The Conversion of a Christian Marxist

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Conversion of a Christian Marxist

Mukundan P.R.

Even a hardcore Marxist has a thirsting space in his heart for God. A heretic may not have a place among the believing flock, but certainly God has a door for him too in his kind kingdom. Sri Andrews was a hardcore Marxist and a heretic. He never went to a church when be became conscious of its institutional character. He objected to all forms of institutionalized religion. But I do not think it was a rebellion against God. In his heart of heart he might have yearned for the light of God, for he searched for Truth around him and in the lap of nature. He broke all conventions of the society, traditions and beliefs. Though an orthodox Christian of higher caste origin, he opted for a backward caste Hindu woman as his life partner. The history of his ancestors, as far as I could understand, goes back to the first century of Christ, when one of Christ’s apostles, St. Thomas arrived in Kerala and converted the Nambudiri Brahmins at Palayoor, a place near Guruvayur temple. St. Thomas outwitted the Brahmins by performing a miracle. Even now the remains of their temple and pond are to be found here alongside the Church. Today, these Christians are a prosperous group in Kerala, well educated and controlling most of the business. Some of these Christians display a heretic and eccentric character and hold Hindu customs and beliefs in good esteem. As if an atonement for their ancestors’ deed, a few of them had done commendable service for the promotion of Sanskrit and Vedic studies in Kerala.

Now coming back to the story of Sri Andrews, he showed exemplary qualities in his child hood. He was brilliant in his studies and was liked by his family and friends because of his socializing nature. He always took up leadership when there was a crisis. There was a temple just in front of his house at Karamukku, near Trichur. The temple was a famous one because Sri Narayana Guru, the well known spirito-social reformer of Kerala himself had lighted the lamp in the temple. Andrews and his friends, mostly belonging to the Ezhava community in the locality spent their leisure in the temple precincts, exchanging jokes. They vied with each other for receiving prasadam from the temple, mostly boiled chana, during prayer times. Good old times, when the religious bug did not shatter peace in the community. Even now, unlike many other societies, the Hindus, Christians and Muslims in Kerala live like a close knit family. Their roots are so much twined together. Jihadists and religious fundamentalists are like murky evil spirits out to spoil the peace of humanity.

Sri Andrews was strongly influenced by Marxian ideology. and has a Masters degree in Arts. He joined government service and became a Joint Secretary in the Kerala Secretariat. He encountered corruption, official lethargy and a general moral decadence in the society. His utopia about a socialist society soon crumbled. It left him with bitterness. Having lost his bed of ideology, be began to wander aimlessly. He tried to find tranquility by drinking heavily. In those days he came across some books on spirituality. He found flashes of wisdom in the books of Jiddu Krishnamurthi and Ramana Maharshi. Once he went to Sivagiri Mutt at Varkala. His wife was his constant companion in his wanders. A steadfast wife, both in sorrow and happiness, is an asset in one’s life.

On the way there to the Mutt, he felt repulsed by the brewing industry flourishing in the area. He had been a mild boozer himself, so he could feel the cursed air which did not blend well with the precinct of a sage. He continued to visit some more ashrams. He was not, however, satisfied. His derailed life continued without any hope of peace. There was now the shortage of money. Wealth deserts one whose coffers of virtue are empty. The search of Andrews was for the key to the coffers of virtue and peace.

He had two little sons and he occasionally visited Santhigiri Ayurveda Hospital which belonged to Santhigiri Ashram at Pothencode, for consultation. One day the doctor, a devotee of the Guru, invited him to visit the Ashram. So he went to see the Guru with the company of his wife. For him, the Guru looked like a respected elder in a joint family. Sri Andrews did not show any spiritual mannerisms nor did he enter the prayer hall, for he disliked religious rituals, not only of his own religion but of others too.

When they were about to leave, a woman ascetic of the Guru called his wife aside and talked to her for a few moments. He waited a few yards away. When she joined him, he enquired what the yellow clad sanyasini had been talking to her. Her revelation presently astonished him. The sanyasini had revealed that some close relative in his family had a sad death and the influence of that soul was weighing down on him heavily and that he had to do something about it. This was startling information for him, because he had a sister who committed suicide, while she was just about to enter the order of nuns in a Christian Mission.

The revelation of the sanyasini about his life made him serious. There is some peculiarity in this Ashram, he thought. However, being a rational man, he began to think and find out in what all ways the soul of his sister was influencing him. He found quite a few things which proved the influence. Important among them was the special feeling he had towards nuns, whenever he met one. Whenever any nun came to the Secretariat for any job, he would go out of his way to get their work done. He almost became a maniac those moments. Having now convinced of the influence, he tried to banish the affinity towards nuns and all other things related to his sister. At the same time, he repeated his visit to the Ashram.

