The Great New Age Spiritual Master Sri M

Sri M was born as Mumtaz Ali Khan on 6 November 1948 in a devout Muslim family in Trivandrum, Kerala. Sri M's maternal grandmother had Sufi connections and told him many Sufi stories in his childhood. Between age of five and nine, he was exposed to Hinduism and Christianity. Even at that age, he noticed how prejudiced people belonging to one religion were about other religions. Sri M had a strange liking and urge to go to Himalayas from childhood. At the age of nine, his Guru Sri Maheshwarnath Babaji first met him. The Guru asked Sri M if he remembers anything. Sri M could not recall anything. Guru told him that he will understand it later. After many years, Sri M met the same Guru Sri Maheshwarnath Babaji in Himalayas and remembered their first meeting and the karmic link between the two.


Sri M – spiritual guide, social reformer and educationist – was born into a Muslim family on November 6, 1949 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. His transformational journey, from a young boy to a living yogi, is a fascinating story symbolized by single-minded discipline and dedication.

Entranced by mystical stories of Sufi saints and a brief encounter with a numinous Swami at a relatively young age, he was not only drawn to the ‘truth’ but also the compelling landscape of the snow-clad Himalayas. At the age of nine, his spiritual transformation was initiated by his future Master, Babaji (also known as Maheshwarnath Babaji), who miraculously appeared under a jackfruit tree in the compound of his house in Thiruvananthapuram. Though only fleeting, this meeting definitively set the stage for their future reunion in the Himalayas at Sri M’s age of nineteen.

After the fortuitous meeting with Babaji, the next decade saw him go through a dichotomy of experiences -both material and mystical – combining the adventure of his teenage years with the esoteric magnetism of religious texts and the spiritual allure of local holy men and saints. He met Yogi Gopala Saami, Kaladi Mastan, Swami Abhedananda, Chempazhanti Swami, Swami Tapasyananda and Mai Ma during this time. At nineteen, wise beyond his years, he embarked on his journey to the Himalayas, seeking a true Master.

While traveling to Haridwar – the gateway to Badrinath and Kedarnath – his name and appearance evolved to that of a jigyasu (seeker of truth). His journey progressed to Rishikesh, where he lived in the Divine Life Society for couple of weeks. During this interlude, he practiced yoga, attended Upanishad classes, visited nearby ashrams, and interacted with seemingly enlightened holy men in search of his own Master.

He then traveled to Badrinath – a 220 km soul-seeking passage on foot – arriving famished in the town of his destiny. Assuming his search was futile, he gave up hope and was on the verge of giving up his life. About to jump into the Alaknanda River, his fortitude was rewarded by the luminous appearance of his Guru Babaji, who swiftly took him under his spiritual tutelage and initiated him into the Nath tradition.

The next three and half years, he lived and travelled extensively through the Himalayas with his Master. Maheshwarnath Babaji guided him right through his initiation, his Kundalini awakening, the grueling journey to Tholingmutt and, the eventual meeting with the Grand Master, Sri Guru Babaji also known as Sri Mahavatar Babaji.

His Master then encouraged him to return to the plains – to start a family life and prepare for his life’s mission. He was periodically instructed to visit holy places across the subcontinent – Marutwa Malai, Ajmer, Dakshineshwar, Belur Matt, Puri, Benaras, Alandi, Shirdiand Tiruvannamalai – to familiarize himself with diverse spiritual traditions. He met saints from all religions including NeemKaroli Baba and, also interacted with LaxmanJoo and J.Krishnamurti.

Few years after his Master passed away, he received the spiritual go-ahead to commence his mission. In 1998, he started his teachings, eventually leading to formation of the Satsang Foundation.

Traveling extensively unto the present day, he has quietly gone about his life’s mission – teaching and guiding people as per his Master’s instructions: “Quality, not quantity. Spiritual evolution is individual and cannot be a mass phenomenon. No meditation-technique franchises can do much good. Each individual is special. No poster blitz and poster wars when your work starts.”

