Rise of Neo-Spiritualism in Nepal

Established with the slogan “self-transformation is the door to world-transformation” in 2007, the World Awakening Mission (WAM) has given rise to the origin of Neo-Spiritualism in Nepal. Considering the principles, beliefs and philosophy expressed and exercised by Swami Anand Vinod (Prof. Vinod Sharma), the propounder of the World Awakening Mission, I can confidently say that the World Awakening Compaign has given rise to Neo-Spiritualism in Nepal. You might ask: why is it necessary to give a new term “Neo-Spiritualism” when spiritualism in the true sense of the term also implies the same thing? Right. My concern too is not with the terms. But my contention is to draw the attention of the people towards the misconceptions. My intention in using the new term ‘Neo-Spiritualism’ is to show the points of departure from the traditional practices of spiritualism and highlight the radical deviation of the World Awakening Mission from such misconceptions.

According to traditional beliefs, to go for meditation means to run away from life, to escape from one’s responsibilities and duties. According to this belief, materialism is an enemy to the pathway of spiritualism. For the people of such belief, it is not possible to experience spiritual bliss, attain enlightenment staying at home. The need for them is to be away from home, wife, and sons and daughters and enter into the jungle, the lonely place carrying a begging bowl. For them, a spiritual Guru is taken to be the one who keeps long beards and hair, one who wears yellow clothes. Traditional spiritual practices have become lopsided and one-sided. That has taught the human beings to accept only the positive aspects of life and fight for the negative ones. But through the close reading and active participation in “yoga, dhyana and pranayam” and many other spiritual activities of the World Awakening Mission for more than a year, I have found that the World Awakening Mission combines both materialism and spiritualism. Sw. Anand Vinod highlights the necessity of creating a balance between devotion, a total surrender to the hands of the Providence, the Almighty and determination (Samarpan ra Sankalpa); a fine balance between hymns and food (vajan ra vojan); the combination of western and eastern philosophy; bringing together of science and religion; creating a balance between labor/hard work and rest (shram ra bishram). Radicalism and originality of the World Awakening Mission lies in its firm belief that experience of spiritual bliss and attainment of nirvana is possible even leading a worldly life, honestly fulfilling one’s duties and responsibilities, enjoying the yummy food prepared by one’s spouse and guiding the sons and daughters in their lives. Sw. Ananda Vinod teaches us to accept the whole, be it positive or negative. That is the reason why I have credited the World Awakening Mission as solely a spiritual organization giving rise to the Neo-Spiritualism in Nepal. Sw. Ananda Vinod is an apt example and subtle evidence to justify my claim.

While listening to the spiritual sermons delivered in Ashram, radio and television programmes and participating in “yoga, dhyana, pranyam” and other different spiritual activities in close and kind guidance of Sw. Ananda Vinod, and considering the wide range of knowledge and wisdom he has acquired through the constant, relentless reading, research and meditation, I feel sometimes that Sw. Ananda Vinod is not an ordinary person. The sparkling light and energy that exudes when we are near to him makes me feel that he has already attained a sense of Samadhi, spiritual bliss, enlightenment. Yet he is a man of the world. He has a beautiful wife, a son and a daughter. He lives with them. He is a renowned professor of management in Nepal. He Still teaches. He is popularly known as Prof. Vinod Shrama. He takes regular classes in the colleges. He has acquired such a state of mind of divine consciousness staying with the family and handling the duties and responsibilities of a husband, of a father and being a man of the world. He does not have long beards, neither long hair. He does not wear yellow clothes. He even walks suited-booted in coats and pants. He is a vegetarian by birth. Yet, he is in good health even in his early fifties, fit and fine. Thus, he is the beautiful example of creating a balance between spiritualism and materialism and the spiritual organization that he gave birth to- the World Awakening Mission – an example of Neo-Spiritual organization in Nepal.

The philosophy put forth by Sw. Ananda Vinod is undoubtedly and unquestionably very valuable to our life. The spiritual practices he has recommended are quite compatible with the present complex world of consumer culture and post-modern era of hectic life style. He does not suggest people too heavily to rely on merely rituals and rites though he suggests us to take them with respect and reverence. He foregrounds the idea of “appa dipa vawa”- self-realization. Guru says that going to the temple regularly and offering the fruits and other valuables is not enough if it does not lead to self-awakening, self-realization, self-discovery and self-transformation. Guru further says that self- realization should be the ultimate goal of our life. Life, as Guru says, is an opportunity to the realization of divinity in humanity. Heaven and hell, sorrow and happiness depends on one’s activities. Guru further suggests us to be devoted to our work wholeheartedly and accept the result in any form as the offering of God. If we do this, I believe, one is bound to be successful and even if negative result comes, one can be saved from its harmful repercussions like suicide and depression.

