, the Wish Fulfilling Gem. Most Westerners and all his followers call him His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He leads the Gelug School, the most recent school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Philosophy and Teachings of Dalai Lama

• The 14th Dalai Lama advocates the idea of a world free of nuclear weapons. He is part of the Advisory Council of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
• He agrees that the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly should be established.
• He gives lectures and public talks, which are recorded in multiple languages.
• He has conferred the Kalachakra Tantra 33 times on audiences as large as 200,000 people. Kalachakra is known to be one of the most difficult teachings of Buddhism which takes a few weeks to confer.
• He has authored several books on Buddhism.
• He visits different countries on the request of his students, and gives talks on Buddhist teachings. He gives religious speeches in Dharamshala, on the request of Tibetan monastic institutions, Indian organizations or students.
• He has visited many colleges and spoken to students.
• Dalai Lama met Pope Paul VI in 1973 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, for an interfaith dialogue. He took part in the Third Meeting of the Board of World Religious Leaders. In 2009, he inaugurated an interfaith World Religions-Dialogue and Symphony conference.
• In 2010, he, along with some scholars, founded the Common Ground Project in Indiana, USA.
• In 2019, the Dalai Lama fully sponsored ‘Celebrating Diversity in the Muslim World’, the first-ever conference held in New Delhi on behalf of the Muslims of Ladakh.
• He advocated the idea of Tibetan independence from 1961 to 1974, but later he switched to the ‘Middle Way’ whereby he wished for meaningful autonomy for Tibetans. He considers Tibetan culture and Buddhism to be a part of the Chinese culture, and says that Tibetans seek more development from China.
• He has strong views on social topics like animal welfare, death penalty and abortion. He endorses vegetarianism. He often speaks publicly about environmental conservation and says ecology should be a part of our daily life. He is against the death penalty and states that it is violence and not compassion. He maintains that abortion should be allowed or disallowed based on the circumstances.
• He says that he wishes to spread India’s message of non-violence and religious harmony across the globe, and maintains that religion should not be used as a tool to defeat one another.
• Dalai Lama advocates equality for women and calls himself a feminist. He says that women are more sensitive and compassionate by nature, and can be more effective as leaders.
• He calls himself a Marxist. When he heard about the Marxist theory on his trip to Beijing, he was fascinated by the idea and liked the concepts of self-sufficiency and equal distribution of wealth.

Dalai Lama’s Views on his Retirement

In May 2011, Dalai Lama retired from the Central Tibetan Administration. In September of that year, he gave a statement in which he said that when he turned 90, he would consult the high Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, Tibetan people, and followers of Tibetan Buddhism about whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue, and if it is decided that the tradition would continue, legitimate methods should be used for the selection process, and the candidate should not be selected for any political reasons.

Honors and Awards Received by the 14th Dalai Lama

• The 14th Dalai Lama has featured in the list of world’s most admired men. He is widely considered to have an influential personality and universalist values. He is highly admired in the West and is quite popular among celebrities and commoners alike.
• He is the receiver of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.
• He has received the Freedom Medal from the Roosevelt Institute and the Christmas Humphreys Award from the Buddhist Society in UK.
• In 2007, he was honoured with the Congressional Gold Medal.
• In 2006, he was one of the only 6 people to be given the honorary citizenship of Canada.
• He is the chief patron of the Maha Bodhi Society of India.
• In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for liberation of Tibet.
• The 12th General Assembly of the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace in New Delhi gave him the title ‘Universal Supreme Leader of the Buddhist World’ and designated his birthday July 6 as the Universal Day of Compassion.
• Several books have been written about him and he has featured in many films.

The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) is indeed one of the most influential people in the world. Unlike the earlier Dalai Lamas who were relatively isolated and had a sense of mystery around them, the 14th Dalai Lama is a public figure and known for his warmth, sense of humor and charisma. He is committed to promoting basic human values and fostering harmony across religions. He is a man of peace who wants to spread love and establish equality and social justice across the globe. He has faced criticism, and met with controversy, but remains one of the most popular personalities of international acclaim.

The post The Life and Teachings of His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama: Tenzin Gyatso Biography appeared first on Stillchemy.

Early Life and Background

Vivekananda came from a traditional Bengali Kayastha family and was one of the 9 children born to Vishwanath Datta (father), an attorney at the Calcutta High Court and Bhubaneswari Devi (mother), who was a housewife. Vivekananda’s birthname Narendranath was shortened to Naren or Narendra. His father was a progressive thinker while his mother was religious. They shaped Narendra’s personality.

Education and Early Interests

He was inclined to spirituality since a young age. He practiced meditation and was interested in ascetics. As a child he was mischievous. He was enrolled at Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s Metropolitan Institution, at age eight. Here he went to school till 1877. In 1879, he and his family returned to Calcutta and received first-division marks in the Presidency College Entrance exam. Narendranath was fond of reading and interested in Hindu scriptures. He received education in Indian classical music and took an active part in sports. He studied Western logic, western philosophy and European history at the General Assembly’s Institution (today’s Scottish Church College). In 1881, he passed the Fine Arts exam and in 1884, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He was known for his exceptional memory and in some texts, has been referred to as shrutidhara (someone with prodigious memory). There are accounts of him having quoted multiple pages from books out of memory, and of having completed reading many big books in very less time.

Spiritual Inclinations and Influences

In 1880, Narendra joined Keshab Chandra Sen’s Nava Vidhan. Sometime before 1884, he took membership of Freemasonry Lodge. In his twenties, he took membership of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj. From 1881 to 1884, he took active part in Sen’s Band of Hope which aimed at pulling the youth away from smoking and drinking. Due to Sen, Vivekananda was introduced to western esotericism, and could meet Ramakrishna. Perhaps, they first met in 1881, when Ramakrishna asked Narendra to sing and impressed by his talent, invited him to Dakshineshwar. Their meeting proved to be a life-changing event for Narendra. Initially, he objected and questioned Ramakrishna’s ideas of idol worship, polytheism and Advaita Vedanta, and argued with him but Ramakrishna would patiently answer.

Meeting with Ramakrishna

In 1884, Narendra’s father died leaving him bankrupt. During this tough time dealing with the loss of his father and his declining financial condition due to the inability to find any source of earning, he used to visit Ramakrishna and find it soothing. Once he asked Ramakrishna to pray for his financial stability, but Ramakrishna asked him to visit Kali temple and pray for himself. On visiting the temple, he could not pray for materialistic pleasures, but sought instead, true knowledge and gradually got ready to forego everything to gain a real understanding of God. He accepted Ramakrishna as his spiritual master.

Leadership Role

In 1885, after Ramakrishna was diagnosed with throat cancer, he shifted to a house in Cossipore, where Narendra took care of his teacher and also pursued spiritual education. Here he experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Ramakrishna announced Narendra as their future leader. He died on August 16, 1886. After this, many of his disciples adopted the grihasta way of life; and Narendra and other disciples had to find a new place to stay. He decided to convert an old house at Baranagar into a new Math, the first building of Ramakrishna Math, where Narendra and other disciples spent time in meditation and religious practices.

