The Bhakti movement was a great spiritual revolution that took place in India during the 12thand 13 centuries. Many great saints such as Namdev Maharaj, Kabir, Meera bai, Tulsidas, and Jnaneshwar Maharaj are considered to be part of this movement.

Their beautiful poetic writings expressed their immense love for God and the practice of naam-sankirtan, or singing the Lord’s name with great love, feeling and devotion was greatly emphasized.

In this video Gurumaa sings a beautiful abhang, or bhajan by Namdev Maharaj which describes the state of human mind. The great poet-saint says:

Oh Lord you are even sweeter than amrit- the nectar of immortality! If this is the case why doesn’t my mind dwell on that truth? My mind is engrossed in worldly desires and has no wish to meditate upon your name. Why doesn’t your name penetrate my heart!

In modern times many people are unable to practice austerities and naam sankirtan is a practice which anyone can follow in their daily routine.

While there are many practices that purify the mind, chanting the Lord’s name is one of the simplest ways of experiencing God. If chanting is done properly with proper music, rhythm, harmony and most importantly with great love, one can experience the Lord in a very short period of time.

Naam Sankirtan destroys many mental and physical illnesses and provides mental peace. The power of the Lord’s name cleanses impurities and many accumulated karmas we have created in all our lifetimes.

As the mind becomes purified it delves deeper into its real source and does not need outer material objects to fulfill its happiness. We experience our “true” Self and realize that the supreme bliss, this golden nectar of immortality is right within us!

The name Vitthala is a source of intoxication for the great saints of Maharashtra. He is the form of Vishnu, or Krishna. In this sankirtan video, experience the joy and blissfulness of chanting in deep devotion with the Revered master – Anandmurti Gurumaa.

Pandharpur, a holy city in the state of Maharashtra is the abode of Vitthala, more fondly known by his devotees as Vitthala mauli (Mother Vitthala). He is the form of Vishnu, or Krishna and is predominantly worshiped in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Goa.

The name Vitthala is a source of intoxication for the great saints of Maharashtra. Many devotional hymns or abhangas composed in the Marathi language are dedicated to this adored and beloved deity residing in the city of Pandharpur.

The abhangas composed by saints such as Jnaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram Maharaj expressed great affection for his beautiful dark form. All of their compositions depict their intense longing and pains of separation from the Supreme Lord.

The great saints of India say if the tongue must speak we should use it to sing praises of the Lord. Chanting allows our inner being to be purified from all kinds of negativities and one can experience the highest form of intoxicating bliss that exists within.

Your entire being is rejuvenated and all sorts of sins are destroyed. It also purifies the entire atmosphere of where the chanting is taken place. Hence chanting the Lord’s name is one of the simplest, yet exhilarating ways to remember the Almighty!

Sometimes in our imagination we come across the visual images of the deities and Gods that we believe in. What is the truth behind it? Is that meeting for real?

In a similar question in this video, a devotee asks Anandmurti Gurumaa whether he is in real bhakti and devotion towards God or his mind is just playing games with him!

Mind is a very powerful entity. The games that the mind plays are difficult to comprehend without the help of a true master. One cannot know the power of the mind without the help of a ‘Sad Guru’.

A Guru imparts knowledge and guides the seeker to gently, but firmly become the master of one’s own mind.

Mind can cause many delusions and confuse a person if one starts to discuss and try to analyze the thoughts occurring in the mind. A seeker thus asked the holy master; Anandmurti Gurumaa to clarify whether what he was experiencing were symptoms of true ‘Bhakti’ or was his mind playing games with him.

Being a devotee of Lord Krishna, this person says that he feels the ‘leela’ of the divine almighty all around in the people of this world. When he chants or hears names of God, he is overcome by ecstatic symptoms of tears and the voice gets chocked, body trembles and he begins to lose awareness.

All these are experiences that are generated in the mind and who can truly decipher it or understand it, because the understanding too needs to be done by the mind only.

At times the heart and the mind may not agree with one another. What the heart feels is borne out of love where as the mind thinks intellectually and has the power to manipulate thoughts as it desires.

Gurumaa tells the seeker not to pay attention to what others have to say. If he feels it is love then no need to ask others. Why does the mind need a certificate of approval from others?

