The quest for truth has put many an individual, whether materialistic or spiritualistic, on a seemingly endless inward journey. Some of them get to know their calling after significant accomplishments in mundane fields. Swamy Mukundananda, a spiritual leader, best-selling author, Vedic scholar, and more importantly, founder of JKYog (Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog), belongs to this rare group. Having done BTech and MBA from prestigious institutions like IIT and IIM, he chose to tread the spiritual path with altruistic goals. In this week’s edition of Dil Se, The Pioneer’s K. Ramya Sree speaks to Swamy Mukundananda to know inter alia what makes his system of Yoga unique for spiritual aspirants and why he is placed among the most-respected spiritual leaders in the world today.
IIT and IIM product…
I used to play a lot of football in school, tennis and squash while in college. I was fortunate to be educated at IIT and IIM,two of the finest institutions in the world. However, the purpose of education is more than equipping the student to make money, earn fame, status, etc. Rigorous science training left me unimpressed.
At IIT, I learnt about so many models – all based on hypothesis and assumptions, and the laws of nature, but there was no mention of the ‘lawmaker’. At IIM, while learning Management, Economics, Psychology, and other subjects, the bigger questions of life persisted in my mind: Who am I? Why did I come to this world? What is the purpose of my life? I also realized that working to increase the profits of shareholders of a company is not my calling.
Spiritual journey…
The quest for the ‘Absolute Truth’ led me to the Bhagavad Gita and my spiritual journey began thereafter. I understood that I am a part of God and the purpose of my life is to serve Him. My Gurudev also emphasized how the world has no shortage of engineers and MBAs; it rather needs youth to understand spiritual science and explain it to others as well. That clicked with my value system and there has been no looking back after that.
Difficult to have a routine…
Given my travel schedules across the globe and the responsibilities of managing a worldwide volunteer-driven organisation, it is difficult to maintain a routine. Typically, my day from 4:00 AM to 11:00 PM comprises time for exercise, satsangs, meetings with various team members and stakeholders on different JKYog charitable projects, responding to emails, addressing devotees concerns, doing recordings, giving discourses, etc.
I like to spend meal times with devotees. Writing books is also on my yearly agenda and there are also days when I get interviewed. I go with the flow of what the day demands from me as priorities. Ofcourse, I too have disruptions in my schedules with unexpected things like computer breakdowns!
Driving force…
My Gurudev, Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, worked tirelessly for the welfare of souls, every single day, till the ripe age of 91.He taught humankind the supreme process of building a noble value system through selfless and ceaseless devotion to God, thereby creating a better world. He taught me by his example the importance of nurturing souls with love and care, to help them realize a glorious future. My work of sharing Vedic knowledge with the masses is my worship to Him.
Balancing spirituality…
To balance material pursuits and spirituality, one must dedicate an hour everyday for inner growth. Read about great saints in Indian history like Surdas, Mirabai, Kalidas, Tukaram, etc. You can also invest that time in reading Holy Scriptures like the Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, Shreemad Bhagavatam, etc. Contemplate on the knowledge gained. Practice meditation by visualising the forms, names, pastimes, virtues, abodes of God.
Engaging in community service can also be helpful in contributing to self-peace and consequently world peace.The idea behind these activities is to engage the mind in the divine with the attitude to serve Him. This in turn purifies our thoughts, which are precursors to all our actions.
On the new book…
We all share the same aspirations. We hope to achieve true happiness, perfect love, and well-being. Unfortunately, life presents us with the reverse, and we find difficulties, disheartenment, and failures on our platter. The challenges are further compounded, since situations present themselves first, while the wisdom for handling them is learnt later.
Thus, learning comes the hard way-through bitter experiences-or not at all. Most of us would appreciate it if we could have a manual for life to refer to. We could then reverse the sequence of problems and solutions and equip ourselves in advance to make good choices.
My new books The Power of Thoughts and Golden Rules For Living Your Best Life aims at bridging the gap by synthesizing science and spirituality to present several hundred gems of knowledge across the key critical areas of life: spiritual and emotional wellness, good health and well-being, relational harmony, professional fulfilment, and financial abundance. If you can effectively manage these five dimensions of your existence, the other aspects automatically get upgraded. Thus, this book, through 70 different topics, is aimed to empower the reader to create a paradigm shift in their life.
Reasons to travel more…
I am typically in India from October to March and spend the remaining half of the year in the US. While in India, I visit about 40 cities across the length and breadth of the country to give discourses, conduct devotional congregations, meet people, take care of the University and other charitable projects, etc. JKYog conducts three retreats annually in India-two on our JKU campus in Banaras, Odisha, and one offsite, at a holy place. In the US, I visit more than 20 cities to conduct week-long Life Transformation Programs in each city. Retreats are conducted on every long weekend (Memorial Day weekend in May, Independence Day weekend in July, and Labor Day weekend in September) along with a Family Camp for one week in our US headquarters at Radha Krishna Temple in Dallas.