Travel Across India as well as the West

In 1886, Narendra was invited to Antpur village, where he took monastic vows at the Radha Gobinda Jiu Temple and decided to live as their master lived. Here he took the name Swami Vivekananda. From 1888 to 1893, he travelled across India, met people from various religions and introduced himself to varied social and religious traditions. He lived on alms and walked or travelled in a train, to many places in India. Moved by the poverty in the country, he resolved to work towards uplifting the Indian society.

On May 31, 1893, Vivekananda started traveling to the West. He visited Japan, China and Canada and reached Chicago on July 30, 1893. In September that year, Parliament of Religions was held over there. It was an initiative to create a global dialogue of faiths. Later Vivekananda was called upon to speak at Harvard University, and his speech impressed the listeners. On September 11, 1893, he gave a speech representing India and Hinduism where he started with ‘ Sisters and Brothers of America’. For this introduction, he received a 2-minute standing ovation. At that time, his oratory skills and deep knowledge caught media attention, and he was recognized as an excellent speaker and the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions.

For almost 2 years, Vivekananda lectured in several regions of Eastern and Central United States. He established the Vedanta Society of New York in 1894. Later he gave private lectures to his students.  In 1895, he met Margaret Elizabeth Noble who later came to be known as Sister Nivedita. He met some Indologists in the next some time. He was given academic positions in two American universities which he refused to take, believing that this role would conflict with his work as a monk. He created the ‘four yogas’ model and published a book Raja Yoga which was a best-seller.

Return to India and Social Reforms

In 1895, Vivekananda started the periodical Brahmavadin to teach Vedanta. During his stay in Europe, he engaged in social service while also corresponding with his followers in India. On December 30, 1896, he started his return journey to India from Naples. He reached Colombo in January 1897, where he gave his first public speech in the East. He quickly gained popularity among the common masses who waited for him to speak. In India, he talked about eradicating the caste system, promoting science and industrialization, and removing poverty. His lectures were published in ‘Lectures from Colombo to Almora’. On May 1, 1897, Vivekananda established the Ramakrishna Mission for social service. Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are headquartered in Belur Math. He also established two monasteries in India. He mediated an ideological conflict in Punjab, visited Lahore, Delhi and Khetri, then returned to Calcutta in January 1898.

Vivekananda’s health was declining, but he left for the West for one more time in June 1899. After staying in England, he went to the USA. There he established Vedanta Societies in San Francisco and New York and founded a Shanti ashram in California. In 1900, he went to Paris for the Congress of Religions. There he lectured about worshipping the lingam and about the Bhagavad Gita. In December 1900, he returned to Calcutta, visited the Advaita Ashrama, and settled in Belur Math. Many celebrated figures visited him.

On July 4, 1902, Vivekananda woke up early, practiced meditation, lectured his students, discussed the establishment of a Vedic College in the Ramakrishna Math, retired to his room in the evening and died a silent death while meditating. He died at 9.20 am and the reason for his death was reported as the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain. His followers believe that he attained Mahasamadhi. He was cremated on the banks of the Ganga opposite of the cremation site of Ramakrishna.

Philosophy and Contributions

He advocated the idea of seeing the divine in everyone, as he believed it could lead to social harmony and love. He believed that the divine, the absolute exists in every individual despite his social status. He was a strong proponent of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy. He emphasized nirvikalpa samadhi and considered samadhi as a way to achieve liberation. Owing to him, the term involution gained popularity.

According to him, morality is related to mind control, and truth, purity and unselfishness are some qualities that strengthen it. He believed that brahmacharya helps with stamina and strength. He asked his followers to have faith and be holy and unselfish. He propagated the concept of nationalism, & believed that a country’s people decide its future and his primary focus was on human development.

Vivekananda was one of the most influential philosophers and social reformers and a highly successful missionary of Vedanta. Eminent people like Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Subhash Chandra Bose admired his work. Swami Vivekananda’s lectures and speeches have been compiled into written works. His birthday January 12 is celebrated as the National Youth Day.

What better way to conclude Swami Vivekananda’s biography than quoting some of his golden words that sum up his philosophy of life. He said, “You have to grow from inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”

The post Swami Vivekananda Biography: Life, Teachings and Legacy appeared first on Stillchemy.

Yet, a disheartening double standard emerges when these choices are made by women who follow Sanatan Dharma. Their choices—whether to wear traditional attire or take vows of celibacy as a religious practice—are met with skepticism, disapproval, or worse, an insinuation that they are being coerced. It is not uncommon to hear claims that women within Sanatan Dharma are “forced” into specific roles or lifestyles. These claims, often rooted in misinformation, serve only to undermine the very concept of free will that is so vocally defended in other contexts.

The Double Standard of Choice

Why is it that when women from other faiths or secular backgrounds choose celibacy, we champion their decision as an emblem of personal strength, but when a woman from Sanatan Dharma chooses the same path, the conversation quickly devolves into criticism? Claims of oppression are swiftly made, with little regard for the individual’s agency or her right to make spiritual choices. This selective outrage suggests a deep-rooted bias, one that is either wilfully ignorant of the principles of Sanatan Dharma or intentionally aimed at distorting the truth.

In fact, Sanatan Dharma, far from being oppressive, has been home to some of the most revered women saints, scholars, and warriors in history. From the fiercely independent Gargi and Maitreyi in ancient times to spiritual leaders like Mirabai, Anandamayi Ma, and modern-day sanyasis, women in Sanatan Dharma have long enjoyed the freedom to choose their paths, be it marriage, celibacy, or a life dedicated to spiritual pursuit.

Manufactured Outrage and the Fight Against an Illusion

Those who criticise these choices often forget a key aspect: no one, outside of the woman herself, has the right to dictate her path in life. Yet, when women in Sanatan Dharma exercise their choice, society “rises to the occasion” to fight a phantom cause—one built on half-truths and unfounded accusations. The same human rights activists who vociferously defend women’s rights to choice and expression are strangely silent when it comes to acknowledging the autonomy of women within the framework of Sanatan Dharma.

This reflects a deeper, more insidious problem. The fight against Sanatan Dharma is not a new phenomenon; it is as old as the faith itself. Throughout history, Sanatan Dharma has endured countless assaults—be they military, cultural, or ideological. It has never waged war willingly, never forced anyone to convert to its teachings, and has never committed atrocities against those who chose a different path. Instead, it has always been at the receiving end of violence, coercion, and attempts to erase its existence.

