Significance of the Ancestral Cleansing

Gurucharanam Saranam

Significance of the Pitrusuddhi - Ancestral Cleansing at Santhigiri

By M. Chidambaran, Dy. Director of Education- Retd., Haripad)

This is not the usual pitrusuddhi (purification of the souls of our ancestors) carried out through sacrifices (homas) or oblations as practiced according to the Hindu tradition. Real pitrusuddhi does not happen through that ceremony. The sinful souls of the dead who are ineligible for liberation or mukti become instrumental in generating children in neecha rasi (evil position of stars) which in turn results in failures of actions (karma) and also misery. This can be overcome only through pitrusuddhi carried out through sankalpa or will which is the unique way of the Guru. He divines the conditions of all objects of our worship and those of our earlier generations (souls of the dead) and with His knowledge of Brahman He brings them to his own spiritual light making them eligible for liberation through His acquired goodness (virtues). This is what is known by the name Guru Pooja in Santhigiri.

Our duty is to bring forth our children to become parents to establish a new lineage (parampara) of the people arising from the purified souls. Such people will be the embodiment of goodness, fortune and power as well as purity of action. The realization of the ultimate truth experienced by the faithful and the disciples of the Guru is the distinctive characteristic of Santhigiri. Nowhere else can we find believers and disciples who have really experienced visions and revelations as in Santhigiri. The concept of God is realized through the Guru. People who follow different religions, faiths and practice different rituals can have their sins of the previous births removed by following the path of the Guru. He is the only person who can divine the actions of the previous births and foresee the future and its dharma and advise how to carry out our duties in relation to it. Offering correctives to the darsans the Guru alone can lead us to the path of liberation. Without a real Guru this becomes impossible. We can find out this Guru through His disciples who have actually experienced His grace.

The purpose of Guru’s birth is the creation of a casteless and classless society, the members of which will maintain purity in thought and action and also hold on to eternal moral values, fraternity and peace. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru fulfills this mission of establishing a new lineage of people with faith in One God following the genuine dharma and karma of Manu. Hence this is a liberating religion. Santhigiri will be known as the birthplace of anew concept of humanity. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru spoke on the relevance of Santhigiri Ashram to the present age thus:

‘The knowledge initiated for the dissemination of dharma which human race cannot attain through Manusmriti of Manu can be obtained through the message of Santhigiri. Of the four epochs known as chaturyuga, the last one is kaliyuga. It is brought out through our lineage what the objectives of life during Kaliyuga should be, and what the full realization of divinity is expected to be.  The corrections regarding the dharma to be followed in each epoch starting with Krita or Satya yuga as propounded by Sri Krishna through Bhagavat Gita becomes a reality through Santhigiri.

Sri Krishna took his birth at the end of Dwapara Yuga. His life and message have not been properly understood by either scholars or unschooled people. This distressing fact cannot be forgotten. Sri Krishna’s birth and life based on dharma sastras and puranas was a great asset to humanity. Even that we have failed to follow. Countless scholars have explicated the idea contained in the Gita. However nobody belonging to the human kind right from the Brahmin to the chandala (the untouchable) has failed to comprehend the full significance of it.

The concept of form, name and quality, countless subtle states, cause and effect relationship, the knowledge about age, the stages of dharma in the order jagrat (wakefulness) dream, slumber, turiya and turiyateeta and the inner secrets of life are perceived through the faculty of darsan (vision) of disciples and believers. They are realized from time to time as the divine design. This is a phenomenon unique to Santhigiri. Some serious mistake had crept into this kind of knowledge at some point of time resulting in the non realization of the absolute truth, which is symbolically described as the loss of the fourth face of Brahma. Nevertheless, some great souls who came after Sri Krishna could perceive the truth….. Thanks to the serene and blameless divine darsan of exalted souls. Santhigiri by its precepts and practices embodies their great ideals. It has been fully proved here that the people belonging to all castes and creeds can realize the ultimate truth. It takes into account that has been emphasized in our ancient puranas and epics. It also focuses on the yuga dharma of Kaliyuga and it is revealed only through the special faculty of darsan.