Now for the first time, he began to listen whenever Guru spoke to the assembled people. The words of Guru, like liquid light, flooded the dark interiors of his soul, revealing beyond a world of pure spiritual joy and brilliance. He was so much magnetized by the baptizing words of Guru that he often took leave from the office to listen to Guru in the Ashram. It continued until the cloak of ignorance was slowly lifted up from his soul. His inside now was illumined and enthused with the wisdom of a rare kind.

One day, as usual, he came to the Ashram straight from the office. Since he was late, he thought that Guru would have begun his talk. He had wished to join the Guru from the start. When he entered the Ashram, the place looked deserted. All must have gone to attend Guru’s talk, he thought. He wanted a white dhoti to go to Guru’s hall. He was in trousers and normally people never went to Guru’s room in western dress. So he waited there with distress, hoping that somebody would come there soon for his rescue. After a few moments, Sri Rajan Varghese (now Swami Guru Nishchaya Jnana Tapaswi, another Christian convert to Gurumargam) came in front of Sri Andrews. He said that Guru had sent him saying that somebody was waiting here for a dhoti. When he saw Sri Andrews standing there, he understood, who Guru had meant.

Sri Rajan Varghese brought the dhoti and Sri Andrews quickly went inside. Guru had not begun speaking. He began only when Andrews came in and joined the group. With moistened eyes, Sri Andrews bowed in front of the Guru. The unfailing grace of the all knowing Guru melted the heart of the hardcore Marxist. An unending stream of faith and love now began flowing from the sluices of his starved heart. He became a dove in the kingdom of God, winging its way above the marvelous ocean of spiritual bliss. Andrews’s conversion was total, not with swords, nor with miracles, nor with the promise of heaven or the threats of last judgment. True conversion takes place through the experience of love. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru did not convert people, but only their hearts.

Soul’s Separation from its Primal Source

Gurucharanam Saranam

Soul’s Separation from its Primal Source

Mukundan P.R.

Sri Shivashankaran’s mother-in-law eyed him with a frown. ‘Touch the feet of the Swami’, she ordered. Shivashankaran was not familiar with such customs. He had visited temples and bowed in front of deities there. But this was a human being that too not attired like the swamis he had seen and heard about. Also the unpleasant comments from the people he came across on their way bothered him. It was in the late sixties. Shivashankaran, a tall healthy man, whose family lived near Pothencode, was a bus conductor with KSRTC. While he was on duty for long hours, his wife and mother-in-law along with his children used to visit a Swami at Pothencode. They never informed him about this virtuous ‘misconduct’ fearing that he would raise objections.

Most of the people at Pothencode disliked swamis and ashrams those days. In Marxian Kerala, ashrams and swamis have a disdainful existence rather than a proud and respectful one. The public looks at them with a suspicious eye. Shivashankaran’s brother and relatives were no exception to this. However, Shivashankaran had an open mind and would not mind meeting a swami and listening to some ancient tales from the puranas - it would be a good riddance from his cumbersome job as a bus conductor. So he decided to go along with his mother-in-law when one day she asked him to accompany her to the Ashram. However, doubt and apprehension kept creeping up in his mind because some people at Pothencode made some unsavory comments about the Swami while they were on their way to the Ashram. His mother-in-law gave him courage saying that the comments were about some other people. He swallowed both her comments and that of the public and decided to follow her.

The slender track to the spot where the Swami had set up his Ashram was less travelled by people. Pothencode itself had very few shops those days. A very isolated and feared area was it surrounded by forests and wild animals. Human habitation was scarce. On this track to the Ashram, they encountered few jackals prying in the area. But when they reached near the Ashram, suddenly the air became calm and serene. The mother-in-law had carried with her a small parcel of raw rice for the Swami. Her family ran a provision shop. Every time she visited the Swami, she took something or the other from the shop for the Swami as a token of her devotion.

