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!

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!

According to the scriptures of India the Guru principle originated ever since creation began. The lineage of Gurus originates from Lord Shiva, the primordial Guru.

The word Guru is composed of two syllables: Gu means darkness and ru means light. Therefore a Guru is one who dispels the ignorance of a disciple and bestows them with true wisdom.

The Guru Gita, which is a conversation between Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati sings the glory of the Guru. In this beautiful scripture Lord Shiva explains who a true Guru is, what their qualities are and how one should interact and behave in front of a master.

The sages of India always emphasize a self-realized master is absolutely necessary if one wants to learn about their inner Self. Meerabai, Kabir and many other saints acknowledge that it is due to their Guru’s grace they achieved such great heights in the spiritual world.

A master has attained the supreme knowledge and has the power to awaken it in others. They dispel all the ignorance of the mind and show us our true nature. In fact the master is not an individual at all! As Gurumaa has said a countless number of times they are the supreme knowledge or Gods-grace bestowing power!

A true master is always testing their disciples, eradicating their bad qualities and ensuring that good ones arise. Until a disciple does not completely surrender and follow the teachings of the master they cannot receive their entire blessings.

This is the reason why it is said that it is very difficult to live the Guru. But if one is able to live with such a great being they will surely reach great spiritual heights!

Renunciation or vairagya is an absolute necessity for spiritual progress in a seeker’s quest for the Absolute Truth. It is impossible for an aspirant to progress on the spiritual path without developing this quality. Vairagya ignites the yearning for obtaining liberation in a seeker and allows the extroverted mind to go within.

Vairagya in the spiritual world is a mental state associated with developing a total dispassion or detachment towards materialistic/sensual enjoyments. It arises when the seeker realizes that everything in this life is impermanent, illusionary and bound to cause misery.

Real renunciation occurs when one gives up the sense of “I” or egoism and realizes their true identity. The veil of duality is lifted and one recognizes that the supreme bliss we are searching for is right within us!

Throughout this world we see people running after money and luxuries. Even after they obtain them they are still unhappy! Then, what is real wealth?

As Gurumaa says real wealth in our lives is the spiritual practices we perform and the knowledge we obtain in the company of self-realized masters.

In the company of great masters we realize that the happiness we are searching for through worldly pleasures is temporary! Permanent joy and peace can only be obtained if we surrender and meditate upon the Lord who lives in our very own hearts!

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!

Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya is one of the greatest philosophers of India who emerged at a time when India was undergoing a period of immense spiritual, intellectual and social chaos.

During this period Adi Shankaracharya traveled throughout India to elucidate the true knowledge of the Vedas. In his short thirty-two year life-span he united the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, and preserved the teachings of Vedic dharma.

Advaita (non-dualism) Vedanta is a school of Vedanta which believes that only Brahman is real, and this entire world is created by maya, the illusionary power of Brahman. The individual soul and Brahman are not different from one another and when one obtains realization of this supreme knowledge, they are liberated.

Adi Sankaracharya has composed many works such as commentaries, books dealing with the fundamental concepts of Vedanta, along with hymns and meditation verses. One such work is the Atma shatakam, which is also known as Nirvana shatakam.

This great hymn composed of six stanzas summarizes the teachings of Advaita Vedanta and explains what our true nature really is. Sri Adi Shankaracharya says we not the body, mind, intellect, senses nor anything that attaches us to this world.

What are we? We are the formless, absolute, auspicious all-pervading consciousness that exists throughout this entire world!

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.

Many of those seeking fame and prosperity today have donned the saffron robe and are playing with the sentiments of innocent people. It is when a seeker in search of the true spiritual quest is unable to get the answers that he/she is looking for, that they begin to question themselves if they are following the right path or not?

For long now people have complicated their lives by giving in to greed, desires and anger. Not stopping to check what was going on inside, only trying to gain material wealth and looking for happiness outside. This caused a great emptiness deep within and then to try and fill that because all the acquired material wealth could still not give happiness, thus began the pursuit of true happiness.

The need of the hour then was that of an enlightened Buddha to show people that true happiness is lying within and the time had come to stop and check.

But the chaos prevalent in the society gave an opportunity to a few to take advantage of the gullible minds of people suffering from pain, but not willing to slow down their pace and look within. It is such people who added to the chaos by making false promises of providing moksha and happiness and opening doors of heaven for those who surrendered to them.

One such confused person came to Anandmurti Gurumaa seeking clarification to his mental trauma. In this video you can hear Gurumaa’s view’s on the issue.

It is only the realized soul which knows whether or not it has shed the baggage of all the worldly attachments and is truly free. There are no parameters of enlightenment and no official degree awarded by God to prove that a person has attained enlightenment. As it is rightly said that ‘Sadhu’ is not one who wears the saffron robe but it is a state of being. It has nothing to do with outside symbols or gestures.

As the scriptures say ‘swah samvedna’, only u know your true state of being, you know where you are. Krishna was an enlightened soul but spent his time running after the ‘gopi’s’. Rama was enlightened but he played his part beautifully, loving Sita and keeping her statue in place of her while she was in banishment. Guru Nanak was enlightened but he married. Buddha was enlightened but he left his wife.

Lord Mahavira – an enlightened one, practiced non-violence but Guru Gobind Singh on the other hand fought wars, prepared an army and stood up against injustice. He too was enlightened. Each one of these people was different from one another in worldly ways. No comparisons can be made, but on the inside they were all enlightened. They did not try and prove their state of being to others.

It is for each one to realize their own state and stop worrying about others and stop looking to find faults. Look within and all else will fall in place. Stop looking outside and take that journey inward.

Why should a person go to a sadguru or a master? This is a frequently asked question. Is it because a master makes you wealthy, prosperous, takes away all your worldly troubles, and fulfills all your desires?

Sadguru or a master is capable to do everything if he or she wants to do it but the master does something more if the disciple surrenders completely.

In this bhajan the mystic master Anandmurti Gurumaa makes the revelation.

In the Sufi cult, the master is looked up as the beloved – “Yaar”. When you fall in love with the master and surrender yourself then what do you get in return? May be your worldly desires will still remain unfulfilled but what a master will give you is something more precious; the master will take away all your desires itself.

It’s a paradox that relationship with your master will not give you anything except that you will be untied from all your worldly bonding and become a free bird. All the worries, anxiety and stress will disappear even before you realize it.

The rendition of this bhajan is in the witty and enticing style. In her melodious voice she has sung the bhajan very playfully but the truth hidden behind the playfulness is really thought provoking.

Watch the video and get carried away in the mood, enjoy the contagious liveliness of the mystic master.

Mahavir called it Aatma; the soul, Buddha called it shoonya; nothingness, Mansoor called it un-l-haq, Vedas called it Aum; anaadi anant; the one which neither begins nor ends; the eternal one.

In this Sufi love song too there is an exquisite attempt to describe the indescribable. The expression is so lyrical and musical that it touches the depths of one’s being.

In this Video, in the Sufi andaz-e bayana; the Mystic Master Anandmurti Gurumaa sings the love song in Sufi style. Anandmurti Gurumaa sings the Shankracharya’s Atmashatak with the same ease as she sings Jalaluddin Rumi.

When one listens to this fascinating rendition it touches the silent space deep within oneself and may get a glimpse of that which is beyond words and comprehension of human mind.