India’s purnas, epics and Vedas prescribe a laborious method of long term practice for the attainment of spiritual realization. However, Santhigiri emphasizes spiritual realization through activities according to yuga dharma not hurting even an ant. This is nothing but what the Holy Bible said, ‘seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened’. It is the same as the ‘jyoti varna’ in the Holy Koran and ‘Satya Dharma’ described in Hinduism or the Sanatana Dahrma.  Therefore Santhigiri shows us the divine exhortation for all people to grow in every way’.(To be continued)

The way of worship to be followed in Kaliyuga

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Way of Worship to be Followed in Kaliyuga
(By M. Chidambaran, Dy. Director of Education- Retd., Haripad)

What Is the Dharma of Kaliyuga?

In Kaliyuga man can evolve spiritually higher than devas and can reach beyond that. We have not been properly guided in this line hence we are ignorant of the dharma of Kali. We have been taught and made to believe that Kali is the embodiment of evil and destruction. Hence the truth about Kali is concealed and mankind has become ignorant about it. To find out the truth, we have to read and understand at least Guru Gita. The veracity of Guru Gita can be tested in Kaliyuga. The dharma of Kali is to prove whether it is true or false. This can be achieved through Guru, through the relation between Guru and disciple by the self experience of disciple after passing the stages of all evil spirits and devi devas. This is the dharma of Kali. But some scholars for their existence may say that Guru Gita has been compiled from tidbits taken from elsewhere. Such a statement is nothing but the view of the so called scholars who argue that God is subject to man’s rationality. This becomes a stumbling block in the path of man’s realization of jeevan dharma. The rest of it can be experienced only through the Guru-Sishya relationship. This is a part of the ignorance that accumulated over the past 25 chatuyugas.

The way of worship to be followed in Kaliyuga – the Path of Guru

In conformity with the Yuga dharma, the way of worship to be followed in Kali is the path of Guru, based on the belief in One God. How many of us realize the truth that the liberation of mankind can be attained only through a Guru who has reached the summit of spiritual wisdom and is omniscient and all seeing. Such a Guru is spiritually evolved transcending the stages of cosmic gods and trinity through virtuous deeds in crores of births. That holy Guru is a realized soul, surpassing all planes of spiritual wisdom, the jeeva becoming free from all actions, attaining liberation while in physical body and delegated by Brahman to redeem human race. Such a holy Guru will be all seeing and all knowing. To get more information about such a Guru it is advised to go through Guru Gita in which Siva, one of the trinity who worships the Guru tells Parvati who Guru is.

Each one of us takes birth and lives in this world with a jeeva having sins and virtues and vicissitudes accrued as a result of our past karmas. Only by removing the bad effects of our karma in the past births and by doing virtuous deeds, our karmas would become fruitful leading us to mukti. A great and perfect Guru who takes birth in Kali can remove the bad effects of the karmas of our past births. Such bad effects of karmas which cannot be removed, the virtues and fortunes and eligibility for jeevan mukti that cannot be gained even with virtuous deeds in thousands of births can be gained in Kali. This is achieved through the karma and worship of One God, Brahman by completely offering and surrendering to Guru. It was predicted by the great personalities like Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, Nostradamus, saint Aravind and Narayana Guru that a Yugacharya will take birth during this time.(Details  of this shall be given separately). Let us know the truth that the Yugacharya of their predictions is Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru, the founder of Santhigiri Ashram. Enquire and find out.

