Kalki Bhagawan
{{short description|21st-century Indian spiritual teacher}}
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{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kalki Bhagawan
| image = Sri_Bhagavan.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Vijay Kumar Naidu
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1949|03|07}}
| birth_place = Natham, Tamil Nadu, India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education =
| alma_mater = DG Vaishnav College, Chennai
| nationality = Indian
| other_names = Sri Bhagavan, Amma Bhagavan (as a couple)
| occupation =
| years_active =
| known_for = Spiritual teacher from India
| spouse = {{marriage|Padmavathi|1977}}
| website =
}}
Kalki Bhagawan (born 7 March 1949 as Vijay Kumar Naidu), also known as Sri Bhagavan, is a spiritual teacher from India.{{Cite news |last=Nadkarni |first=Vithal C. |year=2008 |title=Oneness to the rescue of a world in peril |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/oneness-to-the-rescue-of-a-world-in-peril/articleshow/2732690.cms}}{{cite web |title=Oneness Movement – WRSP |url=https://wrldrels.org/2018/08/17/oneness-movement/ |language=en}} He is the founder of a spiritual organization called Oneness.{{Cite book |last1=Preethaji |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uUaBDwAAQBAJ&q=preetha+krishna |title=The Four Sacred Secrets: For Love and Prosperity, A Guide to Living in a Beautiful State |last2=Krishnaji |date=6 August 2019 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-5011-7379-0 |language=en}} which has its headquarters in Varadaiahpalem, Tirupati district in Andhra Pradesh.{{Cite web |date=2008-07-13 |title=India: a visit to the Oneness Temple of Amma-Bhagwan |url=https://english.religion.info/2008/07/13/india-a-visit-to-the-oneness-temple-of-amma-bhagwan/ |access-date=2020-06-06 |website=Religioscope |language=en-US}}
Early life
Bhagavan was born as Vijay Kumar Naidu on 7 March 1949 in Natham village, Vellore district in Tamil Nadu, to Vaidarbhi Amma and Sri Varadarajulu. His father was the head of the accounts department of Indian Railways.
= Education and early career =
In 1955, his family moved to Chennai where he attended Don Bosco School. In his childhood he was introduced to the philosophy of Jiddu Krishnamurti by his friend R. Sankar. He graduated from DG Vaishnav College in Chennai, majoring in Mathematics.{{cite web |title=Narayanan, Dr. Vasudha, "A 'White Paper' on Kalki Bhagavan, 29 September 2002", University of Florida, Gainesville, Montclair. |url=https://msuweb.montclair.edu/~adarkara/d-kalki.html |website=msuweb.montclair.edu}} After completing college, he worked as an office clerk for Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
= Marriage =
He married Padmavathi on 9 June 1977, following the customary practice in India where marriages are decided by elders in the family.{{Cite book |last=Ardagh |first=Arjuna |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W89LPKgMxxIC&q=Bhagavan+brain+research+ardagh&pg=PA64 |title=Awakening into Oneness: The Power of Blessing in the Evolution of Consciousness |date=2009-04-01 |publisher=Sounds True |isbn=978-1-59179-864-4 |language=en |chapter=Chapter 1,2}} Padmavathi, also known as “Amma” by the followers, participated in building the Oneness spiritual organization.
Work
In 1984, Bhagavan established a residential school called Jeevashram in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh to provide an alternative form of education with the goal of “developing an environment for children to discover themselves and reach their full potential".
In 1994, the Jeevashram school campus was renamed to Satyaloka and spiritual programs for the public was started.{{cite journal |last1=Thorsén |first1=Elin |date=2013 |title=Oneness of Different Kinds: A Comparative Study of the Oneness Movement in India and Sweden. |url=https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/33618 |journal=GUPEA, University of Gothenburg |access-date=13 October 2024}} In 2000, he subsequently founded the Oneness organization with the stated mission to create “lasting spiritual transformation" and to alleviate human suffering “at its roots by awakening humanity into Oneness and transforming the world into a better place”.{{Cite book |last1=Roth |first1=Ron |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SN9bX5gDtigC&q=sri+bhagavan&pg=PA18 |title=The Sacred Light of Healing: Teachings and Meditations on Divine Oneness |last2=Montgomery |first2=Roger |date=2007 |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=978-0-595-44896-8 |language=en}}
During the early stages of the movement, Bhagavan was regarded by his followers as Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Vishnu and his work was locally referred to as the “Kalki movement”. Bhagavan has also stated that "although this is the time for Kalki’s emergence, Kalki is not one person but a collective awakening".