In response to a query on the spiritual progress of a person and the path to that evolution, he responds, “Though, my parampara is kriya yoga, I don’t think it suits all aspirants. I propound satsang even between two people. It cuts across barriers of caste and creed. Spiritual evolution is not diverse from regular living. Intervals of solitude are necessary but you cannot shut yourself totally. The world around you is your touchstone to spiritual practice.” Conversant with teachings of most major religions, Sri M says: “Go to the core. Theories are of no use.” His message seeks to transcend the outer-shell of all religions, by exploring their mystical core to nurture the innate goodness in every human being.

In 2011, he wrote his memoir “Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master – A Yogi’s Autobiography“, which became an instant bestseller. Over the years, his mission as a spiritual guide, social reformer and educationist have given rise to many initiatives including:

The Satsang Vidyalaya – providing free, high-quality, multi-lingual education to rural children from the tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh

Peepal Grove School – a co-educational, residential school committed to providing an environment conducive to the in-depth exploration of knowledge.

Swasthya Kendra – to provide affordable yet qualitative preventive and curative health care to the people through holistic and comprehensive treatments

Manav Ekta Mission - for promoting inter-faith harmony and transcending religious, racial, geographical, cultural and ideological differences

Sarva Dharma Kendra – as a spiritual retreat to facilitate dialogue between religions and to serve as an experiment for mankind realising the essential unity of all religions

Walk of Hope, a 15-month long padayatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, led by Sri M, spanning 6500 kms across 11 states of India in 2015-16 for peace, harmony and tolerance

He is married and has two children. Based in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh (three hours drive from Bangalore), he leads a simple life – teaching and guiding the Satsang Foundation and Manav Ekta Mission. Appreciative of music, he leads the satsangs often with his mellifluous voice. He also writes and paints in his leisure time.

Be Ego less And All The Grace Of God Is Yours - OSHO

What is the ego? 

Are we always functioning through the ego or are there moments when we are free of it?…..Man has no center separate from the center of the whole. There is only one center in existence; the ancients used to call it Tao, dhamma, god. Those words have become old now; you can call it truth. There is only one center of existence. There are not many centers, otherwise the universe would not be really a universe, it would become a multiverse. It is a unity, hence it is called the “universe”; it has only one center.

To survive, and to struggle for survival in the fight of life, everybody needs a certain idea of who they are. And nobody has any idea. In fact nobody can ever have any idea, because at the deepest core you are a mystery. You can’t have any idea of it. At the deepest core you are not individual, you are universal.

That’s why if you ask the Buddha, “Who are you?” he remains silent, he does not answer it. He cannot, because now he is no more separate. He is the whole. But in ordinary life even Buddha has to use the word ‘I’. If he feels thirsty he has to say, “I am thirsty. Ananda, bring me a little water, I am thirsty.

For example, you have a name. That is a fiction. You came without a name, you did not bring a name with you, the name was given to you. Then by constant repetition you start becoming identified with it. You know your name is Rama or Rahim or Krishna. It goes so deep that if all you three thousand sannyasins fall asleep here and somebody comes and calls, “Rama, where are you?” nobody will hear except Rama. Rama will say, “Who has come to disturb my sleep?” Even in sleep he knows his name; it has reached to the unconscious, it has seeped through and through. But it is a fiction.

But when I say it is a fiction I don’t mean it is unnecessary. It is necessary fiction, it is useful; otherwise how are you going to address people? It will be difficult if nobody has a name. Although nobody has a name in reality, still, it is a beautiful fiction, helpful. Names are needed for others to call you, ‘I’ is needed for you to call yourself, but it is just a fiction. If you go deep into yourself you will find the name has disappeared, the idea of ‘I’ has disappeared; there is left only a pure am-ness, is-ness, existence, being.

And that being is not separate, it is not yours and mine; that being is the being of all. Rocks, rivers, mountains, trees, all are included. It is all-inclusive, it excludes nothing. The whole past, the whole future, this immense universe, everything is included in it. The deeper you go into yourself, the more and more you will find that persons don’t exist, that individuals don’t exist. Then what exists is a pure universalness. On the circumference we have names, egos, identities. When we jump from the circumference towards the center, all those identities disappear.

The ego is just a useful fiction.

Use it, but don’t be deceived by it.

Source:  Osho Speaks On Ego

Mystic Philosopher Kabir - Life And Teachings

Kabir is a very important figure in Indian history. He is unusual in that he is spiritually significant to Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims alike. Kabir openly criticized all sects and gave a new direction to the Indian philosophy. Kabir touches the soul, the conscience, the sense of awareness and the vitality of existence in a manner that is unequalled in both simplicity and style.