For the human race which suffers on account of diseases and thwarted hopes and actions beyond its control, the Guru of Santhigiri shows the way for the permanent solution of these problems. Spiritually He helps us to attain the ultimate deliverance or jeevan mukti. Having reached the summit of spirituality, the Guru does not carry out this mission of Brahman through the performance of miracles. Miracles and the temporary physical gains accruing to believers are not the yard stick for measuring ones spiritual knowledge. It has to be accepted that handful of devotees of Trinity do manifest signs of divine vision and ability to perform miracles. But this should never be misconstrued as the attainment of the highest point in spirituality. How is it possible for us to identify the perfect Guru? The only way to do this is to get in touch with the disciples of the Guru who have had genuine experience of the greatness of the Guru through divine vision and revelation (darsan). (To be continued)

The Root Cause of the Sufferings of Mankind and the emergence of Trinity

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Root Cause of the Sufferings of Mankind and the emergence of Trinity

(By M. Chidambaran, Dy. Director of Education- Retd., Haripad)

The first Guru of human race is the sage Manu and his lineage is Manu lineage (Manuparamapara). According to revelation received in Santhigiri, in the 3^rd Manvantara, a major error occurred in the Guru tradition. The error was the belief of an Acharya in the Manu lineage called Satyatrana, that ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, I am the Brahman. This egotism brought the Manu lineage to the curse of Brahman. As a result the karma, dharma and even memory of Manu lineage vanished from the succeeding generations of human race. Brahman itself initiated a corrective in the seventh Chaturyuga and Trimurty system was created. Trimurtis were entitled to make creation, existence and destruction. Trimurtis have no authority to give mukti. The authority to give mukti is only Brahman. Trimurtis are not Brahman. There after, astral matters related to mukti were revealed to sages and got codified as Vedas, Sastras and Upanishads. Since the sages who received the astral matters could not see and go beyond the Trimurty stage, they wrongly interpreted these visions using their intellect and the wrong belief of considering Trimurty as Brahman developed among people. Another sage under the Trimurty system recharted the time order of the Manu lineage subservient to Brahma, the deva of creation in the Trimurty system.

Thus they created the false belief among people that Trimurty system existed from the beginning and it is the supreme. Epics, mythological treatise and legends had been written and the false belief that Trimurtis are Brahman got established. Hence spiritual uplift has been limited to a stage below Trinity stage.  The supremacy of the worshiping class prevented Sudra from the learning of even Vedas and Upanishads. The evil spirits such as maadan, maruta and mantra murty became the deities of Sudra. The way of worship contrary to yuga dharma or the ethic code of yuga, continued in Kali also. Mankind has thus been kept away from the path of mukti. The Trimurtis and devi devas lulled by rituals and oblations and the super evil spirits in the subtle stage known as jinnis, devils, Satan and Gandharva have been obstructing the spiritual uplift of a soul beyond them. Thus, the trinity system that was created to correct the mistake of forgetting Brahman led mankind to that mistake itself. A solution to this can be found only through the path of Guru.

The Tragic Experiences of the past Preceptors

Sri Krishna who took birth at the close of the Dwapara Yuga and gave up life in the beginning of Kaliyuga of this Chaturyuga was a spiritually enlightened Guru by birth. Sri Krsihna was the first Guru of this Kali. He was followed by 2444 acharyas in the form of Gurus, preceptors and prophets such as the Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Nabi, Vardamana Mahavira, Sankaracharya, Tiruvalluvar, Narayana  Guru and Chattambi Swamikal to fulfill the mission of redeeming human race. But these great men who pointed out the lapses in worship and tried to guide mankind to the path of truth were not accepted by their contemporary society. Only persecutions and sufferings were given to them by the society. They had to leave this world unable to complete their mission. Their end also was tragic. Sri Krishna met his end with an arrow from a hunter. The Buddha died of food poison from the alms received. Jesus was crucified. Nabi was forced to run away from his native land Mecca to Madina as the opposition of liars became unbearable.  How Sankarachyara met his end is still unknown. Dayananda Saraswati was given poison. These great men had these bitter experiences due to the opposition in subtle and through it in gross. Unable to endure the persecution, in the end Jesus had to cry ‘Oh, Father, have you forsaken me? Nabi had to utter in disappointment, the world is ruled by Jinnis (devils) (To be continued).