The Perpetual Defence of Dharma

Sanatan Dharma has always been a target for those who seek its destruction, either out of ignorance or malice. The current discourse around the “forced” lifestyle choices of women within the Dharma is yet another manifestation of this age-old battle. It is crucial to recognize that the narrative of forced oppression is a myth, perpetuated by those who neither understand the faith nor respect the individual autonomy of its followers.

While Sanatan Dharma has never been an aggressor in history, it has consistently defended itself against forced conversions, cultural eradication, and ideological invasions. And it has survived—through sheer resilience and an unwavering commitment to its principles of tolerance, peace and spiritual freedom. Today, those who attack its values, particularly its treatment of women, are carrying forward this ancient animosity, masked under the guise of modern liberalism.

The Ignored Rights of Sanyasis

It is worth noting that the rights of sanyasis and other religious adherents of Sanatan Dharma are being grossly ignored in this discourse. Where are the human rights activists when the rights of sanyasis—many of whom are women—are being violated? Their right to freedom, right to privacy, right to live anywhere in India, and their right to religious freedom are enshrined in the Indian Constitution, yet we see little action when these rights are trampled upon.

If the narrative of freedom and choice is to hold any integrity, it must be applied universally. We cannot pick and choose which women’s rights to support based on cultural or religious biases. The right of a woman in Sanatan Dharma to choose her way of life is no less sacred than that of any other woman in any part of the world. The continuous attempts to undermine this right are not just hypocritical, they are dangerous, fostering division and perpetuating ignorance.

Sanatan Dharma’s Legacy of Peace and Survival

In the face of this ongoing ideological assault, one thing is clear: Sanatan Dharma will prevail, as it always has. Its principles are built not on force or coercion but on free will, choice, and spiritual growth. It has survived every attack on its existence and will continue to do so. The fight against Sanatan Dharma is not merely a battle over religious or cultural identity; it is a battle over truth, freedom, and the right of individuals to live as they choose—without interference, without false narratives, and without prejudice.

It is time we recognise this truth and stand for genuine freedom of choice for all women, including those who follow Sanatan Dharma.

The witch hunt against Sadhguru and the police crackdown at Isha Foundation is yet another stark example of the bias against Sanatan Dharma. The violation of the rights of sanyasis and residents, who are entitled to privacy and religious freedom, reflects a disturbing double standard. While other groups are protected in exercising their beliefs, institutions like Isha are unfairly targeted. This selective persecution is part of a broader effort to weaken the spiritual core of Sanatan Dharma. It is crucial to stand against these violations and defend the fundamental rights of those following a spiritual path.

Article written by Shruti Patki
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The post When Choice Becomes Controversy: A Discerning Look at Women’s Rights and Sanatan Dharma appeared first on Stillchemy.

Guru means dispeller of darkness as the root word gu means darkness and ru means ‘that which dispels’. As per Bhagavad Gita, a true God-illuminated guru is one, who in his achievement of self-mastery, has understood his identity with the omnipresent spirit. In Rigveda, Guru has been described as the source and inspirer of the knowledge of Self, the essence of reality, for the one who seeks.

In the Upanishads, a guru is described as someone who helps attain self-knowledge. As per the Taittriya Upanishad, a guru is one who urges a student to struggle, discover and experience the Truth. In Hinduism, a guru is a personal spiritual teacher or guide. In Hinduism, a guru is defined as a teacher rendering knowledge of a certain skill, as also a counselor and friend who serves as a guide, and someone who helps the seeker attain self-realization. According to the Hindu religion, one of the ways to achieve liberation (moksha) and perfection is with the guidance of a guru.

The concepts of Guru and gurukulam date back to the 1^st millenium BCE, and owing to this tradition, knowledge could be transmitted across generations. The guru-shishya tradition has helped in creating, preserving and transmitting knowledge in various fields ranging from art and music to religion and philosophy. The relationship between a guru and his disciple is considered as one of the most sacred and pure ones. In the Indian culture, a guru and his/her disciples are known to have a very deep and special bond, where a guru always wishes well for his disciples and the disciples have immense respect and gratitude for their gurus and are happy to forever stay indebted to them.

Why is a guru important in our life?

A guru gives meaning to life and transforms our lives by guiding our spiritual progress. Through his/her words, actions and living, he imparts knowledge and wisdom to his students and serves as a mentor in their spiritual journey. A true guru has the power to remove impurities from the pupils’ minds and take them from confusion to clarity. A guru banishes the darkness of ignorance from the students’ minds and helps them attain enlightenment or spiritual awakening.

According to Sadhguru, the role of a guru is to give clarity and help an individual develop spiritually. He says – “A Guru creates his personality in such a way that people don’t know whether to love it or to hate it…This is not a human being. Either he is a devil or he must be Divine.” He further emphasizes – To take someone from one dimension of experience to another, you need a device of higher intensity and energy. That device is what we call a Guru. More on Guru quotes by Sadhguru.

Paramhansa Yogananda says that a true guru is not an ordinary spiritual teacher but someone who has attained complete union with the Infinite spirit and is hence qualified to lead others towards that goal. When a seeker sincerely studies and applies his guru’s teachings, he understands the purpose of his life and his link with God. A guru can be considered a messenger of God, who blesses his students with knowledge that helps them unite with the universal consciousness.

According to Sri Sri, a guru is someone who guides you into wisdom and knowledge and kindles the life force in you. The best way to usher peace into your life is to be close to the guru through sadhana, satsang, reflection and devotion, and that guru is a reflection of your own true nature and a guide who leads you back to your true self. He says that everyone has an element of guru. Knowingly or unknowingly, if you have served someone unconditionally, you have played the role of a guru. Guru, according to Sri Sri is light and wisdom, two factors essential in human life. When there is something that you cannot handle, the guru is your savior. When there is a strong desire in your mind, guru is your guide. A real guru, with his unconditional love, stands by his disciples, always.

Is a guru necessary or why should we have a guru, if you ask, the answer is simple. The mentorship of a guru is necessary to achieve personal growth and success, in the sense that a true guru helps you transform yourself to be your own better version. A guru’s guidance helps you understand your strengths and enhances them. His criticism helps you know your weaknesses so you can work on them. He serves as the constant in your life that you can always rely on, the companion with whom you can speak your heart out, and the torchbearer who illuminates your path.

A guru can be regarded as an intermediatory between the seeker and the God, or a manifestation of God himself, who has appeared on Earth to guide you. A guru removes all obstacles on your path to self-realization. He acts as a catalyst in your spiritual growth. He teaches you the ways to develop inner strength, find peace, and stay unmoved during tough times. A guru is a source of inspiration, knowledge and bliss. He shapes your personality and transforms your life in profound ways.

