H.H. BrahmRishi Swami Vishvatma BawraJi Maharaj from
Chandigarh, India, is the Chief founder and Spiritual Director of the
internationally acclaimed BrahmRishi Mission. This Mission whose roots are
firmly entwined in Indian soil has its branches in different parts of the world
like Europe, North America, South America and Caribbean countries. This Mission
can only be fully comprehended after understanding its Source:Gurudev Shri
Vishvatma Bawra ji Maharaj. Reverend Gurudev was born on January 11, 1934, in village
Kanwal Gyanpur, District Varanasi, the holy city of spiritual knowledge,
situated at the bank of the Holy River Ganga, in India. He comes from a highly
scholarly and noble Bhatt Brahmin family.Reverend Gurudev, being the last of
three children, was afforded the comforts and protection that a child would
receive from his elders. He shied away from school and had no formal education
in his childhood.Who knew that this innocent shy child, keeping Himself busy
with cow herding and wrestling,one day is going to be a Self-realized saint and
will awaken the human kind to Brahmvidya – the holy Science of the absolute
Knowledge.
At the age of eighteen He was attracted by a great
Avdhoot Yogi of the Himalayas, H.H.
Bhagwan Chandra Mauli Ji Maharaj. He
surrendered himself unto the lotus feet of this great spiritual Master (GURU) as His disciple. He
was enlightened by His divine touch and
could recall and remember His many previous lives. Under His guidance, He left
his family life and went to the holy
city of Ayodhya. There He received
formal initiation into the Shri Vaishnav
Order by a great saintH.H.
Vaishnavacharya Shri Swami Ram
Swaroop Dass Ji Maharaj of Sugriva Patti, Hanuman Garhi, Ayodhya.
He engaged and engrossed himself into the ancient system
of education under the guidance of Swami
Shri Ram Sundar Dass Ji Maharaj at Baba
Mani Ram Chhavani of Ayodhya. He studied the
philosophical treatises under the guidance of a great scholar saint H.H. Shri Swami Sarvabhom
Shatdarshanacharya Vasudevacharya Ji
Maharaj of Ayodhya
He entered into the realm of higher spiritual practices and
austerities under the direction of His Divine Master Yogeshvar Bhagwan Chandra
Mauli Ji Maharaj. He practiced Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga, Hath Yogain sequence at
Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Udaipur (Rajasthan) Chintpurni (H.P.) and on the peaks of
the Himalayas.He achieved the higher state of Laya Yoga Samadhi at Chintpurni
(H.P.). He reached the culmination - highest level of consciousness (Samadhi),
Kundalini Yoga (Raj Yoga) at Udaipur on December 27, 1962. At that time He
remained in Samadhi for many days.During the course of His intense spiritual
practices and austerities, He was blessed by many great Yogis time to time as: Swami
ParamHans Abhayanand Ji Maharaj, YogiRaj Vishudhanand Ji Maharaj, ParamHans
Avdhoot Yogi Swami Mani Ram Ji Maharaj, ParamHans YogiRaj Swami Ram Dass Ji
Maharaj and many other unknown yogis of the Himalayas.
By the grace of His divine Master he was blessed with a very
sharp memory and had memorized the ancient Holy Scriptures and other
philosophical treatises. He studied all prominent religious scriptures of the
World. He not only mastered religious philosophical treatises but also history,
politics, social science, ethics, psychology and different educational systems
in the light of modern science. Thus He matured as a learned Scholar and became
a Great Yogi, accomplished Parivrajaka (roving) Vaishnav Sanyasi – a
ParamHansa.
Reverend Gurudev had great love for his divine master
Yogeshvar H.H. Bhagwan Chandra Mauli Ji Maharaj and wished to be always under
His divine grace. However His master ordered Him to go into the society, being
compassionate for human kind who is suffering due to their own ignorance and
waiting for a real enlightened guide. His master ordered Him to do divine
service and teach real knowledge bestowed by the Lord in His Divine Song - the
Bhagvad Gita, thus you will be the dearest devotee of the Godhead as he has
declared in the 18th Chapter of the Bhagvad Gita.He ignored His own wish, for
the merits of following his master's biddings
This great Yogi and great scholar and eloquent, prolific
speaker thus entered the society and dressed in loin cloth lived on alms with
Holy Scriptures as His only belongings for many years. He commenced His roving
with all zeal and earnestness, and visited India East to West, North to South
many times. He taught and blessed thousands of people with His spiritual power
and discourses on the Gita, Ramayana, Upanishad, Samkhya, Yoga and Vedanta
Philosophy in the light of modern science and his own experiences. He has left
with us a rich repository of knowledge in his numerous masterly treatises
(books).
In the ensuing years as He traveled, His disciples grew in
number. Though His disciples requested Him to establish a monastery to pursue
their spiritual practices, but He did not agree. When some disciples renounced
their family lives and followed His teachings, then He agreed to establish a
center, where He started to teach spiritual discipline in a scientific process.
Consequently the first center of His mission was established
in Udaipur, Rajasthan, in 1965. His first education center was established in
Ludhiana (Punjab) in 1968. In 1974 a great Monastery, the Main Ashram, was
established by the Mission in the lap of the Himalayas called BrahmRishi
Ashram, Virat Nagar, Pinjore, Haryana, India, with the Motto – WISDOM LOVE
SERVICE, more concretely for teaching Doubtless knowledge, Lustless love and
Selfless service. Many students from different parts of the world come to this
Ashram to study metaphysical science and practice higher discipline of Yoga,
getting all kinds of facilities free of charge. Also a school for formal
education and another school for Sanskrit studies were established. Destitute
and orphan children are given free education and maintenance. In this Ashram, a
cowshed with 150 cows was organized and a hospital for health care in Ayurveda
was established, and printing press facilities were set up for publication
purposes. A monthly magazine was started. Gradually many branches of the
Mission were opened in different provinces of India.
