Amongst many thousands of saintly teachers,
hardly one perfect teacher or spiritual master is to be found.
There are numerous individuals qualified to teach certain
aspects of the Absolute Truth, but there are few individuals who
are truly conversant in all aspects of spiritual understanding.
Those who are serious about realizing and experiencing the
Absolute Truth in total as opposed to merely being content or
satisfied with a limited or partial spiritual understanding are
advised to seek out such a spiritual master and learn from him.
Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda
Paramahamsa is indeed such a genuine spiritual master. He is a
seasoned voyager and knower of the entire spiritual realm, and
as such is fully capable of helping qualified aspirants achieve
the same level of spiritual perfection.
The literal translation of "Jagad
Guru" means "universal teacher," or "teacher of the whole world,"
as distinct from the teacher of a particular sect, religion,
race or nationality. This title was given to him by perceptive
students of the Truth, who perceived him to be a master amongst
masters, a rare and very special teacher qualified not just to
teach the followers of a particular country or religion, but a
teacher for all mankind.
His own spiritual quest began
at a very early age, and rapidly accelerated. As a youth, Jagad
Guru studied in Hawaii under various yoga masters, and quickly
achieved brahman realization, or nirva kalpa samadhi. He
dedicated himself to helping others achieve this same experience,
and, while still in his teens, founded the Haiku School of
Nirvana Yoga, which later became known as the Haiku Meditation
Center in Haiku, Maui. He soon became well known throughout the
Hawaiian Islands and west coast of America as a self-realized
yogi and master of the Astanga and kundalini yoga systems.
It was at this time that he
came in contact with the great soul who was to become his own
spiritual master, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad. Although
he was already a liberated being and knower of God in His
impersonal or White Light feature, the teachings of
Bhaktivedanta Swami drew him beyond the White Light and into the
innermost realm of spiritual truth, beauty and bliss-a realm
that even few great yogis are qualified to enter-the realm of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna.
As Jagad Guru implemented these
teachings, known as Bhakti yoga (the path of pure devotional
service), his following began to grow even more rapidly. Thus,
many were stunned when, in 1970, he gave up his large following,
along with his Maui ashram and his centers in Honolulu and
Sunset Beach, Hawaii, to become an initiated disciple of the
World Acharya, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad.
In 1978, Jagad Guru began to
accept disciples of his own, and today has a worldwide following
of tens of thousands of individuals who attempt to apply his
teachings in their daily lives. Jagad Guru is an extremely
private person, who shuns the public limelight and media
attention that many yoga teachers dream of and strive for. He
has no fixed abode, and travels around the world at the
invitation of his disciples, staying in various locations
sometimes just a few days, and sometimes for several months.
Despite his reclusive and private nature, he has become an
internationally known lecturer, and speaks to the world through
video and audio cassettes recorded by his students.
Because he can present God and
religion in a down to earth, scientific and philosophical manner,
rather then dogmatically and fanatically, countless people who
were previous skeptics now find a genuine spirituality that has
real application in their daily lives. While uncompromising in
his presentation of the Absolute Truth, Jagad Guru is also a
master of innovation, and thus deals with different people in
different manners, according to time and circumstance. Sometimes
"as soft as a rose" and other times as "strong as a thunderbolt,"
he is always interested in the well- being of all living
entities. And yet his teachings can also have a polarizing
effect, because they are simply too direct to allow one to
remain comfortably on the sidelines. Pseudo- spiritualists tend
to fear, envy, and even despise him, as do most hedonists and
overt materialists. On the other hand, sincere, thoughtful,
introspective seekers of the Truth and great devotees of the
Lord find his teachings extremely profound and life changing.
Jagad Guru's books, booklets
and audio and video lectures are available through his students
and disciples, or at your nearest
Chaitanya Mission
Meditation Cente
Guardiões
da Devoção