The Importance of Spirituality for Success in Life

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Life Mission of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru

By M. Chidambaran, Dy. Director of Education- Retd., Haripad)

The Importance of Spirituality for Success in Life

Man is a being made up of a material body and a spirit called Soul. So, for success in this worldly life, happiness, peace and mukti (liberation of soul), materialism and spirituality are two complimentary and supplementary indivisible factors. Each and every day of ours passes by with complicated problems, experiences and sufferings in life. The majority of us are devoid of mental peace, experiencing turmoil and sorrow due to sufferings and failure in life and actions contrary to our expectations and beyond our control and sufferings from diseases, the reason of which is not known. Degradation of ethical values in life has been devouring mankind in a more deadly fashion than cancer. Neither Science nor Materialism can save mankind from this moral degradation and great fall. Only spiritual leaders can save mankind. Many an Acharya or Guru or Preceptor has taken birth so far to fulfill this mission. But instead of getting any relief or redemption, disquiet, sorrow, sufferings from diseases and degeneration of moral values have been increasing day by day. Why? What is the reason? Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru, the founder of Santhigiri Ashram at Pothencode, Thiruvananthapruam, Kerala reveals to mankind the reason for this.

The importance of Kaliyuga

According to the Guru, we are living in the Kaliyuga, the last epoch of the 28^th Chaturyuga (age quartet) of the 7^th Manvantara, the period of the seventh Manu. (One chaturyuga = the combination of 4 ages - krita, treta, dwapara and kali = 12000 divine years = 43, 80, 000 human years; 71 chaturyugas = 1 Manvantara and 14 Manvantaras = 1 Kalpa) It is said by preceptors that Kali is the age of liberation of even sudras, the people at the lowest rung of human society. All the mistakes and evil effects of individuals in the previous ages can be corrected and solution found in Kaliyuga through a few births and become eligible for ultimate deliverance. But even in this Kaliyuga, we are following the way of worship contrary to yuga dharma. If we continue in this Kali the way of worship of gods and goddesses followed in Treta and Dwapara yugas, which cannot make us eligible for mukti or redemption, how can we attain deliverance? Temporary gains may be attained through the worship of evil forces and gods. Is it the way to attain everlasting peace, happiness and deliverance? Don’t we fail to seek and find out the real preceptor?  The soul of the people who worship evil forces such as maatan or mantra moorthi (some low spirits worshipped by Hindus in South) will remain only under such evil forces and those who worship devi devas (gods and goddesses) will go under them. If you worship Brahman (the Supreme Radiance of God) alone your soul will reach and remain under Brahman. Realize the truth that neither Trimurties (trinity gods) nor devi devas are Brahman. Only Brahman or Almighty has the right and power to give liberation. Then where will the worship of multiple gods take us to? How many of us really know that only belief in one God and the way of worship in that line is the only way to redeem mankind and enable it to attain liberation

.

Guru makes us aware of the ignorance developed in mankind about Kaliyuga, about the Dharmic code of Kaliyuga and how it can be implemented and solutions for our problems found:

‘We are made to believe that Manu is the son of Brahma, one of the trinity and the god of creation. This is not correct. It is said in Bhaagavata too, the epic of Hindus that there are 14 Manus starting from Swayambhu Manu. After making people believe so, Vedanta has been explicated by scholars and commentators giving meaning to vowels, consonants and words. They have tried to make others believe that only scholars can perceive all these ideas and convey them to others. Thus they studied 18 epics, 4 Vedas and 6 sciences. When they reached up to Vedanta, they became unaware of the sky about which the calculation of various lights is related to'.

