Nimishananda Guru
Submitted by Mekhalavj on Thu, 12/31/2009 - 08:46.Tags:
Biography
Parama Pujya Shri Shri Nimishananda Guruji is a Blessed Soul who is helping and guiding millions of people the world over to a better, happier and more enlightened life. Pujya Guruji, named Harsha.V.Shastry, was born on Monday, 17th of August 1959, of the auspicious Shraavana month and on the day of Shravana Nakshatra (Star) which was made even more holy by the full moon or Purnima. On this day also fell the festival of Yajur Upakarma, where the sacred thread worn by the priestly class is changed for a new one, symbolizing a fresh start after past karma has been cast away. The sacred thread itself depicts our complete union with Brahman or Primordial Cosmic Energy. The festival of Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan, an affirmation and celebration of the fraternal bond between brothers and sisters also fell on the same day. ‘Raksha’ means ‘Protection’ and “Bandhan’ means ‘Bond’. In this context, Raksha Bandhan symbolizes the bond between the Guru and the disciple which is eternal because it transcends all barriers of time and space. Shri Harsha was the first son of Shri Visveswara Shastry and Smt. Rama Bansi who belonged to a Kannada Brahmin family. He completed His entire schooling and pre-university in the coastal town of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu by 1978. Between 1978 and 1983 He studied civil engineering in the National Institute of Engineering in Mysore, Karnataka. He then started a building construction firm and was a very talented designer. Between 1983 and 1996 Shri Harsha practiced as a consultant civil engineer and designer. Even in the midst of a full professional and family life, Shri Harsha was always a God fearing person and often had mind boggling mystical experiences.
Remembering those days, Pujya Guruji smilingly says - “I visited temples very frequently, but rarely prayed for worldly things. I would only pray for the welfare of all beings.” In 1996, seeking the blessings of the Divine Mother, Shri Harsha Shastry visited for the first time the Shrine of Devi Nimishamba at Ganjam, Srirangapatna near Mysore. Goddess Nimishamba is well known for Her magnanimity in conferring boons instantaneously and resolving problems in the lives of all devotees. As He sat in the pillared porch in front of the temple praying with downcast eyes, His gaze fell upon a pair of radiant feet. Looking up, He saw a Sage enveloped in effulgent light standing before Him. The Sage looked deeply into His eyes and said, “Get up!” So powerful was the command that He found Himself instantly springing to His feet. The Sage applied kumkum or vermillion on His forehead and blessed Him saying - “Hereafter, devote all your time to the work of the Divine Mother.”
An inner prompt propelled Him to enter the shrine and pray to the Goddess. He went in and stared in speechless amazement at the portal of the sanctum sanctorum. Instead of the deity, in front of Him was the Divine Mother in all Her resplendent glory. She commanded him to sit down. His knees gave way and He sank to the ground. As He sat there and gazed spellbound at the Divine Mother, a ray of light from Her third eye enveloped Him and He was catapulted into a state of complete, instantaneous Samadhi where He merged with the Divine Mother of the Universe.
This transformed Shri Harsha (Shri Shri Nimishananda) into a Self Realised Soul and established Him in a state of complete oneness with the Cosmic Will and All Creation. He became the personification of unconditional love and compassion. A Supreme Seer belonging to the Grihasta Rishi Sampradaya, Shri Shri Nimishananda Guruji de-mystifies the essence of Vedanta and His teachings encompass all areas of our lives because they are practical, down-to-earth and easy to apply. He stresses the importance of patience, tolerance and the attitude of gratitude. Pujya Guruji helps us to establish our lives on the stable cornerstones of Dharma or right principles, Satya or truth, Ahimsa or non-injury and Prema or unconditional love. Through discourses, workshops and personal interaction, He teaches us that the quality of our life depends on our inner state of being. An enlightened life can only flow only from a state of being that is blissful and expansive. Through His benevolent guidance, Pujya Guruji shows us how to establish ourselves in this state of supreme bliss.
GLOBAL PRESENCE
Founded by Parama Pujya Nimishananda Guruji, Shri Nimishananda Ashram is working very actively to spread and establish ethical and spiritual values in India, Malaysia, Canada and USA.
Teachings
Shri Shri Nimishananda Guruji says – “Thoughts constitute our mind and the state of our mind decides the quality of our lives. We convert most of the thoughts that arise in our minds into action. This produces the karmic reactions which rule our life. Our external surroundings, circumstances and relationships shaped by our karma constantly make our mind oscillate between joy and sorrow and shatter our mental equilibrium. Our profession, fame, wealth, health, relationships and success are all determined by our karma. Even if we succeed in any field and earn enough to satisfy all our material needs, we will still lack mental peace. Peace and contentment can be obtained only through the Grace of God or the Guru who teaches us how to transcend the mind and dissolve our karma.