The organization’s work includes the practice of giving and receiving the “Oneness Blessing” also known as the Deeksha, which is a technique of “energy transmission to usher the receiver into a state of higher consciousness.” The practice does not require initiation into following a new path.{{Cite journal |last=Thorsén |first=Elin |date=2016-07-05 |title=Unity Behind Diversity or the Reverse? The Language of Universality in Amma and Bhagavan's Oneness Movement |url=https://journal.equinoxpub.com/IJSNR/article/view/12094 |journal=International Journal for the Study of New Religions |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=69–90 |doi=10.1558/ijsnr.v7i1.20123 |issn=2041-952X|url-access=subscription }}
Bhagavan believes that when a critical mass of people have received the "Oneness Blessing", it would affect the "collective DNA" of humanity, resulting as an "Age of Enlightenment", which will take few decades to fully take effect.Followers of the movement have reported psychosomatic ailments to have been healed by the "Oneness Blessing".In 2004, Carl Johan Calleman (based on the Mayan calendar), collaborated with Bhagavan to initiate a festival called Oneness Celebration.{{cite web |last1=Calleman, Ph.D |first1=Carl |date=16 July 2015 |title=The Mayan Calendar & The Transformation of Consciousness |url=https://www.amazon.com/Carl-Calleman-Ph-D-Transformation-Consciousness/dp/B0006SL1RM |access-date=13 June 2020 |publisher=A Better World |language=en}} On 21st December 2012, worldwide events were conducted by the Oneness organization.
Kosmik Music,{{Cite web |date=2012-05-15 |title=Sacred Chants |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2009/Dec/07/sacred-chants-110574.html |access-date=2024-03-14 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}} is a music label producing titles ranging from traditional, spiritual and fusion tracks. "Sacred Chants" containing traditional Vedic hymns is one of its successful brands. Bhagavan also had investments in real estate, property development, energy, media and sports.{{cite web |title=Rs 44 cr cash, 90 kg gold, Rs 20 cr worth US dollars seized in I-T raids on properties linked to spiritual guru Kalki Bhagwan |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-rs-44-cr-cash-90-kg-gold-rs-20-cr-worth-us-dollars-seized-in-i-t-raids-on-properties-linked-to-spiritual-guru-kalki-bhagwan-2798134}}
In 2017, the Oneness organization along with his business interests were handed over to Bhagavan's son, NKV Krishna and daughter-in-law Preetha Krishna. The organization was renamed to Ekam. Over the years, the Oneness movement is known by various names including the Foundation for World Awakening, Golden Age Foundation, Bhagavad Dharma, Kalki Dharma, Oneness University and Oneness Organization.
Teachings
Bhagavan's stated belief is that the cause for human suffering is the sense of a separate self that each individual experiences that gives each the feeling of "me and a not-me”, which is what causes conflicts in families, relationships and wars between nations. According to him, enlightenment is a neurobiological process in which this sense of separate self ends.{{Cite book |last=Windrider |first=Kiara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=muxPTNJJekkC&pg=PP5 |title=Deeksha: The Fire from Heaven |date=2006 |publisher=New World Library |isbn=978-1-930722-70-5 |language=en}}
There are no required set of texts or doctrines in the Oneness movement. Though the founder Bhagavan's writings or sayings are used as teachings, the movement’s emphasis is for followers to acquire direct personal experience. It does not dictate conversion.
The Oneness movement sees its message as compatible with major religious traditions, and simultaneously allows cultural adaptation of the teachings.
Issues
In 2002, a public interest litigation for income tax probe of the Kalki Trust was dismissed and rejected by the Madras High Court and subsequently by the Indian Supreme Court.{{cite web | url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/04/stories/2004020401191300.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040506191242/http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/04/stories/2004020401191300.htm | archive-date=6 May 2004 | title=The Hindu : Plea for CBI probe against godman turned down }}
In 2019, the Income Tax department officials seized cash and gold from properties owned by Bhagavan's son with total estimated value worth Rs 93 crore.
== Criticisms ==
Freddy Nielsen, his associate from Sweden, left him in 2005 after directing criticism against the Oneness movement.
Publications
= Books =
- Bhagavan, Sri (2017). Love Begins with Accepting Yourself.{{cite book | last=Bhagavan |first=Sri |year=2017 |title=Love Begins with Accepting Yourself |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36676283-love-begins-with-accepting-yourself}} {{ISBN|9789574351008}}
- Bhagavan, Sri (2019).Activating Your Inner Success Codes.{{cite book | last=Bhagavan |first=Sri |year=2019 |title=Activating Your Inner Success Codes|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50255771-activating-your-inner-success-codes}} {{ISBN|9789574368389}}
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.sri-ammabhagavan.org Official Website]
- [https://www.lifepositive.com/the-school-for-enlightenment/ The School for Enlightenment]
- [https://www.youtube.com/user/WorldOnenessTV/featured World Oneness TV]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhagavan, Kalki}}
Category:People from Tamil Nadu
Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges
Category:20th-century Indian philosophers
Category:Indian Hindu spiritual teachers
Category:Indian businesspeople
Category:Indian businesspeople in real estate
Category:New Age spiritual leaders