Swami Shyam

Born in Chandani in Uttar Pradesh, India, Swami Shyam (formerly known as Shyam Srivasta) has dedicated his life to the practice and teaching of meditation and the knowledge of Vedant. In 1986, the President of India Giani Zail Singh conferred on him the honour, Yog Shiromani, one of the highest awards in the nation, at the World Yog Conference, presided over by Karan Singh. In 1981, Swami Shyam founded the International Meditation Institute (IMI). Since the early 1970s, he has been living in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India.

The essence of this controversial guru's thought is the phrase or mantra "Amaram Hum Madhuram Hum" (in English, "I am immortal, I am blissful or indivisible"). His vision is that one Self alone is everywhere, and that a human being can unfold that awareness and live it through practice. Study, meditation, and pure delight are the basis of his teachings. One of his phrases encapsulating his vision is "You are pure, free, forever."

He is the author of numerous books and writings on meditation and Vedant (or Vedanta) philosophy. Books written by Swami Shyam include "Life Never Knows Death, Doubtless Meditation, Shyam's Philosophy, Meet Your True Self through Meditation, The Science of Raj Yog, Mastermind, Nine Lessons, The World Is Oneness, The Essential Vision, Science of Raj Yog, Research Findings in the Field of Consciousness" and "Direction of Life". His published translations include "Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali Yog Darshan, Avdhoot Gita, Ashtaavakr Gita" and "Light of Knowledge (Vivek Chudamani of Shankaracharya)". Seven volumes of his Hindi poetry have been published with introductions by celebrated Hindi poets such as Mahadevi Verma and Gopal Das Niraj. Many of Swami Shyam's works have been translated into German and French.

In 2001, the ashram took proactive steps to ensure that those staying in the vicinity and frequenting the ashram for wrong reasons, including drugs, should not be allowed back in. It invited backlash from miscreants, including baseless allegations of abuse against many in the ashram. The media picked on these stories as it is nothing new for many gurus and westerners in India. But in this case, not a single case was ever filed or proven, though the stories continue to float in the cyberspace, with the only aim to malign a person without any proof.

External links

* [http://www.shyamspace.com Official Shyamspace Site] - general information
* [http://www.shyamswisdom.com Self Realized Shyam's Wisdom] - Books by Swami Shyam in English, Hindi, German and French. Correspondence courses on the teachings of Swami Shyam. Information and writings.

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