Shivashankaran saw nobody in the Ashram as they entered. A small hut made of mud and bamboo stood there. It was the prayer place. Adjacent to it was another small thatched shed. The ground was full of sharp stones and they pierced the feet of Shivashankaran. He groaned at every step as he moved forward. Suddenly a man came out from the hut. Shivashankaran stayed rooted to his feet for a few moments, because the man was unusually beautiful. His body shone like the sun. Such brilliance he had never observed in any human being before. The mother-in-law said to him that this was the Swami as she walked towards him. She handed over the parcel to Shivashankaran for a moment to touch her head at the feet of the Swami. She stood up and asked him to do the same. He folded his hands and handed over the parcel to the Swami. He was little reluctant to do what his mother-in-law did - touch his head at Swami’s feet. The Swami understood his mind and said, ‘it is enough you do it standing’. But mother-in-law insisted. So he stood on his knees and touched the feet of the Swami. As though electrified, he gripped the Swami’s feet tightly. He now felt the expanse of a tranquil ocean and a lotus in it. In the lotus was the figure of the Swami. His grip became stronger at the feet. His mother-in-law said it was enough. But he could not take his hand out from the Swami’s feet and remained there. At last the Swami asked him to get up. He got up and looked. A huge celestial figure was standing in front of him touching the vault of heaven. Completely baffled Shivashankaran trembled and began to cry. Uncontrollable tears welled up in his eyes and flowed down the cheeks. His heart was pounding with spasms of joy with an under current of sorrow, for it was the moment of soul’s realization of its long separation from its primal source.

He and his mother-in-law were led away from the presence of Guru by a sole person present in the Ashram that time with the Swami. As time went by, the disciples and devotees of the Swami began to address him as Guru. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru was not just a swami, people realized. The person who attended Shivashankaran and his mother-in-law brought a piece of boiled tapioca as Prasadam. He told them with visible regret that there was nothing else in the Ashram to eat for the day. One piece was kept for the Swami’ and the other piece, three of them shared. That was their lunch that day. While narrating this to me, Sri Shivashankaran suddenly broke down and began to sob. Obviously, old memories of Guru flooded him. Today Santhigiri Ashram serves square meals to thousands of people three times daily. Behind it is the sacrifice Guru underwent in life. After retirement, now Shivashankaran serves in the Ashram dedicating his soul to the Guru and the mission which Guru began for the spiritual renaissance of India as well as of the whole world.

The Manus, the Origin of Sin and Trimurti Tradition

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Manus, the Origin of Sin and Trimurti Tradition

Mukundan P.R.

Manus are the primordial human ancestors who guide mankind in the matter of dharma and spiritual realization. The whole mankind is the progeny of Manu. The words Man and Manushya originated from Manu. The primal father of humanity is thus one, the Manu. Sagely incarnations come into the world from time to time from the lineage of Manu in order to guide mankind. It is this concept of Sanatana dharma which gives it the resilience and tolerance to respect other spiritual masters, be they from any continent, class or caste, community or belief systems so long they preach the oneness of humanity as well as the fundamental values that govern human life. The Almighty guides the world through such spiritual masters who manifest from time to time from the Manu lineage.

The epoch of a Manu is known as Manvantara. It is related to the age of the universe and measurement of human evolution through time zones such a Manvantara, chaturyugas (age quartets) and yugas (aeons). These segments of time as aforesaid said are under the spiritual authority of Manus, the primal ancestors who reign spiritually over every Manvantara. There are the clusters of 14 such Manus and Manvantaras constituting a Kalpa – a span of evolution and dissolution. Time is calculated by years, months and days as per the movement of the sun and planets in relation to the earth. Kalpa, Manvantara, Chaturyuga and Yugas are larger time segments for the calculation of cosmic time. Each Manvantara has been further split into 71 chaturyugas. Presently the world is passing through the first quarter of Kali yuga, i.e. the 28th chaturyuga of the 7th Manvantara.

Everything went on fine until the 3^rd chaturyuga of this Manvantara when a sage, the spiritual authority in the lineage of Manu, erred in his spiritual understanding. The name of the sage thus erred was Satya Trana. This is a new revelation that goes back to the spiritual history of the 3^rd Chaturyuga. This revelation surpasses the vision of saints, sages and prophets of known human history. Even the Vedas, the earliest scripture of mankind do not mention about this spiritual cataclysm or original mistake.

Having experienced the nature of indivisible consciousness, Satyatrana took himself to be the ultimate truth, Brahman, the Almighty God. An individual, though he might realize God or the indivisibility of consciousness, cannot equal himself to the Almighty, the inconceivable and unknowable. It was an egoistic perception. As a consequence of this mistake, a curse came forth from Brahman, the Almighty God. As a result of the curse, from the 3^rd chaturyuga to 7^th chaturyuga, the world passed through a long age of darkness and barrenness. Until the 7^th chaturyuga, the world was plunged in spiritual darkness.

The memory of Manu was lost to mankind due to the mistake happened in the Manu lineage. World began to move on the crippled legs of dharma from then on. Utterances like ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ (I am God), Tat Twam Asi (You Are That), Ayam Atma Brahma (This Self is Brahman), Pragyanam Brahm (Consciousness is Brahman) etc. began to be taught and accepted as highest wisdom. It was like a drop of water from the ocean claiming the status of the enormous ocean itself. The divine dharma was tainted by the ego of man. This history of the origin sin is never before revealed in any scriptures.

