Nithyananda Spurana Programs (Life Bliss Program - LBP Level 2) during the first tour of 2004
Swamiji, during this tour, conducted the first ever Nithyananda Spurana Program (NSP) in San Jose. He then conducted the second NSP in Oklahoma. This program is called LBP Level 2 program today. Swamiji still conducts this program occasionally while Swamis, Swaminis and senior acharyas (teachers) conduct these programs routinely. Nithyananda Spurana Program is a powerful program mainly dealing with samskaras or engraved memories. Swamiji spends a lot of time during the introduction session on how this program was revealed to Him. In this program Swamiji gives us deep clarity on the death process and why it is important to understand samskaras and karma.
In this program he sheds light on both prarabdha and agamya karmas. Prarabdha karma is something we bring down with us when we take birth. They are unfulfilled desires from our past birth which we bring with us when we take the body to live them; agamya karma is something that we acquire freshly in this lifetime through desires which become samskaras as they get deep rooted. In the NSP program Swamiji breaks all the myths about the karma theory. He tells us that karma is really the mental set-up we carry from birth to birth and not the very act that we commit.
Swamiji narrated his personal experience at the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi. It was here that Swamiji had an intense experience of death shortly before enlightenment. Through this very intimate and personal experience he gives us a sound basis of what exactly happens when we die. He also narrates his contrasting experiences of witnessing the death of two individuals, one that happened before he was enlightened and one that happened after enlightenment.
He found that when he was near the dying person before his enlightenment, the death was extremely painful but the death that happened after he was enlightened, was painless and easy. Swamiji concluded that since he cannot be physically present at all times, the blue print of NSP were revealed to him. The essence of this program is to burn the karmas that we endlessly take from one birth to another. By making us re-live our pains, fears, sorrows, desires, guilt and pleasures and surrender them he takes care of our deep rooted Samskaras. He says re-living these fears and worries is relieving them.
In this program Swamiji gives us utter clarity and truths about the 7 Energy bodies in us. The seven bodies are - Physical, Pranic, Etheric (Subtle), Spiritual, Causal, Cosmic and Nirvanic. All apprehensions and scientific theories on this subject can be opened out in the Master's presence. In this program 7 scientifically laid out meditation techniques, one to cleanse each Energy body, designed by the Master are taught by Him. These techniques bring about great intellectual clarity for living and help us conquer the pain and fear of death, making it a celebration. Another key component of this program is the experience and glimpse of state of thoughtless awareness during one of the meditations. He says one glimpse of this state can embed this vibrant memory into our being. This can serve as the torch as we leave this body. At the end of the day Swamiji told us the essence is to relieve ourselves of these deep samskaras so that we can live this life blissfully. No doubt the program will greatly help when we leave this body, but the essence is to give us clarity to live this life blissfully.
At the end of the NSP program, in the early days THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM would give spiritual names to all the participants. This is one of the greatest gifts that a Master can give a disciple. In giving a spiritual name to the disciple, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM looks into the depth of a particular being and gives a name that defines the easiest path that the being can take to attain liberation or enlightenment or moksha. This name is a blessing as well as a blueprint He is giving us to make this path easy, blissful and painless. Having been with the Master for the last four years, the process of giving names is quite fascinating. He told us he classifies individuals into intellectual, emotional and being level people. He then gives a name that defines his or her path. For example Sri Bhaktananda indicates the name for a male (Sri = Male, Ma = female) and Bhaktananda means this individual derives bliss or ananda through a path of Bhakti (devotion). This tradition of giving names existed in Vedic tradition from time immemorial and started with Shiva himself giving spiritual names to disciples.
THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM came to Oklahoma after completing the NSP program in San Jose ASP in Seattle. In Oklahoma, the first weekend camp was ASP and the next weekend was NSP. Our current organizer, Bhanu Patel and her husband Champak Patel were kind and provided wonderful arrangements for the ASP program at their hotel, Ramada Inn in Edmond. We were running out of options for the NSP program location being held the following weekend since conference rooms were completely booked in Oklahoma City. Champakbhai, within a matter of days made arrangements for his construction crew to prepare a conference room including dry walling, painting and carpeting this place. He had this place ready for THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's NSP program in a record time of 3 days!
The NSP program was quite intense. The traveling group from San Jose also arrived for the NSP program! They had a strange sense of glow in their faces and talked very excitedly about this program. All of us waited anxiously for this program to start.
