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| Interview
with Sri Anandagiri |
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Sri Ananda
Giri is one of the most prominent
representatives of the Oneness
University. In this nterview,
from his tour in the USA,
he is explaining the University's
view on the status of the
world and the humanity of
today, and how it can be changed.
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Q1:
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What is
the message and main teachings that
you are bringing today to the spiritual
seekers of America? |
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A:
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I have come to bring neither a
new teaching nor a new philosophy
of life; we already have received
a huge number of teachings from
different Saints, Sages, Mystics,
Philosophers and great thinkers
from different schools of thought.
The world is full of philosophies,
religions, esoteric teachings, spiritual
practices, techniques of self development,
etc. that set forth beautiful theories
and ideas of how we should live
or what do we have to do, to find
true "happiness" in our
lives. The question that I ask you
is that after so much reading and
listening to different teachings,
is there any real change in our
lives? Or, are we just changing
techniques and philosophies, that
keep us in rapture for a period
of time, and after a while we find
them impossible to follow and practice?
Giving up finally the possibility
to attain a real and deep change
in our lives?
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| Q2: |
If you
are not giving us a new teaching or
technique, what should we expect from
Oneness University - the Golden Age
Movement? |
| A: |
We, as a spiritual movement ask
you two questions:
1. Are you suffering? And,
2. Do you want to be free from this
suffering?
If your answer is affirmative to
both questions, we embrace you,
and then our foundation can help
you.
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Q3:
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What do
you mean by "suffering"? |
| A: |
In many moments of our lives we
found ourselves experiencing feelings
of boredom, loneliness, depression,
pain and conflict in our human relationships,
lack of motivation, and sometimes
meaninglessness in many of our daily
activities.
These feelings make us suffer, because
they come generally with anxiety and
uncertainty, and we don't know if
we will ever be free from these emotions
and feelings.
Inside of us questions arise like:
Why am I here? What is the meaning
of life? Will I find happiness and
love in my life or is it just a dream?
Where am I going? Is there any hope
for a change or do I have to give
up? What is living? Do I do what I
really want, or do I feel like a slave
of the impositions of society? Will
I ever experience the real psychological
and spiritual freedom? And so on and
so forth... |
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| Q4: |
What would
happen if somebody comes and tells
you that he has none of these questions,
because he feels happy and in peace
and that he has found everything he
has searched for? |
| A: |
Not everybody is a spiritual seeker
in this world. The truth is that only
a selected group of people are in
a real search in their lives. We as
human beings are suffering from a
severe illness, which is not necessarily
lack of love or even hatred, pride,
greed, envy, covetousness or egoism,
but rather we are suffering with an
even greater illness, which is "lack
of awareness" of what is happening
inside us.
Most of us walk in the streets without
knowing, why we are going to our jobs,
from where comes our urge to success,
why should I go to the shopping malls
every weekend, what makes me buy the
latest car model that just appeared
in the market, what is it that moves
me everyday to action, why should
I keep myself constantly busy, etc.
If everything is fine and if I were
really happy, for sure I would not
have the necessity of keeping my mind
constantly busy with ideas and projects
for the future. If we contemplate
for a moment we will see that real
happiness and joy is only found in
the present, but constantly we keep
ourselves busy doing things for acquiring
happiness and peace in the future,
we are running after a moving train,
which we can never catch.
The sincere spiritual seeker, first
of all, is aware of this issue and
feels the urge to find a way out of
this stressing and anguishing situation.
He has begun to see the lack of love
and peace in his life, the lack of
harmony in his family and personal
relationships, and the lack of truthfulness
because he is always involved in lies
and hypocrisies in order to be accepted
in this society. In the beginning,
a spiritual seeker feels disgusted
and sick of everything, and this is
what really transforms him into a
real and deep seeker of meaning, into
a "Spiritual Seeker". |
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Q5:
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Then what
are the main characteristics we should
have to be called Spiritual Seekers? |
| A: |
As I said before: First of all,
the real seeker is recognized because
he does not accept simple answers
but wishes to hear something that
really convinces him, and wants to
discover by himself what he has been
taught.
Secondly, he is aware of the fact
that he is suffering, because he has
tasted it in several ways, he is tired
of it and wants to be liberated from
it (feeling of loneliness, feeling
of not belonging, nonsense, lack of
true meaning in life, depression,
decay, or the constant conflict created
by following values other than the
ones accepted by this society).