Traditional spiritual practice has ‘complexized’ and ritualized meditation. It has kept meditation beyond the reach of common and ordinary people. There is discrimination on the basis of caste, class, creed, language, religion, culture and gender. But the World Awakening Mission has simplified the meditation. It believes in “hasiwa kheliwa dhariwa dhyan”. Meditation is like a game; it can be done playfully. As Sw. Anand Vinod writes in the book The Awakening- friend for the truth seekers which is a collection of spiritual discourses given by him, “If meditation is practiced, various complexities can easily be avoided. These complexities have been created by so-called religions and they hinder the faith of the truly religious people. Dear seekers, Yoga, Pranayama, and Meditation are the gateway to divine health. There is no other alternative to meditation in order to feel the real depth of divine health”. Unlike traditional practices which heavily rely on rituals and memorizing the “slokas” without understanding its meaning, the World Awakening Mission believes in experience, self-transformation and practice. The World Awakening Mission believes that spiritual practices should bring good health, creativity, happiness, delight, activism, dynamism and a sense of love, kindness, mutual help and understanding in our lives. In the name of spirituality, traditional practice have constructed communities and developed the concept of “we” and the “other” by dividing them and creating unrest and conflict among those communities. It has created the binary opposition of superiority and inferiority and thereby leading to enmity among different communities. But Sw. Anand Vinod writes in The Awakening that “religion is to understand the divinity of the physical, as well as mental health. Religion is not about showing off the knowledge that is acquired by reading religious texts. Religion is not about disputing between religious groups in the name of religion for the sake of temples, mosques and cathedrals. What is temple? A temple is a building constructed by brick and stone, where idols (which we worship) are kept. A temple should be place for meditation. A temple is the home of the Supreme where entry should be permitted to everyone. A temple is called a “mandir”, where “man” means mind and “dir” means calm. So a temple is a place where our mind becomes calm. However, today, temples have become the place where the mind gets more disturbed. Any act that makes the mind placid and helps one to obtain the divine health can be said to be religion” (Sw. Vinod 119-120).

Another aspect really insightful is the fact that WAM does not believe in any miracle as such. It focuses on one’s endeavor, one’s relentless and honest effort in the path of spirituality. By keeping the mind and body healthy, its focus is on the self-purification. It valorizes the immense possibilities and potentialities of an individual. As Guru writes:

So let’s wake up!
For you yourself are the light.
You are blissful
You are all powerful
You are all-full and free. (Sw. Vinod 19)

Traditional practices have taught people that to be spiritual means to remain idle. But WAM teaches people to remain active in every moment of their life. As Guru writes, “only hard-working and determined people get happiness and success in life. Even if we are born in a poor family and have no ancestral wealth, we can definitely earn money, name and fame if we are hardworking and are not victimized by the disease of idleness. For name and fame are controlled by diligence and determination” (Sw. Vinod 19).

The philosophy, principle, beliefs put forth by WAM and the Yoga, Meditation and Pranayama it has been exercising since its inception are substantially practical, scientific and quite useful for today’s modern world. If we follow these techniques honestly in our life, we can be successful materially as well as spiritually. We can make our life complete and meaningful. For the welfare of the humanity suffering from all vices, there is no alternative to the Neo-Spiritual techniques put forth by revered Sw. Anand Vinod through The World Awakening Mission.

Talking about the originality of World Awakening Mission, Sw. Anand Vinod says that the spiritual practices put forth by Patanjali is not enough for the attainment of enlightenment. Patanjali focuses on astanga (eight organs) like Yama (ahinsa, asteya, aparigraha, truth, brahammacharya), Niyama (Shouch, santos, tapa, swadh,aya, ishwarpranidhan), ashan, pranayam, pratyahar, dharana, dhyana and Samadhi whereas Sw. Anand Vinod has said that Nawanga (nine organs) is necessary for the attainment of enlightenment. He has added one more organ called Upasana. Sw. Anand Vinod says that to attain the state of complete spiritual bliss, a sense of self, the state of enlightenment, an aspiring individual has to pass through different states of human mind which is achieved through meditation. There are electromagnetic waves in our mind. They are measured in waves- Beta wave, Alpha wave, Theta wave, Delta wave and cosmic wave. Generally, the individuals who are immersed in worldly life and have not dared to embark into the journey of spiritualism are in Beta wave.

Beta wave (see picture A) leads the people to the hell of anxiety and depression. As the picture shows, graphically, it is in zigzag way. Individuals who are in this state of mind are distracted all the time. They never feel tranquility and bliss. The movement of waves in such state is 28 cycles per second. As they are always obsessed with the material gains like money, promotion and power, they are too restless. When they immerse in meditation, slowly and gradually their waves of the mind change into Alpha (see picture B), Theta(see picture C), Delta( see picture D) and cosmic wave (E). A relentless meditation practices change their Beta wave into Alpha wave which has the movement of only 8 cycles per second. When an individual further immerses in meditation, Alpha wave changes into Theta wave with the movement of only 4 cycle per second. People in this state of mind start feeling more tranquility, calmness and pleasure.

“The Sadhak feels that the sky is more blue and the grass more green”, as the Guru says. The more they meditate, the more tranquility and calmness they feel reaching to the state of Delta wave. Delta wave has no cycle at all. Rather it has unlimited cycles. It is also called Manaswave. In this state, Sadhak feels a sense of Samadhi, a complete spiritual bliss. When Delta wave amalgamates to the cosmic wave which is too calm and tranquil, Sadhaka feels a sense of enlightenment as the individual’s Delta wave becomes one with cosmic wave. Sw. Anand Vinod has termed this state Upasana to attain which is the ultimate goal of human life.