Prior to NSP program, I had the same recurring dream for almost 10 days in a row. I saw very intensely that my body was being carried from a location (which I now recognize is near the old kitchen/dining hall). I was dressed in saffron with vibudhi (holy ash) on my forehead. There were four people carrying my body. I saw THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's face, similar features as he looks today, but was older, probably in his late 50's or early 60's, with gray hair. The body was taken to a place that I now recognize as the lake in the ashram. The dream was so vibrant that I could see and feel the hibiscus flowers that were there along the way. The body was taken near the lake and I saw THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM light the funeral pyre. This happened not once but for almost ten days prior to the NSP program. When I saw THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM I mentioned to him about this dream. He laughed and said "You will understand in the due course of time. For now realize that it is an indication that your old self is dying and after this you will become a new person." The dream was so intense and I could clearly see that the place that came again and again in my dream was the path from the old dining hall in the Bidadi ashram to the pond where the last rites are performed for close devotees and disciples. Even the lilies in the pond were so vibrant and visible to me during these dreams. THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM tells us not to get "clutched" to these experiences and tells us that these experiences are like a mile post which may say "30 Km to Bangalore". They only give you an indication and encouragement that we are on the right path.
NSP program was quite spectacular. Both Ma Sachitananda and I started participating in the program, but half way through the program we had to stop since we needed to help out with the meditation music and to take care of logistics. We nevertheless participated in the program wherever we could. It was only two years later in 2006 that THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM said we better complete the program. During this program there are several sessions where THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM asks participants to write down their fears, worries, guilt and pleasures. He then tells them to live them intensely and relieve themselves from these clutches. We started writing them down in Oklahoma and started making up a pretty good list, but halfway through we had to stop this in order to help out with the program. Later on in 2006 it was quite interesting when THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM made Ma Sachitananda and me to attend the NSP program in Bidadi where we had to pen down all of these emotions we literally could not come up with a single point. Believe me this is the honest truth. It is only then it dawned on me how blessed we are that the Master has taken care of all of these samskaras. Being around Him is like being in a fire. He will burn off whatever is not necessary. Again he told us to un-clutch from this feeling itself and live life like a leaf that is beautifully floating in the air, effortlessly moving about and enjoying the present moment.
NSP program in Oklahoma ended with THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM giving spiritual names at the energy darshan. THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM called Ma Sachitananda and myself and gave us our new names Ma Sachitananda and Sri Sachitananda. He said it means the following: Sat = Truth; Chit = Consciousness and Ananda = Bliss. He gave us blessings and told us to live all dimensions - intellect, emotion and being level and experience something that is beyond all of that. I can now see based on the path He has given me it translates to living Quantum Spirituality, i.e., living intensely in all dimensions. Initially it was a conscious act to juggle all the balls, but now, with his grace and blessings I am finding I am able to live Quantum Spirituality with no effort. I am able to simultaneously live the spiritual and material dimensions. In fact everything I am doing whether it be working on mission related work or living in the outer world, the process has become effortless and a sense of absolute clarity and passion in what I am involved with at that moment has taken over.
The day after NSP was healers initiation. THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM allowed Sree and THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMi to come to take blessings. During Ananda Gandha Chakra initiation, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM opens this chakra, by a process that he calls it is similar to gently drilling the channel so that he can connect us to that inexhaustible fountain of spiritual energy (this is the only was he can verbalize such a process. In actuality he is doing a far deeper alchemy process to allow us to connect ourselves to the super conscious energy). After blessing all of us the moment THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMi came in front, his eyes sparkled and he laughed and said, "Her Ananda Gandha just opened up without my doing anything. Just my presence opened her chakra." He blessed her and gave her the healing stick and said "Start Healing dear!" She was seven years old then and became the youngest Nithya Spiritual healer!
After the NSP programs THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM continued with the tour. We completed the tour in New Jersey and THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM along with the crew and Ma Sachitananda left for Bidadi.
Decision Time – Dilemmas and the so called jump
After THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM and Ma Sachitananda left for Bharat, I tried to minimize my work related travel since the children and Ma Jesusananda were at home. By this time I wanted to serve THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's mission on a full time basis. I felt that having this rare opportunity to serve the Master was a gift and a true blessing. In the short period of time, we had experienced the space, the joy, and the vibrancy around a living Enlightened Master. In His presence, doubts would simply vanish, fears would completely evaporate, and the mind would completely still. We had experienced whatever we read about living around masters and something more. Yet, the dilemma of the mind was also getting in the way. While it did not bother me too much, I nevertheless experienced the oscillation in the mind – at time saying let us jump and not think and at other times thinking, how do we pay the bills, how can we pay for children's needs and their education costs. I would like the readers know that I was clutched about children's education for 1-2 years after I met THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM. Somehow my conditioning about education was very, very deep. I had done well in school from an academic achievement perspective, my father was a brilliant doctor and all of this weighed heavily on me.