“When we are strongly grounded in our spiritual tradition, we have complete control over the mind. Regular practise of the spiritual techniques taught by our Sages and Scriptures will help us to control our thought process and use it to generate a happy and contented life. Ordinary thoughts can be changed into wise, dynamic and divine resolutions, which will transform our lives and bring success with effortless ease. When we gain control over the mind, desires which are the root cause of all our sorrows are eliminated. So, we let go of all expectations and accept each day as a gift from God. Then our life becomes joyous, inspiring, expansive and meaningful.”
VISION AND MISSION
Looking at the world today, we see so much poverty, disease, illiteracy, stress, tension, worry and ecological imbalances that disturb us. For instance, when we look at a family living on the streets, braving the biting cold and scorching sun with the hollowness in their empty stomachs, we feel pain, anger and frustration. However, all these feelings are impotent, unless we choose to channelise them into a potent force that can bring about a change in society. We can accomplish this only if we have a burning, selfless aspiration to help others. “When we work for the welfare of others, God takes care of our welfare” – says Shri Shri Nimishananda Guruji. The compassionate vision and mission that Parama Pujya Shri Shri Nimishananda Guruji has placed before His devotees and youth all over the world is WIPE A TEAR, REMOVE A PAIN.
With this dynamic, inspiring vision and mission Pujya Guruji has provided the forums of Shri Chakra Foundation and Shree Public Charitable Trust in India and the Divine Society of Shri Nimishananda in Malaysia for expressing our unconditional love through selfless service. These movements are engaged in actualizing “Wipe a Tear, Remove a Pain,” in the areas of public health, education, social welfare, human resources and ecological management.
These organisations tackle negativity at all levels – physical, mental and spiritual. At the physical level, people are brought together to engage in hands-on activities and service. At a mental and spiritual level, people from all walks of life are empowered with simple techniques that remove stress and enhance their sense of mental and spiritual well being. Improving the quality of people’s lives in all dimensions is their primary goal. “Everyone deserves to be happy. Peace and Joy are the birth right of each soul…” says Shri Shri Nimishananda Guruji. For more information about these charitable activities please visit www.wipeatearremoveapain.org
Some of the sacred texts that Pujya Guruji has expounded in simple words are
Bhagavad Gita
Narada Bhakti Sutras
Kashyapa Sutras
Guru Gita
Some of the other topics are:
Philosophy
Who Am I?
The true goal of Life
What truly is Enlightenment?
The Nature of Destiny
Self Realisation
The cause and effect of Karma
The four stages of Life
What is Reincarnation?
What is the Soul?
Advaita, Dwaita and Vishista Advaita
The three internal powers
Understanding oneself
What happens after death?
Intuition
The Third Eye
Day to Day Living
Power of Resolution
Importance of Self effort
Shattering the past
Mental programming
To err is human, to forgive is divine
Simplicity
How to keep your mind and heart clean?
Develop Your Inner Personality
Respect Time and Time will respect you
Spirituality for daily life
Nature – a prominent force
Sleep – how much and techniques to get good sleep
A worry free life
Will power
The importance of a sathvic diet
How to overcome mental problems?
How to avoid conflicts in family life?
Basic responsibility as human beings
For the Youth
Harnessing desires
Breaking habits and addictions
Balancing social and spiritual life
Vegetarianism
Relationships
Non Violence
Effects of Alcohol
Don’t smoke God out of your heart
Techniques to improve memory
Techniques to be happy all the time
Religion
The effect of chanting
How do we pray?
The difference between traditions and superstitions
Is the caste system relevant?
Importance of ritualistic worship
Significance of festivals
Why should women wear bangles, anklets, kumkum, earrings and others?
What is divinity?
Importance of Pilgrimage
Spirituality
Surrender
How do you vanquish the ego?
Bio Energies in Man
Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, Jnana yoga
Meditation
Spiritual Discipline
Awareness
Conquering the senses
The five natural elements
How to become tools of Divinity?
Information and Transformation
Power of thought
Dharma – the stepping stone to success
Sattva
Who is a Guru? Why do we need a Guru?
Wipe a Tear, Remove a Pain
Love
Service to man is service to God
Patience
How can I be a part of world peace?