In many religions and cultures, especially the Indian culture and Hinduism, a lot of importance has been laid on the concept of gurus. In Hinduism, parents are considered as the first and the greatest gurus, and for a child, his parents are equivalent to God. Teachers who help you in any aspect of education any time in life, are regarded as gurus. Spiritual masters or enlightened people who enhance your understanding of the self and walk you on the spiritual path are revered as gurus. Nature is seen as the ultimate guru, as from it, you learn many important lessons like overcoming barriers, achieving growth, being peaceful amid chaos, being generous and showering unconditional love on every being. Thus, you can see that guru is a very multi-faceted idea and is definitely not limited to any particular individual or profession. Any person or thing that lets you see a different dimension of yourself or the world and drives a positive change within you is your guru. Guru Poornima is a day to express gratitude to all your gurus and experience their blissful presence around you or within you.

The post Significance of Guru in Indian Culture appeared first on Stillchemy.

Who was Sadhguru Shri Brahma? Where did he live? What was his work in spirituality and social reform? Let us take a look at the life and work of this lesser-known spiritual master, whose impact has been so great that several people in various parts of India still follow his teachings and have continued the traditions he set, such as the guru puja and annadhanam. Places where he stayed are believed to still carry a different vibe, for he was fiery, fearless and immensely powerful – Sadhguru Shri Brahma.

Sadhguru Sri Brahma (1878-1920), born Kaliappan in Naduvapatty, Ramnad District, emerged from a humble agricultural family. He dedicated his life to establishing over 70 ashrams in Tamil Nadu, focused on creating the Dhyanalinga. These institutions were not just buildings but centers where he engaged deeply in meditation and sadhana.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev on Sadhguru Shri Brahma

These are all fiery people who were sitting with a ball of fire – for them, that is Sadhguru. It is – I am not denying it. But what is wrong with this one? That one was fantastic, but it failed in its mission. This one may not be so fantastic, but it has made it work. It is a conscious compromise.

Life at His Birthplace Naduvapatti

Sadhguru was born in a small village Naduvapatti located 80 kms south of Madurai. He started his life as a farmer. He often spent the nights on the farm, to protect crops from animals, and it is said that he met some saints at that time, and started taking an interest in spirituality. From an early age, he used to immerse himself in spiritual books. It is said that once, while on the farm, he received the blessings of Shri Agastya Muni. It is also said, that once while meditating at night, Lord Shiva took over him, and since then he started sitting in long meditations which spanned several days or even months. He went into a state where he did not care about his body and physical appearance. He is said to have preferred to stay at places built for the homeless, where he would discuss their life and possibly soothe their pain and also provide them with food. Many times, the food his wife gave him, he used to distribute among these underprivileged people.

He soon attained a state of Dnyani which the villagers could not understand and they thought of him as a crazy person. Later he decided to meditate underground so that he would not get disturbed, for which he prepared a pit and sat inside. He asked his three close friends to guard this place and open it only after 40 days. He asked them to put herbs and pour 101 pots of water on his body. He further asked them to stand aside and not in front of him, as they would not be able to bear his energies. Then he sat in samadhi. A stone slab was used to cover the pit, mud was spread over the slab and 9 different grains were sown in it. After 10 days, some of his friends went out of the town for some work, there was gossip in the village about him having been buried, and police entered the scenario. It was thought that he had died inside and his body was decaying. So, the police dug opened the pit. Angry with this act, Sadhguru left the place.

It is said that after he left the village, it never rained there. Today, at the spot where he sat underground, stands a water tank and nearby is the Ganesha temple where he is believed to have rested for some time after being disturbed from underground. People living in this village today, tell these stories, which have been passed to them across generations. Some members of Sadhguru’s third generation still live here. The humble village Naduvapatti is the land where Sadhguru had some of his transformational experiences.

Time in Subbulapuram

Sadhguru Shri Brahma came to stay at a palm grove at the edge of a village called Subbulapuram. It is said that a woman named Kuppamma served him milk and banana daily and that he ate only one green gram and milk as a meal. People of Subbulapuram took an interest in spirituality and hence when they came to know of a sadhu residing in the palm grove, they went there and brought him to the Ganesh temple in the village with great honor. It is said that around the same time, a snake-bitten boy was brought there, and taken to a medicine man who had declared him dead, but Sadhguru healed him and he got up as if waking up from sleep.

He used to help the poor and soon gained the trust of the villagers who turned into his devotees. They worshiped him and he taught them some spiritual practices and initiated some people into meditation.

There’s a story that says that Sadhguru Shri Brahma asked the villagers to arrange for Guru Puja and cook meals with 100 bags of rice, to which the villagers expressed their financial inability. Sadhguru said they should just arrange for the puja and the meals to feed the poor and the sadhus, and everything else would fall in place. The villagers approached a wealthy man in the village asking him for monetary help. He said that if Sadhguru could get rain the next day, he would help. The villagers told this to Sadhguru who took up the challenge and that night, it rained in their village along with 5 other villages in the vicinity. The wealthy man surrendered to Sadhguru.

The guru puja and annadhanam which Sadhguru instructed the villagers to organize, has been arranged for 100 years since then. Since he would repeat the name Sadhguru many times during his meditations, people started calling him Sadhguru. The guru puja is based on Skandapurana, and includes 16 offerings to the guru along with some elaborate rituals and spiritual practices.

The villagers expressed their worry about the financial future of the village, to which Sadhguru replied that help would come from the north. After some time, a millionaire living northward from the village came to Sadhguru. He had leprosy that was not getting cured. Sadhguru asked the villagers to get a white horse and instructed them to collect and process its urine in a certain way. Using it, he cured the man of leprosy. As a token of his gratefulness and respect for Sadhguru, he sent loads of vegetables and groceries to the village.

Sadhguru Shri Brahma left Subbulapuram after conducting the guru puja and going into samadhi. The residents of the village have immense faith in him. While he left, the villagers started following him. He asked them to go back and continue farming, and after some time they saw him disappear. Even today, sadhus gather in the village every year and the villagers treat them with the same respect and love they had for Sadhguru.

Time in Palani

Next, Sadhguru Shri Brahma came to Palani. He was often seen on the streets singing verses and it is said that he sang well. He used to distribute sweets to children around him. Once he had a long conversation with Swami Chidbhavananda and changed his way of looking at life. Palani is famous for spiritual practices. There is a place called Brahma Theertham here, where Sadhguru Shri Brahma is known to have taken jalasamadhi. People seeing him under water reported to the collector of seeing someone dead in water, but when he was taken out of the pond, he was found to be alive and after a few days he came out of his meditative state. Today, there is a shrine built here. Sadhguru Shri Brahma has been extensively mentioned in Swami Chidbhavananda’s biography and he and his family members gave Sadhguru great respect. It is said that Palani has witnessed many miracles by Sadhguru. At times, he would disappear and appear at a different spot, and he taught children how to treat snake bites.