And the last aspect that characterizes
a spiritual seeker is that he takes
the challenge, no matter what happens
to him, to find the way out of his
suffering. |
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| Q6: |
A lot
of people are searching for some kind
of change in their lives, and many,
who have found answers in different
teachings, feel that they are becoming
better human beings, and feel secure
about the knowledge and the path they
have chosen in their lives. May we
say that these people are transformed
and that they are freed from their
suffering? |
| A: |
Some of them may have truly begun
the journey of Transformation. This
journey of Discovery and Transformation
is a unique journey, only a few ones
have begun and advanced deeply towards
Liberation. When we start to follow
a new teaching or spiritual practice,
or start receiving very profound knowledge,
inside of us there begins a change.
We must be able to identify where
and in what level this change is occurring;
only in this way can we understand
if there is any change at all. At
the moment when we discover a new
teaching or philosophy, there starts
inside of us a renovation of thoughts,
concepts and creeds. Every change
that occurs in the realm of the ideas,
concepts, beliefs, our mental schemes,
is basically a change in the level
of our mind. It does not mean that
our inner nature has changed or that
our perceptions of life have undergone
a definite transformation. Instead
of it, a new idea, that can be wonderful,
starts taking shape and it forms into
a new mental scheme. Maybe we will
see a change in our behaviors; it
means we have obtained some reformation
in our lives, which is very different
from having a profound and real change
in our inner nature.
When there is a real change in the
inner nature of man, only then can
we call this a true Transformation. |
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| Q7:
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I am sure
that many people who are reading this
article would like you to go deeper
and give us more clarity into what
is the difference between Reformation
and Transformation. |
| A: |
What we know today as change and
personal development is basically
Reformation.
Modern man has been greatly influenced
by the paradigm of Science, which
has come into fruition as an analytical
and rational mind. We are perceiving
the world, other people, things and
nature from the standpoint of ideas,
concepts, a mixture of concepts-ideas,
or images that have been created in
our minds through the past experiences
that were significant in our lives.
Therefore, any change that occurs
in us is basically a change that manifests
itself in the level of our concepts,
ideas, beliefs and mental schemes.
The teachings we have received from
great masters such as Christ, Buddha,
Lao Tzu, Mohammed, Sri Krishna, Confucius
and many other great Saints, Mystics
and Sages, have been transformed into
mere concepts and ideas, and that
is the reason that, despite the clarity
manifested by these great beings,
it was and it is so hard to put them
into practice and follow them wholeheartedly.
There is always a conflict between
the teaching and our inner nature.
The teachings may be wonderful and
we see the truth in them, and we know
that if we could apply these great
truths in our lives all the human
problems and sufferings would be solved.
But is almost impossible to follow
them because our nature is different,
and it is not natural for us to love
unconditionally as Christ did, and
it is not natural for us to feel detachment
from desires as it was for the Buddha.
If we go more deeply we see that the
inner nature of these great Masters
was different, their Consciousness
was different. For them, what they
preached and taught was natural; it
was part of their inner nature and
drawn from their own experience.
A real inner change means Transformation,
and it is not a change in the realm
of concepts and ideas but in your
inner world. Your whole perception
undergoes a deep change; your consciousness
has been altered. |
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| Q8: |
Please,
reveal to us in more depth the inner
process that occurs in this journey
of Transformation. |
| A: |
In the journey of Transformation,
changes in the inner nature begin
to occur. At the beginning of this
journey very often there is an internal
crisis, because our inner structures
of thought start falling, and our
ideas, concepts, creeds and mental
schemes change.
Much of what we have created in our
minds, images, conclusions, prejudices,
our perceptions of the world, how
we see ourselves, our friends, our
family, and life itself, starts breaking
down along with the security that
we put on those images.
Slowly we begin to see reality, as
it is, without masks, without false
protections, we begin to perceive
things as they really are.
In other words, what we start experiencing
is not a growth or an accumulation
inside of us, but a loosening of the
attachments, images, concepts, ideas,
sensations, to which we have been
tied up and that has given us a false
security until today. Remember, "Transformation
is the journey of Liberation";
it means you begin to feel more light
and free because you have given away
a lot of unnecessary weight. |
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| Q9:
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Therefore,
if we are not experiencing this process
of structures falling, does it mean
we have not begun this journey? |
| A: |
Yes, that's right. That is why
I have said that many who say that
they are transformed and think they
are spiritual beings are just fooling
themselves, because they have been
accumulating and building up, hence
the unlearning process must be even
harder.
