Narayana Gurukulam (Guru-disperser of Darkness, Kula-Family) is a teacher - Pupil body founded by Nataraja Guru, the successor disciple of Narayana Guru in 1923.He implanted it, as a scholar community where the ideals of self-realization as well as the world-citizenship can be actualized through an open and dynamic way of living. It is for the preservation and representation throughout the world, of the wisdom of the Absolute as taught and handed down by the Unitive teachers of mankind. While considering all religious/spiritual traditions as the common heritage of humanity, it also keeps neutral between belief and skepticism, as well as between all such bipolarities. Such a way of seeing "both together" instead of "either/or" is known as yoga (Union) in India.
Nataraja Guru saw the Gurukulams as "islands of neutrality in an ocean of insanity". He also called it ‘Narayana Gurukulam Unlimited’, means the liability of each to all and all to each is unlimited.
Narayana Gurukulam's East-West University of Unitive Sciences has came true with the formal inauguration on march 19th, 1974 at Guru Narayana Giri,Varkala,Kerala.
This university is not an institute to prepare people for ‘future’ or not a distributor of degrees and diplomas. It’s only a conscious recognition of growth, unfoldment and realization. As this process is going on everywhere, recognized or unrecognized, it is only bringing more and more light of conscious appreciation.
Narayan Guru (1854-1928)
In order to describe Narayana Guru the best thing would be to quote his disciple Nataraja Guru himself; “He was one of those who followed in his life the ancient and immemorial programme of oriental saints and prophets. He left his home in search of truth. He lived in lonely hills, caves or forests for years unknown to men, performing Tapas(1).He emerged from seclusion, having solved some great riddle in life and he wanted to give solution to the world at large. Therefore, without any hesitation whatever, he called himself a Guru or Teacher. Today his words are recognized as a most modern echo of the ancient wisdom of the orient. In him we had, combined once again a bard who sang about the aspirations of the soul of man, a philanthropist whose one aim in life, night and day, was to devise ways to minimize human suffering.” (2)
Some of the major works of the poet philosopher are;
- Garland of Visions (Darsana Mala)
- One Hundred Verses of Self Instructions
- The Science of The Absolute (Brahma Vidya Panchakum)
- Thought and Inertia (Cit-Jadangal)
- Scriptures of mercy (Anukampa Dasakam)
Nataraja Guru (1895-1973)
Nataraja Guru, an epochal dialectical revaluator of the Science of the Absolute (Brahma Vidya) which Conformed for the first time to the modern normative or experimental science, studied under Henri Bergson in the university of Sorbonne Paris, from where he got his D.Lit degree with Tres honors for the thesis “ Le facteur Personnel dans le Processus Educatif ” (The personal factor in educational process).
The Guru has translated into English and commented on all the major works of Narayana Guru, and has written on a wide variety of subjects, employing throughout, a protolingustic or structural approach, which could said to be his unique contribution to the perennial wisdom heritage of humanity.
Among the Guru’s major works are;
- The Word of the Guru, D.K.Books, New Delhi.
- A Scheme of Integration of Thought in View of a Language for Unified Science, D.K.Books.
- An Integrated Science of the Absolute, D.K.Books. - An Upsurging Billow of Beauty (translation and commentary on Guru sankara’s Saundarya Lahari). D.K.Books.
Notes;
1. Meditation and Self-discipline performed in retirement with a view to illumination.
2. Word of the Guru by Nataraja Guru. D.K.Books.