Annadana - Feeding the Poor
Caring for animals
Photos
Locations
Shri Nimishananda Ashram,
Bangalore, India, USA, Canada and Divine Society of Shri Nimishananda Malaysia,
294/C, 17th Main,
Ideal Homes Township,
Rajarajeshwari Nagar,
Bangalore - 560 098.
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It is the simple Saint who makes God
Scriptures have proved us that God is simple so is a saint.
It is we; people with our complex thinking differentiate a saint and God. Today we all are able to walk on the path of spirituality only because the simple saints showed the right path to the world to follow
"When we remove the darkness(PAIN) of others; we will start seeing light(JOY) in our own self"
"Wipe a Tear;Remove a Pain"
The Guru is God
"Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnuhu Gurur Devo Maheshwaraha;
Gurureva Parabrahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha."
- Shri Guru Gita, Verse 32.
The Guru is Brahma (the Creator), the Guru is Vishnu (the Sustainer of Creation) and the Guru is Lord Maheshwara (the Destroyer of all negativity). The Guru is none other than Parabrahma - the All-encompassing, Supreme One. Therefore, we bow down to the revered Guru.
"Kashi Kshetram Tannivaaso Jaahnavi Charanodakam;
Gurur Vishveshwarah Saakshaat Taarakam Brahma Nishchitam."
- Shri Guru Gita, Verse 17.
The place where Shri Guru resides is Kashi. The water which has washed His Lotus Feet is the holy Ganga. Shri Guru is none other than Lord Vishweshewara, the Supreme Lord of the universe, who illuminates Supreme Divinity without doubt.
Shri Guru Gita is the dialogue between Lord Shiva and Mother Parvathi. When Devi asks Her Lord to bestow upon Her the initiation of the Guru, Lord Shiva describes to Her in 182 stanzas the glories of Shri Guru.
Therefore, I conclude that Shri Guru is no simple saint, but the Lord of the whole cosmos, as Lord Shiva Himself has declared.
All pervading consciousness
AKHANDA MANDALAAKAARAM VYAAPTAM YENA CHARAACHARAM,
TADPADAM DARSHINAM YENA TASMAIH SRI GURUVAY NAMAH.
Exactly!
Yes, exactly! "Vyaaptam Yena Charaacharam" - We bow down to Shri Guru, who is present in all movable and immovable objects. So simplicity remains simplicity when we worship Shri Guru - who is in reality the All-pervading Consciousness as you have rightly said - as the Supreme Godhead.
Exactly this is Sahaja
The Divine Element being spread everywhere as well as residing in all movable and immovable objects has been the spontaneous all-pervading consciousness (Sahaja)which is called manifestation of Kundalini Power at the level of Viraara. This Kundalini with the grace of Mother Adi-Shakti spontaneously awakens in our subtle body(subtle system) which may be clearly felt at gross body level also.
When we find god we call him
When we find god we call him guru.The truth lies inthe sloka gurur bramha...It is the samskara of previuos births that takes you to the gurus fold.I appreciate the devotion of the disciples of nimishananda towards Guru that is the quintecessance of true devotee.
Very nice -- when we find God we call Him Guru
When we find Guru we call him God ---- as per the tradition of our 'Sanaatana Dharma'.
Saints are Gods of Kaliyuga
The scriptures say that in Kaliyuga, gods and demons do not appear to humans with their crowns and horns respectively, but come as embodied souls. The so called 'good' people you meet are Gods in disguise, the 'bad' ones are demons. When you allow your divine qualities to surface, you are 'godly'- when you display more of negativity, you yourself are the demon. In metaphysical terms,ego- followed by greed, anger, lust etc are the demons and the soul is God or Guru. Guru is nothing but your own conscience. When all negativity surrounding the soul is removed (that is when the ego is completely annihilated), the God within shines.
The Guru is such pure Divinity. The Guru is pure, unconditional love. The Guru is God in embodied form on earth in Kaliyuga.
Observing the Self
Ultimately our Self is our Guru when it is realized then we are truly in the state of Advaita (non-dualism)owing to which we are eternally established in the last freedom of our divine nature(Moksha)--- that is our absolute existence, absolute knowledge, absolute bliss. Prior to reach this stage we are said in Dvaita (dualism) where in the relationship between Guru and Shishya (devotee and his ideal deity-Bhakta & Bhagavaana) is the most vital and sacred. Therefore, there manifests in the disciple the flow of 'NISHKAAMA BHAKTI & NISWAARTHA SEVA' towards the Holy Feet of Guru and from the side of Guru flow the 'KARUNAA & GURU KRIPAA (DIVINE GRACE)' towards the disciple.