The Oneness Blessing Phenomenon:

The history of the Oneness Blessing phenomenon goes back to 1984, when Sri Amma-Bhagavan, started a school in South India. The school was called ‘Jeevashram’ (meaning ‘where life is lived without stress’ in Sanskrit). It was a boarding school for children from the first to the tenth grade. At the most there were 180 students living in the school. Every day there were also about 200 children from village around, who were allowed to study for free since they could not pay for their education. Children from all religious backgrounds, Muslims, Hindus, Christians etc were welcome. The school had no particular religious or spiritual motives except that the founders of the school, Sri Amma-Bhagavan, carried a grand vision that sprung from an awareness of the true nature of man.
They envisioned a world wherein conflicts and suffering no longer existed, where every individual was naturally a global citizen, concerned with the rest of life & lived in peace, happiness and harmony. This noble vision constituted the founding principle of the Jeevashram School wherein children were brought up in an atmosphere of love and joy & where inner fulfillment and happiness were placed ahead of material achievements and success.
The school also focused on helping each child discover what he or she had a passion for, with special emphasis on how they could relate to life and to each other. Spirituality was not a subject in this school, but Sri Bhagavan put up large boards across the campus that brought forth His profound vision of ‘liberation for all’ through some of His teachings like:
Your thoughts are not your thoughtsYour mind is not your mindYour Body is not your bodyYour self is only a concept
While the profundity of all these teachings and the connections it bore with the grand vision of their beloved ‘Director Sir’ and ‘Madam’ (as Sri Bhagavan & Sri Amma were referred to then) held not much relevance for the children, they felt incredibly loved, seen and completely accepted by Sri Amma-Bhagavan and never missed the slightest opportunity to be in their physical presence whenever possible. Sri Amma-Bhagavan’s selfless compassion and care made them conscious of even the slightest signs of comparison sparking within the children and they took immediate steps to help the child overcome such emotional hurdles & feel accepted. The school was one that valued every single child’s life as opposed to its own academic ambitions. Children were encouraged to participate in sessions called ‘Samalochana’ (meaning ‘thinking together’ in Sanskrit) and contribute their ideas and suggestions to run the school as well as to solve problems that might have come up. Spirituality was not seen as meditation or prayer, but more as the art of relating to another without any sense of hurt, guilt or deceptive images. In this complete absence of fear and comparison, an immense flowering of intelligence had occurred in the children and the school made news for being the only school in the entire province that had no failures in the state-level examinations that were held in the 10th grade. Many of the Jeevashram students today pursue highly successful careers and also live fulfilled lives for this was the holistic education that was offered to them. Although the vision behind founding of the school was obviously much greater than merely imparting education, Sri Amma-Bhagavan patiently waited for it to be naturally revealed.
The year 1989 heralded the beginning of a very great spiritual phenomenon amidst the humble settings of this school, the phenomenon of the Oneness Blessing or the Oneness Deeksha. The epicenter of this wonderful phenomenon was in Sri Krishnaji, Sri Amma-Bhagavan’s son, who also studied in the same school. On the evening of the 19th July 1989, Sri Krishnaji suddenly came running to Sri Amma-Bhagavan describing a wondrous experience of being absorbed in a deep communion with a luminous golden being in his heart. As he communed with this divine being who named himself ‘Prajapathi’ (meaning ‘Lord of all sentient beings’ in Sanskrit), he had amazing mystical experiences and astral journeys & he described how incredibly peaceful it felt to have these experiences. Sri Bhagavan knew this was the phenomenon He had been preparing for all His childhood & asked Krishnaji if he could transfer the same to the other students who had gathered that evening. Krishnaji, who was only 12 years old then, almost spontaneously agreed and started laying his hands on their heads, even though he had never been formally trained into any particular spiritual modality of transferring states of consciousness through touch. As he touched them, the students experienced a bright Golden ball rolling out of Krishnaji’s third eye chakra and descending into all their chakras, transporting them into very deep states of consciousness like cosmic consciousness, a direct experience of their personal God, love, bliss, etc. In the days to come, these profound states deepened virtually replicating heaven within the school premises, with children speaking profound words of wisdom and performing amazing healing miracles like the sages and saints of yore. The spiritual aura in and around the school premises was so intense that even passers-by used to experience a very ‘dense’ silence even as they neared the school walls and some used to even get physically dysfunctional, with their body movements slowing down and sensory experiences being heightened under the impact of the immense divine grace that poured out of the school premises. In almost all these experiences, the students experienced the descent of this bright golden ball and aptly named it as the ‘Golden Ball of Divine grace’. Further, as they communed with this Golden Ball in their hearts, it revealed to them that it was issuing forth from the consciousness of Sri Amma-Bhagavan and even chanted back the same mantra that Sri Bhagavan had chanted in His childhood. Thus, through a direct experience, the children discovered this was indeed the very same Golden Ball that had appeared to Sri Bhagavan when He was just 3 years old and into which He had impregnated His divine consciousness.
