Knowing Sri Vishnu Mohan Foundation
Establishment
In the year 2008, Swami Shrihariprasad, propelled by an anxiety to keep alive interfaith dialogues and to set a living agenda for Advaitha or Oneness of the human race, established the Sri Vishnu Mohan Foundation under the aegis of Sri Gnana Advaitha Peetam.
In its secular outreach programs and culturally diverse calendar, Sri Vishnu Mohan Foundation hosts weekly talks by acclaimed spiritual masters, intellectual exploration of high philosophy, sustainable development, multidimensional peace, teaching methodologies of philosophy, interpretation of texts, facets of Indian tradition and culture, ritualistic patterns of living, exploration of heritage, understanding of diverse faiths, ruminations of devotional poetry and music besides annual cultural festivals like the Jayadeva Festival, Sri Krishna Utsavam and Chidagni – The Fire of Consciousness Festival.
Sri Vishnu Mohan Foundation came into its own under Swami Shrihariprasad’s nurturing hands and drew wide diasporas of intelligentsia, wisdom seekers, professors, philosophers, aspirants, students, disciples who engaged with the Foundation as speakers, contributors of knowledge, participants and performers or otherwise simply as disciples of Swami Shrihariprasad in a personal niche drawing from Him guidance and spiritual strength to face existential travails.
Objectives
- To interpret the timeless philosophical and cultural traditions of India in the light of the self-transforming philosophy of Sri Sathguru Swami Gnanananda Sarasvathi as interpreted by Sri Vishnu Mohan.
- To do research into the life and teachings of Sri Krishna especially those aspects that transform human lives and improve the quality of their lives.
- To forge well-meaning and relevant partnerships with organisations and individuals who would encourage, support, aid in rediscovering the timeless teachings of the teachers of mankind.
- To initiate original research in the areas of philosophy, sociology, history, political science and mythology which would help mankind in understanding their origin and relevance in a far more urgent and transformational manner.
Our Approach
Values-based
The Foundation applies a values-based approach to the universal commitment of peaceful living.
We encourage and catalyse journeys based on equity, justice and dharma. We emphasise on shared values as a basis to address conflicting issues and divergent views. We promote reconciliation and are wedded to the power of knowledge to build and sustain the pathways that create the environment for lasting peace and the oneness of the human race.
The Foundation’s work is broadly in four areas - peace and reconciliation through the promotion and discourse on contemporary themes and interfaith work, research and exploration into secular philosophy and comparative studies in the teachings of Sri Krishna and Her Holiness Sri Sathguru Swami Gnanananda Sarasvathi, a speaking and platform of dialogue for intelligentsia, wisdom seekers, professors, philosophers, aspirants, students and disciples, and lastly the personal reach out programmes of Swami Shrihariprasad which train individual to overcome existential travails.
Our Beacons
HH Sri Sathguru Swami Gnanananda Sarasvathi
Once a Householder, always a Jivan Mukta. The divine descent happened at Annakara near Guruvayur on the 14th August, 1929, into an aristocratic, affluent and respected family. She received Her education at the St. Joseph’s European Girls High School and the Holy Cross College at Tiruchi. Her communion with the Divine began from an early age. She had rare spiritual experiences and visions from the tender age of seven years. At the age of eighteen she was married to Shri Paliath Divakaran Achan, eldest son of the Yuvaraja of the Cochin Royal Family.
While living as an ideal grahasta – a loving, selfless mother and a devoted wife - She led a life of great austerity guided by the ideal that a householder was to be a sanyasin at heart. She performed intense spiritual sadhana, involving the severest tapas and continuous communion with the Divine, demonstrating to the world that one could live the life of a householder and yet be a Jivan Mukta, a liberated soul totally established in the Divine. Sri Sathguru took Vidwat Sanyasa in 1975. There was nothing to be attained – it was just that by renouncing the world it became easier for Sri Sathguru to spread Her message and carry forward the task of strengthening Dharma.
Sri Vishnu Mohan
Our Sri Vishnu Mohan, after whom the Foundation is named was an example in many ways. Searching for knowledge, taking gurubhakthi to sublime levels, his life was always about surrender and samarpanam. Placing his everything at the lotus feet of his Guru, Her Holiness, Sri Sathguru Swami Gnanananda Sarasvathi he showed us the way, that seekers of true knowledge are blessed with humility and guru bhakthi.