It is for this reason that Kabir is held in high esteem all over the world. Another beauty of Kabir's poetry is that he picks up situations that surround our daily lives. Thus, even today, Kabir's poetry is relevant and helpful in both social and spiritual context. Following Kabir means understanding one's inner self, realizing oneself, accepting oneself as is, and becoming harmonious with one's surroundings.

Sant Kabir -1398-1518
Sant Kabir is considered to be one of the greatest poets as well as mystics ever born in India. He believed that human beings are equal and being one with God is the ultimate aim of every individual. His love and devotion towards the Supreme One clearly reflects in his poetry. The Holy Guru Granth Sahib contains over 500 verses by the great saint, Kabir. The verses or dohas of Guru Kabir are still read by people with awe and admiration. Read on to explore the biography of Sant Kabir further.

Early Life 
As per the life history of Saint Kabir, he was born in 1398 AD. It is said that he was found floating on a lotus leaf in a tank in Benaras by a Muslim weaver. The weaver took the vulnerable child under his care and following the traditional manner, gave him the name of 'Kabir', meaning 'the great one'. Even at a young age, Kabir displayed enormous spiritual talent.

Meeting his Guru 
Kabir always wanted to become a disciple of Ramanand. However, since he was a Muslim, it was next to impossible for him to get initiation from a Hindu. So, he took recourse to a trick. Ramanand daily went to the bathing ghat for his pre-dawn ritual ablutions. Kabir lay on the steps of the ghat in such a way that Ramanand stepped on him. Shocked at this incident, he chanted 'Rama! Rama!'. Kabir said that since he had received teachings from him, in the form of the words 'Rama! Rama!', he was Ramanand's disciple. Impressed with the intelligence of Kabir, Ramanand took him as his disciple.

 The Philosophy of Sant Kabir 
Sant Kabir believed in the Vedantic concepts of atman. He always advocated the Impersonal Aspect of God (Nirguna) and therefore, was against idol worship. As per his view, all human beings are equal and the societal caste system that is so widely prevalent in our country is fallacious. He said that true guru is the one who can be attained through direct experience. The common ways of realizing God, like chanting, austerities, etc, are worthless.

Kabir Teachings
Kabir was a man of God, a lover of the Lord. Having attained the highest form of spiritual experience, which is God-realization, he was fully competent to guide others on the path. Spirituality was a way of life for him. Kabir’s main concern was that whatever he did it was to seek Divine Grace. The aim of saints is this merging of soul with the Lord, absorption of the lover into the beloved or the flame into the Flame.

Kabir longing for the Lord was the longing of a lover for her Beloved. Kabir has described himself as the ‘bride of the Lord’, ‘the wife of Ram’. He addressed the Lord with many names like, Ram, Krishna, Govind, Madhav, Murari, Keshav, Viththal, Sarangapani, Madhusudan, Jagannath, Allah, Karim, Khuda, Rabb, Rahman, Rahim, Sahib but he used these names for the one God. He declared that his affection is not of these personal Gods.

The Lord of Kabir is immutable, permanent and perfect. That which is permanent and changeless is true and that which is born and dies is false. The Supreme Being cannot be described in human language. He has no limits and all human faculties including the mind have limitations. The mind gets its knowledge from the senses, how then can a human being describe Him or His nature. Imagination cannot fully comprehend The Divine, and the little one may know of Him cannot be described. All philosophies are incomplete attempts made to realize God through analysis, intellectual understanding and human deductions.

peaking on incarnation, Kabir says that one who is born to a human father through a human mother cannot be perfect, anything of this world is imperfect. The one beyond is He who neither begets nor is he begotten, He neither has a father nor a mother, he neither comes nor departs..

This point between the eyebrows has been described by saints with different names, it is widely called the third eye, the divine eye, the dark mole by some muslim adepts, in the Adi grants as ‘ the door of the home’, the tenth door’, ‘the road home’, ‘the gateway of liberation’.The human body made of the five elements has nine doors to it, but it is within the tenth door that the Lord lives. The eye center, is the point from where the soul has descended and diverged into the nine portals of the body. This is the point where the soul must converge to start it’s journey home. This starting point is a narrow and fine one. Jesussaid “ enter in at the straight gate ..straight is the gate and narrow is the path which leads to life and it is but a few who find it”. Kabir has described this center as the narrow door to salvation a tenth of a mustard seed.