Education had the highest priority in His mind. In 1985,
Reverend Gurudev established a Metaphysical Science Research Institute in
Chandigarh. It is now an institute of repute in Northern India, running a
college for B. Ed. in Yoga, and O.T. (Shiksha Shastri) duly based on Sanskrit
studies. The days are not far away when students will start Research Work on
Yoga after doing M. Ed. in Yoga. As now when Yoga is the talk of the world, the
research work will be a precious gift from Reverend Gurudev. He established
schools in all His Ashrams in India. Brahma Rishi Mission also has registered
centers in many parts of the world.
He started His international visits in 1972. He toured all
over the World many times and established centers in the United States, Canada,
United Kingdom (UK), Holland and Surinam.The particulars of all centers – both
local (in India) and international, have been given separately. All the centers
have the same Motto:Wisdom Love Service.Reverend Gurudev built up His Sanyaas
Order on a solid base. The incumbents were required to have good education and
unshakable faith and firm determination to undergo rigorous spiritual
disciplines over a pre-sanyaas period as individually needed. He particularly
championed the cause of women providing them equal rights and position in the
order.The mission has since its inception, produced many astute, dedicated and
committed Parivrajika Sanyasins – under the direct guidance of the great
spiritual master Brahmrishi Shri Vishvatma Bawra Ji Maharaj. Women sanyasis
outnumber men. They head the various Missions centers in India and abroad
disseminating the universal ideology of the mission.
Reverend Gurudev was an exponent ofBrahmvidya, the science
of the absolute knowledge. This hastwo aspects:Samkhya,the theoretical andYoga,
the practical asmentioned in the Upanishads and Shrimad Bhagvad Gita. On the
basis of His own experiences, He taught the higher processes of Yoga and
Meditation calledMaha Yoga– a combination of Hatha Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga
and Raja Yogafor realizing the ultimate truth in the light of higher
consciousness, to become free from sufferings, to achieve eternal peace and to
establish real universal brotherhood among mankind. His writings and discourses
published in over 70 books cover almost every facet of this knowledge. He has
written a great scientific commentary on Shrimad Bhagvad Gita, named "Dharma
Vigyan Bhasya".
Reverend Gurudev made it clear that this knowledge is open
to those who are firm minded and resolve to exercise their own grace on
themselves and not only seek the grace divine. Secondly for those who have pure
intellect. In order to achieve it, pureAharaandViharaare requisites. And for
those who doSatsanga. Approach a spiritual master with explicit faith and sense
of devotion, love and service. His teachings are not related with any caste,
creed, color, country, community, gender or sect. The universality of His
teachings has left a great and an irreversible impact both in India and abroad
and the centers opened by him have, are and will be providing the continuing
boost and support.
Gurudev Shri Vishvatma Bawra Ji Maharaj had a working
knowledge of all the major religions in the world. He was a prominent speaker
in many inter religious conferences in various parts of the world. He had the
rear distinction to speak in almost 150 universities in the world and moreover
he represented India in the World Religion Conference held in 1991 in Seoul,
the Capital of South Korea. The papers read by Him, in this conference, were
highly applauded and duly appreciated and cheered. He was a Roving ambassador
ofKarma Yoga, Gyan Yoga, Bhakti Yogamentioned in the Shrimad Bhagvad Gita. He
enlightened people with His wonderful teachings, combining both the Eastern
Spiritual and Western scientific thoughts.
He was one of the seven members of theNirdeshak Mandal of
Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti, a great National Saint Association of India – a
leading and prominent member too. He was with the Mandel on whole India Yatra
(tour) for awakening the masses to the percepts of the Sanatan Dharma. It is
only when performing this noble Mission that he achieved hisMahasamadhi. He was
meditating when He relinquished his mortal existence and achieved Immortality.
Such saints areduralabha– are rare, says the Gita.
Worshipful Gurudev is no more in his mortal coil. We mourn
His loss, His physical absence, because He is not available to lead us by hand
or word of mouth. For those who have imbibed Him in their hearts, He is
eternally there to inspire and guide. Our Worshipful Gurudev is eternally with
us. It is up to us how pure our love and devotion is for Him. In active service
as He was till his last moments, under the force of His benevolent nature, He
is bound to come to earth, to benefit the mankind.
This short introduction does not even touch the fringes of
His great multi-faced personality both as a man and a saint. Actually, it is
beyond one's reach to introduce such a great worshipful Spiritual Master. He
Himself is His own introduction...
As Mortals we are apt to mourn His irreparable loss. We
stand in solemn prayer of thankfulness to Him. Also, we seek His continuing
blessings and record our assurance that we will stand to solidly support and
work for the fulfillment of the objectives of the BRAHMRISHI MISSION so dear to
Him. He always blessed us with the Vedic injunction: May God –Lead you from
unreal to real; from darkness to light; from death (limitation) to immortality
(liberation). He Himself lived truly and achieved His liberation.
Credits for this post goes to Shri Kawita Janki ji
Credits for this post goes to Shri Kawita Janki ji