Thereafter, when the sages prayed for light and the pious thirsted for the mercy of God, Almighty authorized three spiritual powers– Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, as the medium of spiritual enlightenment. This was in the 7^th chaturyuga. Therefore, the version in the scriptures that the world was created by Brahma is not correct. It was an imposition in the absence of the memory of Manu, the primal father. The history of Brahma began only in the 7^th chaturyuga when the trimurty tradition commenced. By and by, after the 12^th Chaturyuga, the error of Satyatrana was repeated in the Trimurty tradition too. Brahma, Vishnu and Siva were equated with Brahman, the Almighty God. After many ages, this is now the 28^th chaturyuga. The name of Manu had been forgotten, the time order of Manu was altered and in place of Manu, Brahma was installed as the progenitor of mankind.

Great souls with immense spiritual power but tainted by egoistic visions and realizations fell from the grace of God. They remain as spiritual pollutants in various astral spheres blocking the spiritual progress of humanity. The spiritual pollution of last 25 chaturyugas (3^rd to 28^th chaturyuga) thus exists in the world which is standing as a hurdle in the path of man’s spiritual progress. These deviated souls include yogis, sages and spiritual masters with great spiritual accomplishments and wondrous divine powers (siddhi) are standing in various astral dimensions as spiritual pollutants.

These spiritually fallen souls have harmed several great souls who came to redeem mankind from the spiritual fall. The revelation from the Light of Brahman to Santhigiri is that 2444 great souls have been sent by Almighty God since the dawn of this Kali yuga in different parts of the world to rectify this spiritual error and re-establish the ancient-most spiritual path ordained by the Almighty, i.e. Sanatana Dharma. The dimension of the pain and persecution undergone by these great souls is not perceived clearly as it is covered in the jargon of religious dogma. In one or other dimension, the efforts of the sages and prophets have been blocked by these estranged spiritual powers known as Yogabhrashta, Satan or jinnee. This explains the present spiritual stalemate in the world. Since the error occurred in India, the correction should also begin from India. Therefore, the responsibility of leading mankind spiritually rests on India.

The world is yet to wake up to the Godly Light that has made known the above said revelations - the truth of the spiritual pollution affecting the world, the episode of the original sin of mankind and the subsequent spiritual fall and the institution of the mediation of Trimurty tradition, the divine scheme of the Manvantaras, the divine interventions in the rectification of the error in the present age, the persecution of the prophets and sages in the hands of opposing spiritual forces and finally the manifestation of that Godly Light amongst us in the form of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru, the founder Guru of Santhigiri Ashram, on whose auspices this effort is being made to unite all religions in the oneness of God and humanity. The ideology of Santhigiri, therefore, links all religions in a single chord of historical evolution with a hope to unite mankind. This hope attains significance in the present period of spiritual perplexity and social discord.

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Astral Factors behind Behavior

Gurucharanam Saranam

Astral Factors behind Behavior

Mukundan P.R.

How should we react to pain and sufferings in life is a question often asked and the answers are not conclusive or satisfactory. Despite our awareness about the unavoidable and impermanent nature of pain and afflictions in life, when we actually see its face, majority of us lose balance and react despairingly. We get into the trap of emotions and may even become belligerent towards God or with people and circumstance that caused suffering. Some people undergo the experience by escaping altogether from the situation surrendering their rights for justice or opportunity for self development. They are like persons who got blows in darkness and unable to react. Very few people are able to intellectually overcome pain. The sublimation of pain spiritually comes only next. Why such a big trap of pain and suffering is put in front of us? Probably it is to teach us how to overcome pain and suffering by our intelligence and spiritual strength of the soul over matter and emotions.

Even those who have intellectually understood the dynamics of pain and suffering confess that when the actual meeting with pain comes, they get shaken at least temporarily and react standing on the platform of emotions. This is because of our intellectual immaturity and ingrained spiritual status and influences reaching out from our spiritual background. Our spiritual background is related to he intermediary region of qualitative attributes - satva, rajas and tamas. This spiritual realm is always unstable and subject to change. Death and decay happens in this spiritual triangle. We all know this state of affairs but still we live hoping against hope. But this will never happen. Nobody can build a peaceful palace on the turbulent waters of the ocean. Strangely we refuse to think why we are in such a funny situation.

It is our worship which is adding fuel to our entanglement with emotional slavery. Vertically, our worship is related to the realm of spiritual hierarchies beginning from the spirit world, ancestral world and celestial world which are under the domain of emotions and the pangs of cyclic births and deaths. Horizontally these spiritual planes are segmented into three broad categories according to the predominance of satva, raja and tama. Just like men in the world, the deities also have been segregated into these three categories. One may find the mention of it in the dialogue of Rishi Vasisht in Ramayana.

