Life
Two thousand five hundred years after Buddha, Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru was in the tradition of divine incarnations. This benevolent Soul lived for seventy-two years and left the earthly abode on 6th May 1999. Twentieth-century, the period of His birth is related to the period in the prophecies referred to as ‘The End of Times’ in the Bible or ‘Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharma’ in the Buddhist tradition, in the cycles of spiritual transition.
The life of Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru, as well as the prophecies, is a highly correlated subject, which could be understood only through research into humanity’s spiritual history and Guru’s revelations. The spiritual path of Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru is a corrective process in the Manvantara order. Guru never preached religion in the traditional sense. His teachings focus on the science of spiritual evolution as revealed from the Light. Guru brings to the fore the refined base of human life and the hope of the new world order as envisioned by sages and prophets, pulling down the dividing walls of creed, color, and caste promising the age of harmony, love, and peace.
The prophecy regarding Mahdi Imam in the Islamic tradition is apt for Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru:
‘He (Hazrat Mahdi) will walk among them, move through their markets and walk where they walk, but they will not recognize Hazrat Mahdi until Allah gives them leave to recognize him, just as He did with the Prophet Yusuf…’
Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru was born on 1 September 1927 at Chandiroor near Cherthala town in Kerala in an ordinary peasant family. Guru’s father died when He was one and a half years. Guru became aware of spiritual experiences in his childhood. He discovered that there was always a form within Him filling Him. Words came from this form. His body was like a mike, a mere instrument through which that form spoke. It continued till He was nine. Only after that, He began to play and talk, like a normal child. At the age of nine, He went to a traditional village school (kutipallikoodam) where children learned to read and write by practicing on the sand. He studied there for three years.
After mother’s remarriage, He began to live with His mother and stepfather. After two years, He decided to join an Ashram. He was just 14 years old then. His teacher helped Him to reach Agamananda Ashram in Kalady. The person who took Him dropped Him at the gate of Agamananda Ashram and left. However, the Ashram refused admission to him as He was only a child. Left alone, He walked towards Aluva and providentially reached Advaita Ashram, founded by Sri Narayana Guru. He was there for two years before being transferred to Sivagiri Mutt at Varkala. He spent seventeen years in Sivagiri Mutt and its branches at various places during which time He underwent a great deal of agony.
The desire to find a spiritual guide grew strong in Him, and finally, he found a Guru. His name was Khureshia Fakir, a Sufi saint, who lived near Beema Masjid in Thiruvananthapuram. He was popularly known as Pattani Swami, as his ancestors were Pathans from Afghanistan. Guru started getting certain experiences. He continued in Sivagiri Mutt and its branches for a few years. During this period, He faced lots of hardships and hostility from the associates, who made false allegations against him.
As He grew tired of certain tendencies in His associates, He wanted to leave Sivagiri. He returned the keys to those in authority and went to Pattani Swami with the intention of staying with him. However, Pattani Swami sent him back to Sivagiri. Guru returned reluctantly. But after a few months, Pattani Swami came near Sivagiri Mutt and sent for Guru. Pattani Swami informed Him that there would be a change soon from Sivagiri Mutt, which turned out to be true. Guru left Sivagiri Mutt and settled down at a hill nearby Sivagiri Mutt. People used to call Guru as Santhi because He conducted rituals in Sivagiri Mutt. The hill where Santhi lived came to be known as Santhigiri.
After about six months, Guru decided to meet His spiritual mentor, Pattani Swami. Pattani Swami asked Him to stay and go only after getting further spiritual experiences. Guru wandered along with Pattani Swami and His disciples in the forests and hills near Thakkala. In between Pattani Swami praised Guru lavishly in front of other disciples saying that He was a great soul! In those days, Guru got a unique spiritual experience. It was His fourth day at Thakkala. Nine of them were lying on the floor in a row along with Pattani Swami. It was around three o’clock in the morning. Suddenly Guru felt that the whole world was in a whirl and that he was tiny like a mustard seed, which was being torn apart at that time. Pattani Swami gave Him a slap and asked, “Hey, did you get scared?” “No, not in my heart of hearts!” Guru replied. “Ah! There is hope, then,” Pattani Swami said.