There can be many attributes to such a situation. Sometimes it can be simply a disease or disorder of the mind. It may be infatuation. It may be simple conditioning of the mind that the mind wants to believe in.

There is a lot that can happen in the mind. Only the person experiencing those thoughts knows genuinely if they are true. So the need is to be honest to your own self and keep calm and be true.

Rejoice in the true love of divinity and real Bhakti.

The Mahishasuramardini stotra is a beautiful hymn that depicts the glory and greatness of the Supreme and Divine Mother. This stotra, composed in the Sanskrit language by Adi Sankaracharya is a condensed form of the great Hindu scripture Chandi Saptashati, which is also known as Devi Mahatmayam.

The great Adi Sankaracharya brought together all the important sound energies of the Chandi Saptashati into this beautiful hymn. These specific sound energies of the Sanskrit language have the ability to purify the spiritual centers located in our subtle bodies, and eradicate all our negativities and bondages.

While praising the Divine Mother we are not only extolling her greatness of killing the demons that existed many ages ago, but are asking her to eradicate the inner enemies such as anger, jealously, pride, excessive desires and ignorance that exist within us.

While we sing this beautiful hymn with Gurumaa we are praying to the Divine Mother to destroy these inner enemies so that we can experience our true, divine nature! Only then can we realize that the Divine Mother is nowhere else but within us!

The festival Holi celebrates the emergence of spring in India. The entire day is full of lively colors, dancing, singing and enjoyment. As nature is blossoming and starts anew, it gives an indication to put all past deeds behind and turn to the forthcoming year with new hope, joy and aspirations.

On this day many people throw wood sticks in fires and perform prayers in order to eradicate themselves from bad thoughts and wishes. Through faithful devotion, prayers and spiritual practices we ask the Lord to burn impurities such as egoism, lust, greed, and all the various desires which exist in our minds. We pray that pure, good qualities like selflessness, forgiveness and love arise in us.

Krishna, one of the most revered gods of Hinduism was also known to enjoy this festival. Krishna sprayed colors on all the gopis of Vrindavan and stole their minds and hearts. Similarly we pray to the Lord to look upon us and color us with His divine love and grace!

The great sages of India say Holi really signifies inner purification. Every year through the festival we receive an opportunity from the Lord to rise above our ignorance and realize the true purpose of our lives.

The real celebration of Holi occurs when the fire of love for the Almighty is kindled within our hearts and keeps shining within us eternally!

The festival of colors, more commonly known as Holi is a major festival that is celebrated every year in India. In fact when you think of Holi, you immediately associate this festival with Lord Krishna! During this time devotees chant and dance, and play Holi in remembrance to him.

Generally Lord Krishna is always remembered as a mischievous young cowherd boy holding a flute and performing many divine acts during his time on earth.

However, on a spiritual level Shri krishna represents the supreme, divine consciousness that exists in every particle of this universe which includes us as well!

In this beautiful bhajan sung by Anandmurti Gurumaa, we are remembering the supreme Lord by singing two of his countless divine names. These names not only describe his occupation as a cowherd, but provide a deep insight into what Shri krishna really was.

Govinda represents one who is the master of all senses, while Gopala is a great yogi whose sense organs are completely under his control.

The mere repetition of his pure, auspicious name purifies the body, mind and heart and destroys all kinds of negativities, pains and suffering. If done sincerely it can lead to higher states of meditation, allowing the seeker to experience the blissful, all pervasive, omnipresent form of Krishna who is always within us!

One of the greatest techniques to still and focus the mind is mantra jaap, a method that the sages of India have used for ages. Since the nature of the mind is to think and be engrossed in thoughts, the ancient rishis of India devised a method that uses one thought: the mantra.

A mantra is composed of letters which form words that create positive vibrations within us. If one abusive word can make us upset, or angry it is not surprising that the mantra has the ability to and completely transform a person.

There are four different ways mantra jaap can be practiced. It can be spoken (vaikhari), whispered or hummed (upamsu), repeated in the mind (manasic) and written (likhita).

As Gurumaa says repeating the mantra with the breath is greater than speaking, while manasic repetition is considered to be the highest way to contemplate a mantra.