Among Hindus there will be a pooja room or prayer place, or a temple, in which there will be various deities. Those who have satvic qualities will get attracted to satvic deities and those who are of rajasic and tamasic nature to such deities. Tamasic plain is associated with utter pain, jealousy, fights, diseases and squalor of all types. By associating with the deities of tamasic plane such as low spirits, ghosts, goblins, souls of ancestors etc. one makes sure of his fall unable to have any reign over his thoughts and behavior. These spirits and deities are worshiped by the name of Matan, Maruta, Mantramurti, Bhadrakali etc. in South India. Their equivalent versions are worshiped in North also by ignorant men and women. Possessions or spirit manifestations are common to this category. Gurus who please the devotees by propitiating such deities through mantra and tantra are considered tamasic gurus. Guru Gita calls them as nishidha gurus or prohibited gurus.

Rajasic plane is associated with angels, devas, devis and other celestial groups such as yaksha, kinnara and gandharva. This is a plane of constant agitation, competition and jealousy. However, there are higher gods like Siva and satvic gods and goddesses such as Vishnu, Laxmi, or Saraswati worshiped by Hindus. One can experience the acme of pleasure in the heaven of gods, except liberation, since swarga or heaven is a plane of subtle spiritual joys terminable with the exhaustion of virtue in the souls getting lifted up there. Ksheene Punye Martya Lokam Visanthi – on the exhaustion of virtue (punya), one has to return from the heaven to the world of mortals for another cycle of births and deaths to earn enough punya to be lifted up again to swarga. It is a vicious circle, which intelligent Hindus may take note of. However, Hindus have every freedom to follow what they feel right or good.

So the behavioral pattern and reactions to life situations of individuals will be according to the predominant qualities in them which are further influenced by the emanations from the corresponding spiritual benefactors they worshiped by himself or by an ancestor under whose rasi, (zodiac) one is born. It is not necessary that one worship a deity at present. The channel of the deity may be active through an ancestral link or in some other mystical ways such as possession. The deities according to their guna, will emit equivalent spiritual rays or vibrations on their devotees. Since satvic deities are associated with positive qualities, the worshipers will have the shades of corresponding qualities. However highest spiritual tranquility is attainable beyond the domain of gunas - satva, rajas and tamas. The Rishis attain immortality after crossing the barrier of trigunas- the three fold quality attributes. Sri Krishna is one such great soul who could transcend the trigunas. It is said that Krishna's dark color denotes to his spiritual status beyond form and qualities.

In practical terms, a worshipper of kaali or durga may behave highly emotionally and furiously at times, whereas Hanuman devotees might display the qualities of devotion, love and renunciation. Likewise, the devotees of Laxmi or Saraswati may be of satvic mind and intelligence. The behavioral pattern of individuals gets influenced by spiritual practices as there is an exchange of spiritual emanations. To understand the true state of affairs, when confronted with conflicts in life, one has to ascend the pure plane of intelligence or soul consciousness. Reacting emotionally dissipates the soul virtue and consequently peace and growth of the individual. Only by crossing the vertical and horizontal spiritual planes connected with triguna, a person or society can prosper. Parallelly speaking, the poverty and squalor in a society has a relation with its spiritual status.

When a person functions remaining in the domain of clear intelligence he can correctly assess the causes behind life-experiences and act positively for his own advantage as well as others. Such a person will not get carried away by the floods of calamities in life, not even by the good tides in life, because he or she would have rightly established in the tranquility of the soul. We can get access to that pure plane of intelligence by the guiding force of a person, who himself has crossed the gross spiritual domains as well as three dimensional qualities. Such a person is called an Atmajnani Guru who can understand the intricacies of a soul, its propensities, its spiritual connections, ancestral influences and the resultant field of karma (prarabdha) in life. An Ashram is the abode of such an Atmajnani Guru. When one tunes one’s life and family life with the guidance of such an Atmajnani Guru, life becomes focused to higher spiritual experiences and evolution. Santhigiri Ashram is blessed by the physical presence of such an Atmajnani Guru – Her Holiness Sishyapoojita Amrita Jnana Tapaswini, the spiritual heir to Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru.

Astral Causes behind Diseases

Gurucharanam Saranam



Astral Causes behind Diseases

Mukundan P.R.



Health is the natural expression of the soul, the emanation of values lived and virtue earned in synchronization with its evolutionary process. It is true of any system or organization too. Therefore, a person or a society cannot be made healthy by treating the symptoms alone which is mostly the current practice among health activists. The vision of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru has opened a new school of thought on the problems of health and astral factors behind diseases.