Even so, it was as if He had lost His senses. When He walked on the road, He would see approaching vehicles but would not realize that He had to move aside. His Guru sent for Parameswaran Pillai, another disciple of his, and instructed, “You must take leave from your office for a few days and take care of him”. So Parameswaran Pillai took leave from his job and took care of Guru. During the day he would take Guru to all the holy places in that region. Guru was able to see the deities and other subtle beings abiding at such spots, but the dark powers never came in front of Him.
Pattani Swami and the disciples returned to Thakkala. On the way, Pattani Swami pulled away Guru’s clothes and gave a tattered rag to wear. He gave Him a slap and ordered Him to run away. This led to lonely wandering and Guru gained tremendous spiritual experiences. Pattani Swami, who listened to his experiences hugged Guru and said, ‘Now you go wherever you like, you will get everything’. They parted and Guru returned to Varkala Santhigiri. He went through several mystical experiences for the next six and a half years. At the end of the first five and a half years itself, people who were closely associated with Him also started getting spiritual experiences.
After seven years and three months, three persons came to the Ashram after the morning bath as if to offer worship. In the same month, there was a sudden increase in popularity and visitors started pouring in hundreds daily. People started informing Guru that it was enough to tell Him about their diseases. They would be rid of the diseases almost immediately. After seven months, men and women alike, many who were visiting the Ashram started developing the faculty of darshanam (visions). Those who got this perception were around fifty. This happened inspite of their lack of understanding of this experience and lack of knowledge as to how to develop it. Still, it happened. Unusual as it was, this became a subject for discussion among people. What is more, all these people found all their prayers being granted. Guru was not doing anything special that could be responsible for all this.
Three years passed like this. People started showing increased love and respect. Among those who had the faculty of darsanam, three persons—a female and two males—began to excel. They started getting visions concerning matters useful to others. The female was an adult and so was one of the males. The other male was just a boy. For almost a year this situation continued. Then some of what they perceived went wrong. When they erred frequently for a period of time Guru felt that they themselves were responsible for these faults. In fact, Guru chastised them severely. That did not improve them. Their readings became more and more erroneous, and consequently hardships increased. A variety of difficulties arose in numerous ways.
Earlier, if a cure for a certain illness was predicted to take place by a certain date through a certain prescription, it would have happened ten days before time. Now an illness could not be fully cured even after the foreseen time. This erroneous trend became worse, and soon three-fourths of what was being seen was of no use. Guru kept scolding the three persons with darshanam for all this. Around this time the visitors also started turning slightly hostile. Guru began to search for the cause of this hostility, but there was no chance of tracing it.
Basic to the Hindu worship is the worship of the Trimurti. In spite of doing all that is prescribed in this system, there was neither relief nor release from the crisis. This struggle lasted for nearly one year. Even the persons endowed with darshanam were going through difficulties without any relief. Eventually an asariri (clairaudience or word from the Divine) was received which directed Guru to stay away. Guru should not be seen by even two persons at a time, so He stayed quietly without making a move for two months. The directive was repeated forbidding further stay at the Varkala Ashram.
Guru had built a small shelter near Pothencode, on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram for an Ashram, which is now known as Santhigiri. Someone had been engaged to light a lamp there daily. When the second warning came Guru realized He should not continue at Varkala. He left immediately for Santhigiri. As its neighborhood was practically unpopulated in those days, one could live in peace. During this period two lines of mantra had been revealed to two persons, each receiving one line. They were told to chant these lines and make it potent. However, Guru did not allow this chant as it happened to include His name. Those who were hostile spread a rumor that Guru was driven out from Varkala. Everyone believed it since He was not seen around the place. They had no way of getting to know the truth.
After nine months at Santhigiri, Guru received another directive from the Light forbidding Him to do anything for a period of two and a half years. But nine months after this directive the Trimurti and the rishis under them asked Guru to start treating the sick who came for help. Thus work began again. Almost immediately the number of daily visitors went up to nearly three hundred. Within a period of three weeks, sixty ailing persons were healed in the Ashram premises itself. At that time there was no shelter to lodge people. There were no other facilities either. People who came to stay rested and slept on the grass. They were exposed to both the heat of the sun and the cold of the night. They chose to ignore these hardships in their own interest.
