Swami Nithyananda

Swami Nithyananda
For other uses, see Nityananda (disambiguation).
Paramahamsa Nithyananda
Born January 1, 1978 (1978-01-01) (age 33)
Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India[1]
Philosophy Advaita Vedanta
Quotation I am not here to say I am God - Aham Brahmasmi. I am here to prove that you are God - Tat Tvam Asi.

Swami Nithyananda (also known as Paramahamsa Nithyananda, Tamil: பரமஹம்ஸ நிதியானந்தா; born 1 January 1978) is a spiritual master, modern mystic [2] and the founder of Dhyanapeetam, a worldwide movement for meditation, based in Bangalore, India.[3] He came into fame after his series Kadavai Thira, Kattru Varattum (Open the door and let the breeze in) (Tamil: கதவை திற காற்று வரட்டும்) [4][5] was published in the widely circulated Tamil weekly, Kumudam (Tamil: குமுதம்) and due to the popularity of his spiritual healing processes. Nithyananda Swami has a huge following in southern India and his mission has branches in several countries, including the US and Europe.[6] His followers and acquaintances included a number of high profile politicians such as Narendra Modi, the Chief minister of Gujarat [7] and B.S.Yeddyurappa, the Chief Minister of Karnataka [8] and famous actors from the Indian film industry such as Vivek Oberoi [9] and Juhi Chawla.[10] In April 2010, Nithyananda was arrested after failing to answer bail for criminal charges in regards to allegations arising after a video was released allegedly showing him in a compromising situation with a woman.

Contents

Biography

Nithyananda, was born as Rajasekaran in January 1978 [11] in the spiritual town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu made famous by spiritual masters such as Arunagiri Yogeshwara, Arunagirinathar, Ramana Maharishi and Yogi Ramsuratkumar. He studied Yoga, Vedanta, Sidda, Tantra and other eastern metaphysical sciences from his mentors Raghupati Yogi,[11] Kuppammal, Annamalai Swami and others.[1] According to his biography, he had an intense spiritual experience at the age of 12 and after long years of wandering and spiritual practice he says to have attained, in the year 2000, the state of spiritual enlightenment or eternal bliss [1] - and hence the name Nithyananda (Sanskrit - नित्य Nithya (eternal) and अनन्दा Ananda (bliss)). In the year 2003 he started his ashram or spiritual center, Dhyanapeetam, in Bidadi near the city of Bangalore in south India and the US branch named the Life Bliss Foundation, headquartered in Los Angeles.[7]

Teachings

Swami Nithyananda's teachings are aligned with the Advaitic school of thought of Sri Adi Shankara. However, he integrates many streams of Vedic Hindu thought into his teachings including Jnana, Bhakti, Yoga, Dhyana and Karma. He is primarily popular for his meditation techniques and the idea of Dhyana or meditation [12] as the way to reach what he calls the state of Jeevan Mukti or Living Enlightenement. He defines Living Enlightenment in simple terms as living a conflict free life.[13] He is well known for his spiritual discourses [8] and has given discourses on scriptures such as the Brahma Sutras, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Shiva Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita.

Life Bliss Foundation

Swami Nithyananda has developed a diverse range of meditation courses catering to a wide cross section of people [7] which he teaches at his centers and public programs. He has followers across the world and runs a number of ashrams in India and abroad.[14] The mission claims to run more than 1000 spiritual centers and temples worldwide with the main ones being in Bidadi, Thiruvannamalai and Los Angeles. Since 2003, Nithyananda's following has grown rapidly mainly in south India and the US.[6] There is, however, a wide variation in publicly reported numbers of his following ranging from 2 million [15] to a self published 10 million followers.[1]

Awards and Honors

Swamy Nityananda's banner in Bangalore in 2008.

In 2007, he was elected chairman of the Hindu University of America, also known as the International Vedic Hindu University, an institution in the U.S. state of Florida.[16]

Controversy

A video that claimed to show Nithyananada in a compromising situation with a woman was broadcast on the Tamil television channel Sun News on 2 March 2010. This resulted in protests outside the Ashram during which a fire broke out. The Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam's website called the video defamatory, terming it "a mix of conspiracy, graphics and rumour". On March 4, Nithyananda made an application to a civil court in Chennai, seeking an injunction blocking further broadcasting of the video material.[17]

Swami Nithyananda was arrested on April 21, 2010 in Arki in Himachal Pradesh by Bangalore Police with the help of the police of Himachal[18] and the interrogation was done in Bangalore by the CID of the Bangalore Police.[19] On 11 June 2010 Nithyananda was granted bail, and was released from judicial custody after fifty two days in Ramanagaram sub-jail. In October 2010, the releaser of the video who worked as Nithyanda's driver was charged by Bidadi police under several sections of the IPC with accusations of defaming Nithyanada through distributing the video.[20] .[21] Subsequently in July 2011, Nithyananda's ashram has filed a complaint against Sun TV Network, alleging them as the agents behind the morphed video and the repeated telecast of it[22] leading to the arrest of Sun TV chief operating officer Hansraj Saxena and others.[23]