Remember, this is the journey of humbleness
and humility; it is not a competition
to see who is more evolved.
Sri Bhagavan says in one of his Supreme
Truths "Life is a process of
learning and learning is unlearning".
It means that if we are not unlearning
(the falling of mental structures)
everyday, Maybe we are not living
at all! |
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| Q10:
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If I am
aware of the necessity to begin the
journey of Transformation, what is
the next step I should take? |
| A: |
After being aware of the necessity
and the desire to change, you should
see that every intent and effort to
change your inner nature might just
produce reformation and not bring
the true Transformation into your
life. If we go deeper into the nature
of our mind, first we will see that
our mind is constantly planning and
programming events, keeping under
control and order the situations and
events that are going to occur in
the day, in the week, in the month,
in the year or even in the rest of
our life. If a change must occur in
our inner world we must realize that
every change in our feelings, perceptions
and emotions have the characteristic
of being natural and spontaneous in
nature. Every experience is spontaneous;
it is not planned or organized. I
do not plan to get mad at my wife,
husband or friend, neither do I plan
to feel glad or happy today. I do
not program to feel depressed on Monday,
Tuesday and Thursday, and be happy
the rest of the week. Therefore, the
nature of the experience and of the
inner world (feelings, emotions, sensations
and perceptions) is spontaneous and
natural.
After seeing the necessity of a change
and Transformation, I should also
realize that the key to success is
not in my hands and in my own efforts,
because something spontaneous must
occur, an extraordinary experience
must occur, a transcendental experience,
a divine and mystical experience must
be given to me to get the state of
Transformation and Liberation. |
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Q11:
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What
is a mystical and transcendental experience? |
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A:
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As we said in the beginning, we
are suffering and searching for
a meaning in life because we have
not had this mystical experience.
Our life is boring and we are always
having the feeling that something
is missing for us to be complete.
Constantly we feel emptiness in
our hearts and a feeling of alienation
and loneliness. We may be with a
group of friends or at work and
feel that we do not belong to this
place or to this group of people.
In other moments I may be in a family
party and still feel I don't belong
here either, even though we are
together there is something that
divides us and makes me feel separated
from others. I may be in a wonderful
and beautiful place; in a mountain
with vegetation around me and birds,
wild animals and a pure river with
crystal water flowing through it;
but while I am there observing the
landscape and the whole place I
feel fine just for a moment, after
a while I feel I am just passing
by this place, I am a visitor, a
pilgrim that always must go on in
his way, again getting in touch
with this sense of not belonging.
There is something that does not
let me engage with others and with
the rest of the world. I may share
certain things with others but there
are so many things inside of me
that I have never shared and I do
not know if I ever will. This feeling
of being individuals and of being
separated from others is born from
the lack of this transcendental
and mystical experience. This makes
us lose the experience of union
and communion with others. So experiencing
this union and communion with others
is a transcendental and mystical
experience. There are so many kinds
of mystical and transcendental experiences,
in fact they are unlimited and the
main characteristic is that they
are unique and very different from
one person to another.
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| Q12: |
What can
I do to have these mystical and transcendental
experiences? |
| A: |
Many people are craving for these
mystical experiences. The question
that we should ask ourselves is, from
where comes the desire to have an
experience of this kind?