On the day of Gurupoornima, I received a call from Ma Sachitananda. She called me and said she was in a hurry to get some sort of permission that THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM told she needs to get. She told me that THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM was initiating disciples into brahmacharya and vanaprastha sanyasa for the first time. She wanted to take this initiation. However THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM said she could not do it without my consent. So she informed me that she wanted to take this initiation and was calling me to get my permission. To be honest, there was no thought or any reservations I had towards this. For all practical purposes we were living the life of sanyas as far as the relationship between married couples went. Without any hesitation I asked her, "Why are you calling me for my permission? If that's what you want to do, go right ahead". She said, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM told her in no uncertain terms that he wanted her to get my permission. The conversation was less than a minute long and I really did not think about this conversation after the call.
Later, I heard of so many cases that in a relationship where people are not allowed to follow their path since one of the spouses do not agree to the other getting involved in the mission or taking vanaprastha sanyas initiation. I feel each person should be given their own independence to follow their heart, especially in matters relating to their own spiritual path. We see so much of conflict in most couples. If the wife is falling in tune, the husband tends to shy away from THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM and vice versa is true if the husband falls in tune. Somehow after meeting THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM I felt that everyone's relationship with their Master is the most important thing. I knew for sure this relationship with the master came from lifetimes where as the relations in this life are only 30 or 40 years old. To me, no relationship, I mean none whatsoever is more important than my relationship with my Master.
Ma Sachitananda came back to Oklahoma a couple of weeks earlier than THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM to commence preparations for the next tour of USA. During THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's stay in Bharat, devotees from Brazil attended THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's programs in Chennai. They wanted THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM to visit Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo. So a trip to Brazil was also planned. When Ma Sachitananda returned to Oklahoma, she was the talk of the town. People questioned, how could she take sanyas when she had such small children? Anyways we did not really care about these comments since we felt strongly about it. She was quite a different person after she came back. She fell in love with Bidadi and told me, "I want to go to Bidadi and stay there for good". I asked her, "what about the children?" She said she would like to take them there. I was not really shocked or alarmed, but I would describe my demeanor as being confused and concerned. I asked Ma Sachitananda whether she would like to go ahead if I could not make up my mind and jump, she said she really wanted to be in Bidadi in His presence.
I felt that it is really her decision to be with the master and that I had no right to prevent or stop her from progressing in her path. I told her that I needed to work through my conflicts and dilemmas. I also told her that if my mind continued to play games, she should dump me and move on since I had no right to stop one from living around the master or her spiritual path. I sincerely felt that all of us came down as individuals, alone and we will walk that path of aloneness eventually. I knew that meeting the master is a great blessing, falling in tune with Him is an even greater blessing and being accepted by him as His disciple where He takes personal responsibility over your spiritual growth is the greatest blessing of all. How could I possibly stop her, given her desire to be around Him and to serve Him? I also promised her that if my mind continued to play games, I will still send her money so that she can support herself and the kids. Little did I know when Swmaiji says I will take care; there is no need for all these financial dilemmas.
Luckily, the Master's grace instantly showered on me and within a day or two I decided there is no reason to look back. I thought what was the worst thing that could happen? When I thought of the consequences, they were not large. So luckily I could finally say a big NO to my mind and decided to plunge into this new world of spirituality. Let me state emphatically today, almost four years after I made this decision, none of my so called fears came true. When THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM told me, "I will take care", he meant every word of it. He told us to come now to Bidadi since after a couple of years we will be very busy with the mission. Now when I look back and see, it is so true. The first couple of years living in Bidadi and traveling with THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM was truly exhilarating. While we worked hard and diligently we never felt it was hard work. It was work and it was fun so the question of hard work did not even come into play. Every day was new and exciting. With THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, one thing you can expect truly is the unexpected. Whether it is in His discourses or in his managing some mundane aspects of the mission, his perspective and solutions are unique, new, fresh and vibrant.
Firstly in his discourses, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM is constantly delivering a fresh perspective and covering new ground. I have seen this happen time and again: just when you think what else is there to shed light on a particular subject, one would invariable see him shed new light on the topic that will completely knock you off the ground.
Secondly, in administrative and organizational matters He is able to effortlessly implement aspects that would have taken years for an organization to develop and embrace. Take for instance how inter-departmental accounting is done. THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM with one simple statement institutionalized a complete Activity Based Costing (ABC) and management system. He told various departments in Bidadi the concept that they serve each other and the cost of goods and services needs to be charged among each other so that a market value of the service needs to be charged. He further went on to tell all the brahmacharis who are running the departments that they need to be efficient and profitable, even though the real money exchange did not happen among inter-departmental activities. He reminded us of Karma Phala Tyaga is important, that we need to be utterly efficient in our actions and then after results are delivered, we give back all the fruits of the work to the society.