Works

  • Nithyananda, Paramahamsa (2008). Living enlightenment. Life Bliss Foundation. ISBN 978-1606070482. 
  • Nithyananda, Paramahamsa (2008). Guaranteed Solutions for Lust, Fear, Worry .... Life Bliss Foundation. ISBN 978-1606070314. 
  • Nithyananda, Paramahamsa (2004). Meditation is for You: An Introduction to the Science and Art of Meditation. Life Bliss Foundation. ISBN 978-8190243742. 
  • Nithyananda, Paramahamsa (2004). Open the door... let the breeze in!. Life Bliss Foundation. ISBN 978-8190243711. 

References

  1. ^ a b c d About the Master and Mission (Self Published), http://nithyananda.org/founder 
  2. ^ "Certificate of recognition from California State Legistlature Assembly". March 22, 2007. http://nithyananda.org/certificate/certificate-recognition-california-state-legistlature-assembly. 
  3. ^ "Meditation holds key to peaceful life: Paramahamsa Nithyananda". The Hindu (Chennai, India). November 26, 2006. http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/26/stories/2006112602760200.htm. Retrieved 11 January 2010. 
  4. ^ "Tamil seer in sex net". The Telegraph. March 4, 2010. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100304/jsp/frontpage/story_12175617.jsp. 
  5. ^ Kadavai Thira Kattru Varattum
  6. ^ a b "India holy man accused of sex scandal is freed on bail". BBC. June 14, 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8738719.stm. 
  7. ^ a b c "Nithyananda sting leaves Modi red-faced". The Times of India. March 5, 2010. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-03-05/vadodara/28146699_1_narendra-modi-sardar-sarovar-narmada-nigam-invitation. 
  8. ^ a b "On the run, Swami Nityananda arrested near Shimla hill station". India Today. April 21, 2010. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/On+the+run,+Swami+Nityananda+arrested+near+Shimla+hill+station/1/93931.html. 
  9. ^ "Vivek's Spiritual touch". The Times of India. December 6, 2009. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-12-06/news-interviews/28107129_1_sudeep-kannada-film-vivek-oberoi. 
  10. ^ "Juhi Chawla at Nityananda's B-day bash". The Times of India. January 2, 2011. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-01-02/bangalore/28357630_1_juhi-chawla-bidadi-ashram-birthday-celebrations. 
  11. ^ a b "On the run, Swami Nityananda arrested near Shimla hill station". India Today. April 21, 2010. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/On+the+run,+Swami+Nityananda+arrested+near+Shimla+hill+station/1/93931.html. 
  12. ^ Nithyananda, Paramahamsa (2004), Meditation is For You, Lifebliss Foundation, ISBN 978-0979080630 
  13. ^ Nithyananda, Paramahamsa (2008), Living Enlightenment, Lifebliss Foundation, ISBN 978-1606070482 
  14. ^ "Now, sex slur on south Indian swami". India Today. March 4, 2010. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/Now,+sex+slur+on+south+Indian+swami/1/86571.html. 
  15. ^ "Bangalore Swami embroiled in sex scam resigns". NDTV. March 30, 2010. http://www.ndtv.com/news/cities/bangalore-swami-embroiled-in-sex-scam-resigns-18693.php. 
  16. ^ "Hindu University in US expands Vedic base". Rediff News. November 20, 2007. http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/nov/20ia.htm. Retrieved 11 January 2010. 
  17. ^ "TV footage sets angry mob on Nithyananda ashram". Chennai, India: The Hindu online. March 4, 2010. http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/04/stories/2010030463030100.htm. Retrieved March 5, 2010. 
  18. ^ "'Sex Swami' Nithyananda arrested in Himachal". Cities, Stories. NDTV. http://www.ndtv.com/news/cities/sex-swami-nithyananda-arrested-in-himachal-20548.php. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
  19. ^ "Breaking News: I'm not a man, Nityananda told CID sleuths". The Times of India. 30 April 2010. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5874923.cms. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
  20. ^ "Defamation case filed against Swami’s ex-driver". The Deccan Chronicle. October 3, 2010. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/bengaluru/defamation-case-filed-against-swami%E2%80%99s-ex-driver-341. Retrieved October 10, 2010. 
  21. ^ Defamation case filed against Swami’s ex-driver
  22. ^ "Nithyananda ashram files complaint against Kalanidhi Maran". The Economic Times. July 7, 2011. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/nithyananda-ashram-files-complaint-against-kalanidhi-maran/articleshow/9138312.cms. Retrieved July 7, 2011. 
  23. ^ "Saxena out on bail after 70 days in jail". The Times of India. Sep 15, 2011. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-15/chennai/30159419_1_sun-pictures-w-hansraj-saxena-metropolitan-magistrate. Retrieved Oct 11, 2011. 

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