According to Kabir, soul, the wife is involved in the nine houses of the external world and therefore cannot reach her Husband’s abode, which is the tenth house within. When one enters here one enters a world of light and spiritual beauty.

As Christ says “when thine eye be single, thy whole body is filled with light”.

Spiritual Masters Life And Teachings 

Evergreen Master Jesus-The Great Master Jesus Teachings

Once he taught on a mountainside near the Sea of Galilee. He told people how they should live so that they would be happy and pleasing to God.

He told them to be peacemakers; they would be called the children of God.

He told them to love their enemies, and to do good to people who hated them. They were to pray for people who mistreated them.

He said they were to be like salt, like a city on a hill and like a light that would light the way for others. His followers were to be a good influence on others and try to get other people to do the right thing.

He wanted people to share with others out of love for them.

"Do not judge others", he told them. "And don't worry about things. God will take care of you."

In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them."

In this passage, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that he didn't intend to abolish the old Jewish religious laws, such as the Ten Commandments and the various regulations on marriage, inheritance, property rights, diet, and similar matters.

But he often did re-interpret these laws, or add to them, sometimes in very radical ways. As a result, some of his teachings were very controversial. According to Luke 4:28-30, some people in his hometown of Nazareth became so angry at him that they tried to throw him off a cliff.

Even today, some of his teachings still seem very radical to many people. Here are some of the best-known examples:

Violence
In Matthew 5:38-39, Jesus says:


"You have heard that it was said, 'eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Some Christians, such as the Amish, the Mennonites, and the Quakers, try to strictly adhere to this principle of non-resistance. Some of them have been put in prison, or even executed, for refusing to participate in wars.
In Matthew 5:44 Jesus says "Love your enemies." Some people interpret this to mean that you should try to help them rather than harm them. Others say that any needed punishments should be left to God.

But many modern Christians consider these ideas to be unrealistic. They believe that it is sometimes necessary to defend oneself, or even to launch the initial attack. Many people also believe that evil-doers must be punished for their crimes, or at least locked up to prevent them from doing further harm.


Wealth
In Mark 10:25, Jesus says:


"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."
Some scholars think that the word "camel" in this statement resulted from an accidental mis-copying of a very similar word which meant "rope". Thus, Jesus may have actually said "It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle ...", which is a more natural metaphor.

But whether he said "camel" or "rope", his point was that it is very hard for a rich person to go to heaven. In fact, Mark 10:17-22 indicates that the only way a rich person can go to heaven is, in Jesus' words, to "sell everything you have and give to the poor." Some people try to avoid this conclusion by pointing to Mark 10:27, which says "all things are possible with God." Thus, God can make it possible for a rich man to go to heaven. Certainly this is true. But the context of the statement indicates that God would accomplish this by inspiring the rich man to reform his life and willingly give his money to the poor.

Jesus also warned against the accumulation of wealth on several other occasions. In Matthew 6:19 he says "do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth", and a few verses later, in Matthew 6:24, he says "You cannot serve both God and Money". In Luke 6:24 he says "woe to you who are rich." Jesus disapproved of wealth because he thought it was wrong for some people to live in wasteful luxury while others starved.
According to the Book of Acts, his original followers tried to live by these teachings after he left them. They formed a community in Jerusalem, known as the Nazarenes, in which everyone "had everything in common" (Acts 2:44), and any new member had to sell his or her possessions and give the proceeds to a common fund.
But many modern Christians disagree with these ideas. They see nothing wrong with acquiring money and wealth. And people who do become wealthy are often admired by others.


Non-Marital Relationships
In Matthew 5:28-30, Jesus says:


"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
In an effort to follow this teaching, some people have become hermits, or found other ways to live in total celibacy. Some of the men in the Heaven's Gate cult even castrated themselves. But most people aren't willing to take such drastic measures, and many doubt that it's really necessary.