Samadhi Yogam at E. Vellanur

Later, Sadhguru Shri Brahma went to E. Vellanur located along river Kaveri. The village houses Sadhguru’s ashram. He came to the Krishna bhajan temple and went into samadhi yogam wherein, he sat inside a 7-feet deep pit, facing northward, with an earthen pot on his head and an incense lamp beside him. Some sadhus complained that Sadhguru had been robbed of money and killed and buried, so the samadhi was uncovered on the 7th day. Although seeming like a corpse, Sadhguru was still alive and that scared the people, so they decided to follow his instructions about smearing of herbs and pouring of water. On the 8th day, Sadhguru opened his eyes, and the collector arrived on the site. When Sadhguru saw him, he lost his eyesight.

Then Sadhguru wrote on a paper asking why the villagers had disturbed him this way, to which the villagers told him what had happened. Listening to them, Sadhguru blessed the collector with his eyesight and also blessed the villagers. He further asked them to organize an annadhanam for 12000 people which would be a samapanthi bhojan wherein people of all castes, creeds and economic status would eat together. It took place for 3 days in 1912 and was the first guru puja function organized in Swami’s presence in the village. Sadhguru further instructed the villagers to organize a similar guru puja and annadhanam every year in the month of Chithirai on the Thiruvonam nakshatra.

Some people asked Sadhguru Shri Brahma if they could build a shiva linga at the place where he meditated. Swami explained that a shiva linga is to be built over a jeeva samadhi, however, at the spot of a nirvikalpa samadhi, only a deep stambha can be built. Today, a deep stambha stands at the spot where Sadhguru sat and every year, according to his instructions, a guru puja and annadhanam are conducted.

Miracles at Trichy

After leaving E. Vellanur, Sadhguru came to Trichy in 1915. There he lived in a hut as a simple man. He wanted to conduct guru puja and annadhanam there, so he instructed the villagers to get drumstick leaves. Drumsticks were cooked and served. The crowd started increasing and the villagers were worried that the food they had may not serve all, but Sadhguru assured them that it would be sufficient for everyone and so it was, thus proving that Sadhguru could perform miracles.

There is an interesting story of a person called Chinnaiya Pillai from Trichy. According to his great grandson A. Gobinath, Chinnaiya Pillai ran a business in Connoor and had a son who had no children. His wife went to Sadhguru in 1912 when he asked Chinnaiya Pillai to build a Chathram, and said that if he built it, a child would be born in his family. So, he bought 19500 sq. ft land and started the construction work. During the construction itself, the wife conceived. As an expression of joy and gratefulness, he donated an acre of land to build Sadhguru’s ashram and gave some land for the railway track. A. Gobinath and his family members still honour and worship Sadhguru Shri Brahma.

Time in Periyar Nagar

In Periyar Nagar, Swamiji constructed an underground cave that was built in stone, octagonal in shape and 10-12 feet deep. It is constructed in such a way that only one person can sit cross-legged at the bottom. A temple was also built, and soon after this construction, Sadhguru went into samadhi for a longer time and people of 7 villages took care of him. He instructed them to continue conducting annadhanam and guru puja, and one day, he told everyone he had to go elsewhere and left. Till today, the underground cave is opened once a year, decorated and Guru puja is conducted over there. 15-16 annadhanams take place every month. Sadhguru Shri Brahma believed that there should be no caste discrimination and maintained that his religion is all-inclusive. His followers and devotees believe his blessings are with them, he protects them, and removes difficulties from their path.

Time in Kallar and Naduhatty

Sadhguru Shri Brahma spent some time of his life in Kallar which once housed an ashrama and now has a school in Sadhguru’s name. It is said that Sadhguru stayed in a cave in a place called Burliyar. Tantrics in the area got insecure about his presence and plotted to kill him. However, he led them to realize that it was a holy place and could not be used to frighten people, and they surrendered to him. He further had guru puja and annadhanam conducted at the place. Later, he traveled across the Nilgiris and came to a village called Naduhatty.

There is a story according to which, once while crossing a railway track, British soldiers caught Sadhguru for breaking the rule and put him in jail, but he just walked out through the bars leaving everyone surprised. It is said that Sadhguru Shri Brahma performed many miracles in Ooty, like having someone walk on water and suddenly appearing on a motorbike although sitting in a different place, among others.

Then one day, he said he would have to leave and left the place, saying that he would return someday and in a form in which he would have lots of hair on his body.

There’s a story that says that a priest once saw Sadhguru in a state where his body parts were dismantled, and when he screamed in fright, the parts joined back and Sadhguru walked up to him. It is believed Sadhguru Shri Brahma could actually dismantle his body parts and put them together.

Throughout Nilgiri and in Coonoor, Sadhguru is highly revered and a known name in almost every household. In Beratty on the Nilgiris, there are about 150 households and Sadhguru is worshipped in all of them. Despite spending brief time in each of these places in the Nilgiris, Sadhguru has left a deep impact on the people there, and even today, the locals in these regions tell stories of his miracles and greatness.

Time in Edapally

Later, Sadhguru stayed in Edapally in Siddhagiri for the longest time, almost isolated, in a forest area, where almost noone knew of his presence. He stayed here for 48 days. He is believed to roam this region even today and appears in a saintly form to his devotees. Locals say that even today, he continues to appear before them in different forms. People here worship him, chant his name and perform puja and annadhanam. A grand guru puja is conducted at this place and attended by several devotees.

Final Words at Velliangiri Hills

Sadhguru went to the Velliangiri hills, some disciples followed him there, he spoke to them and climbed the hills, announcing that he would ‘come back’. Then his body dissolved in a state of samadhi. Guruvel Swami, one of Sadhguru’s disciples who had followed him there, has written this account. According to him, on the seventh hill, Podhigai hill, he had declared he would return, and since then, devotees have been waiting for him to come back. Sadhguru is said to have a lifetime of 700 years. It is believed that there is a very different kind of energy on the seventh hill, in the Velliangiri mountains, currently in Coimbatore.

Legacy

In various parts of the country where Sadhguru Shri Brahma had lived, people residing there today tell stories of his mystic powers that they have heard about, from their ancestors. It is said that Sadhguru used to cure ailments by smearing vibhuti on the patients. He used to revive snake-bitten people and said that a person is still alive for 3 days after being bitten by a snake and can be brought back to life. He is also known to have documented some herbal combinations which can be used as medicines for certain diseases. He used to relieve people affected by the evil eye, black magic or going through any trouble.

There is a book named Sathsambashini published in 1915 by the Dakshinamurti ashram in Nilgiri district. In this book, Sadhguru Shri Brahma is described as an accomplished Hatha yogi. It is said that he was a Hatha Raja yogi and knew the art of stopping the flow of nadis for a long time. He used to sit underground for long hours in Kanta Samadhi. He had mastered the sushupti avastha. Sometimes he used to go into deep meditation spanning 11 days, asking for complete silence during that time. On the 12th day, people would find him like a dead body, after which as per his instructions, herbs would be smeared on him and hundreds of pots of water would be poured on his body, and he would come back to life.

