Nothing is true, but God
~ Sri Sri Bhagavan ~
Sri Sri Bhagavan
Man is God
Sri Bhagavan founded the International Vedanta Society (IVS) on November 19th, 1989, to spread the message of unity, service and love of Advaita Vedanta. “Man is God”, was His main premise: the divine resides within every human being, and through Self-knowledge, one can know God.
Message of unity and love
The objective of IVS is to provide a platform where men and women of all ages, ethnicities and cultures can celebrate the diversity of life through an understanding of the oneness of existence. Realization of the Self is the keynote of IVS, as are serving mankind and spreading the message of unity and love. Today, IVS is home to over thirty monastic disciples, and thousands of householder devotees, all dedicated to the spiritual welfare of humankind.
Life of Bhagavan
Bhagavan was born on January 3rd, 1942 and showed deep compassion for others from a young age. His childhood was characterized by several hardships and He and His family lived in humble circumstances. As a young man He worked for the Indian Railways and started a theatre company in which He directed and performed community theatre. In 1971 He married his consort, Guruma, with whom He had a daughter.
Meeting his master
Inspired by Swami Vivekananda, He began His search for a Master. Just when He began to think He would not meet his Guru in this life, His path crossed that of Swami Pavitrananda in 1978. Bhagavan recognized instantly that this Master was destined to be His Guru, bringing Him immense joy and transforming His life completely.
Swami Pavitrananda was the disciple of Swami Krishnananda, who was in turn initiated by Sharada Devi, the holy consort and disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Himself. With the guidance of His Guru, Bhagavan reached Nirvikalpa Samadhi – the highest state of Self-realization - on December 15th 1984.
Manifestation of divine will
Bhagavan would teach Vedanta to anyone, both young and old, who wanted to listen and who would gather around Him in His home. One day, after one of these discourses, an elderly woman offered a ten rupee note to Bhagavan as the customary Gurudakshina. It was then, by divine intervention, that Bhagavan decided that all money given to Him from that day forward would be used for the formation of a society that would help the whole of mankind to realize the essence of Vedanta. The International Vedanta Society was born. Later, a permanent ashram was acquired in Amingaon, Assam, which now serves as the headquarters of IVS.
Centers were established
Spearheaded by Bhagavan, the movement continued to grow. Over the following 35 years, centers were established in other parts of India, and abroad, for example in Indonesia, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and the United States. Six of his earliest disciples, who later became monks (sannyasins), helped establish IVS and today continue to carry forward Bhagavan’s mission through their teachings, lectures, writings, and service on the board.
His Mahasamadhi
On May 27th, 2023, our beloved Master Sri Sri Bhagavan sank into Mahasamadhi and left His body. His presence is still here and His love, teachings and energy live on in the communities, spiritual realizations and hearts of His devotees. Who, in His spirit, keep spreading the lifegiving message of Vedanta amongst the masses.
There are two beautiful books about the life of Bhagavan, The living God, a biography of Bhagavan and The Greatest, which we can highly recommend to those who want to know more about His life. For more information, please contact us.
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