A Living Tradition of Seeing the Self in All and All in the Self
Welcome to Narayana Gurukula — a spiritual community dedicated to the vision of Sree Narayana Guru and the timeless path of Advaita Vedanta as he revalued and re-stated. Founded on the principles of Self-knowledge, Universal Oneness, compassion, and non-violence, the Gurukula continues a lineage of teachers who guide seekers toward inner clarity, compassionate living, and universal harmony.
It consists of a Guru (spiritual preceptor) living with his/her disciples as a spiritual family (kula). Guru is the head of the family and desciples learn and live in fraternity under the Guru.
Our Purpose
We exist to preserve and share the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru, fostering a life of contemplation, simplicity, and service. Our mission is to nourish universal values beyond caste, creed, and nationality, and to provide a home for seekers of peace, knowledge, and self-realization. Rooted in the sacred Guru–Shishya tradition, we encourage a way of living that nurtures inner wisdom and spiritual growth.
This is not merely an institution — it is a spiritual family devoted to truth, humanity, and unity.
The Gurukula Tradition
Rooted in India’s timeless spiritual heritage, the Gurukula is a living community where seekers reside with the Guru and learn through daily life, reflection, and meditation. Through this process one can elevate one’s narrow and compartmentalized consciousness to synchronize with the unitive and all-encompassing consciousness of the Absolute. The cultural, political, and economic boundaries man has created is imaginary and its root lies in the consciousness of each individual. Therefore, to remove such boundaries there has to be a modification in individual awareness. Narayana Gurukula strives to modify the individual at his/her core. One of the mottos of Gurukula is, “Everything is real (Sat) in itself; one who grasps the basic truth will understand everything as one.” (Verse 88, One Hundred Verses of Self-Instruction – Narayana Guru). This means realizing what is real (realization) and recognizing its expression in everything else. This leads to removing all sorts of religious, cultural, racial, and ethnic and caste based bigotries from one’s life and help to instill an awareness of universal citizenship and camaraderie in people.
As an inclusive foundation and community of free-spirited seekers and yet always bound to the vision of the Absolute, it welcomes all sincere seekers without distinction. In this sacred environment, plain living and high thinking naturally come together.
“Gurukula is an island of peace in the chaotic ocean of Sansara (becoming)”- Nataraja Guru
Our Guru Lineage
The Gurukula embodies a living stream of wisdom and compassionate guidance, carried forward through an unbroken lineage of enlightened teachers. It begins with Narayana Guru (1854–1928), a great modern sage (Ŕshi), mystic, poet and social reformer who championed a spiritual awakening and social upliftment of people around him who were suffering under the yoke of caste discrimination and social neglect. His legacy was continued by Nataraja Guru (1895–1973), a philosopher-sage who established Gurukulas around the world to share the revalued vision of Advaita Vedanta (non-dual wisdom) of Narayana Guru. He was followed by Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati (1924–1999), a mystic, poet, philosopher, psychologist, and compassionate guide to seekers across the globe. Today, this tradition lives on under the guidance of Guru Muni Narayana Prasad, a compassionate spiritual preceptor, prolific author, and the current head of the Gurukula.