Wow, who is he? … The normal reaction of anyone who sees Swami Paramananda thus. Can a Swami be like any of the youths there? Wearing a jogging suit! Dancing! Laughing and kicking!

If anybody were to put these questions to Swami Paramananda or be astonished to see him thus, he would have laughed to his full. His first reaction would be “Who other than a Swami truly celebrates life?”

So true it is; nobody else lives his relationships perfectly as does Swami Paramananda. Those who see him from far will not admit he is a Swami or will accuse him of being too playful or fake. Those who know him closely will certainly jubilate. His jolly manners and friendly casual chats make you feel so much at home. His playful sweet smile invites you to speak out. When he playfully teases the other boys the onlookers feel a release of any inhibition in his august presence.

This is not a matter of getting convinced or impressing others; it is a matter of experiencing the presence of an enlightened master. It is the good fortune of relishing the vibrations of a master. But mind you, while playing with a master a disciple may be very free, but there is one caution that he needs to observe. Remember that the Master is constantly hundred percent aware and knows very well what he is doing, but what about the disciple? Is he aware or is his mind drowned in the play as though he is playing with just any person. He may be undergoing a beautiful test.

All masters have their own unique ways. Swami Paramanada’s uniqueness lies in his mode of teaching. The ashram reels in laughter during satsangs with his exquisite jokes and down to earth approach of uplifting his disciples. At times even before shaktipat or transmission of energy he lashes out one of his jokes and when all have laughed and are relaxed and open, he beams out his energy vibes. Who can assess a Master or understand his ways?

Swami Paramananda says that the entire existence is an examination hall. All the happenings are papers set. Our actions are the performance that will bear results. So all our actions are spontaneously assessed. What goes on in our minds also count. But see the compassion of the master for he teaches us in play, fun and games of his own. He teaches us everywhere, through everything.

Many will recall seeing him playing karate with the boys of the ashram once. He was kicking at a disciple. He went on and on while the disciple was trying to bear the hard hits without any shout. He then stopped, telling him that the reality should be accepted. What was the need to show so much endurance? The disciple mumbled that he wanted to allow the master enjoy the game. Swamiji said “you did what you thought was good and I taught you what you needed.”

One should see Swamiji with the groups of youths in the sea. What a celebration! A feast for the eyes of all. They all swim, talk, jump in the water, splash water with their palms, climb on each other’s back to swoop down from a certain height! A real fiesta! Everybody on the beach would be attracted to the fun, laughter and variety of games. He kicks the ball towards every one; he gets each person involved and participate in the celebration. Go with another group and however best you try to imitate those games, it is not even one hundredth of fun.

Each guru has his own distinctiveness that makes him stand out from others. Osho broke all barriers, endorsed liberal thinking and showed how we can dance our way to God. Buddha acted as a friend and helped others in the attainment of Buddhahood. In fact, the very notion of spirituality evokes concepts like rigorous discipline, abstinence, simple life, hardship, renunciation.

Swami Paramananda is exquisite in the playful approach he adopts to teach Truth and meditation. He has paved a middle path where spirituality does not entail a stressful strenuous practice but celebration in the true sense of the term. He himself is the very epitome of a selfless friend, a true Maitreiya who will not hesitate to become the voice of Truth.

What is there so peculiar about Swami paramananda? There is a naturalness, simplicity and absence of hypocrisy or show. He understands what suits whom. He knows what goes in your mind. He does everything for your evolution. You take an appointment to discuss a mental turmoil which has been nagging your mind for a month. As soon as he starts talking, the worries get disentangled as though they were loose uncomplex knots. When you walk out of the kiosk you laugh at yourself wondering whether there really existed any issue.

The same Master who is the expert in techniques, who is an accomplished yogi, the being whose mind has attained maximum expansion of consciousness can be so fun to be with. How can one forget that a simple conversation can draw out a book of knowledge from him. Once he had explained that when a being becomes one with existence, what else can he do apart from celebrating his own being.

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