Sadhguru Shri Brahma is known to have had 9 primary disciples. Many spiritual masters had encountered him, he had initiated some, while some others had walked in his footsteps on their spiritual path. These masters as well as his disciples took an active part in organizing annadhanam, guru pujas, and helping in the removal of discrimination, inequality, and injustice from society. Among the many initiations that Sadhguru performed, most were in the Niligiris, given that the people there were more inclined to spirituality.

It is believed that one who sincerely seeks his grace, all his wishes are fulfilled. In all the places where Sadhguru Shri Brahma stayed, sat in samadhi, or meditated, many people note experiencing a very different kind of energy. Devotees feel overwhelmed with emotion on visiting these places.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the founder of Isha and a prolific writer, speaker and popular spiritual guru, is believed to be an incarnation of Sadhguru Shri Brahma. Sadhguru calls Shri Brahma a reminder of himself, saying that even he is full of fire like Sadhguru Shri Brahma. Sadhguru says that Shri Brahma was supernatural and calls him a powerful and magnificent man.

The documentary about Sadhguru Shri Brahma, by PremKV (Samyuktha Productions) is one of the most authentic sources of information about Shri Brahma. PremkV and team have gathered details about the intriguing life and enormous work by Sadhguru Shri Brahma and presented it beautifully in the documentary. Watching this film is a very different experience as its content is gripping, and more importantly, one of the only few valid sources entailing the awe-inspiring journey of Sadhguru Shri Brahma. For a deeper insight into this yogi’s life, you must watch PremKV’s documentary.

Interesting Reads on Sadhguru Shri Brahma

https://isha.sadhguru.org/en/sadhguru/mystic/sadhguru

https://isha.sadhguru.org/en/sadhguru/mystic/sadhguru-sri-brahma

https://isha.sadhguru.org/en/wisdom/article/sadhguru-sri-brahma-acknowledgement-reminder

The post Sadhguru Sri Brahma Biography: A Historical Account of the Fiery Yogi appeared first on Stillchemy.

Jiddu Krishnamurti’s Life Story

Born on May 11, 1895 in Madanapalle (today’s Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh), Jiddu Krishnamurti was one of the 11 children born to Jiddu Narayanaiah (father) and Sanjeevamma (mother). In 1903, the family shifted to Cudappah. As a child, he contracted malaria many times and was sickly. He was considered intellectually disabled and beaten by his teachers and father. Since childhood, he had developed an unusual bond with nature that stayed throughout his life. As a young boy, no thought entered Krishnamurti’s mind, he just watched and listened.

In the April of 1909, Krishnamurti met Charles Webster Leadbeater, who said that he could see the most wonderful aura around him. He was sure that Krishnamurti would be a great spiritual master and orator. So, Leadbeater with his team, started preparing Krishnamurti to be the World Teacher. They trained him at the Theosophical Society in Adyar and later in Europe.

Krishnamurti acquired English within 6 months and could speak and write well in the language by the age of 14. His daily education included exercise, sports, yoga, meditations and religious lessons. He was also educated about hygiene and given knowledge of British society and culture. Leadbeater gave him mystical instruction. Krishnamurti was good in sports, not very academically inclined, but had a flair for languages. The discovery of Krishnamurti by Leadbeater proved to be life-changing event for him, as it paved his way to spirituality and shaped his personality as a writer, teacher and speaker.

In 1911, the Theosophical Society established the Order of the Star in the East (OSE) to prepare the world for the appearance of the World Teacher. Krishnamurti was given the position of its head. In April that year, Krishnamurti and his brother Nitya went to England, where Krishnamurti spoke to OSE members in London. They travelled across Europe and after the first World War, Krishnamurti started giving lectures and conducting meetings about his work as the head of OSE, and he also wrote about the work of the order. During the same time, Krishnamurti developed a strong bond with Annie Besant who took custody of him and his brother Nitya in 1912.

Annie Besant, J. Krishnamurti, and Ernest Wood

In 1922, Krishnamurti, along with Nitya went to California and stayed at a cottage in Ojai Valley. There they met Rosalind Williams. Soon, a trust was formed through which a cottage and property were bought for Krishnamurti and Nitya. Later that year, Krishnamurti underwent a spiritual awakening at Ojai, where he also transformed physically and psychologically. It started on August 17 with an intense pain in the neck after which he seemed to enter a state of unconsciousness, but he described it as an experience of mystical union, which eventually gave him immense peace. This came to be called the ‘process’. According to biographer Vernon, the process at Ojai provided Krishnamurti with the soil in which his newfound spirit of confidence and independence could take root.

In the next few years, Nitya’s health declined. Members of the Theosophical Society had assured Krishnamurti that Nitya was essential for his life’s mission and would not be allowed to die, but in 1925, he died due to complications from tuberculosis and influenza. This shattered Krishna’s belief in the Theosophical Society’s leaders. Nitya’s death had a deep impact on Krishna as it meant the loss of his best friend and the only link to his childhood.

As a young man, Krishnamurti grew rebellious and did not like the publicity around him. In 1929, Krishnamurti dissolved the Order and dissociated himself from the Theosophical Society. He denounced the concepts of teacher-follower and decided to work on setting people ‘absolutely, unconditionally free’. He resigned from trusts and organizations related to the Order of the Star. He returned donations given to the Order to their donors.

In the span between 1930 and 1944, he took part in speaking tours and published works under Star Publishing Trust, which he had founded with Rajagopalacharya Desikacharya, his friend. They operated from Ojai. Rosalind Wiliams married Rajagopal, but after the birth of their daughter they drifted apart and Rosalind had a love affair with Krishnamurti.

In the 1930s, Krishnamurti gave speeches in Latin America, Europe, Australia, India and the United States. In 1938, he met Aldous Huxley and they were friends for many years since then. They had similar views about the conflict in Europe. During World War 2, he came under SBI surveillance due to his stand on the war which was perceived as pacifism or subversion. He did not speak publicly from 1940 to 1944. He worked in Arya Vihara, a self-sustaining farm and helped relief efforts in Europe. In 1944, Krishnamurti started giving speeches again. He spoke in Ojai, then toured India, where he learned yoga from Iyengar. He also met Jawaharlal Nehru, when they spoke elaborately about his teachings.

In the 1960s, Krishna struck a friendship with physicist David Bohm which continued lifelong. The two started a common inquiry in the form of dialogues and discussions which were published as books.

In the 1970s, Krishnamurti met Prime Minister India Gandhi many times and they had long conversations.

In 1984 and 1985, Krishnamurti spoke at the United Nations in New York. In October 1985, he visited India, which turned out to be his last visit to the country. During this visit he spoke about fundamental questions he had, and newer questions about the impact of science and technology on mankind. In his talk on January 4, 1986, which turned out to be his last speech, he spoke about the nature of life and meditation, the nature of creation and the nature of inquiry.