After speaking specifically about the numbers of bhoomikas (astral planes) they speak of the details of bhoomikas and enter into Vedanta. This can take one only up to the end of Veda and cut away the Light. What is the benefit of it? Some people have a misconception that the consummate result of worship will be achieved through the performance of ‘homa’ in the fire generated by churning arani. If such a misconceived mind can be satisfied so, any one can do any thing here. This is not better than trying to straighten a ripe and hard snake guard. You can understand this if you will read this keenly. Our drawbacks are: (1) the ignorance of not knowing Time. (2) The ignorance inherent in the knowledge conveyed by the pundits. If we speak more clearly our measuring stick so far was mantra, tantra and yantra. We are ignorant about the time span in which ishta devata mantra (the chanting of mantra of chosen deity) is effective. We are unable to ascertain the age up to which our quantum of knowledge leading up to the worship of chosen deity through mantras has prominence. (to be continued).

The Great Spiritual Trunk Road of Guru Centric Spirituality

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Great Spiritual Trunk Road of Guru Centric Spirituality

Mukundan P.R.

Spiritual renaissance in this era involves an evaluation and rectification of errors that had occurred in the actions (karma) and spiritual practices (dharma) of our forefathers in the bygone time, Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru had said it.  A tree gets its nourishment from its root in the soil, through the sun, water or other sources. Likewise, our family tree gets nourishment from its spiritual roots and the virtue of forefathers. If the forefathers have lived sinfully, if the ancestral souls continue to dwell in the dark cells of spiritual contamination, one can expect a fall in the life-fortunes of the offspring too.  Even if we have the best car in the world, we cannot cruise ahead even a little if there is a traffic jam. Similar is the case of a person, a family or society as there are our predecessors on the same road which we travel. We cannot progress in our path when they are stuck before us on the same road. Only a Soul- Knowing Guru can regulate the traffic on this spiritual trunk road of ancestral souls.

We have before us the examples of many families, which once had seen good times, fall in the pit of penury and oblivion. Most of the families which had temples and deities installed in them are known to suffer subsequently, because after the time of their forefathers, who established such practices at home, their descendents neglected those rituals, as they were either not spiritually inclined or lacked the time and knowledge for those rituals.  As a result, the spiritual fabric of the family gets weakened, whatever is the merit or demerit of those practices, and it becomes the cause of ruin of many families. Pitru dharma in Indian religion relates to this question of uplifting the ancestral souls and the astral status of a family. 

Can we strengthen the spiritual veins of our family by resorting to the ancient practices of our forefathers? Would the deities and ancestral souls get appeased by the renewal of rituals and renovation of temples, which the astrologers invariably suggest for a cure from pitrudosha, the ancestral curses?  Experiences of several people prove otherwise. The ancestral problems do not get cured completely or get cured only partially, that too for a limited period of time, even if the suggested rituals are performed by the best masters and tantrics in the field. I would like to quote one experience which proves that such problems could be cured by sages in the Jnana tradition, not wedded to the ritualistic tradition.

Sri Chidambaran is a retired Deputy Director of Education in Kerala and lives in Harippad near Kollam. When faced with diminishing luck and unexpected calamities in the once well to do family, astrologers were consulted. They revealed that there was pitru dosha in the family. As a remedy, the astrologers suggested renewal of family temple, reinstallation of deities, performance of homa etc. that would have cost lakhs of rupees. Sri Chidambaran kept quiet as the expense was unaffordable. One day, Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru happened to visit his place along with his disciples. The grace of Guru fell upon him and his family. Guru told him that the problem in his family could be resolved without the rituals advised by the astrologers. It was as an experiment he agreed to the suggestion. After all it involved no rituals and expenditure, he thought.

Guru asked Sri Chidambaran to call a good astrologer to see the astral chart of the family. The astrologer revealed the problem of pitru dosha and advised the same remedy - renovation of temple and reinstallation of deities etc. When the astrologer heard that the deities and ancestral souls could be removed just with ‘sankalpam’ (mental resolve) of Guru without any rituals, he said, ‘We are viewing this scientifically. No individual, let him be any great saint, through his divine power and meditation, the purifying ritual cannot be performed.  If the deities observed in the chart were seen relocated by ‘sankalpam’ then only it can be believed’, he added.