It is quite fascinating to see the dynamics in play this new cost management system had set in. Each department was looking at their costs and ensuring they did not waste resources. Every department wanted to achieve efficiency. They negotiated with each other to determine and agree upon rates the other department could charge. They demanded service. Looking at all this, any CEO of a global company can see how beautifully a complex system such as activity based cost management system can be implemented so effortlessly. This is a perfect case study for Harvard Business School! These are some small examples of something new and fresh that gets implemented with the flip of a switch in the master's presence.
Looking back, the so called jump was one of the most exciting journeys one could take. We had the distinct honor to be around and to serve the Master. We leant everyday by looking at how He tacked the most complex of situations with so much ease.
Both the children were growing up in Bidadi ashram. Even though both of us were traveling and away from them most of the time, the support structure and the vibrancy of the environment transformed them. They were not exposed to hours of television nor did they have to face peer pressure of what clothes they should wear, how they should talk or walk. Instead they lived an intense Vedic lifestyle free from fantasies and peer pressure. Nithyananda Sree explored a new dimension and soon found her new love for writing. She now takes Swamiji's discourses and teachings and compiles books on topics as diverse as Master- Disciple relationship, or thought for the day. As far as Nithyanandi, she is a true free bird. She has literally grown up in the ashram and is what I would call a free spirit. She is 12 years old now and has started taking her school seriously. She, along with her classmates enjoys every aspect of this lifestyle including going to the temple for guru pooja and arthi, just hanging out with other children. When I come back to the United States and meet children of Sree and Nithyanandi's age, I always thank Swamiji for allowing them an opportunity to grow in a pure, Vedic ambiance and lifestyle. They are now growing up to be strong, confident and fantasy free youngsters. I have seen similar transformation with Chinmayananda, the son of Ma Nithya Dayananda Mayi and Sri Nithya Bhaktananda. Chinmayananda came to the ashram from San Jose a year and half after Sree and Nithyanandi. These children grew up together and now are the best of buddies. Anyone who sees them always can see the sparkle in their eyes and always comment on the tejas they radiate, all because of the grace of the master. These kids are like pioneers in that they have also given confidence for other children to come from other parts of the world to live and grow up in Bidadi ashram and experience this wonderful revival of Vedic lifestyle.
Swamiji's Second Tour of USA in 2004 & First ever Teachers Training
Swamiji came back for a second tour of the US in July 2004. By now I decided to join full-time in the mission. We placed our house on sale and wanted to officially quit my job as soon as the house was sold. It took us about 4 months to sell the house. During this period I would travel from Oklahoma City to various cities where Swamiji was giving discourses every Friday and would return to work on Monday morning. During this second tour only Ma Sachitananda served as the crew member. We sought help from one of our devotees from Oklahoma, who traveled and helped with videotaping discourses. Ma Sachitananda would take care of Swamiji's food and accommodation, e-Mails, organizing daily events, and run Ananda Galleria store. It was essentially a one person army and I know it required her to be intense, aware and efficient all the time. She used this as an opportunity to start recruiting volunteers to help with various chores. Thus we started getting help of devotees from various cities to get involved with the mission. Several of these devotees are now core members of the mission, serving the mission as organizers and helping spread His message all over the world.
The second trip in 2004 started in New York/New Jersey area. The mission was beginning to gather momentum. Word of this young, dynamic, profound enlightened master started spreading. The first leg of the tour Swamiji visited New York/New Jersey area, Washington, DC, St Louis, Columbus, Dallas, San Jose, Los Angeles and Oklahoma. Swamiji conducted ASP and NSP programs and also conducted one day program called Shakti Spurana that dealt with the three of the gross layers of our beings to mainly focus on physical and mental well being. During this tour there were over 45 discourses delivered on wide ranging topics from general well being, to deep secrets of the mind to the death process. The discourse on the process of death, Mystery of Mysteries, is one of my all-time favorite discourses and was delivered in Columbus. It felt as though Swamiji was slowly upping the ante'. He said he needed mature disciples to deliver the sharp truth right away. Even today he tells us that while he has delivered various breakthrough messages, he has not fully opened up and delivered no frills based discourses widely. As the devotee matures so will the master deliver sharper and sharper messages! I am convinced we have not seen anything yet. I know we have not seen the iceberg, let alone the tip of the iceberg!