Everybody has an access to such mystical
experiences that free us from suffering
and give us much joy and happiness
in our life. We will receive these
experiences immediately if the desire
is born from the real need for a change
in our lives, but if it is a simple
wish born from curiosity, it could
take a little bit longer. |
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Q13:
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Who is
the source that lets us experience
all this in the retreats? |
| A: |
The Source that lets you experience
this and begin your journey of Transformation
is Sri Bhagavan. He helps you to start
this journey of discovery by giving
you these mystical and transcendental
experiences, guiding and bringing
you to the necessary state, so that
you will be more perceptive to receive
them. After this discovery and realization
has happened to you, you are in a
new state in which you become the
creator of your life along with your
Antaryamin (Inner Dweller), and the
source of your future mystical experiences
is now in your heart. |
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| Q14: |
Where
and when was this movement born? |
| A: |
Foundation for World Awakening,
Golden Age Movement was born in 1991,
in Madras, India. |
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Q15:
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What are
the statistics concerning the growth
of the movement? |
| A: |
It is growing in such an astonishing
manner that we can no longer have
an accurate statistics. From what
we know, it is the fastest growing
movement in the world. |
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| Q16: |
What do
you think is the reason for such an
incredible growth? |
| A: |
Today we are experiencing a unique
phenomenon on earth. And each man
and woman that walks on this planet
must discover it. The coming of Sri
Bhagavan is very important and is
a milestone in the evolution of man
and of our planet. Our beloved Sri
Bhagavan is the source of the innumerable
insights, realizations and the source
of the highest mystical experiences
that are awakening the mystic within
the hearts of the seekers. |
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| Q17:
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What are
the experiences that people are having
in the retreats? |
| A: |
In the retreats, a door is opened
to the mystical dimensions, and many
receive the experiences after the
retreats and seminars. You may come
and read some of these experiences
in another page of this site. |
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| Q18: |
You talk
about the beginning of a new Age,
and that we are at the dawn of this
Age, is this the so-called Age of
Aquarius by the astrologers? |
| A: |
It is the dawn of a new Age, The
Golden Age; the Age of Aquarius is
a small age inside the Golden Age.
All the changes that are beginning
to occur in our planet are representative
of the dawn of this new Age, changes
in the level of perceptions in man;
perceptions of himself, of the Universe
and the Creator; changes that make
us enter into different stages of
growth and comprehension of reality.
From the standpoint of astrology we
can see a new planetary and zodiacal
cycle for this planet Earth. Behind
these observations there are profound
meanings that will become clearer
as we experience the trends that will
affect our lives completely. So this
is a phenomenon that affects not only
the planet but affects YOU. You will
feel it in every cell of your body. |
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| Q19:
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What are
the changes that we will experience? |
| A: |
Many changes are occurring right
now in our planet, starting with the
physical changes manifesting in the
ecological environment that surrounds
us. Climatic changes, changes in ocean
currents, and strong changes in the
atmosphere that affect the Earth and
all the living species in it.
As these changes are manifesting and
many more are to come, something begins
to happen to us at a psychological
level, the creeds we have, the social,
economical, political and cultural
systems begins to shake and collapse.
You just have to open your eyes to
see that we are coming near a cliff,
we are in crisis and in a society
that sooner than later is going to
break down. Society is a blend of
ideas and beliefs, perceptions kept
alive for some time, and today it
is in crisis. Our social, economical
and political system is based upon
ideas and beliefs; there is absolutely
nothing real in which we have put
our hopes and securities. Looking
back in history we see that each ideology
in some moment has fallen down because
a new one takes form, the new is more
real and closer to what man perceives
as truth at that given moment. |
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| Q20:
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What is
it that we have to discover? |
| A: |
Basically there are three discoveries
that must happen to you. In the first
place, you must begin to discover
yourself and know who you are. Secondly,
start discovering the secrets and
the great mysteries behind creation
that are revealed to you as you begin
to discover yourself. And the last
and most important one is to begin
the greatest and more wonderful journey
that man has ever undertaken, which
is to meet God personally. |
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Q21:
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What
do you think about the future of the
planet and man? |
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A:
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There is a truth of Sri Bhgavan
that says: "Spiritual Regeneration
is the cause of physical and psychological
degeneration". It means that
every change and difficulty we are
experiencing today has its roots
in the spiritual plane, therefore
man is entering into a new state
of consciousness, where it will
no more be difficult for him to
love and have peace in his life,
because this will be his natural
state. Remember, the change begins
with each individual, it is your
consciousness and your perceptions
that will change and produce global
Transformation.
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| Q22: |
What do
I have to do if I want to begin my
Transformation today? |
| A: |
You have to communicate with us
so that you can be guided in your
journey of discovery. |
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Q23:
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What will
happen to our society after many people
have begun their journey of Transformation? |
| A: |
Imagine for a moment a society
where each one of us will take care
of everyone else. We will be a society
where the sick, the poor, the handicapped
will receive help and love from the
rest. The most important thing in
our lives will be to take care of
each other. At last we will be a universal
family where there will be no divisions
between countries, religious groups,
social and economical classes, because
we would not be wearing our masks
that are born from fear, we will know
each other, not from lies, but we
will relate with others from true
love. Where the welfare of the rest
will be more important than personal
welfare there man will meet with what
has been his quest and dream, which
is to feel himself as a part of a
whole, and to be able to experience
a real communion with his existence,
the Universe and the Whole. |
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