Founder

The Journey - Childhood

Nithyananda was born on January 1st, 1978, as Rajasekaran, the second child of Arunachalam and Lokanayaki in Thiruvannamalai, home to Arunachala, the spiritual heart center of our planet. On the tenth day after his birth, an astrologer was summoned to cast his horoscope and awed by the unique configuration of planets in Nithyananda’s birthchart exclaimed that Nithyananda would grow up to be a Raja Sannyasi (King among Swamis).

Early Years

True to the astrologer's words, Rajasekaran showed spiritual inclinations from a tender age. He would make idols out of mud, clay and soap stone, decorate them and worship them with a deep fervor. This aspect of Nithyananda’s personality would remain unchanged; the miniature stone figures have been superceded by the spectacular and towering deity idols that grace the temples of the mission in North America and other countries today.

In childhood as well as throughout his wandering years, Nithyananda was deeply inspired by two great saints of Bharat, Sri Ramakrishna and Ramana Maharshi. A photograph of Ramakrishna was the focus of Nithyananda’s worship practices, and he was blessed to have had direct darshan, or superconscious experience of Ramakrishna in the flesh. His spiritual teachers in Thiruvannamalai awakened Nithyananda’s enormous latent spiritual potential.

Teachers

Raghupati Yogi

Raghupati Yogi instructed young Nithyananda in Yoga methods and processes that would strengthen His body and mind, in preparation for the Herculean tasks of today. Raghupati Yogi would emphasize to Nithyananda that the optimal period, during which one can truly imbibe the truths of Yoga so that they become a solid experience, is before the age of 14; accordingly, he trained Nithyananda starting from age 3 for a period of 10 full years. Raghupati Yogi taught Nithyananda asanas, pranayama, dhyana, and also other esoteric Yogic methods, including how to resist hunger and thirst, which would prove to be invaluable during the intense parivrajaka years, or years of wandering as a renunciant. Above all, Raghupati Yogi truly helped prepare Nithyananda’s body to receive, hold, and express the high energy of enlightenment.

Mataji Kuppammal

Another key teacher was Mataji Kuppammal, who was a spiritual adept who had mastered the mystical science of Kundalini tantra by the age of 12. She became a great inspiration and a compassionate guide to young Nithyananda. When Nithyananda was around seven and was at the altar of Goddess Parvati inside the Arunachaleshwara temple one day, he suddenly had a vision of a golden colored geometric figure, which he then immediately carved from memory onto a copper sheet with a nail. Kuppammal explained to him that what he had drawn was the very powerful Sri Chakra, a complex and metaphorical representation of the universal energy. Kuppammal then initiated Nithyananda into the science of tantra, which uses the Sri Chakra as a base for meditation practices.

Kuppammal led Nithyananda from bhakti (devotion) into jnana (wisdom) and dhyana (meditation), with the help of her own Master, Isakki Swamigal, who also contributed to Nithyananda’s growing realization. Kuppammal gave Nithyananda many books and predicted that he would keep these books till he himself started providing commentaries on them based on his wisdom.

Arunagiri Yogishwar

The very first awareness of His own inner nature, His very first brush with His incarnated being, and the first revelation of His life’s mission, happened to Nithyananda when he met with Arunagiri Yogiswara, who is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Siva Himself, at age nine. Nithyananda took to sitting in front of the jiva samadhi of Arunagiri Yogiswara, at the Arunachaleshwara temple, and that is where their meeting first happened.

Arunagiri Yogiswara was the first being who helped Nithyananda develop a conscious experience of Himself. On one occasion, Arunagiri Yogishwar mystically transported Nithyananda to a sacred Banyan tree under which He taught His disciples as a young Dakshinamurthi, and gave Nithyananda a saffron robe, which is now at the ashram in Bangalore - living proof that what happened then was not a dream!

In their final encounter, Arunagiri Yogiswara said to Nithyananda, ‘Dear one, you and I are one. We can never get separated. But the play is over. You will not miss me any longer. You will not be separated. We are one.’ Saying this, the form of Arunagiri Yogiswara merged into Nithyananda and disappeared from his view. From that moment, Nithyananda did not feel the separation from Arunagiri Yogiswara at all. A deep fulfillment descended on him; a state of bliss. Nithyananda says, ‘it was probably my first moment of realization of who I really was. It was my first spiritual experience, my first moment of enlightenment.’

It was only later that Nithyananda realized that the person he played with, he related so closely with, this Arunagiri Yogiswara was none other than Arunachala, Siva Himself.

Annamalai Swamigal

Around the age of 10, Nithyananda started going to the Ramana Ashram in Tiruvannamalai, where one day He met Annamalai Swamigal, an enlightened disciple of Ramana Maharishi. Annamalai Swamigal was a master of the advaita philosophy of non-duality. A lasting impression was created in the mind of Young Nithyananda through Annamalai Swamigal’s teachings, which remained a source of strength and inspiration in years to come. Hs experience with Annamalai Swamigal helped Nithyananda to go beyond the illusion of thoughts directly into the source of thoughts.