Within three months, however, an impasse developed suddenly like the previous one at Varkala. The sick could not be cured fully. In the meanwhile, there was an annunciation that two lines gave earlier as mantra (they were received from the Light to two disciples- a man and a woman) should be chanted:
'Aum Sree Karunakara Guru Parabrahmane Namah, Aum Sree Karunakara Guru Satyapradaya Namah. Thus this chant came to be used for prayer and sankalpam and people with severe diseases began to be healed. Again there was a directive. Guru was to withdraw from such work for three and a half years. Work was stopped accordingly. Then He was asked to go on a journey.
Guru set out as a group of four, including a child of ten years old. This child had had an experience of darshanam already. She had also lived in the Ashram for some days. None of those who had darshanam regularly was asked to join this trip. There was a reason for not taking them. Guru had begun to suspect something. Certain powers at the level of the devas—those we understand as gods— were misleading Guru and the disciples. This was what happened even in the earlier impasse. In fact, it grew clear that the signals received from these powers now were false. Therefore, it was decided to refuse the guidance of these powers.
Guru thought it was due to the mistake of the disciples through whom intimations were received. Guru scolded and thrashed them. But it was all futile. The deadlock became severe. Finally, it became clear that the mistake was in the intimation itself. When Guru was thus in turmoil, unable to realize the reason behind the impasse, he became angry and said to the disciples who had the visions: “Throw away this junk.” Saying thus he locked himself in the ‘Parnasala’.
He did not allow anyone to see him. He entered into deep meditation. It was time for food, but Guru did not get up. He did not accept even water. Completely detached, he remained in meditation. Others in the ashram also did not eat food. The congregation of people now began to pray in unison. It was past noon. The prayers continued. Through intimation, it was informed to Guru that he should get up and take food. But, Guru refused. He vowed that he should know the truth for certain. Otherwise, he would not even touch drinking water. The spiritual powers from whom the intimations were being received now became alarmed and afraid.
In the afternoon, at 4 p.m., a bright Radiance appeared. It was a pure white radiance never seen before. Word was received from that Light. “Suffered a lot, isn’t it? Never mind, everything will be alright. Now Guru and all others should take food. Wait for Me again at 5 p.m.” Accordingly, all people, including Guru, took food. When it was five minutes to five, instructions were received from the Light about the things to be done. It was the opening of a new chapter and actions were initiated as per the words from that Light. With this, almost all the powers in the spiritual planes started to resist Guru. These included countless evil spirits, rishis, sanyasis, gurus, and even the Trimurti (trinity gods). The resistance and misguidance of these divinities were now clearly perceived. All this was known through visions. Word came on how to safeguard from this spiritual crisis. During this time, the problems of sick persons became acute. Those who were possessed screamed and jumped in trance. Lunatics shouted and ran in all directions. The atmosphere in the ashram became chaotic with the terrible actions and screaming of the afflicted people.
The only way to overcome the spiritual resistance from the subtle cosmic beings was prayer. It took many days of fasting and prayers, which were repeated many times, to subdue the belligerent spiritual and depraved forces wielding enormous siddhi – miraculous power. It was indeed a fierce spiritual war as it entailed a seminal and epochal spiritual change in the world. All devotees obeyed the instructions of Guru based on the intimations from the Light. People prayed sitting on the uneven ground full of gravel. They prayed incessantly, foregoing sleep and food, disregarding the harsh sun, rain or mist. Several people fainted. It was an epochal spiritual war in which the weapons of the victorious were their innocent and heartfelt prayers. The merciless spiritual powers, however, persisted.
Eventually, it was the divine intervention from Sri Krishna that ended the crisis. Sri Krishna came and revealed to the disciples that it would be enough to pray to Guru and all the hindrances would be removed. Thus, the disciples got the conviction that the intimations from the deities were incorrect. Guru advised them not to depend on the intimations from the deities and to take instructions from the White Transcendental Light alone. The revelation was received to the effect that the devotees should chant only the ‘Akhanda Naamam’ (the mantra received from the Light with Guru’s name) and act in accordance with the intimations from the Transcendental Radiance.
The countless souls and demonic powers in the spiritual sky were consigned to the fire of the radiance of Brahman. Thus the meaning of Guru’s life and the intent of Godly Will were clarified. It marked the completion of Guru’s spiritual stature. Lord Sri Krishna stood guard to this spiritual transition and helped Guru with an utmost vigil and a divine mission. After Guru’s spiritual completion, Sri Krishna went back with an instruction to the disciples of Guru: “From now on, do everything in Guru’s name and you shall overcome all problems.”
