50 Years of Sandeepany
by Acharya Vivek Gupta
Based on the article originally printed in Hinduism Today, January 2010; edited for print herein
Chinmaya Mission’s Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai will celebrate its 50th anniversary on January 9, 2013 with a special day of ceremonies. The 300+ Chinmaya Mission Acharyas will all be invited to attend this event to celebrate Pujya Gurudev’s exemplary and astounding vision, and the knowledge, solace, and blessings received by one and all from this sacred institute of spiritual learning.
Some great men try to improve the world by changing the outer settings of economic and societal conditions. A few greater men try to change the processes and the vision of the masses. The very greatest achieve a complete and lasting transformation, one individual at a time. This was Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda’s vision when he formed Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in 1963.
Sandeepany was the name of Lord Krishna’s guru; Sadhanalaya means “place of sadhana,” or disciplined spiritual practice. Here, the acharyas (teachers) of Chinmaya Mission are made. The two-year residential course begins and ends on Ganesha Chaturthi, and includes rigorous training and scriptural studies. A year later, a new course begins. I was honored to join the 13th Course that commenced in 2005 and was taught by none other than Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda.
I was one applicant among 700. Of these, 160 were interviewed, and 70 were selected. In August of 2005, 60 of us arrived at the Mumbai ashram. We were a perfect sampling of the global diaspora, within seven countries, ranging five decades in age, and almost all unmarried. We were dispatched to our assigned buildings—unmarried men (brahmacharis) in Vivekalaya and unmarried women in Yashodalaya (brahmacharinis). Householders and older participants were termed as guest students.
Cauvery Bhalla of Mumbai said, “It is our common experience to get an object only to figure out that’s not what we truly wanted. It is also common to come across people who know exactly what they don’t want, yet are unable to point out what it is they do want. So, life goes on, endlessly chasing one object after another, yet feeling no satisfaction. This has been the problem of humanity since time immemorial.”
Brahmachari Atharvana Chaitanya (CM Ahmedabad) told me his initial impression of Sandeepany: “This holy institute of Vedantic studies offers just the right environment for any seeker of knowledge to blossom. Everyone is given enough space in a non-judgmental atmosphere” to be able to drop all conditionings and strive toward the highest goal of Being.
The Day Begins
Our first day of classes was September 7, and I was rattled. Never had I witnessed such oppressive heat and rain as Mumbai had to offer during this monsoon season. Never had I lived in a place where everyone seemed to know what they were doing, except me.
Sudha Shastry from Sydney, Australia, I found out, was equally lost, sighing, “I did not know what I had signed up for.” We gathered in our freshly donned white outfits for the inauguration ceremony. Pujya Swami Purushottamananda, Pujya Swami Brahmananda, and other senior acharyas welcomed and blessed the class. Swami Purushottamananda declared, “It is time to forget about your dress and your address.”
Ring, ring, ring, went the 4am bell—for 750 consecutive mornings. Although I had no problem with this discipline, some of us found it a hardship even after two years. Our first class of the day was Vedic chanting, at 5:30 a.m. with Brahmachari Samvid. Born in Kerala, Samvidji spent many years as a wandering monk in the Himalayas, and eventually found himself at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya.
We were fortunate that Pujya Guruji had selected an experienced Samvidji to live among us and guide us through our challenges. “A scholar and teacher par excellence,” said Shibani Khorana of Delhi, “Samvidji kept us engaged with his innovative teaching style and approachable nature.”
Lacking any previous voice training, I found the Sanskrit chanting with its high and low pitches quite a struggle. Vedic chanting was a sadhana I had never been exposed to in the West, but eventually, I came to love it as a fine art.
The chanting set the mood for the next class of Vedantic philosophy. Like all classes during the course, it was taught in English. Having casually grown up within Chinmaya Mission, I arrogantly thought I knew what Vedanta is and who a guru is. In retrospect, I knew nothing. I joined Sandeepany to study spirituality. Yet, at the time, I had no idea what was special about Vedanta versus what I had learned in high school or university. Soon, though, I came to understand that every class I had ever taken, at any level of schooling, was objective science—a study of the outside world. What I was now studying in the ashram was subjective science—a study of myself. I was humbled by the realization that I knew so much about the world and so little about my body, mind, and soul.
Cauvery had said to me, “Imagine walking into a city of mirrors—a city where every inch, the roads we walk on, the walls that surround us, are covered with mirrors. Every step in that city would be an effortless discovery of a new facet about oneself. Some facets would reveal beauty, and others ugliness. Sandeepany Sadhanalaya is such a city of mirrors.”
Delving into Vedantic Scriptures
Every morning at 7 a.m. and every afternoon at 4 p.m., Pujya Guruji plunged us into the mystical language of Vedic scriptures, breaking our habits of limited thinking in the process. Mentally and intellectually raised to heights I had never imagined, I was ready to listen to him all day, every day. Swamiji personally taught 80% of our Vedanta classes over the two years, an extraordinary commitment.
The first text we studied was Adi Shankaracharya’s Tattva Bodha. Our journey continued with Vidyaranya Swami’s Panchadashi, Ramana Maharishi’s Saddarshanam, Mandukya Upanishad with Gaudapada’s Karika, and dozens more. Finally, we took up Adi Shankaracharya’s Jivanmuktananda Lahari, which describes the enlightened Master.
Through Pujya Guruji’s devotion to India’s great saints, I was able to catch a glimpse of their greatness. This was especially true for Veda Vyasa Rishi and his role in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. With tears in his eyes, Guruji would bring tears to my eyes as he lovingly taught what Lord Krishna taught Prince Arjuna in the Gita. I am filled with reverence knowing that the scripture dates back over 5,000 years, yet its message of serving and surrendering is as relevant today as ever.