Nithyananda practiced the technique that Annamalai Swamigal had taught him faithfully, and around age twelve, when he was sitting on a rock on Arunachala hill in meditation, the first experience of Cosmic Consciousness, or satori, happened. In the midst of his meditation, Nithyananda felt something opening up within him. It was like a vessel inside getting broken and a door opening simultaneously, an experience of creation and destruction at the same time. It was an experience of utter bliss, serene calmness and connectedness with the Universe.  Even with his eyes closed, Nithyananda could see in a panoramic vision encompassing all 360 degrees around him.

Later Years

Nithyananda would often meditate all night long in the cremation grounds of Tiruvannamalai, absorbed in the vibrant silence of Arunachala, and at the break of dawn, he would return home. During his teenage years, after a profound cognitive shift in his understanding through an encounter with a Siddha in Thiruvannamalai, the urge which he had since childhood, to leave home as a sannyasi, reached its peak. After completing his diploma in Mechanical Engineering at Gudiyattam, Nithyananda made the final resolve to set out on his spiritual journey as a wandering ascetic. He embarked on what was to be an arduous journey, stretching thousands of miles covered mostly by foot, over a period of 6 years, traversing the land of Bharat. From Tapovan in the Himalayas to Kanyakumari in the South, from Dwaraka in the West to Ganga Sagar in the East, Nithyananda wandered for several years in India and in Nepal, practicing intense austerities and studying with many sadhus.

Amongst Nithyananda’s numerous soul-stirring experiences was this one, in the Himalayas:
One day in Gaurikund, high in the Himalayas, he saw a lovely vision, of a young man with a glowing countenance and flowing locks, walking towards him with long strides and captivating grace. He realized, only after physically verifying the solidity of the radiant and divine being facing him, it was Mahaavatar Babaji, the Enlightened Master who has dwelled in the Himalayas for thousands of years in perpetual youth. At the moment of passing by him, Babaji looked into his eyes and pronounced, 'Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda!’ – signifying the state he would soon come to achieve.

Nithyananda's single-minded pursuit of the Divine truth led to deeper and more profound experiences over the years. Finally, when He was 22 years old and staying on the banks of the river Narmada, the final explosion happened, into the experience of Superconsciousness, where space and time, body and mind, the seer and the seen - all dissolved into the state of Eternal Bliss, or Nithya Ananda.

After Enlightenment

After the explosion of superconsciousness, Nithyananda stayed in Erode, on the banks of the river Kaveri in Tamil Nadu for a few months, healing people and teaching meditation. Guided by Divine Vision, Nithyananda soon left Erode and came to the outskirts of Bangalore, where He found the place of His ashram, home to a 600-year old sacred and mystical banyan tree as revealed in His Vision.

The Mission

In the Master’s own words, "Enlightenment flowers when individual consciousness disappears into Universal Consciousness. It is the no-mind experience, and out of it Ecstasy and Energy are born. This Energy is what I harness, to help humanity to blossom in all dimensions of life, and to attain and radiate Eternal Bliss - Nithyananda".

Bliss is a state of heightened awareness of the reasons for our fear, joy, sorrow or love. It is a state of being in tune with the Cosmos, the ideal state to be. 'Be Blissful!' are the words the Master utters to constantly remind us of our true nature. With a pragmatic yet compassionate approach to life, and an enlightened insight into the core of human nature, through lucid explanation of practical issues and practical meditation techniques, He helps individuals to blossom in every sphere of life, be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.

Nithyananda's healing touch has given relief to millions of people suffering from a spectrum of illnesses, both physical and psychological. His method of healing – Nithya Spiritual Healing, has its roots in meditation and harnesses the Divine Energy to allow it to flow to the recipient of the healing. Nithyananda not only heals, but also initiates those who desire to be an instrument of the Divine energy, to become healers. Today, thousands of Nithya Spiritual Healers and healing centers carry out this service to humanity at large and touch tens of thousands of people each day.

Nithyananda has developed a diverse range of meditation programs devised for the modern minds of our generation. The remarkable techniques and processes that comprise the meditation programs help the flowering and explosion of individual consciousness, and are offered by ordained teachers, or acharyas, trained personally by Him. Advanced level programs are conducted by Nithyananda Himself, and are a rare and unprecedented opportunity to be in the presence of the Master, and to experience the deep stillness, silence and ecstasy of our inner being.

Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam is a movement for meditation and establishing a Vedic renaissance on our planet. The foundation works towards the transformation of humanity through transformation of the individual. In keeping with His breathtaking vision of a complete Vedic renaissance, Nithyananda is simultaneously spearheading movements for the re-establishment of all aspects of Vedic sciences, arts, culture and lifestyle, through the founding of a Meditation and Yoga University, temples of traditional Sanatana Dharma worship practices, and ashrams and spiritual communities worldwide to create an environment where one can experience and express Bliss on all levels of life. In addition to these core services, allied therapy and social services are now offered through thousands of acharyas and volunteers who work tirelessly to support the mission worldwide.