Sukhabodhananda

Swami Sukhabodhananda
Born 25 April 1955
Bangalore, India
Known for LIFE Program
    (Living In Freedom - an Enquiry)
Oh, Mind Relax Please!, Gita Talks,
Self-development and Corporate Programs
Website http://www.prasannatrust.org

Swami Sukhabodhananda is a guru from the Bangalore area of India who is nicknamed "the Corporate Guru."[1][2][3][4] His talks and workshops combine Vedic tradition with Western management and psychological development perspectives.[5] He is known internationally for representing Hinduism at the 2005 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.[6] His books, which have sold over a million copies,[7] have appeared in many Indian languages, and recordings of his mantra singing and talks have appeared on the Sa Re Ga Ma label.[8]

Biography

Swami Sukhabodhananda was born in Kannada speaking family on 25 April 1955 in Bangalore, Karnataka. He is the second of the three sons of Late Sri C.M.S. Murthy and Rukmani Murthy.[9] His birth name was Dwaraknath. His siblings are Preetham (married to Shanta and parents of Shruti) and Prathap (aka Kalyan Mitra). He was born and brought up in Bangalore. He studied in Baldwin Boys High School and St. Joseph's College, Bangalore.[10]

At the age of 20, he was attracted to spirituality and became a student of Swami Chinmayananda and Swami Dayanada Saraswati at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya of Mumbai.[11] His name during Sandeepany days was Brahmachari Nithya Chaitanya. Brahmachari Nithya Chaitanya embraced Sanyas on Shivarathri Day in 1984 from when on he is known as Swami Sukhabodhananda.

He is founder and chairman of the charitable organization 'Prasanna Trust' in India, and involved with Bangalore's 'Prasanna Foundation', "which focusses on the scientific aspects of meditation". The trust also runs "Prasanna Jyothi, a home for destitute children and Nirguna Mandir, a centre for meditation and learning"[12]

At age 50, in 2006, art and was quoted in The Hindu suggesting that Aiki Ju-jutsu would have helped a young woman from a call centre who had been raped and killed defend herself.[3]

Workshops and speaking engagements

In 1986, after conducting classes on Bhagavad Gita and other texts for few years, he began his first workshop, called "LIFE - Living in Freedom - an Enquiry". This workshop, drawing from "the Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, the Bible, the Koran, Tibetan Buddhism and Zen" has been given at the Sri Venkateshwara Temple, located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of the first (and largest) Hindu temples in the United States.[13] The "LIFE" workshop has been presented as recently as 2010 in Hyderabad.[14] He has given workshops for a variety of corporate clients, including Asian Paints, Godrej, HCPL, ICICI, Raymond Ltd and Hoechst.[10] In 2005, he was described as being popular among young people of Generation X in Bangalore, and "one of the savviest spiritual leaders in the city," where "smart gurus with snappy one-liners, sense of humour, and people management skills" and modern, interactive workshops are replacing the traditional spiritual teachers of an earlier day, such as Osho, Paramahamsa Yogananda and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.[15]

Sukhabodhananda also conducts workshops based on his book, "Oh, Mind Relax Please." These workshops cover subjects such as relationships, parenting, and "mind management, using Hitopadesha or the Panchatantra pattern of giving simple examples that people can identify with," [16]

In addition to teaching workshops and giving talks at holistic health and New Age events,[17][18][19] he gives spiritual talks at business-related events.,[20][21] which has resulted in his nicknames, the "Corporate Guru" and "the unusual swami from Bangalore."[4] In 2006, he was featured at a human resources development seminar organized by the Department of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Commerce, Mangalore University, and Mangalore University Commerce Teachers Association.[2]

Philosophy

His philosophy has been called a "synergy between the rich and profound Indian philosophy and the complex and dynamic western management thought."[16] and "a corporate management guru who has infused management science with the much needed dose of ethics and spirituality."[22]

Pragya M. Kumar and his co-authors cite Swami Sukhabodhananda in their analysis of the influence of Indian philosophy on the teaching of management. Writing in 2010, they state that about 10% of the professors at top US business schools are of Indian descent, noting the vision of C. K. Prahalad, in which corporations "simultaneously create value and social justice." The authors cite an article characterizing the "spirituality in the workplace movement" as having become a "mini-industry." With regards to the Indian component of this industry, they state "A large number of Vedant scholars are on a whistle stop tour of the U.S. counseling executives on the central message of Bhagawat Gita to put purpose before self." A quote from Swami Sukhabodhananda is used as the illustration for this message, beginning: "There are four important aspects in us ... the body, mind, emotions and spiritual being. Focusing on their growth involves an enlightened vision."[23]

Books and columns

Sukhabodhananda's columns are featured in The Times of India[24] and in other Indian publications in various languages, including The Economic Times, The Indian Express, Kannada Prabha, and others.[25]

Swamiji’s English books "Oh, Mind Relax Please!" and "Oh, Life Relax Please!" are the top best sellers in the country and have set a new benchmark in the lives of many, from the Kargil hero Gen. V. P. Malik, who swears by the inspiring content of the book to the New York Mayor who acknowledges its usefulness to diminish work pressure and dealing with New York City press!

