H.H. Brahmarishi Vishvatma Bawra ji Maharaj from Chandigarh, India, is the Chief founder and Spiritual Director of the internationally acclaimed Brahmarishi Mission. This Mission whose roots are firmly entwined in Indian soil has its branches in different parts of the world like Europe, North America, South America and Caribbean countries. This Mission can only be fully comprehended after understanding its source:Gurudev H.H. Brahmarishi Vishvatma Bawra ji Maharaj. Reverend Gurudev was born on January 11, 1934, in village Kanwal Gyanpur, District Varanasi, the holy city of spiritual knowledge, situated at the bank of the Holy River Ganga, in India. He comes from a highly scholarly and noble Bhatt Brahmin family. Reverend Gurudev, being the last of three children, was afforded the comforts and protection that a child would receive from his elders. He shied away from school and had no formal education in his childhood. Who knew that this innocent shy child, keeping Himself busy with cow herding and wrestling, one day is going to be a self-realized saint and will awaken the human kind to Brahmvidya, the holy Science of the absolute Knowledge.
At the age of eighteen he was attracted by a great Avdhoot Yogi of the Himalayas, H.H. Bhagwan Chandra Mauli ji Maharaj. He surrendered himself unto the lotus feet of this great spiritual Master (GURU) as his disciple. He was enlightened by His divine touch and could recall and remember his many previous lives. Under his guidance, he left his family life and went to the holy city of Ayodhya. There he received formal initiation into the Shri Vaishnav order by a great saint H.H. Vaishnavacharya Shri Swami Ram Swaroop Dass Ji Maharaj of Sugriva Patti, Hanuman Garhi, Ayodhya.
He engaged and engrossed himself into the ancient system of education under the guidance of Swami Shri Ram Sundar Dass ji Maharaj at Baba Mani Ram Chhavani of Ayodhya. He studied the philosophical treatises under the guidance of a great scholar saint H.H. Shri Swami Sarvabhom Shatdarshanacharya Vasudevacharya ji Maharaj of Ayodhya.
He entered into the realm of higher spiritual practices and austerities under the direction of His Divine Master Yogeshvar Bhagwan Chandra Mauli ji Maharaj. He practiced Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga, Hath Yoga in sequence at Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Udaipur (Rajasthan) Chintpurni (H.P.) and on the peaks of the Himalayas. He achieved the higher state of Laya Yoga Samadhi at Chintpurni (H.P.). He reached the culmination – highest level of consciousness (Samadhi), Kundalini Yoga (Raj Yoga) at Udaipur on December 27, 1962. At that time, he remained in Samadhi for many days. During the course of his intense spiritual practices and austerities, he was blessed by many great Yogis time to time as: Swami ParamHans Abhayanand ji Maharaj, YogiRaj Vishudhanand ji Maharaj, ParamHans Avdhoot Yogi Swami Mani Ram ji Maharaj, ParamHans YogiRaj Swami Ram Dass Jj Maharaj and many other unknown yogis of the Himalayas.
Reverend Gurudev was an exponent of ‘Brahmvidya’, the science of the absolute knowledge. This hast wo aspects: ‘Samkhya’, the theoretical and Yoga, the practical, as mentioned in the Upanishads and Shrimad Bhagvad Gita. On the basis of his own experiences, he taught the higher processes of Yoga and Meditation called Maha Yoga; a combination of Hatha Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga and Raja Yoga for realising the ultimate truth in the light of higher consciousness, to become free from sufferings, to achieve eternal peace and to establish real universal brotherhood among mankind. His writings and discourses published in over 100 books cover almost every facet of this knowledge. He has written a great scientific commentary on Shrimad Bhagvad Gita, named “Dharma Vigyan Bhashya”.
Reverend Gurudev made it clear that this knowledge is open to those who are firm minded and resolve to exercise their own grace on themselves and not only seek the grace of the divine. Secondly, for those who have pure intellect. In order to achieve it, pure ‘Aahara’ and ‘Vihara’ are requisites. And for those, who do satsanga. Approach a spiritual master with explicit faith and sense of devotion, love and service. His teachings are not related with any caste, creed, colour, country, community, gender or sect. The universality of his teachings has left a great and an irreversible impact both in India and abroad and the centres opened by him will keep on providing the much needed continuing boost and support.