Paramahamsa Nithyanada Grows in Popularity
It was almost three years ago, on September 2006, that by chance I heard a talk given by Swami Paramahamsa Nithyananda at a Hindu cultural program held in Cupertino, CA. It was in a relatively small auditorium and he – although obviously well-respected and revered – showed up with not much more fanfare than any of the other speakers scheduled to appear during that segment of the program.
This month I had another opportunity to listen to him speak, and this time the reverence and venue were kicked up a notch. Yes, this young enlightened master’s recognition had clearly spread in both intensity as well as numbers.
Who is Paramahamsa Nithyanda? The following was gleaned from various sources, including his website Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam:
He was born in India as Rajasekaran. Practically from birth his life has been centered around spiritual events and pursuits. Shortly after his birth, an astrologer cast his horoscope and, based on the unique configuration of planets in his birth chart, declared that he would grow up to be a Raja Sannyasi (King among Swamis). Since a young age, Rajasekaran would show interest in spiritual things – when he was a young child he would make idols out of mud, clay, and soap stone, decorate them and worship them. And from the age of three he was under the tutelage of various spiritual teachers. Upon graduating from high school, he studied mechanical engineering, but then decided to pursue the life of a wandering sadhu at the age of seventeen. This he did for nine years.
So after receiving spiritual training his whole life, including the real world experience of living as a sadhu, Paramahamsa Nithyananda became enlightened in 2000 and pursued his calling of spreading the teachings of yoga and spiritual development to the world.
In 2003, Nithyananda founded a meditation ashram in Bidadi, India as the headquarters for his social activities around the world. He also founded the Life Bliss Foundation in Los Angeles, USA, to serve as the headquarters in the West. His mission statement is the “Transformation of humanity through transforming the individual, and spreading global peace and inner bliss”. In his own words, “Enlightenment flowers when individual consciousness disappears into Universal Consciousness. When you start living enlightenment, you automatically raise the human consciousness around you. Living enlightenment holds the key to global peace and inner bliss. Every individual should be a pioneer in the transition of human consciousness to divine consciousness.”
And so it was only six years after he started his work that he appeared at a Hindu cultural event held at a community college in Cupertino, California. What was his recent visit like, three years after that?
Another Darshan Experience
In 2009, he came to Milpitas, California as part of his Yogam 2009:North American tour for teaching the principles of yoga as created by Patanjali, the Father of Yoga. Accompanied by my son, I attended one of the free public talks that he gave. As we arrived at the Indian Community Center, the place was already filled – mostly with members of the Indian community! We made our way through the crowded lobby area, signed in at one of the side tables and received our token for the darshan, then went directly into the main auditorium and found a seat a few rows from the front. Yes, there were definitely more people to see him at this event than there were three years ago.
At the scheduled time, a devotee welcomed the audience, made some miscellaneous announcements, and then announced that after the talk there would be a darshan. OK, now this was getting serious. The only darshans I had ever attended were the ones that Amma gave. Nithyananda’s spiritual stature had now developed to the point where people would not only listen to him speak, but would also wait in a line to receive his blessing – to be close to an enlightened being and have an audience, however brief.
I have to say that I enjoyed the talk, based on Patanjali’s 22nd Yoga Sutra, which discussed how making intensity your focus is more important than pursuing enlightenment. More on that in another post. He definitely knows what he’s talking about and doesn’t claim to be presenting anything new – at least as far as world knowledge is concerned. This is how I evaluate the legitimacy of any self-proclaimed spiritual teacher. The information must harmonize with and build upon the core spiritual teachings underlying all religions. This was true of his talk, which he presented in a very personable way, yet with authority. As when I heard him in Cupertino, I was impressed by this event.
Afterward he finished his talk, the welcomer started to announce who could get in line for the darshan, based on the color and number of the tokens handed out. My son and I waited for our turn, which didn’t take long at all – especially since we were used to having to wait hours for Amma. This was a less involved process. Slowly we made our way up the stage to finally come face to face with the young guru.
I’m still not completely at ease at these things, so things kind of went by in a blur. I remember kneeling at his feet and bowing my head in reverence as he touched my forehead. My son stood behind me and actually held out his hand, which the guru took for a moment to bestow his blessing. They exchanged smiles, but when I looked up at Nithyananda to establish eye contact the time had passed and the next people in line were already approaching as the attendants guided us away from the platform. Still, to be that close to one whom I do believe is that spiritually evolved was not something I would have wanted to miss. Even my son, who has very little experience with these things, later exclaimed “that was awesome!”
So what’s the big deal?
I do understand that “belief” plays a role in the whole experience. Without some degree of belief, it would be hard to see any value in kneeling before another human being only to receive a token gesture in return. But even without believing in the exchange of spiritual energy that accompanies a darshan, I also feel there is more to be learned here.
The teachings such as those passed on by Nithyananda represent years of study in the human consciousness, carried out by through a system of reflection, and trial and error by wise men thousands of years ago. There have been those who have refined the teachings, such as Gautama Buddha, but even his teachings represent a discovery of truths already in existence – that there is a way to realize our human potential, a way to transcend suffering, and way to achieve peace in any situation. Seeing someone who has accomplished that to a significant degree in our day and age serves to remind us of that, and inspires hope that such a path is not futile.
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