Whatever little awareness there is today with regard to the subjective causes of diseases, it is confined to a secondary level of causative factors such as wrong lifestyle, food habits, environment, etc. The analysis does not go beyond the physical and mental levels. The spiritual or subjective aspect of health is not given enough attention, despite the fact that the basic issues of health are rooted in the soul of man.

Our sages have mentioned that diseases – vyaadhi, are the result of worries, i.e. aadhi. We all know that peace is the precondition for health. The subjective person, the soul is ever pure, blissful consciousness. But the tranquility of the soul gets dissipated by the push and pulls of actions arising out of one’s vasanas or inner tendencies. The soul loses its tranquility because of its confinements with ego, mind, and senses. Once this confinement happens, the soul starts running outwardly, never to experience peace again.


This worrisome status, along with unhealthy actions disturbs the flow of prana – the rhythmic flow of vital energy in the body. Once the rhythm of prana is thus disturbed, it destabilizes the bodily fluids and vital airs causing malfunctions in the body. The food may get over-digested, digest irregularly or not digest at all. When the digestive system is affected, diseases also rear its head. Therefore, diseases have their origin in the subjective aspect of a person.


Though Ayurveda and Siddha, the Indian systems of medicine developed by the sages acknowledge the relation of diseases with the soul aspects, they have not been able to provide a remedy to problems arising out of karmic, ancestral, and spiritual pollution.


The focus in actual Yoga practice is to bring this subjective aspect, i.e. the soul into equilibrium through the control of prana. It means a lot of spiritual regimentation, physical discipline, and long continuous practice. It may be, therefore, suitable only to a small segment of people in this fast track of life, who have leisure and a suitable environment. Moreover, if yoga is not practiced under an advanced master with self-realization, it may also lead to physical and mental complications.


Tranquility is achievable with the highest virtue and purity in the soul. Yoga has been reduced to mere physical and mental exercises today. However, despite the question of its practicability in this age, Yoga remains the ancient Indian science of self-realization, very authentic and liberating in its vision.


When we talk about the health of our soul, three important factors are to be thought of; the soul’s karmic, ancestral, and spiritual influences. Unless a person is able to liberate him from the binding effects of these three factors, the hope of immunity from diseases, mental and physical problems becomes impossible.

The karmic residues of the soul earned over multiple births are recorded as karmagati. According to the auspicious and inauspicious nature of karmagati, corresponding effects will manifest in life as diseases and other misfortunes and vice versa. Unless the karmic element is understood and appropriate rewinding or rehabilitating karma is performed, the disease cannot be successfully tackled. These imprints in the soul are subject to the vision of seers – an Atmagyani Guru. Medical science and its methods of diagnosis are helpless in this area. All medical systems today concentrate only on the symptoms, not on the root causes related to the spirit inside.


Secondly, there are also a person’s genetic links which also become the source of certain diseases – mostly hereditary in nature. Mental retardation and other such misfortunes have a genetic link. It is known as pitru dosha in astrological terms. The spiritual and genetic contamination in the ancestral soul affects the health of progeny too. Here too, medical science is helpless because karmic and spiritual bindings of ancestral souls are beyond the scope of science. This soul science is subject to a spiritual regime and therefore under the purview of spiritual science and spiritual masters.


One of the important contributions of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru, the founder of Santhigiri Ashram in the area of healthcare is His thoughts on the astral causations behind diseases which He referred to as karma dosham, pitru dosham, and Aradhana dosham. Mention has already been made about the Karmic and Ancestral problems. The third aspect, Aradhana Dosham is related to deviated spiritual practices and the consequent debilities, deformities, and devolution occurring in the individual’s soul.


Aradhana Dosham is also related to spiritual mobility through spiritual zones of varying evolutionary nature with their peculiar color, effects, and hierarchies. Though the sages have mentioned it, the concept of spiritual zones and their relation to health issues is an area that has not been yet explored properly.


It forms part of the discourse on spiritual pollution, which directly and indirectly affects the measure of virtue and the evolutionary orientation of the soul. Spiritual pollution is the stagnation of souls in lower astral planes with its adverse effects on health, one’s progeny, and family life.


The tranquility of the soul is experienced in higher spiritual planes above the hierarchies of spirits, celestials, angels, gods, and goddesses. The astral planes up to heaven are related to pleasure and pain, name and form. By their worship and spiritual practices, the souls get connected to these lower astral planes, which produce only dual experiences of pain and pleasure, sorrow and happiness. In other words, it is the abode of base desires or ashta raga- the eight-fold bindings of the soul.


So long as the soul is subject to ashta raga, there will be imbalances and variations in the karmic and spiritual earnings affecting the measure of the soul’s virtue and evolutionary growth. At the present time, mankind is mostly related to these lower spiritual planes; hence the possibility of enduring health remains an unrealistic dream.