When I was a youth, Pujya Guruji would stay at our home whenever he visited Niagara Falls. Devotees from all over would flock by the hundreds to be in his presence; to me, the whole scene seemed boring. He was just another swami, only with a cool title of Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide. Only after I actually listened to him explain the subtlest of texts, like the Upanishadsand Brahma Sutras, did I come to appreciate his rare brilliance. Truly, there are very few acharyas in the whole world who can teach what he can the way he can.
Sanskrit, Language of the Gods
After an hour’s discourse and breakfast, Sanskrit class commenced at 9:30 a.m. When I had first mentioned to Guruji that I was interested in joining the Vedanta Course, he had laughed and told me to learn as much Sanskrit as possible before coming to Sandeepany. Determined, I started setting aside an hour a day to learn this language of the gods. Within a month I had to give up, as I struggled to even write the script. A teacher would be necessary for me to ever learn Sanskrit. But here, thanks to Samvidji, I not only learned the alphabet, but how to read shlokas, write exams, and interpret spiritual works. Shibani said of Samvidji, “Not only did he get us to learn Sanskrit, he also instilled a deep love for the language.”
Knowing Sanskrit was a great aid in chanting the Lord’s names, which was our next session. I had never been a ritual-oriented person, as they seemed irrational and insubstantial to me. Hence, when informed that we were to chant Vishnusahasranama at noon every day, I had the same initial reaction as toward Sanskrit study—an inefficient use of time. But this seemingly mindless chanting eventually took on great meaning for me as Pujya Guruji took the time to explain each of Lord Vishnu’s 1,000 names and how one nurtures His divine qualities by remembering Him.
Practical Classes
We had periodic “organizational classes,” in which we learned how to conduct the Chinmaya Bala Vihar classes and camps, how to facilitate a Study Group, and how the Chinmaya Vidyalaya (schools) are run. These classes were not on Vedanta, but on how to spread it. And they brought sadhana to practice. Another class was on the Vanaprastha Samsthan, Chinmaya Mission’s retirement communities. As a personal devotional practice, we were taught Guru Paduka Puja.
Evening Satsanga
After lunch, rest, and our 4 p.m. Vedanta class, it was time for aarti and evening satsanga at 6:25 p.m. All day, my head was stretched to its limit. Tired, I welcomed this class that focused on the heart. Filled with devotional singing, every evening was restful and memorable. The highlight of our satsangas was Guruji’s line-by-line explanation of Sant Tulsidasji’s entire Shri Ramacharitramanasa—the first time he had ever done this in a Vedanta Course.
After the evening class, we had dinner and retired for the night, only to wake again at 4 a.m.—a schedule we maintained nearly every day for the two-plus years. The exceptions came for truly exceptional events—the celebration of unforgettable festivals and pilgrimages to sacred places. Words cannot describe what I experienced seeing and serving the 100,000 devotees paying homage at the ashram temple on Mahashivaratri. The line formed at 3 a.m. and did not clear until 3 a.m. the following day. I will forever cherish the delight I saw in the eyes of believers as they prostrated before Lord Shiva.
Our Days of Pilgrimage
After a year of study at Sandeepany, we set out on pilgrimage to Uttarkashi, to visit Tapovan Kuti, the abode of Param Pujya Swami Tapovan Maharaj, Pujya Gurudev’s guru. I was ecstatic about the adventure. En route we visited many holy places and stayed at several monasteries. Eventually we reached Tapovan Kuti, and this became home for a month. Our studies never ceased; only the surroundings changed—heat to cold, plains to mountains. While in Uttarkashi, we had a chance to have darshan at glorious temples like Kashi Vishvanath and Ganga Mata. Our month passed in a moment.
I had visited Tapovan Kuti with two friends in the year 2000. At that time, it was just a cool place in the Himalayas. The experience at Tapovan Kuti during the Vedanta Course was completely different. Pujya Swami Tapovanji was a majestic and revered ascetic who believed in deep sadhana, and at Uttarkashi we were naturally inspired for the same. Many took up disciplines such as maintaining silence or fasting. The atmosphere was powerful and purifying.
On our way home, we paid our respects at the ashrams of other gurus of Hinduism, including Shri Anandamayi Ma in Haridwar, Pujya Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh, and Swami Narayan in Delhi. Truly, the religious wealth of Bharat is immeasurable.
Challenges and Fulfillment
When I lived in a university residence, I often heard students complain about how difficult it is to live in close quarters with others. I also heard some of my married friends whine endlessly about living with their spouse. Both these situations are trying, but there is always a chance to escape, and this is what we always do. We try to run away from our mind via entertainment, relationships, even work.
Living in Sandeepany was a thousand times more challenging. All that I had ever depended on was taken away—cell phone, television, restaurants, friends. I was left only with my mind and forced to live with the minimum. If I could not handle this, I suffered. And there was no escape from this suffering—it had to be either faced or transcended.
For some, the experience was too much. Of the 60 enrolled students, ten left before completion for various reasons, including being dismissed.
Returning to the World
After returning to Canada, I quickly realized that nothing had changed. The people were the same, the places were the same, the things were the same. What had changed was my vision of life and its purpose. Enlightenment was no longer a foreign concept to me; it had become the entire focus of my life. I grew closer to those who recognized and understood this change in me, and more distant from those who did not. Now, seeing the mundane world as another form of God, interacting with it became simply one form of sadhana.
Sandeepany Sadhanalaya calls out to the spirited who are ready to question the feeble sense of contentment that the material world has to offer. Those who heed this call are those who are ready to do what it takes to discover that contentment comes from within. They depart from Sandeepany blessed by their guru with the strength to face the challenges of living.
Chinmaya Mission’s next Vedanta Course will commence in 2015, which is Pujya Gurudev’s birth centenary year.
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