Compassion and Forgiveness


The teachings quoted above are examples of what are sometimes called the Difficult Teachings of Jesus, because most people find them very hard to follow. Their radical nature has led some people to call Jesus an extreme moralist. Others have called him a utopian dreamer, a social or political reformer, or even a communist.

But whatever else he was, he was also a person of great compassion. He had very strong feelings for the poor, the downtrodden, the outcasts, and the persecuted, and he was keenly aware of the oppression and injustice that kept them in their place. This is why he condemned greedy people who live in opulence while so many others suffer in poverty.

Jesus also had a very strong willingness to forgive. He believed that everyone deserves another chance. A good example of this is his teaching about turning the other cheek: Not only should you instantly forgive a man who strikes you on one cheek, but you should also turn your other cheek to give him a chance to see his error and realize the need to reform himself.

Jesus probably didn't mean it literally when he talked about gouging out eyes and cutting off hands. Most likely he was simply using hyperbole to emphasize his point. But the mere fact that he could talk in this way provides another example of just how strong his convictions were.

Of course most people can feel compassion, and most people have some willingness to forgive. But few, if any, have ever felt these emotions as deeply as Jesus did, or had as strong convictions as he did. That difference may explain why some of his teachings seem so radical to us.

Meditative Work
At the last steps on the way to the Bridal Chamber,
spiritual warriors have to perfect themselves not only
intellectually and ethically, but in the psychoenergetical
respect as well. That is, they have to transform the energy of the consciousness, making it more and more subtle, large, and detached from the body. It is called meditative work.
Jesus and His disciples had no intention to leave to
people a special description of meditative work. But its
general principles and stages were outlined in the Gospel of Philip. Below are some excerpts from the Gospels
and Epistles that contain information on this subject.
“The Kingdom of God is within you!” (Luke 17:21)

“Truly I say to you, whoever shall not receive the
Kingdom of God as a lit le child (that is openly, with sincere joy) shall in no way enter into it!” (Luke 18:17)
“… The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by eff ort!”

(Mat  11:12)
“Sky and the Earth will roll up in your presence (i.e.
they become small when you become large and merge
with the Father), and whoever is Living from the Living
One will not see death.

“… Those who have found themselves (there), of
them the world is not worthy!” (The Gospel of Thomas,
111)

“Damn the fl esh that depends on (other’s) soul. Damn
the soul that depends on (its own) fl esh!” (The Gospel
of Thomas, 112)

“… The Eternal Spirit, dwelling in the state of complete Calm and of Supreme Beatitude, awoke and manifested Itself for some period from the Eternal Beingness,
so as to show (people) in the guise of humanity the means
of uniting with Divinity and of at aining the Eternal Felicity, and to demonstrate by example how man may at-

tain moral purity, separate the soul from its mortal coil,
and achieve the Perfection necessary for entering into
the infi nite Kingdom of Heaven, where Eternal Happiness reigns.” (The Life of Saint Issa, 4:2-4)
“… What is your life? It is a vapor, which appears
for a lit le time, and then disappears…” (James 4:14)

“Do not love this world, nor the things in this world.
If anyone loves this world, the love of the Father is not
in them, because all that is in this world, the lust of the
fl esh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life… is
of this world!” (1 John 2:15-16)

“The world does not know us, because it did not
know Him!” (1 John 3:1)

“… If the root is holy, also the branches (are holy)!”
(Rom 11:16)

“… We look not at the things which are seen, but the
things which are not seen; for the things which are seen
are not lasting, but the things which are not seen are
everlasting!” (2 Cor 4:18)

“… We know that if our earthly house, this tabernacle (body) dissolves, we have a building from God, an
eternal house in Heaven. For indeed in this we groan,
earnestly desiring to be clothed with our Heavenly dwelling-place; for we… wish… that the mortal might be swallowed up by the (True) Life. And God formed us for this
very purpose…

“Then being always confi dent, knowing that while
we are at home in the body, we are away… from the Lord;
for we walk by faith, not by sight; then we are confi dent
and we are pleased rather to go away (forever)… out of
the body, and to come home to the Lord.

“Therefore we are also laboring to be well-pleasing
to Him, whether at home or away from home…, so that
everyone may receive according to what they have done
while living the body…” (2 Cor 5:1-10)
“… Be imitators of God!…” (Eph 5:1)