 On the appointed day, Guru reached the house.  There was along with Guru, a little girl, now a sanyasini in the Ashram. A big crowd had assembled there as spectators including the family members. The astrologer also arrived in time. Guru along with the little child sat in the front hall. The astrologer also sat on one side. Guru asked the astrologer to see what all were there in the family. After calculations, the astrologer said that it was a very old family and had an age and tradition of approximately 800 years. It was known from the chart that there were such and such disturbed deities - Brahma Rakshas, Serpent (Naga) etc. in the spiritual background of the family. The astrologer also disclosed that the remedial measure was to build a temple and install them there.

Guru called the little girl to his side and said something. After prostrating before Guru, that girl sat in meditation for sometime.  ‘Now you see whether these have moved from here or not,’ Guru asked the astrologer.  The astrologer made his chart again and looked bewildered for a moment, for, he saw that the disturbed deities and powers have been vacated. Guru asked him to do the chart once again to prove it beyond doubt. He did as advised and was astonished to find that pitrus and deities have been vacated with the sankalpam of Guru. Guru explained the spiritual background of the family as seen in vision during the performance: When all the disturbed spirits were asked to move after bringing them in the radiance of Guru, all except one were ready to move. That one was a Sanyasi, a member of the family. It was standing there as the family head in the ancestral zodiac. Although it was desirous of salvation, it was unwilling to move without someone taking its position. The tears of this Sanyasi were causing the family to deteriorate. Only after Guru promised to take that position in the family, the Sanyasi became ready to move. Guru told that it was a soul which had immense love toward the family.

Sri Chidambaran demolished the old family temple and built a prayer hall for Guru in the house. It was the beginning of his journey on the great spiritual trunk road of Guru centric spirituality. It reveals another dimension of Sanatana Dharma, which is based on the ancient Indian rishi tradition (Jnana marga) different from the brahmanical temple tradition suffering from the ills of caste system.

The Spiritual Significance of Full Moon Days

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Spiritual Significance of Full Moon Days

Mukundan P.R.

Pournami, the full moon day, how serene and blissful is that day! God has created this day for spiritual enrichment. The brilliant rays of the moon and the sun saturate the creation on full moon days helping the spiritual efflorescence of all souls. The harmful influences that trouble and hinder the spirit become subdued during pournami. The spiritual significance of ‘sadhana’ on pournami is quite an old tradition. The Hindus, Buddhists and Jains undertake vows, rites and rituals on full moon days for spiritual enlightenment as well as the appeasement of ancestral spirits. It is well known that the great Buddha got enlightenment on a full moon day. The ancient sage Vyasa, who compiled the Vedas, was born on a full moon day. This day is celebrated as Guru Purnima throughout India.

The concept of the sun and moon has great significance in Indian spirituality. According to the Rigveda, life originates from the copulation of luminous lunar light molecules (mentioned as soma) and the vaporous dust on the earth in a unique blending of cosmic rays from the sun, planets and stars. The Big Bang Theory is based on the theory of Relativity, the gravitational pulls between atomic particles, the simulations and permutations that create certain fundamental matter-molecules and gaseous energies; all these lead us to the theory that the origin of life is from the interplay of cosmic substances and energies diversely inherent in the astral world – the sun, moon, earth, stars and constellations. The soul of man pulsates in synchronization with the cosmic rays percolating down the solar system, 27 stars (nakshatram) and 12 zodiacs. The moon represents the creative energy in living beings.

Pournami prayers help to cleanse the soul. In Santhigiri Ashram, devotees observe three days ‘vritam’ (vow of abstinence) and perform round the clock prayers on full moon days to get rid of their karmic and ancestral ills. In the night of pournami, the devotees, clad in white and chanting the Guru Mantra, carry lamps and ‘kumbhams’ and circle round the Ashram in a bright procession. It is repeated in the evening, at midnight and at the following dawn of the full moon day. Married couples are advised to undertake special prayers on full moon days for begetting good progeny. When vows and prayers are observed as instructed by the Guru, noble souls could take birth through their sacred bonding on the day of pournami.

