The Philosophy

As humans who possess a certain degree of intelligence, understanding and awareness of the world around us, we must have be been confronted by  three questions that still remains a mystery to many.


Who am I?
Where did we come from?
Where do we go when we die?

These are elementary questions that have been answered by the holy scriptures and the innumerable saints who have grace our planet since eternity.

We know we are souls that are eternal in nature and that a soul never dies. A soul enters one body and when its time, it leave the body and finds another one. It is the body that perishes or dies and not the soul. We have also learnt that the soul is a part of God and hence we have an eternal relationship with him. This knowledge is impossible to fathom or rationalize with our material intelligence. Hence people do not take the step further to understand the next three questions which are the most important ones that we will ever answer.

1. What is our relationship with God?
2. What is the means for establishing that relationship?
3. What final goal will we attain once that relationship has been established?

These questions are addressed by Shree Maharajji’s philosophy which has been summarized below :

• Every living being is incessantly searching for happiness. This search is natural, since we are an eternal part of God, who is the ocean of Divine Bliss. The search for happiness is the search for God, except that it is unknown to our mind and intellect. Hence, God-realization is the goal of our lives.
• We cannot know God by our senses, mind, and intellect. These instruments of knowledge of ours are material, and cannot fathom the Divine nature of the Supreme Being.
• The only means of knowing God is through his Grace, whereby He Himself bestows His Divine knowledge upon the soul.
• If we wish to receive that Divine Grace, we must surrender ourselves to Him. This surrender is not an external act; it should be from within. True surrender is that of the mphilos8 Essence of the Philosophy of Divine Loveind.
  
• The difficulty in surrendering our mind to God is that at present, it is attached to the world; we must first detach it from here, only then can we attach it to God.
• At this stage, we need a Guru, or a Spiritual Master, who, on the basis of the scriptures, can explain to us how to detach the mind from the world and attach it to God. The qualification of a genuine spiritual Master is that he must be God-realized himself.
• Although the Vedas mention the three means of karm, gyan, and bhakti, our goal of God-realization can be accomplished through bhakti alone. Karm needs the addition of bhakti to make it karm yog; gyan needs the addition of bhakti to make it gyan yog; while bhakti is by itself bhaktiyog.
• This bhakti or devotion must be performed selflessly, without the desire for any material rewards. Even the desire for liberation is an inferior desire, since liberation is an automatic by-product of attaining devotion.
• In this devotion, we can establish five kinds of relationships with the Supreme Being. We can look upon Him as our King, our Master, our Friend, our Child, or our Beloved. Among these, worshiping God as our Beloved, in the mood of the gopis of Vrindaban, is the highest.
• Longing for our Divine Beloved develops by the practice of Roop-dhyan, or meditation on the personal form of God. Along with this, we must learn to remember Him throughout the day, by feeling His Divine presence with us at all times for us.
• When our heart is perfectly cleansed by the practice of devotion, we will receive another kind of devotion by the Grace of our Spiritual Master, called perfect devotion or Divine Love. This Divine Love is an eternal power of God; it is such a power that God Himself becomes captivated by the devotee who possesses it. With that Divine Love, we will engage in the eternal loving service of the Supreme Lord, and upon leaving this body, we will enter His eternal Divine leelas & finally achieve unlimited happiness & Divine Love.

Bhajans & Kirtans

The most invaluable treasure attainable in the human form is Selfless Divine Love. This Divine love is the culmination of all spiritual knowledge. It is experienced not through the intellect, but through the heart. When our heart melts for our Beloved Lord, an intense longing for His Divine Vision develops. This cleanses the mirror of the mind and destroys its negativities. The consciousness is united with God in love, and the devotee experiences perfect Bliss.   In his programs, Swamiji chants the sweetest bhajans that inspire devotional love and transport the consciousness to subliminal heights. Kirtans in Swamiji’s voice.

Swami Mukundananda

 

Swami Mukundananda ji’s has a God-gifted ability to keep all kinds of audiences enthralled and entertained through wisdom filled anecdotes, humorous stories and irrefutable logic. He has inspired innumerable people, of all ages, towards the path of God Realization, the world over. Swamiji’s warmth and humility touch all those who have the fortune to have his association. The very presence of Swami Mukundananda radiates Grace and Bliss.

Founder of the System of Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog

Shree Swami Mukundananda has founded many organizations in India with permanent centers and ashrams, such as Jagadguru Kripalu Yog Trust, India, Radha Govind Dham, Delhi, Radha Krishna Bhakti Mandir, Cuttack, Radha Govind Dham, Berhampur, Shyama Shyam Dham, Jajpur, Radha Govind Dham, Parla Khemundi, Radha Govind Dham, Karanjia, etc. In USA, Swamiji has inspired the formation of Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In the space of a few years, JKYog centers have opened throughout the length and breadth of USA. For more information on Jagadguru Kripalu Yog, click here. Swamiji cares deeply about imparting Hindu cultural and religious values to the younger generation, especially in the West. Towards this end, he has conceived a special Personality Development program for children and young adults. This program is called “The Bal-Mukund Playground for Vedic Wisdom.” It includes character building, yog, meditation, devotional singing and religious training. Many Bal-Mukund centers have been started for the benefit of children, both in USA and in India.

