On 17th November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Brazil for the G20 Summit, and in addition to his hectic schedule of meetings with many heads of state, he also had an interesting encounter with Acharya Jonas Masetti whom he lauded for his passion towards Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita.
Notably, PM Modi also talked about Masetti in a segment of his popular show “Mann Ki Baat,” in 2020.
The Prime Minister remarked, “His team presented glimpses of the Ramayan in Sanskrit. It is commendable how Indian culture is making an impact all over the world,” while posting glimpses of his meeting with Masetti and his team on social media.
The Ramayana was performed by the students of Masetti’s Vishwa Vidya Gurukulam, a Brazilian organisation dedicated to promoting Vedanta and Sanskrit. He had also welcomed PM Modi by reciting “Sanskrit Mantras.”
Met Jonas Masetti and his team. I had mentioned him during one of the #MannKiBaat programmes for his passion towards Vedanta and the Gita. His team presented glimpses of the Ramayan in Sanskrit. It is commendable how Indian culture is making an impact all over the world. pic.twitter.com/4Voy0OKt9X
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 20, 2024
Acharya Jonas Masetti is originally from Brazil. He is also called “Vishvanath” and is known for teaching Vedanta and Bhagavad Gita across the world. He is a mechanical engineer by profession. He obtained the title of Acharya while studying Vedanta in Coimbatore under Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s tutelage. He established the Vishwa Vidhya Organisation, the first Gurukulam situated in the Petropolis hills close to Rio de Janeiro. Pequena Tribo (small tribe), his “social project” works to aid underprivileged kids. He stated, “The aim is to impart spiritual teachings through sports. Currently, we have more than 40 children and we plan to expand once the project gets mature and validated.”
He rose to fame in India after PM Modi recognized his contributions during an episode of his program “Mann Ki Baat” and stated, “Some people came to India in search of them and stayed here for life. While some returned to their countries as cultural ambassadors of India,” while referring to the profoundness of Indian culture.
Renowned for his humanitarian endeavors, Masetti is committed to promoting better cooperation between Brasilia and New Delhi in order to disseminate Vedic knowledge in the West. “India holds a special place in my heart. Its culture, traditions, teachings, and rich history have profoundly influenced my perspective on life. My life’s purpose is now to spread the same wisdom and enlighten the world through the teachings of Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita,” he stated.
Masetti, who has been to India numerous times, discussed his spiritual development, views on religion, and Indian culture when he visited the country last year. During an interview with The Indian Express he informed, “My first time in India was in 2005. I stayed for six months and it changed my life. I discovered a sense of belonging and could understand the culture from the society’s perspective. After that, I was certain of my path in life. I began studying Sanskrit, Mantras, and Puja alongside Vedanta which was already going on.”
He added, “My second visit in 2008 was to undertake a residential course with Swami Dayananda in the forest of Tamil Nadu. That was where I received my knowledge; My self-doubts were resolved. It was a rebirth for me. I became a simple and happy person. I found a new purpose for spreading the Vedic teachings in the West.”
He was also pleased that PM Modi had mentioned him in his program and expressed, “Being foreigners, there is a lot of resistance. Those who choose to go on this path (of spirituality) lack a sense of belonging. For us, it was very special because we felt that we were accepted. It was a reason for a lot of joy for us (being talked about in Mann Ki Baat),” during an interview with Jagran.
Masetti was born into a modest Rio de Janeiro household. He mentioned, “We were raised in the slums. My family struggled a lot. Priority for my mother was the education of her children. I was a survivor, and I believe it was my good karma to receive a good education.” He was able to graduate from one of Brazil’s best colleges with a degree in mechanical engineering. Later in his life, he had different therapies and spiritual sadhanas to move past his childhood trauma.
He confessed his dissatisfaction with life before his transition despite having everything that stoked his drive to pursue more and discover himself. He looked to India and Vedanata for solutions to his concerns after realizing that Western society was unable to provide him with better answers. He unveiled, “Well, I had everything that a Western society needs to have. I had family, friends and money. I used to go to parties but I was not feeling fulfilled. Also, the people I knew (the company managers and the big names) had a lot of trouble. People in the West take pills to sleep. They have a lot of stress. I thought this doesn’t make sense.”
He added, “I felt what the Western ideology was proposing to me wasn’t going to give me fulfilment. I started searching for answers and that’s how I came across yoga and Vedanta. It became a necessity when I realised that Western ideology and way of life could not lead me to happiness and peace. So I started searching and ended up in yoga and Vedanta.
“I had it all, success, wealth, recognition, but it wasn’t the life I truly wanted. I would often meet elites in my profession, and while they were nice people, their lifestyle wasn’t what I aspired to have. I wasn’t religious at that time, but that night, I asked for guidance from the universe. The next day, I woke up with the thought of doing yoga. My yoga guru was also a Vedanta teacher, and that’s how it all began,” he disclosed in another interview with Times Now.
Masetti admitted that he was having a crisis since he was unable to find happiness and he didn’t see other people happy, so he had to search widely. He added, “Actually, I didn’t choose Hinduism. When I chose Vedanta, I saw it as a means of knowledge and a tool for knowing myself. This was the main goal. In the course, I got to learn about Indian culture and temples. I realised I belonged to that. It was not like I chose it in the first place. My students are from all the religions. However, many of them became vegetarians and Hindus.”
