Skip to main content

Spiritualism simplified? About Guruji who speaks less, spends time in 'deep' meditation

By Arup Mitra* 

Take the Gita or Durga Saptasati, the ever-assuring lines claim that the manifestation of God on earth is possible again and again. As per the requirements of the human society, incarnations and arrivals of divine souls do take place from time to time.
The class of ‘nitya siddha’ remains always connected to the divinity. Individuals belonging to this class, even when they pursue certain daily paraphernalia, are always engrossed in deep contemplation.
Widely known as Guruji, Shri Nirmal Singh was of such high level texture, who spent the later years of his life in Delhi, educating people in the field of divinity and practising self-less love. Prayers and meditation without any material objective is the essence of his preaching.
He spoke less, spent his time in deep mediation and suggested others to do the same. The divine consciousness does not have to be told anything; as we connect ourselves to the supreme, we evolve and gradually learn to dwell in that divinity always. Life is a temple where we worship divinity by becoming a part of this vastness.
The book Guruji: Life and Spiritualism (Rupa, 2023), written by one of his followers, C Roul, is a wonderful exposition of spiritualism that India practiced over the centuries and produced its graceful appearances repeatedly throughout the human civilisation.
Guru ji has been a part of that great legacy, that great spiritual tradition, India carried over since time immemorial. His life and messages, enchanting the absolute truth, purifies the mind as the reader flips through the pages. It reminds one of one’s own true self and ignites the urge and makes one conscious of realising the ultimate of human life.
The book unravels the depth of regional history, intricacies of psycho-analysis of different phenomena in our life -- starting from dream to several transcendental experiences, the intellectual clarity of concepts, the systematicity of rationality and finally, the all-inclusive supreme divinity, overarching our complete existence. While detailing the personal experiences the author brings out the spiritualism simplified and reinstated for individual absorption.
Book unravels depth of regional history, intricacies of psycho-analysis of different phenomena in life
Guruji, as the mahapurusas do, lived for others showering his self-less love and removing the sufferings of others so that they could lead a peaceful life and avail of all opportunities to experience divinity.
As Ramakrishna strongly believed, in the contemporary age it is not possible to practise spiritualism, completely ignoring the hand bleeding profusely. Guruji, therefore, tirelessly engaged himself in rendering good to others so that at least some of them rise above the material world to realise the spiritual heights.
When life remains confined to the narrow lanes, where will be the space for the chariot of spiritualism to come nearby? In different human forms divinity takes material manifestation in order to come close to us and speak loudly the eternal mantra for having the vision of universal form. 
That vision is the ultimate and final experience which helps the stream of life to merge with the ocean of eternity. Thereafter, as long as one is alive it is the state of jivanmukta that one relishes – the ultimate joy for which one has evolved from amoeba, little by little.
In this book, the author as a dutiful disciple has constructed such a timeless temple for his Guru, that it will provide space to enumerable to worship and get free from worldly ties.
---
*Professor, South Asian University

Comments

TRENDING

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das  The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman*  The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra   There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra   A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta   We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor*  Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Bangladesh alternative more vital for NE India than Kaladan project in Myanmar

By Mehjabin Bhanu*  There has been a recent surge in the number of Chin refugees entering Mizoram from the adjacent nation as a result of airstrikes by the Myanmar Army on ethnic insurgents and intense fighting along the border between India and Myanmar. Uncertainty has surrounded India's Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project, which uses Sittwe port in Myanmar, due to the recent outbreak of hostilities along the Mizoram-Myanmar border. Construction on the road portion of the Kaladan project, which runs from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram, was resumed thanks to the time of relative calm during the intermittent period. However, recent unrest has increased concerns about missing the revised commissioning goal dates. The project's goal is to link northeastern states with the rest of India via an alternate route, using the Sittwe port in Myanmar. In addition to this route, India can also connect the region with the rest of India through Assam by using the Chittagon...