We have mentioned that enduring health is the result of tranquility arising from the soul’s composure in higher spiritual planes where all dualities disappear and the soul remains in its state of purity and positive spiritual emanations. It is the plane where Oneness of God and Oneness of Humanity become an actual experience. This spiritual transition is the basis for a healthy society and necessary to achieve lasting peace, enduring health and progress.


Mankind, therefore, requires the guidance of such a spiritual master, who has transcended the highest spiritual planes. The Supra-mental evolution mentioned by Sri Aravind Ghosh is related to this spiritual transition. Before embarking on this path of higher spiritual transition, one has to get rid of the karmic, ancestral, and spiritual baggage by rightly establishing oneself in the path of such a spiritual master.


The dialogue on human health can become more meaningful only when the subjective and astral aspects mentioned above are given due attention and thought. Santhigiri Ashram beckons each and all to such a practical path of higher spiritual transition, health, and peace.

The Vision and Mission of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Vision and Mission of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru

Introduction

Santhigiri Ashram was founded by Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru in the year 1968 at Pothencode, 21 KMs away from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. It is emerging as the global capital of spirituality where people belonging to all walks of life despite religious, racial, gender and ideological differences arrive attracted by the new doctrine and path gifted by Guru to humanity. Guru was a seer of unparalleled wisdom and spiritual realization and was able to foresee the past, present and future course of development of our life and society. Guru did not subscribe to any orthodox religious beliefs. Revelations from the Supreme Light and the rare insights and experiences of His life of sacrifice spanning 72 years became the basis of Gurumargam, the new spiritual path founded by Guru.

History

Navajyotisree Guru was born on 1st September, 1927, at Chandirur, Alapuzha district in Kerala. The birth of Guru was marked by incidents associated with divine births. After birth, Guru became aware of a unique spiritual experience. There was a ‘Radiance’ inside Him until the age of nine, which Guru identified as the visage of Sri Krishna. When He became 14 years old, Guru left home in search of spiritual realization. He led the life of an ascetic in the Ashram founded by Sri Narayana Guru, well known spiritual and social reformer of Kerala who said ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God for humanity’.

During His search for truth, Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru met Khureshia Fakir, a Sufi sage, who lived near Beema Masjid at Thiruvananthapuram. The ancestors of Khureshia Fakir belonged to Pathan tribe of Afghanistan, hence he was also known as Pattani Swami. This Sufi master was instrumental in awakening rare mystical experiences present in Guru. After few years’ association with Khureshia Fakir, Guru established Santhigiri Ashram near Pothencode. In the year 1973, after a series of spiritual experiences and fulfillments, Guru’s supreme spiritual status and extra ordinary divine mission was revealed to the disciples by the Radiance of God. On 6th May, 1999, Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru merged with the eternal Light of God. The present head of Santhigiri Ashram is Her Holiness Sishyapoojita Amritajnana Tapaswini, who is empowered by the Guru to spiritually lead the Guruparampara.

Vision

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 revelatory and visionary spiritual experiences. It deals with the questions of spiritual evolution, spiritual hierarchies, cosmic time order, astral pollution, soul transmigration, karma, and most importantly the possibility of spiritual intervention from time to time in the evolution of human civilization. The path of Guru can be referred as Jnana Margam - the experiential path of spiritual realization to help humanity evolve spiritually founded on the esoteric principles of Sanatana Dharma.

Mission of Peace

As per the teachings of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru, salvation is possible only by lifting oneself to higher spiritual planes above the hierarchies of spirits, celestials, angels, gods and goddesses. The astral planes up to heaven are related to pleasure and pain, name and form. By their worship and spiritual practices, the souls get connected to these lower astral planes, which produce only dual experiences of happiness and misery. So long as the soul is subject to the lower astral planes, there will be imbalances and variations in the karmic and spiritual earnings affecting the measure of soul’s virtue and evolutionary growth. The disturbances in nature, the moral degradation of humanity and the consequent trail of meaningless violence and sorrow are directly or indirectly related with man’s association with lower spiritual planes.

Achievements

Enduring health, peace and prosperity is the result of tranquility arising from soul’s composure in higher spiritual planes where all dualities disappear and soul remains in its state of purity and positive spiritual emanations. It is the plane where Oneness of God and Oneness of Humanity become an actual experience. This spiritual transition is the basis for a healthy society and which is necessary to achieve lasting peace, enduring health and progress. Before embarking on this path of higher spiritual transition, one has to get rid of the karmic, ancestral and spiritual baggage by rightly establishing oneself in the path of such a spiritual master, who has transcended the lower astral planes and realized the Will of God. Sri Aravind Ghosh referred to this spiritual transition as the Supra-mental evolution. The life fulfillment of Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru was that He was able to make this spiritual transition a reality among a big community of people, which is now spreading to the entire world, irrespective of caste, religion, class and other differentiations. That Santhigiri Ashram receives ‘revealed words’ from the Supreme Light adds great importance to this theme.