There are 84 million mantras that can be found in the scriptures or obtained through teachers. It is said the most effective way to receive a mantra is through a self-realized master.

A mantra obtained from a self-realized master is conscious and contains the full force of the master’s realization. It immediately starts to work within a seeker and transform their inner being.

Mantra jaap should be done with great love and devotion and should completely engage the mind. Gurumaa says the mind and heart should be so engrossed in the mantra that no other thoughts are able to appear!

If one wants to fully attain the power of the mantra, they should realize that that there is no difference between the mantra and one’s own Self. The goal of mantra jaap is to become aware of the absolute bliss that exists within us!

On the path of devotion it is wise to be mad. One has to be madly in love with the Almighty or Guru to walk on this path.

In this sufi bhajan, the mystic master Anandmurti Gurumaa in the simple yet catchy lyric depicts the state of a devotee who may seem crazy by worldly standards, but in fact he is the most wise person.

And when one is in love with the divine one can not forget the beloved even for a moment; the whole universe is just the projection of that divine being. In this state what can one do except sing in his praise.

A misconception largely prevails in the society that spirituality means one has to be somber and sit with a long face; instead it is a most ecstatic state where one is celebrating every moment.

The quick rhythm, dance beat and joyous rendering of the bhajan transmits the blissfulness of the master to anyone and everyone who listens to it.

Listen, dance and go crazy in love of the beloved.

Can language be a deterrent in learning from a master? Can sadhana be done if the guru lives in a distant land? These are some of the doubts which arise in the minds of seekers.

Here we have a seeker from California, who tells Gurumaa that he does not know Hindi and is very far from India, yet wants to start his sadhana under Gurumaa.

Gurumaa tells him that this will not be difficult since most of her meditation techniques have two versions, Hindi and English and these CDs can be bought from www.gurumaa.com and practiced by seekers knowing any or both these languages.

Regarding distance, if the seeker is sincere, the concept of distance can vanish in a moment. Gurumaa visits the US or the UK almost every other year. In fact, Gurumaa tells Josh (who has asked the questions) that she is planning to visit California very soon for a meditation retreat and Josh will have an opportunity to be in the presence of the master.

Secondly, to use the term ‘teacher’ and ‘study’ for gaining spiritual knowledge from a master is inappropriate. The words ‘master’ or ‘spiritual guide’ and ‘spiritual guidance’ or ‘spiritual instructions’ would be more appropriate.

The site www.gurumaa.com has many videos of Gurumaa’s discourses and satsangs, which can be watched by seekers across the globe at their own convenient time. Similarly, they can purchase meditation CDs online and practice them at home.

Live programs of Gurumaa are also beamed from time to time. When time and cost permit, the seeker can either visit India to be in the presence of the master or attend Gurumaa’s talks or retreats when they are held in her country of residence. Many of Gurumaa’s videos are in English and she speaks both in English and Hindi at her talks and meditation retreats.

So we can see that language and distance are not a barrier for the seeker in today’s global age. It just requires some sincerity and effort from the seeker. It is said that if you walk just one step towards God or your master, she will walk ten steps towards you.

If your attitude is positive, divine help is just round the corner. So never let doubts creep into your mind. Once you start following the master’s guidance, you will never feel that she is distant from you.

To know and love yourself, you first need to know who you really are. Are you the body or are you something else? Enlightened master, Anandmurti Gurumaa reveals the mystic ways to know and realize the Self, so that you can start loving your own self.

Do you love your body or do you love your self? And do you really know who your self is? If not, and if you have the fire within you to know who your self really is, then take refuge in a realized master who will lead you to the truth, that is the self within.

The path is difficult, so if you have a brave heart and are prepared to work hard on yourself and move ahead like a scientist experimenting on new theories, you can tread the path. Then you will realize that the Self is actually a part, an ‘ansh’ of the ‘parmatma’ or the ultimate soul.

Then you will learn to love the God in you, because if you are a part of God, you are within God and God is within you. And God is love personified, so can you stay without loving him?

So, if you want to join the quest for the Self, dial A for Anandmurti Gurumaa for answers to the questions which have always intrigued you. Welcome to the Seekers’ Club!