He did not agree with the idea of his teachings being handed down to some successors and was of the view that after he was gone, no one should pose as an interpreter of his teachings. Sometime before his death, he had said that nobody had understood what had happened to him, and that the supreme intelligence operating in his body would be gone after his death. He advised people to live his teachings.

In October 1985, Krishnamurti started having symptoms like fever, tiredness and weight loss. In January 1986, he returned to Ojai and underwent tests after which he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and as per medical experts the disease was not treatable. He decided to spend his final days at his residence in Ojai, where friends took care of him. Krishnamurti died on February 17, 1986. He was aged 90 at that time. As per his wishes, no memorial service was conducted. A part of his ashes was kept in Ojai, a part was sent to England and a part was sent to India.

Krishnamurti’s most notable written works include ‘The Awakening of Intelligence‘, ‘Commentaries on Living‘ and ‘Freedom from the Known‘. According to him, truth is a pathless land. He did not advise following any particular discipline or authority. He advocated concepts like choiceless awareness, psychological inquiry and freedom from religious, spiritual and cultural conditioning. He established 7 schools, 5 in India, 1 in England and another in California. Through education, he aimed to develop a holistic approach devoid of prejudice, to establish harmony between humans and the environment as he believed that humanity is a part of nature and nature should be cared for, and to develop in people a religious spirit that includes a scientific approach. The schools are managed by the Krishnamurti Foundations functioning in USA, England and India.

Krishnamurti was popular among religious and spiritual figures in India. He held discussions with many Hindu and Buddhist scholars, many of which were published as books. He had a great influence on important people like the Dalai Lama, George Bernard Shaw, Jawaharlal Nehru and Eckhart Tolle. Krishnamurti’s foundations are working towards publicizing his works by publishing his writings in different languages and on different platforms. Even years after his demise, he remains to be a popular spiritual personality and philosopher, and his followers span the globe.

Here are a few thought-provoking quotes by Jiddu Krishnamurti that may challenge your perspective on life.

The post The Legacy of Jiddu Krishnamurti: Biography, Work and Philosophy appeared first on Stillchemy.

Life Story of Thich Nhat Hahn

He was born Nguyen Xuan Bao, on October 11, 1926, and grew up to be a monk, peace activist, poet, author and teacher. This Vietnamese Thien Buddhist monk left a deep impact on Buddhist practices in the West.

At a tender age of 7 or 8, he is said to have experienced happiness on seeing an image of a peaceful Buddha. Once, when on a school trip, he happened to visit a mountain, where he discovered a natural well, drank water from it and felt satisfied. It was this incident that sparked his interest in being a Buddhist monk. Before entering teenage, he said he would like to get trained to be a monk, and after his parents allowed him, which was almost 4 years later, he embarked on his spiritual journey.

He started learning at a monastery at the Tu Hieu Temple from the Zen master Thanh Quy Chan That. He studied for 3 years and was trained in Vietnamese traditions of Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, and also learned English, French and Chinese. He entered the Bao Quoc Academy, but not liking it much, he left it in 1950. He then started staying at An Quang Pagoda in Saigon, and there he was ordained as a monk in 1951. During that time, he also pursued science studies at the Saigaon University.

From 1955, he started working as the editor of Vietnamese Buddhism (Phật Giáo Việt Nam), the official publication of the General Association of Vietnamese Buddhists. He served for 2 years after which the monks of higher order expressed disapproval for his writing. According to him, the reason for the disapproval was that he propounded the idea of uniting various Buddhist organizations of South Vietnam. He took up teaching at Da Lat. During that time, he was disowned from the temple. In 1957, he founded a monastic community of resistance and also continued writing, teaching and promoting the idea of uniting Buddhist organizations. In the time between 1959 and 1961, he conducted short courses on Buddhism at different Saigaon temples, but faced major criticism from religious authorities, who did not approve of his teachings.

In 1960, Nhat Hahn started studying comparative religion at the Princeton University. He served as a lecturer at Cornell University and Columbia University. By that time, he knew multiple languages which included Pali, Sanskrit, English, and French apart from Vietnamese.

In 1963, he returned to South Vietnam, and helped in restructuring the administration of Vietnamese Buddhism. The General Association of Buddhists and other groups came together to form the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam. Nhat Hahn said that the executive should appeal to stop the Vietnam War, help form an institute for the study of Buddhism, and establish a centre to train social workers based on Buddhist teachings.

In March 1964, Nhat Hanh and monks at An Quang Pagoda established the Institute of Higher Buddhist Studies with the help of UBCV. It was called Van Hanh University and it trained students in Buddhist studies, Vietnamese culture and languages. Nhat Hahn was the teacher of prajnaparamita literature and Buddhist psychology. In the same year, he co-founded the School of Youth for Social Service (SYSS), which worked towards establishing schools and clinics in rural areas. It grew to have 10,000 volunteers and social workers. In a short while, Nhat Hanh entrusted Sister Chan Khong with the responsibilities of SYSS and left for the USA.

In the span between 1964 and 1966, Nhat Hanh created the Order of Interbeing, a monastic and lay group. It grew into an international community of common people and monastics who worked towards mindfulness practice, ethical behavior and compassion. By 2017, this group had thousands of members.

In 1964, a poem he wrote changed American Press’ point of view about him. Thereon, he was not called pro-communist propagandist but rather named an anti-war poet.  On May 1, 1966, Zen Master Chan That gave Nhat Hanh a lamp transmission declaring him as a dharmacharya and the spiritual head of Tu Hieu and related monasteries. He came to the US and led a symposium on Vietnamese Buddhism at Cornell University. He appealed to the US government to help Vietnamese people form a government, to stop the strikes, to be defensive in anti-communist operations, to be ready to withdraw, and to pay for reconstruction. He wrote Vietnam – The Lotus in the Sea of Fire about this appeal, for which he received heavy criticism and was accused of treason and communism.

In 1966, he was the chairperson of the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace Delegation. In 1967, Martin Luther King Jr nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, and called him an apostle of peace and non-violence. In 1969, Nhat Hanh founded the Unified Buddhist Church in France. He continued writing about and teaching mindfulness. In 1975, he established the Sweet Potatoes Meditation Centre in Paris and in the next few years, authored some books. Here is the popular list:

The Miracle Of Mindfulness
The Stone Boy
The Buddha: The Story of an Awakened Life
Thundering Silence: Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Catch a Snake
Friends on the Path: Building and Sustaining Spiritual Communities

In 1982, Nhat Hanh and Chan Khong founded the Plum Village Monastery in Southern France. Today, it is the largest Buddhist monastery in Europe with more than 200 monastics and over 10,000 visitors each year. In the next 20 years, he built several monasteries and retreat centers across the globe. He has authored over 130 books encompassing spirituality, Buddhism, mindfulness, Zen practice, as well as collections of poetry and essays. They have amassed huge popularity and have been translated into multiple languages.