Community Initiatives

Guru recognizes family as the basic unit of the society. The family envisaged by Guru is well founded in Dharma, fulfilling its duties towards society. There is an Association of house-holders, Grihasthasrama Sangham in the Ashram and the members meet from time to time to discuss issues related to familial relations and the duties of the family to society. Viswa Samskarika Navodhana Kendram (V.S.N.K) is the Ashram’s cultural wing that seeks to propagate the message of Guru for a spiritual and cultural renaissance in the world. Santhimahima is the wing of boys and young men under the auspicious of the Ashram and is dedicated to the spreading awareness of dharma among the youth. It aims at instilling values in young people and preparing them for a meaningful and responsible life as citizens of the world. Gurukanti is a centre to make children between the age of 5 to 13 aware of the values of love, truth and compassion and to bring out their talents and skills.

Women empowerment

Gurumahima is an organization for the character formation of women based on the values and teachings of Guru. Mathrumandalam is a women’s organization under the auspices of the Ashram and is concerned with the empowerment of women. There are various women oriented enterprises managed by the Ashram - a weaving centre, cutting and stitching centre, curry powder unit, printing press, dairy farm and flower gardens, agricultural division, coir factory and oil mill. According to Guru the material and spiritual well-being of women are the foundation for a good society and a good world.

Sustainable Development Activities

Ashram has taken up bold initiatives in promoting a sustainable pattern of development that may contribute to do away with the negative impact of human activities on earth. The life pattern and life culture of the Santhigiri community is an enduring example the world community can learn from. Santhigiri disseminates and teaches that the objective of human life is not material accumulation alone. Life becomes meaningful and peaceful when material pursuit is supplemented by spiritual pursuit. The fundamental focus of Guru’s teaching, the spiritual practices and material activities that Guru initiated are with a view to nurture and nourish a life culture and life style agreeable to natural environment and positive human development.

Life Style Changes

Guru’s teaching and the path laid down for its actualization provides guidance in day today life in reorienting life towards higher planes of virtues. This orientation towards the need of nourishing virtues in life, transforms one’s life vision and gradually changes take place in lifestyle. When discriminative understanding grows, one becomes conscious of the positive and negative impact of unbridled and mindless growth of science, technology and material conditions in life.

Green Movement

The members of Santhigiri community are more conscious of the harmful effects of global warming and climate change and use of pesticides and artificial methods employed in different areas of food processing , agriculture, time saving devices which dissuades him not to indulge in physical exertions. The simplicity of life and a natural way of living, loving and caring of nature and the eco-friendly development of the physical environment speak a lot of Ashram’s significance and contribution in guiding society in a new path of development. Ashram for the last 30 years has followed the methods of bio-farming in agriculture. Only natural manure is used in farming .plants are preserved and while cutting even the branch of a tree, permission of the tree is sought in spiritual way. In such sanctity vegetations are preserved and a culture that cares and preserve environment is promoted. The dairy in the Ashram provides the raw materials for biogas. The vegetable and other bio- wastes that runs into tones along with cow dung is the raw material for the bio-manure manufactured in the Ashram.

Community Health

In the field of health care and medical treatment Santhigiri has made commendable and substantial contribution and guidance to the world. The Ashram runs hospitals and panchakarma centers in and outside the state. There is a pharmaceutical centre that produces around five hundred medicines both classical and proprietary. Part of the raw materials required, come from the herbal gardens of Santhigiri at Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad. The Ashram had launched several free mass healthcare programs such and ‘Karunyam’ and adoption of a village which benefitted lakhs of people. Santhigiri also operates Mobile clinics that reach medical assistance to the doorsteps of the poor in the villages as well as in the cities.

Education and Research

Santhigiri Ashram runs prestigious schools and medical colleges (Ayurveda and Siddha). The Ashram is also engaged in social and scientific research and has been recognized by the Ministry of Science &Technology Govt. of India and exempted under Income tax rule 35(i), (ii) & (iii). Santhigiri Research Journal is a new journal of spirituality and Science published by Santhigiri Ashram. The Ashram publishing house brings out a spiritual monthly Santhigiri Adhyatmika Masika and an occasional news paper Umminithankam. Several books on spirituality have been brought out by this wing. The health care division brings out a health magazine, Arogyapadmam and an online Newsletter, Siddhavani.