The children also had amazing mystical journeys in space and in time and some even started visiting their families astrally. They would even report to their parents over phone or in person as to what was happening at home the other day when they had ‘visited’ and the parents were left dumbfounded! There was a very deep transformation that had occurred in their consciousness and many of the parents were deeply fascinated and yearned for the same kind of experiences. To this effect, the first spiritual course for the parents of the children was held in April 1990.There were however a few parents that were displeased with this spiritual phenomenon in the school and expressed that they had not sent their children to become saints and sages, but successful doctors, computer professionals, engineers etc. By then, Sri Amma Bhagavan too began to feel that this phenomenon if left to work uncontrolled on people without sufficient preparation, would not result in the smooth transition and the collective awakening they envisioned. Hence, they withdrew the phenomenon only to release it in a more controlled fashion whereby people would be ready enough to experience such a massive descent of divine grace. It is this intent of theirs that constitutes the basis of the Oneness programs, wherein people are prepared through a series of spiritual practices and teachings to receive the immensely beneficial effects of the Oneness Blessing phenomenon.
However, the transforming effects of the Oneness Blessing phenomenon left an indelible effect on a few children that went on to dedicate their lives to the fulfillment of the vision of their beloved Sri Amma-Bhagavan. Four of these students became the foremost disciples of Sri Amma Bhagavan. They are Sri Krishnaji, Sri Anandagiriji, Sri Samadarshiniji and Sri Vimalakeerthiji. Around this time Sri Preethaji, the niece of Sri Bhagavan, who later married Sri Krishnaji, also became a direct disciple taking lessons from Sri Amma Bhagavan.
The school had now fulfilled its purpose. Sri Amma-Bhagavan realized that it was time they really started the work they had been preparing for all their life, namely to help humanity awaken into Oneness. In the year 1994 the last of the students graduated from the original, academic form of the school. The school was now renamed ‘Satyaloka’ (the abode of truth) and became the first spiritual centre of the Oneness Movement and offered courses to raise the levels of human consciousness. The numbers of thirsting seekers that thronged the school campus soon outgrew its capacity and subsequently two other spiritual centres were established in Somangalam and in Nemam. While the spiritual centre in Somangalam actively functioned for a very short period of time, Nemam continues to be one that is thronged by large numbers of Indian followers every day. The programs offered at Nemam cater more to the Indian masses and take the route of awakening people to divine grace through ancient Vedic rituals.
The three senior disciples toured the length and breadth of India conducting spiritual retreats and prayer meetings across many cities of India. In 1995, a tiny band of young men and women offered to dedicate their services to Sri Amma Bhagavan’s vision of Oneness and joined hands with the senior disciples to take the Oneness phenomenon to new heights. These are the Oneness Guides that facilitate a variety of Oneness programmes in India and the world-over.
While a few followers from other parts of the world had visited India earlier to participate in Oneness retreats, the first official inauguration of the Oneness Movement outside India happened in 1996 with Sri Anandagiriji’s visit to South America & North America. In the years that flowed by, Oneness flourished across other continents and countries, with ever more people being drawn to Sri Amma-Bhagavan’s vision of Oneness. Today, Oneness has reached out to more than 300 million people from across the world, with more than 25,000 active Oneness Blessing Givers in India and abroad that work tirelessly to bring this phenomenon of Oneness to fellow human beings. After Sri Amma-Bhagavan had chosen to withdraw the Oneness Blessing phenomenon in 1989, it remained a highly esoteric phenomenon for almost 14 years until August 17th 2003, when Sri Amma-Bhagavan once again opened the floodgates of this divine phenomenon for the whole world. In a very massive public gathering at Nemam, in the divine physical presence of Sri Amma-Bhagavan, more than a 100,000 people received the Oneness Blessings or Oneness Deeksha and experienced amazing transformation & varied states of consciousness.
Ever since, the Oneness Blessings or Oneness Deekshas have become the most important element of the Oneness programs and Sri Amma-Bhagavan’s divine intent or ‘sankalpa’ has made it possible for thousands to be initiated as Oneness Blessing Givers worldwide. Upon being formally initiated a Blessing giver, one’s consciousness is attuned to Sri Amma-Bhagavan’s divine consciousness, thereby facilitating the descent of the Golden Ball of Divine Grace into every person that receives the Oneness Blessing from them. The Oneness Blessing is a major leap in humanity’s spiritual journey, for it directly affects the neurobiology of the brain and results in a direct experience of the higher consciousness. Since the phenomenon is primarily experiential in nature, it never narrows down to embracing a particular belief system or tradition. Hence, people of practically every national, cultural or religious disposition feel an immediate sense of comfort since the Oneness Blessing only awakens them to their own truths or the higher self. Even business entrepreneurs and scientists are fascinated with this phenomenon that transcends belief and lands you straight in an experience of reality whatever that may be for you. The Oneness Blessing is very popular among highly academic circles for its immensely empirical and dogma-free nature.
With growing numbers of overseas as well as Indian following, the need arose to set up a bigger facility to accommodate them & run courses in many different languages. Thus in the year 2000, the Oneness Headquarters was formally established and the Oneness University founded in the South Eastern part of Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh state in South India. The Oneness Facility is scattered over several 1000’s of acres from the Eastern Ghats until the famed Pulicat salt-water lake. In all, there are 7 Oneness campuses wherein spiritual programs are conducted for the Indian and Non-Indian participants. The most wonderful among them is the one that houses the marvelous Oneness Temple.