Spiritual elevation is possible only when we get rid of the spiritual blocks as well as karmic and ancestral debts. Pournami prayers observed under the enlightened Guru helps the soul in the curing of these spiritual ills. Ignorant of the spiritual ill effects of black moon days, the downtrodden communities do ancestral rites mostly on dark moon days dictated by tradition. An example is the ‘pitru bali’ performed in Kerala on dark moon day in the month of karkidaka (July-August). Auspicious will be the results if a person does the ancestral rites on full moon day, not otherwise.

Evolution of Spirit

Gurucharanam Saranam

Evolution of Spirit

Swami Navananma Jnana Tapaswi
Santhigiri Ashram, Thiruvananthapuram

Indian spirituality explains that everything in the world has its own qualitative status. The evolutionary process of sentient and insentient beings is due to the movement of time and the interaction of nature. This also is the basis of ‘form’ (unique shape) and ‘quality’ in nature; to put in other words, how every living being differs from one another. The differences in the ‘form’ and ‘jeeva’ are due to variations in the quality and vice versa. This in-depth spiritual view of India considers that everything is in the track of evolution at its various levels.

As everything in the universe is the expression of spiritual evolution, it is concomitant with time too. This is a relative status of the ‘jeeva’ (spirit/self) concerned with ‘action’ (karma) and innate tendencies (vasana). The evolution of the ‘spirit’ from its lowest level to its perfect status is also a process correlated with time which means that the aspect of time extends from the minutest micro to the universal macro level. Indian spirituality explains the yuga cycles (kaala chakra) in between these two extremes.

Indian spirituality is a perfect universal science in which the concepts of creation (srishti), stasis (stithi), dissolution (samhaara) and merging with the Ultimate (ultimate release) are clearly defined. These are the four terms clearly defined by the sages in Indian spiritual tradition. This is not mere philosophy, but is the science of transformation of the body and spirit, starting from the very micro level to the omnipotent status.

This science of evolution and its practical hierarchy is explained in Sanatana Dharma, the very basic Indian philosophy through Upanishadic principle (i.e. guru-disciple dialogue). Guru-disciple spirituality is a life style. There is the famous aphorism ‘maata, pita, guru, daivam’, which means that the evolution of the spirit of a kid begins from (or through) the mother, the father and then the guru, who ultimately guides it to God.

There is an oft-repeated prayer in Indian tradition: ‘lokaah samasthaa sukhino bhavanthu’ – ‘may everything in the universe become peaceful’. The very basic concept of this philosophy was out of a noble thought and practice for providing freedom and guidance to each and every spirit in the universe so that it can attain its innate growth and fulfillment. The growth and development ends when it attains a level of perfection. The attainment of ultimate perfection through the relative truth (of time, form, and quality) is a divine pattern for the ultimate level of perfection. The words ‘dharma’ and ‘karma’ relate to this divine pattern. These two aspects are considered the basic concept behind form and quality or individuality. Thus the spiritual aim of every spirit is to attain the ultimate status of perfection transcending quality and form as implied in the prayer, ‘achintya avyakta ruupaaya, nirgunaaya gunaatmane, samastha jagataadhaara muurthaye Brahmane namah’- ‘salutations to Brahman, the formless, indefinable, and unthinkable…’! This is the perfect vision of Indian spirituality.

The way of ‘dvaita’ (the guru disciple duality) to attain the ‘advaita’ (the merger of disciple in guru-hood) was considered the way to ‘moksha’ (liberation). (Contrary to its popular meaning, the word ‘Dvaita’ is taken here as the ‘guru disciple duality’, to mean the imperfect mind of the seeker and the ‘Advaita’ to mean the perfect state of truth which Guru represents). This way of life is operated by a ‘brahma jnaani’ (the knower of Brahman, the Supreme Truth) who is the authoritative embodiment of Brahman for guiding the evolution of all spirits and their different levels of growth through the evolutionary cycles of yugas.