About Science of Identity Foundation
Science of Identity Foundation was established in 1977 by Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa for the purpose of sharing the science of yoga (as taught in the Bhagavad-Gita) and practices individuals can apply in their own lives to optimize their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
At the time Science of Identity Foundation was founded, the common perception was that only those persons willing to renounce the world and live a monastic life could access and apply the teachings of Vaishnava Hinduism, a tradition that has been passed down for centuries through an unbroken line of self-realized teachers. Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa, however, felt it was vital to make these techniques, practices, and spiritual understandings more accessible to the general public so that people could take advantage of this authentic process of self-discovery while continuing to live in the world, have families, jobs, businesses, and in other ways be involved in the community.
As a result, Science of Identity Foundation was never intended to be something that one had to join. It is not an institution with temples, ashrams, or communes, but rather serves as a vehicle to help people understand and integrate the teachings and practices of yoga into their daily lives. Science of Identity Foundation invites people to freely take these teachings, practices, and techniques into their own lives, homes, and hearts.
“My goal is to teach and encourage everyone to apply the teachings of yoga in their own lives. Everyone can turn their home into a temple where they can have morning and evening times for meditation, wisdom, and prayer. They can have their friends and family members congregate, meditate, and study yoga scripture together.
And secondly, my goal is to convince as many people as possible to turn their heart into a temple where they can meditate and worship the Supreme Soul within their hearts every day.”
Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa
Science of Identity Foundation encourages individuals interested in cultivating their relationship with God to practice karma yoga, including yoga meditation, and to use their lives in some way for the well-being of others and the planet. In other words, to be “in this world, but not of this world” by integrating these ancient teachings into their personal lives and, according to their own unique circumstances and occupations, trying to center their lives around the loving service of God and others.
Social Initiatives
Science of Identity Foundation works around the world with partners such as SIFCare (Philippines), Active Child Aid (Russia, Norway, and Poland), and Gopinath Gaudiya Math and the Braj-Vrindavan Act Now! project (India). Their projects include community development, disaster relief, environmental protection, temple restoration, and legal defense in freedom of religion cases.