Chanting with Guruji

Siddhachalam was founded as an ashram and monastery in 1983 by Acharya Sushil Kumarji. Its residents belonged to Main Street America, each of whom had a transformative experience that brought them there. Guruji taught them about ahimsa, anekantavad, awakening of kundalini, and about the secrets and power of mantra. Chanting mantra was an essential component of daily life. In the years following Guruji’s devlok, the culture of learning, meditation and chanting gave way to a culture of worship. This is not surprising. When the master is no longer there, opportunities for learning, meditation and chanting shrink.

In this year of Guruji’s birth centenary, we seek to revive chanting. Guruji’s early disciples have long observed that chanting suffused this place with energy and life and must remain Siddhachalam’s unique contribution to the Jain journey of self-purification.

Richard Pezzullo (who got the name Yoganand from Guruji after he took the vows from Guruji) kindly agreed to write a foreword to the booklet Chanting with Acharya Muni Sushil Kumarji that was in use by the ashram residents in the 1980s. That booklet has been reproduced substantially in the same form as was in use during the first decade of the ashram. It is supplemented here by a new Hindi section.

Chanting with Guruji is available to view online to registered visitors. A PDF document is also available for purchase at a price of $11.