Guru filled the universe as the Totality of Dharma. The Will of Brahman was fulfilled. The followers of Guru adopted a worship system based on faith in One Universal God, the Brahman. As per the divine intimation, they accepted the path of Guru - ‘Guru Margam’ - and began worshipping Him as the medium to the Transcendental Light. The work of spiritually deviated souls against the will of God has been always evident in the world and it worked in the case of Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru also. On completion of the spiritual mission in the mortal world, Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru left His physical body on 6th May 1999. Presently Her Holiness Sishyapoojita Amrita Jnana Tapaswini leads the spiritual mission of Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru.
Teachings
Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru once mentioned that His path is Vimochana Matam, i.e. the Liberating Dharma. A few aspects that make this Guru Parampara different from other guru traditions may be surmised thus:
For the Guru, God is Parabrahman, the Supreme Light. There is no second God. His light pervades in everything and everyone. God is known only through his Creation. One should live in accordance with the divine order accepting the Will of God. Guidance comes from God through the medium of Guru, and liberation comes through Guru’s grace. For the Guru Parampara the Word of Guru or Guruvani is Veda. It serves as the Holy Scripture for the followers. The Word of Guru is equated with Truth, Truth with Guru, and Guru with God.
A seeker cannot evolve spiritually without a Guru. Self-effort in the form of yoga, meditation, visiting temples and other religious places does not elevate the soul spiritually if one is without a realized Guru. Guru, however, accepted the existence of various spiritual entities that inhabit the cosmos. However, they are not to be worshipped in this age as these divinities seek rebirth in Kaliyuga to work out their own liberation through the divinely commissioned Guru in order to be guided to Satya Yuga, the age of spiritual perfection. Therefore, Guru rejected the worship of such spiritual entities and religious lore that promotes sectarian concepts of God. According to the teachings of the Guru, the Trimurti gods including Brahma were gurus of bygone cosmic ages who came for the spiritual guidance of humanity. However, their spiritual incumbency in this age is disowned.
Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru did not favor the concept of Maya which
postulates that the world is an illusion and rejected the equation of
individual soul with Brahman as exemplified in the Vedantic aphorisms such as
‘Aham Brahmasmi’ (I am Brahman) and ‘Tat Twam Asi’(You are That). He said that
Jeev Atma is only a reflection or the ray of the Supreme Light, not the Supreme
itself.
The Guru’s idea of creation differs from the puranic myths, which mention that
god Brahma is the Creator. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru reveals that every
solar system(s) in which all living beings have their abode is created through
the medium of Archetypal Manus, who is said to be the first self-projection of
God and through whose ideation or Sankalpa manifests the visible universe
consisting of planetary units and stellar systems. Because of this, the Indian
rishis calculated the age of the cosmos in terms of Manvantara after the name
of Manus. A Manu is God manifest, the primordial Purusha mentioned in the Vedas
and Upanishads, the divine entity who creates our local universe consisting of
twelve zodiacs, twenty-seven stars, and nine planets. This Manu, therefore, is
not to be related to the author of Manusmriti, one of the dharmic treatises in
Hinduism.
The great rishis have said that God is pure Consciousness and Light
indefinable. However, God transforms Himself into a Cosmic Person (i.e. Manu)
wishing to create our universe. Various divinities, humans and other sentient
and insentient beings in the solar system get evolved through a long process of
cyclical evolution by the limitless potential of knowledge and action potential (jnanashakti and kriyashakti) and
ideation (sankalpam) of this Cosmic Person. The pathetic religious discords today arise owing to the ignorance about this
natural spiritual order. Every sect claims that theirs is the only way to God
or the true path, which produces discord and conflicts in society.
Numerous gurus, seers and prophets of different calibers come for a different duration such as 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 or 5000 years according to the socio-spiritual condition of society. Sri Ram, Sri Krishna, Sri Buddha, Mahavir, Zarathustra, Moses, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammad, Guru Nanak, and others were great preceptors who appeared for such spiritual renovation during historical intervals. This process of spiritual renovation goes on until the end of a cosmic age that has a length of billions of years. The spiritual evolution of humanity is not limited to 2000 or 5000 years. Therefore, no prophet or guru can claim to be the final messenger of God or the only way to God. It is this spiritual culture or character of Indian spirituality known as Sanatana Dharma (the eternal spiritual order) that makes it eternally relevant, vibrant, and tolerant of other religions.