He studied yoga and vedanta for ten years in Brazil and informed, “It (Vedic studies) was a slow movement in Brazil but it was happening. I decided to come to India and spent over four years at Swami Dayanand Saraswati’s Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Coimbatore. It was not easy because I had a life back home in Brazil, but it has been the best decision of my life.” He studied Advaita Vedanta and Sanskrit over these four years.
He established the Vishva Vidya Organization in Rio de Janeiro after his return to Brazil. He then began educating people in Brazil and other Western nations about Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita. Swami Sakshatkrtananda, the guru of Acharya Masetti, was among many who were taken aback by the popularity of Vedanta in Brazil. He was astounded by their fervor for this ancient knowledge. “When my Guru came to Brazil, he commented that, ‘it seems like so many Indians have taken birth in Brazil’. Brazilians do not view Vedanta as a religious or cultural shift; it’s a pursuit of personal harmony,” he revealed. According to him, Indian and Brazilian civilizations are intertwined.
Masetti also shared what drew him to the Bhagavad Gita and highlighted that one doesn’t need to follow Sanatan Dharma to practice yoga, mantras or meditation. He stated that the vedic tradition offers a wealth of resources for human welfare without requiring anyone to adhere to any specific faith. “In the West, they have yoga, mantras and meditation. You don’t have to be a Hindu to practice such things. When you go to an ayurveda doctor, he doesn’t ask about your religion before treating you. Same way, the Vedanta teacher is not asked where you belong. My understanding is that Vedic tradition has so many tools for the well-being of humanity. The religion a person takes is his choice.”
“Every knowledge contained in Vedas couldn’t be reached through scientific experiences. Maybe you can prove some points. Everything that you receive from Vedas does not contradict science but they are not scientific,” he mentioned and added, “Science has its basis in Vedas but Vedas don’t have their basis in science. Science needs Vedas,” regarding the assertions that the basis of many scientific discoveries was Vedas.
He also raised the horrific acts that Christians committed in the name of their faith, pointing out that although it could be claimed that all religions are the same, the people who follow them are not. He underlined, “I think the point is understanding prophets and sacred teachings. If you look at what Christianity has done in neuro in medieval times, it’s horrible. I am sure it has nothing to do with the teachings of Christ. Whatever is good for human beings is common. We can say all religions are the same but it’s not like the people following these religions are the same.”
He brought up his own research and experiences with the Bhagavad Gita and Vedanta. He provided an insight of his acute comprehension and conveyed, “Of course, Vedanta has two basic teachings running together. One is Karma Yoga, the way of living ‘dharmik’ life and this is how you can stabilise your mind and emotions. There is always a self-understanding of the whole process. This is something that you can verify all the time. The second subject is Aatma Gyanam, the understanding of the self. It cannot be objectified. You can see your mind, body and the external world but you cannot see the witness. For this witness, you need a Pramaana. You get this certainty from the nature of self.”
The only thing that matters, he declared with delight, is that he was happier than he was before and added, “For me a good day of prayer and going to the temple is better than going to the beach, so I do that.”
Masetti highlighted, “Western ideology cannot bring you happiness. But the Indian culture, if you go beyond religion, and go for knowledge of the Vedas, all the cues are there for a person to become, mature, and peaceful. If you want to rule over western ideology, you need to embrace the Vedic culture. Comfort and happiness are two different things and I need to understand the difference. If I don’t see the difference, my mind will get attached to the materialistic world. Spiritual path has to be a part of life and not viewed as something that one picks up after retirement.”
He also talked about the westernization of young Indians and stressed, “Nowadays, the Indian youth is charmed by Western ideology, but I must say it is very shallow. It cannot bring happiness, peace, or a sense of adequacy. So I would say that for Indian youth, Vedas aren’t just a secret weapon for your own well-being but for success in life as well.”
“In Brazil, we have students from different religions who have become Hindus of their own choice. Ayurveda, astrology, asanas, and Vedanta are all tools for humanity. They are a means to live a happier and meaningful life. When the person is interested in healing, in happiness, in a better life; they should be open to receiving knowledge independently of the source. With Brazil being such a multicultural country, the people in general have an open heart. They are open to diverse cultures,” he stated.
He also talked about his initiative in his home country and stated, “We are doing everything on our own. All our classes are based on the contribution model. We have volunteers among our students. That’s how we have been run. I don’t want it to be a giant organisation. I am alone doing this. The next step would be to bring new teachers who could spread this knowledge.”
He then addressed the problem of a miserable life and dilemmea over specific issues. He mentioned, “In Brazil, we have a school called Chhatralya. That is for students who live in poor areas. Currently, there are 40 students who are receiving spiritual teachings. We think that spirituality comes naturally but it’s not true. You have to put hard work in that direction. My message to youths is that they are very charmed by the Western culture. I must say there is no fulfilment there.”
He declared, “I don’t claim to be superior or different than anyone else. I present myself as a human being who is keen on sharing the knowledge of Vedas and of course, helping others. I believe that human life is short and precious and following the teachings of Bhagavad Gita makes it worthwhile. Moreover, the essence of Vedas can only be passed to people who are sincere.”