Swami Mukundananda Bhajans

Swami Mukundananda Bhajans

The most invaluable treasure attainable in the human form is Selfless Divine Love. This Divine love is the culmination of all spiritual knowledge. It is experienced not through the intellect, but through the heart. When our heart melts for our Beloved Lord, an intense longing for His Divine Vision develops. This cleanses the mirror of the mind and destroys its negativities. The consciousness is united with God in love, and the devotee experiences perfect Bliss. In his programs, Swamiji chants the sweetest bhajans that inspire devotional love and transport the consciousness to subliminal heights. Click here to listen kirtan in Swamiji’s voice.

Scriptural Confusions Dispelled

 

The ancient Hindu scriptures like the Vedas, Upanishads, Shreemad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayan, etc. are all treasure houses of Divine knowledge. They were either directly spoken by God in his various descensions on earth, or were inspired by him in the hearts of the Saints. But when these great scriptures are read individually, they appear to have many contradictions. This has led to much confusion in the minds of people. In his lectures, Swami Mukundananda answers such questions which have always puzzled people and shows the clear, simple truth. Some of the confusions and contradictions which he addresses are:

1. a) God can never be seen or understood by our material senses and intellect because He is Divine.
    b) God can be seen, attained and understood, even through our material senses and intellect. The God-realized Saints in the past have done so.

2. a) God is attained through His Grace, and not through our self-effort.
    b) Unless we exert effort and do sadhana, we cannot attain God.

3. a) Everything happens by the will of God. Without his inspiration, not even a leaf can move.
    b) We are responsible for our own actions. God is only an impartial judge of our activities.

4. a) What we get in this life is the consequence of our actions in past lives. We are all controlled by our destiny.
    b) We all have the free-will to act. We are the makers of our own destiny.

5. a) This world is mithya or unreal since it is made of maya.
    b) This world is satya or real, and necessary for the maintenance of the body. Without it we cannot live.

6. a) Liberation from material bondage is the ultimate goal of spirituality.
    b) The desire for liberation is a selfish desire, and only when we give it up can we attain pure Divine love.

7. a) Service to man is service to God. One who performs his worldly duties sincerely, does not need to worship God.
    b) Devotion to God is not the same as the performance of worldly duties. It must be separately accomplished.

8. a) Our surrender and single-minded devotion should be towards God alone.
    b) Unless we surrender to a Guru, we cannot reach God.

9. a) The aim of meditation is to think of God and establish the mind in God.
    b) The aim of meditation is to stop the thinking process and quiet the mind. Click here to Swamiji’s lecture.

Lecture Topics

His lectures cover the teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavatam, Puranas, Bhagavad Geeta, Ramayan, and other Eastern and Western philosophies. Like the true disciple of a true master, Swami Mukundananda masterfully quotes from scriptures of different religions, to satisfy even the most discerning of knowledge seekers. He also reveals the simple and straightforward way of God-realization which can be practiced by anyone. Another special feature about his lectures is that he establishes every spiritual truth through scriptural quotations, irrefutable logic and humorous real-life illustrations. His wisdom filled anecdotes, humorous stories and clarity has the audience both enthralled and entertained for the entire duration of his lecture! The discourses offered by Swamiji are specially designed for those people who have unanswered questions about spirituality, and are looking for satisfactory answers. Some of the questions addressed in his lectures are:

• What is the goal of life?
• We are all searching for happiness, yet we remain discontented. Why?
• What is the nature of God? Why is He beyond our intellect, mind and senses?
• What is the Grace of God? How is it attained?
• What is sharanagati or surrender to God?
• Why do we experience lust, anger, greed, envy, illusion etc.? How can they beconquered?
• The Vedas mention three paths to God-realization: karm, gyan and bhakti. What is the difference between them?
• who is qualified for which path?
• Do all paths of karm, gyan and bhakti lead to the same goal or different goals?
• Is it possible to attain God even while staying in household life?
• What is the karm yog of the Bhagavad Gita?
• What is the difference between the worship of the personal and the impersonal forms of God?
• What is Divine love and how is it different from worldly love?
• How can one establish a personal relationship with God?
• What is the basis for choosing one’s worshipped form of God?
• What do the scriptures say about the need for a Spiritual Master? How do we recognize a genuine Guru?
• What is meditation? How and when should Sadhana (devotional practice) be done ?

Inspiring Discourses

Swami Mukundananda ji lectures cover the teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads, Shreemad Bhagwatam, Puranas, Bhagavad Geeta, Ramayan, and other Eastern scriptures and Western philosophies. Like the true Disciple of a true Master, Swamiji masterfully quotes from the scriptures of all the great religions, to satisfy even the most discerning of knowledge-seekers. He also reveals the simple and straightforward path to God-realization that can be practiced by anyone.

Although Swami Mukundananda started preaching in India two decades ago, he now preaches both in India and abroad. He has inspired innumerable devotees in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, where his visit is always anxiously awaited. Since 2008, on the instruction of Shree Maharajji, Swamiji has increasingly begun spending more time in USA, where his educational background and command over the English language make his programs particularly charming to the intelligentsia, professionals, and academicians.

Academic and Professional Accomplishments of Swami Mukundananda

Swami Mukundananda finished his B.Tech. from the world-renowned Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. He then completed his MBA from the equally revered Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kolkata. After that, he worked for some time with one of India’s topmost industrial houses. However, distinguished material education and a promising corporate career did not quench his thirst for knowing the Absolute Truth. His penchant for a deeper understanding of the nature of divine love and bhakti (devotion) would drown his mind in spiritual thoughts for long periods. Soon, the longing for God was so strong that he renounced his career and travelled throughout India as a sanyasi.