Swamiji’s book "Manase Relax Please" has set an all time sales record in the history of Tamil, Kannada & Telugu books [10] and has been included as a part of curriculum in schools & colleges. Leading personalities have termed that he has revolutionized Tamil literature through his books. The cassette version, narrated by noted Tamil-speaking actor Nizhalgal Ravi, received a positive review in The Hindu in 2005.[26]

Awards, recognition and reception

Swami Sukhabodhananda is listed in Jnana Jyoti as one of the inspiring Spiritual Saints.[27] He has also been featured in the magazine, Life Positive,[28] "a holistic magazine originating in India and distributed to an international audience."[29] His television appearances include Aastha TV, WatchIndia TV's Disha (religious) channel,[30] Sanskar TV [31] and on Moksha, (the "24-hour spirituality and wellness station on the WorldSpace Satellite Radio network."[32]

Sukhabodhananda won Karnataka's Best Social Service Award, given by Essel Group & Zee Network, in 2007.[33]

The Week magazine calls him one of the top five best exponents of spiritual knowledge.

He was selected as "best speaker" in a Times of India poll on "who talks best."[10]

The Business Standard says, "Swamiji is clear about what ails the corporate world and its generals; the soul sapping constant struggle to be one up on the competitor. He is attempting what no corporate guru has ever tried; reconcile two conflicting objectives. Be a gladiator in the violence filled arena of corporate competition and yet be at peace within." [34]

Sukhabodhananda was the only spiritual leader representing Hinduism at the 2005 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.[6] He was a special invitee to the The World Council of Religious Leaders Millennium World Peace Summit,[35] held at the United Nations in New York. He was a speaker at the 2010 World Sustainable Development Forum, DSDS 2010, in Delhi.[36]

Works

Discography

References

  1. ↑ Swami Sukhabodhananda lecture on handling stress The Times of India, 1 Dec. 2001
  2. 1 2 Karnataka - Mangalore, Two-day seminar on HRD The Hindu. 16 Mar. 2006. Human Resources Development Seminar organized by the Department of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Commerce, Mangalore University, and Mangalore University Commerce Teachers Association
  3. 1 2 From management to martial arts, by Govind D. Belgaumkar. The Hindu, 13 Jan 2006
  4. 1 2 Briefly. Sukhabodhananda is here. New Delhi, 30 Nov.. The Hindu, 1 Dec. 2004
  5. ↑ Ravi (9 Oct 2010). "Swami Sukhabodhananda". Guru's feet, a meeting place for spiritual people.
  6. 1 2 Sukhabodhananda for Davos meet, The Hindu, 27 Jan 2005
  7. ↑ Swami Sukhabodhananda in satellite city
  8. ↑ Swami Sukabodhananda .mp3
  9. ↑ Speaking Tree.in
  10. 1 2 3 4 Holistic Living - Living in Freedom, by Purnima Coontoor, Life Positive, Your Complete Guide to Holistic Living, 2010-2011
  11. ↑ Chinmayananda Mission’s Sandeepany Sadhanalaya Powai. Powai.com, 6 May 2010
  12. ↑ Looking at life differently, The Hindu, 12 Nov 2001
  13. ↑ Hawley, John Stratton; Vasudha Narayanan (2006). The Life of Hinduism. Life of religion. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 242–243, etc. ISBN 978-0-520-24914-1.
  14. ↑ "Life Program - by Swami Sukhabodhananda", Hotel Moksh. BuzzinTown Hyderabad
  15. ↑ Life interrupted, God re-experienced. The Hindu, 6 Jan. 2005
  16. 1 2 For mind and body, by Sudheendra Putty, The Hindu, 23 Jan. 2003
  17. ↑ Swami Sukhabodhananda workshop, Ashland, OR
  18. ↑ Video from 2010 New Living Expo, San Francisco CA
  19. ↑ Life Positive Expo 2007, 18 September 2007, New Delhi, India
  20. ↑ Sankara Nethralaya launches distance mode course for opticians, The Hindu, 8 Aug. 2010
  21. ↑ College to celebrate 30th year with a bang, The Times of India, 23 Nov 2010
  22. ↑ Kumar, Pragya M.; Krishna Mohan Mathur; Shiv Shubhang Mathur; Nandita Narayan Mathur (2010). New Horizons In Indian Managements. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications. p. 300. ISBN 81-7835-711-9.
  23. ↑ Kumar, Pragya M.; Krishna Mohan Mathur; Shiv Shubhang Mathur; Nandita Narayan Mathur (2010). New Horizons In Indian Managements. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications. pp. 93–94. ISBN 81-7835-711-9.
  24. ↑ Articles by Sukhabodhananda, Times of India
  25. ↑ Prasanna Trust, 2001 links to publications
  26. ↑ Rendered with devotion, The Hindu, 28 Jan 2000
  27. ↑ Jnana Jyoti, More Hindu Saints
  28. ↑ Life Positive, Gurus - Your Guide to the Fusion Guru
  29. ↑ Life Positive Magazine, Syncronicity Foundation
  30. ↑ Watch Disha India TV shows at Watch India TV
  31. ↑ Spirituality and Management, Swami Sukhabodhananda, Prasanna Trust, Bangalore, as interviewed by Pradeep Nambiar, Sanskar TV. IndiaDivine.org
  32. ↑ Sacred Space, Metro Plus Bangalore. The Hindu, 12 Nov 2005
  33. ↑ Karnataka's Best Social Service Award, WebIndia 123.com, Bangalore, 22 April 2007
  34. ↑ Business Standard about Swami Sukhabodhananda
  35. ↑ The World Council of Religious Leaders, The Millennium World Peace Summit Interview Schedule
  36. ↑ 2010 World Sustainable Development Forum, DSDS 2010
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