About Ashraya Trust

An Avadhoota with a Vision and a Mission

Renouncing behind everything from a remote village of Kerala, Avadhoota Nadananda traveled and did penance in the Himalayan forest, searching for the truth of existence.

Then he realized the sadhana and its accumulated energy must be utilised for the upliftment of depressed, deprived, humiliated, tormented, tortured suffering people around us - this is the real penance. On the banks of Ganga, Narmada, in cities, pilgrim centres he walked around as a parivrajaka to experience their life.

“Rich people are begging inside abode of Almighty and Poor people are begging for a morsel of food infront abode of Almighty”.
– His poignant observation.

He found a Mission: renunciation is not the only way to realize; service to humanity is also a path. Again he moved around entire India and created teams who understand his philosophy – ‘Service to mankind is service to God’. He is visible in streets, in slums, among the leprosy patients, in hospital wards, on footpaths, in bus stands, feeding the suffering people, arranging medical camps, teaching small children and clothing them. May be it in Dhar, in Kurnool, in Bangalore, in Visakapatnam surrounded with likeminded devotees who take a vow to serve the needy.

The Guiding Principle: Vision to Serve, Mission to Realize

He never teaches or preaches any specific tradition or philosophy. Instead, he guides the devotees and team around him to experience oneness with ultimate reality by serving others. Devotees experience the body, the mind, the intellect complexes vanish during the service of one or two hours everyday. The journey from individual consciousness to cosmic consciousness was there, is here, and would be there through Seva.

You will never find a rich man moving around him with bundles of notes for his needs. One can witness common man is around him who shares few bucks from their hard-saved money. For Seva, he never begs, nor does he beg for his food. He says, ”Everything is destined and it comes in time.” Thus, money flows for projects, and all are happy.

That visionary and missionary is none other than our Guruji, Avadhoota Nadananda.

Understanding the Avadhoota Path (Insights from Mohanji)

Mohanji of Ammucare Charitable Trust offers a perspective: "Avadhoota once told me 'When a man becomes mad, he becomes a saint. When saint becomes mad, he becomes an Avadhoota. When Avadhoota becomes mad, he becomes Bhagwan.' Being reveling in their non-existence are Avadhootas. They are totally occupied inside, so much so that the outside world with its materials and flavours carries no meaning to them... Regular human beings... will find it difficult to understand such an existence."

"We live in an atomic universe... made of particles. They are energy manifested into forms... This is the cause of all delusions. An Avadhoota is rooted in the energy beyond the matter within and outside of him. He is never deluded with terrestrial existence."

"One who has nothing to do with terrestrial existence is an Avadhoota... no emotional value of any events of life... occupied in bliss supreme. They remain calm, pure and full of love always. They are spontaneous, unbound and unperturbed about how the society looks at them... Detachment is their garb. Society can only see their seemingly indifferent existence and they mark it as madness."

Regarding Avadhoota Nadananda ji specifically, Mohanji notes: "His life purpose is to lead people towards inner awakening and his deep urge to serve the under-privileged despite his compelling physical conditions. He still sings (trained by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi) and dances despite his binding physical ailments."

Guruji once stated to Mohanji: “Mohanji , I will remain in action for 300 years after my physical demise, just as Sai Baba of Shirdi continues to work 100 years after his physical exit. Sai Baba was the 39th Pointiff of Gyanganj . I am 48th.”