Defining success…
The thought that my classmates must be high up in the corporate ladder never occurred to me! Often people define success as becoming billionaires, owning a limousine, being socially popular, or occupying a powerful position. But if financial prosperity or fame or power is a measure of success, then multi-millionaires would not need sleeping pills and famous people would not commit suicide due to depression. The truth is that people may possess all the wealth in the world, but if their mind is agitated, they can never be happy.
Success can never satisfy a person if it does not bestow peace of mind. Ultimately, life is all about attaining happiness. Everything we seek, be ita good job, a beautiful spouse or a palatial home, is only an intermediate goal towards happiness. And when we walk the path that we believe is the purpose of our life, happiness is not some far-fetched destination, rather it is the journey itself. The happiness we are searching for is not on the outside; rather, it is within us and is accessed through purity of our mind.
Spirituality in the age of science…
There is no doubt that advances in science have opened up newer possibilities and made life more comfortable and efficient. Computers, mobile phones, internet, Artificial Intelligence, and various other technological advances have enabled easy access to information to everyone and interconnected the world into a virtual family.
All these advancements in Science and Technology across different fields are wonderful; however, they have failed to address basic human problems – unhappiness, depression, fear, greed, the desire for power etc. Our discontent, suffering, and universally perceived mental restlessness are a testament to the lack of inner growth and evolution. Modern science has placed enormous power in our hands; however, since it is devoid of values, it has not empowered us to discriminate between the good and bad use of that power. The wisdom to understand that difference comes from spirituality. It is similar to knowing how a knife in a robber’s hands is an instrument for murder but a life-saving tool in a surgeon’s hands.
Spiritual knowledge helps us comprehend our inner self-the mind, intellect, and ego-and purify it to manifest the divinity of the soul within. Material science helps sustain the body and spiritual science nurtures the soul. Thus, both science and spirituality are relevant to our lives. No wonder some of the greatest scientists like Albert Einstein, Max Planck, etc. were deeply spiritual people.
Purpose of JKU…
Education is considered a basic human right in developed nations. However, in a developing nation like India, accessible and quality education continues to be a challenge for its socially and economically disadvantaged population. Also, the existing premier institutions in India equip students with high-class academic qualifications and help them secure dream jobs early in life. However, being on a hedonistic treadmill of material allurements alone has caused the degradation of human values in India and around the world. The consequences are visible with widespread anxiety, increase in suicide rates, alcoholism, and drug abuse.
Evidently, today’s youth is falling short of inner strength and character. It is also reflective of their inability to gracefully sustain themselves through the ups and downs of life. Therefore, the Jagadguru Kripalu University (JKU) has been uniquely envisioned as a multidisciplinary university with a focus on all-around personality development coupled with spiritual wisdom. JKU aims to bridge the void by empowering students with the virtuous qualities of both the head and the heart.
Fondest me…
JKYog is a holistic system of health that I have established. It is also called ‘Yoga for the body, mind and soul’. It focuses on five aspects: yogasans, pranayam, subtle body relaxation, roop dhyan meditation, and a healthy diet. Together, these work on the five sheaths/koshas of the human body and work to purify the mind to take it closer to God.
The divine vision of my Gurudev inspired the establishment of this non-profit, philanthropic, and volunteer-driven organizationin 2008. Under the umbrella of JKYog, we run many charitable projects focusing on education and healthcare in rural India.
Along with physical service, we also promote comprehensive development of society by teaching the true knowledge of the Vedic scriptures, including the Upanishads, Puranas, Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita etc. In doing so, we address the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions of humankind. JKYog has its US headquarters at the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas, Texas. Its India headquarters at Banaras in Odisha houses a Yogashram, a fully functional Naturopathy hospital, and a Skill Institute that seeks to provide vocational training to the local underprivileged youth. We have drawn up plans for building a full-scale university.
Short takes:
.Describe yourself in three words? Spiritual teacher and servant of the community of devotees
.What makes you happy? When I see those under my care progress towards inner growth, happiness, and fulfilment.
.You work 7 days throughout the year. If Sunday is the same as Monday for you, what is a vacation for you? Walking is part of my daily exercise regime, in addition to yoga. Whenever an opportunity arises, I take Nature walks. Mother Nature is inspiring because it never tires of giving and never demands a vacation.
.Your definition of spirituality? Purifying the inner self (the mind), illuminating the higher self (the intellect), and aligning them both in selfless love with the Supreme.
