Sukhabodhananda

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. 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.

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. 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"

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.

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. The "LIFE" workshop has been presented as recently as 2010 in Hyderabad. He has given workshops for a variety of corporate clients, including Asian Paints, Godrej, HCPL, ICICI, Raymond Ltd and Hoechst. 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.

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,"

In addition to teaching workshops and giving talks at holistic health and New Age events, he gives spiritual talks at business-related events., which has resulted in his nicknames, the "Corporate Guru" and "the unusual swami from Bangalore." 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.

Philosophy

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

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."

Books and columns

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

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 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.

Awards, recognition and reception

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

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

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."

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."

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

Works

Discography