Although not subscribing to the tenets of established religions, Guru’s
Liberating Dharma teaches a follower to respect all world teachers and their
sacrifices in a deserving manner since they belong to the brotherhood of
mahatmas who came for the spiritual reformation of humanity at various
historical intervals. However, their mission remains incomplete, which is evident
from the present conflicts and civilizational crisis, which necessitated a
spiritual renewal by another World Teacher. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru is
the World Teacher presiding over this spiritual renewal.
Guru disapproved of the hierarchical caste system and opened the path of
spiritual redemption for all irrespective of their caste or religious
identities. The followers of Guru belonged to all castes and occupations
especially the marginalized communities. While repudiating the caste system, Guru,
however, said that Varna concept, wrongly misinterpreted as a jati (caste) is
the classification of human temperaments (vasana) based on the quality of one’s
thoughts and actions. Varna of a person cannot be determined based on birth in
a particular family or community. Sometimes, in the same family itself, one can
find all Varna types.
There are no formal rituals for initiation into the faith of Guru. Anyone with
faith in Guru, irrespective of religious and caste status, can join the faith.
The only ritual formula for all spiritual performances and lifecycle ceremonies
is the chanting of the divine Guru mantra that was revealed from the Light.
Verses from texts like Guru Gita and mantras from Upanishads extolling the
glory of Guru and Almighty God is also recited for the purpose of worship.
The Ashram of Guru is regarded as the sacred place of pilgrimage. To live in
accordance with the guidance of Guru is more important. To make willing
sacrifices for the protection and perpetuation of guru paramapara is an
essential ingredient of the faith. All Vedic rituals superintended by brahmins
through tantra and mantra and worship of Devi-devas are rejected in favor of
direct guidance from the Guru. After the physical departure of founder Guru,
guidance comes through the anointed preceptors with the power of visionary
faculties or ‘seeing’.
Remembrance of God by chanting the sacred Guru mantra and leading ethical life as householders helping each other is the path of karma and dharma suggested for the householders. Guru established a self-reliant model of commune life, where all believers lived under one roof engaged in different occupations so that it reduced the burden of life by way of cooperative living. The sanyasis are required to live in accordance with God’s will as socially responsible persons, not as recluses who live detached from community life. Although there is a group of sanyasis and brahmacharis belonging to both genders in the Ashram, Guru did not want sanyasis to wander aimlessly as mendicants. He was opposed to such meaningless renunciation. The sanyasis of Guru supervise community life. The members of the commune engage in self-sustaining enterprises with a vision to help society with exemplary products and services.
According to the Guru, the society and government should be guided by the wisdom of an all-knowing sage who functions by the Will of God. Guru was concerned about the wrong direction of society, of the painful conflicts and social disunity. Guru believed that only through the spiritual upliftment of householders, especially women, the desired spiritual renaissance can take place in the world. Guru gave importance to bhakti (devotion) and self-sacrifice for the divine cause in order to change both the quality and structure of social life. The basis for social regeneration advocated by Guru is essentially spiritual, ethical, and family-oriented. Guru personally guided householders in every aspect of life and life-cycle ceremonies. A new guru parampara is born with a divinely commissioned Guru to guide its social and religious life. Guru’s message is not merely of liberation but also of social action.
Guru initiated a unique spiritual performance known as Gurupooja or Pitrusudhi
by which the devotee is freed from inauspicious karma of ancestors, the bad and
good deeds of one’s past and present lives and also from the consequences of
erroneous religious practices handed down by ancestors. This is a purely
contemplative spiritual intercession performed by the incumbent spiritual head
for releasing the devotees from negative karmic and spiritual influences. After
a few generations, several mahatmas and other high souls waiting for rebirth in
this age will be born in the families thus purified. With that, the spiritual
renovation of humanity would be complete.
Guru founded a universal spiritual path based on the faith in the Oneness of
God and Humanity in fulfillment of the wishes of great rishis, sages, and
prophets who came in the past. The teachings of Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru
deal with the questions of spiritual evolution, spiritual hierarchies, cosmic
time order, astral pollution, soul transmigration, purification of karmic,
ancestral and spiritual errors, and the possibility of spiritual intervention
from time to time in the spiritual evolution of humanity. The path of Guru can
be referred to as Jnana Margam – founded on the monotheistic principles of
Sanatana Dharma.
Mukundan P.R.
