Om Swami
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Om Swami | |
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| Born | November, 1979 North India |
| Alma mater | University of Western Sydney University of Technology Sydney |
| Occupation | Mystic |
| Notable work | If Truth Be Told: A Monk's Memoir |
| Website | Omswami.com |
Om Swami (born November, 1979) is a mystic noted for his thought-provoking writings[1] and discourses.[2][3] Swami, a non-traditional monk offers his own perspective on emotions, religions, spirituality, relationships and human desires. He is the author of If Truth Be Told : A Monk's Memoir[4]
Early life
Swami was born in a Brahmin family in North India. At a very early age he showed deep inclination towards spirituality.[5] Swami became well versed with many Sanskrit scriptures including the Vedas, the Upnishads, the Puranas and the Bhagavad Gita, Smritis, treatises on alchemy and Mantra science, classical astrological texts and tantric scriptures. At the age of twelve, Swami was a professional astrologer, conducting religious ceremonies in the capacity of a Ritwik. Books were his passion and Swami was almost always found in the public library after school. He was an avid chess player and was frequently seen at chess tournaments in the local circle. Swami also participated in debates, declamation, creative writing and other contests representing his school. At the age of fifteen, Swami was working as an editor for a regional business weekly magazine writing articles on Forex and Capital markets. At sixteen, he started a software company. A few years later he moved to Australia to pursue tertiary education and later acquired Australian citizenship.
Education and early career
Swami graduated with a Bachelor of Business from University of Western Sydney and later pursued Master of Business Administration at University of Technology Sydney. By twenty, he was inducted as an honorary member of the "International Who's Who of Professionals" club. At twenty one, he was running a software business in Australia and expanded its operations to USA, Canada, UK and India over the next six years.[6] He served in lead and executive roles in various companies as News Corp, Deloitte, Dairy Farmers, Westfield Group and Barclays. Swami has been profiled in various technical journals, business magazines and national dailies such as E-Business Advisor, Dare Magazine, Franchise India, The Indian Express, The Economic Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Hindustan Times and often spoke at conferences on Electronic business. Swami later moved back to India and acquired a healthcare company along with a business partner. As the company advanced into a sound cash-flow position, Swami began firming up his plans of pursuing his primary goal of self-realization. He had made his intentions of renunciation clear to his business partner before the start of the business. Although Swami was engaged in business, a deep spiritual side of him was always visible. He would often sneak away in solitude to the woods and mountains for weeks to meditate. People approached him for spiritual and astrological advice and on challenges they faced in their daily lives.
Renunciation
On March 15, 2010, Swami embarked on his spiritual journey, as per his goal since he was twelve years old. That day he quietly left, leaving behind notes for his loved ones. He renounced [7] his entire shareholding and capital in the business. Before deleting his email account, he emailed friends and family and wrote that he must verify the truth first hand - the truth of self-realization.
Spiritual journey
Swami headed straight to Kashi, also known as Varanasi or Banaras. In a little village eighty kilometers away from Varanasi, he met a Nāga saint who initiated him into sannyasa, the path of renunciation.[8] After spending four and a half months there, Swami realized that this is not his place to do intense meditation and left for Himalayas. For the next one year in the Himalayan woods, Swami practiced extreme meditation and intense Sādhanā that involved complete isolation and solitude for months. Thereafter, he went to Kamakhya (Assam, Eastern India) to offer prayers to Mother Divine[9] at a specialized Tantric peetha. He was given the highest tantric diksha by a foremost tantric yogin there. Swami did an important Sādhanā in the Eastern Himalayas before heading back to Northern Himalayas to continue his meditation. Months later, he returned to his birthplace and went to do bhiksha, alms, at his parents' house. His parents immediately accepted him as their guru. Swami now lives in an Ashram in Himachal Pradesh, India. Set in the mountains, there is no direct connectivity by road. Devotees from all over the world visit him and must cross the river and walk to the ashram.
Mystic's viewpoint
"Enlightenment does not mean you have to live like a pauper. It does not mean you have to subject yourself to a life of hardship and abstinence. On the contrary, to be enlightened means to live in the light of love, compassion and truthfulness," Swami says.[10] He believes that a state of self-realization can be achieved by anyone who is willing to put in the effort. Rather than subscribing to any philosophy, one should work towards uncovering one's true self by turning inward. "Listen to your inner voice. This voice is the purest voice you will ever know. Your truth is also the greatest religion, the highest God. A sense of fulfillment comes from walking your own path. For some it may be meditation, for others it may be music, dancing, painting, writing or reading. Find what makes you happy and pursue it."[10]
Literary Work
Swami is fluent in many languages. He writes only in English on his blog but discourses both in Hindi and English. His speeches include Sanskrit verses from ancient texts expounding on the esoteric aspects of various scriptures. Swami writes on a range of life and spiritual issues on his blog.[11]
“If Truth Be Told: A Monk's Memoir” is his self-written memoir, published by Harper Collins in December 2014..[12] [13] The book ranked number 1 in the top best sellers in books in religion category of Amazon India in the first week of its publication. The book was also listed as number 6 in the top 10 non fiction books in a leading newspaper.[14]
Books
- If Truth Be Told: A Monk's Memoir, Harper Element; 2014 edition (4 December 2014),
- The Wellness Sense: A practical guide to your physical and emotional health based on Ayurvedic and yogic wisdom
References
External links
Notes
- ^ Medha Shri Dhaiya (2015-01-03) "Book review of A Monk's Memoir: If Truth Be Told" Hindustan Times.
- ^ Om Swami YouTube Channel
- ^ Somya Abrol (2015-01-09) "A wise man's word". The Tribune.
- ^ If Truth Be Told: A Monk's Memoir, Harper Element; 2014 edition (4 December 2014), ISBN 978-9351368069
- ^ Ramesh K Dhiman (2015-01-11)"His Tryst With Truth" The India Post.
- ^ Meera Bhardwaj (2014-12-30) "A Monk’s Memoir of Spiritual Pursuits". The New Indian Express.
- ^ Nuvena Rajendran "Omitting worldly pleasures" The Deccan Chronicle
- ^ Nikhil Varma (2014-12-23) "A monk's take"The Hindu.
- ^ Team ST (2015-01-11)"Vision Of The Adya Shakti" The Speaking Tree.
- ^ a b (2015-01-11) "The Ultimate Realization" The Pioneer.
- ^ Omswami.com
- ^ City Air News (2015-01-08)"If Truth Be Told-A Monk's Memoir"
- ^ Specttrum News (2015-01-08)"If Truth Be Told-A Monk's Memoir"
- ^ (2015-02-07) Top 10: Fiction and non-fiction". The Financial Express.