Nhat Hanh taught mindfulness of breathing and the four foundations of mindfulness, and combined teachings of Buddhist schools, Mahayana, Zen and Western philosophy, thus giving a new perspective to meditation. He led the Engaged Buddhism Movement which focused on the idea of every individual having the power to create change. He developed the English term Interbeing. It is widely said that he used simple phrases and easy-to-understand analogies to teach deep or difficult concepts. He composed 50 verses on the nature of consciousness. He is credited with introducing mindfulness and Buddhism to the West.

In November 2014, Nhat Hanh had a severe brain hemorrhage and was admitted to a hospital. Despite the effort to speed his recovery and restore his health, he was never able to communicate verbally after the hemorrhage. He wished to spend his final days at the Tu Hieu Temple and started staying there from November 2018. He died on January 22, 2022, aged 95, at his residence in Tu Hieu Temple. He was cremated on January 29 and his ashes were scattered in Tu Hieu Temple and other temples related to the Plum village.

Nhat Hanh is the proud receiver of the 1991 Courage of Conscience Award, the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award of 2015, and nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize of 1967. He has received an honorary doctorate from the Education University of Hong Kong. He has appeared in films and documentaries and despite some controversies he faced, he remained immensely popular and highly influential as a spiritual master, writer and monk.

The post Thich Nhat Hanh: Biography of the Father of Mindfulness appeared first on Stillchemy.

Early Life

Yoganada was born as Mukunda La Ghosh in Gorakhpur, UP. His father Charan Ghosh was the vice president of Bengal Nagpur Railway and his mother’s name was Gyanprabha Devi. His mother died when he was aged eleven, and she left behind for him, a holy amulet given to her by some sacred man who had told her that Mukunda was to have it for some time, after which it would disappear.

Since his childhood and during youth, Yogananda was in search of a spiritual guru, and he was fond of visiting pilgrimage sites. After completing high school, he left his place to join a Mahamandal Hermitage in Varanasi, which did not match his requirement, which is why he resumed seeking spiritual guidance. His quest concluded when he met Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, who would be his guru, and at that time, the amulet vanished. He learned from Sri Yukteswar Giri for 10 years.

In 1915, he earned a degree equivalent to today’s Bachelor of Arts, after passing the Intermediate Exam in Arts from Calcutta. During this time as well, he spent time at Yukteshwar ashram in Serampore. In July 1915, he took vows into the monastic Swami order. As permitted by his guru Yukteswar, he assumed the name Swami Yoganada Giri.

Work in Spiritual Education

In 1917, Yogananda established a school for boys in Dihika, where education was combined with teachings related to yoga and spirituality. Later, this school turned into Yogananda Satsanga Society (YSS) of India.

In 1920, he received a vision that he would soon go to USA, as a visual of many Americans appeared before his eyes. The next day, he received an invitation from the American Unitarian Association to be India’s delegate at the International Congress of Religious Liberals to be held in Boston. There he spoke about the ‘Science of Religion’, which was well-received by the audience. As written in Autobiography of a Yogi, he received a message from Mahavatar Babaji (the first guru of his lineage) that he should introduce Westerners to Kriya Yoga.

In August 1920, he travelled to USA by sea. He spoke at the International Congress and later in the same year, he established the Self Realization Fellowship to spread the Indian practices of yoga and meditation to other parts of the world.

In 1924, Yogananda went on a cross-continental speaking tour, during which he attracted several followers, many of which were celebrities. In 1925, he founded the International Centre for Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles. He spent over 30 years in the USA and was the first Hindu yoga teacher to stay for so long in America.

In 1925, he founded the International Headquarters for SRF in Los Angeles.

He believed that Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and the original Yoga as taught by Lord Krishna are in harmony, and that their principles of truth are at the base of all religions.

He intended to teach the world, the scientific methods to get the experience of God. He wanted everyone to know that the purpose of life is evolution. He wished to let people know the importance of meditation on God. The intent of his teachings was to free the human beings from sufferings like physical disease, mental chaos and spiritual ignorance. He always propagated simple living and high thinking. He maintained that the mind supersedes the body and the soul supersedes the mind, and that all evil can be overcome by good. He wished to enlighten people about the oneness of science and religion and wanted to achieve peace and harmony in the world.

He believed and advocated the philosophy that everything in the cosmos is being run by the Almighty and all of us are just actors in the play being directed by God. He said that as humans we get attached to our current role and forget to look beyond, towards the ultimate director, God.

Yogananda’s key teaching to the world includes Kriya Yoga. According to him, this yogic practice directs one’s life energy towards the 6 spinal centres, and helps the individual evolve. This technique is said to be highly effective in achieving the universal power which can get us close to God.

In 1935, Yogananda came to India by sea route with the intent to meet his guru Yukteswar Giri and that time he helped in establishing Yogoda Satsanga. He received a grand welcome by his followers in India spread in Mumbai as well as Kolkata.

He introduced Kriya Yoga to Mahatma Gandhi. He met some other renowned spiritual seekers in India during his stay in the country.

During this stay, Yoganada’s guru Yukteswar gave him the title Paramahansa (which means supreme swan), which was given in recognition of Yogananda’s highest spiritual attainment.

In March 1936, Yukteswara died and by June that year, Yogananda started thinking of returning to USA. During a stay in Mumbai, he is known to have had a vision of Krishna and an encounter with his guru Yukteswar when he could access his physical existence and hear from him about his work in afterlife.

Later that year, Yogananda left for USA, stopped in London for some time where he conducted yoga classes, and moved towards USA in October 1936.

In USA, he continued giving lectures, writing and established many centres in California. He later established the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India.

Later Life

During the later years of his life, he spend more time with only a few disciples or alone. He completed his writings, revised previously written works, gave some interviews and public lectures, but believed that he could reach to many more people through his writing.

On March 7, 1952, he was present at a dinner for the visiting Indian ambassador to the US, Binay Ranjan Sen in Los Angeles, when post-dinner he was speaking about India and America. He spoke about their work in world peace and progress of society, and spoke of a United World that could be a blend of the good attributes of the efficient America and the spiritual India. As per his disciple Daya Mata, while concluding his speech with a poem, he lifted his eyes to the Ajna Chakra and fell to the floor. He left for heavenly abode about which he had hinted to his disciples earlier.

While medical experts stated the cause of Yogananda’s death as acute coronary occlusion, his students maintained that he had entered mahasamadhi. It is said that even three weeks after his death, his body did not deteriorate and his face still had a divine glow. His samadhi has been built at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Paramahansa Yogananda has appeared on Indian postage stamps. He is called the Father of Yoga in the West. He devoted many years of his life to unite the material growth of the West with Indian spirituality. He was the first major Indian to be hosted in the White House. He created a monastic order and trained several individuals. He has initiated around 100,000 people into Kriya Yoga. Such is the greatness of his work and he is aptly considered as one of the most respected and loved spiritual masters of the modern era.

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