| Sri Ramakrishna |
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Sri Ramakrishna, who was born in
1836 and passed away in 1886, represents the very core of the spiritual realizations of the seers and sages of India. His
whole life was literally an uninterrupted contemplation of God. He reached a depth of God-consciousness that transcends all
time and place and has a universal appeal. Seekers of God of all religions feel irresistibly drawn to his life and teachings.
Sri Ramakrishna, as a silent force, influences the spiritual thought currents of our time. Through his God-intoxicated life
Sri Ramakrishna proved that the revelation of God takes place at all times and that God-realization is not the monopoly of
any particular age, country, or people. In him, deepest spirituality and broadest catholicity stood side by side. The God-man
of nineteenth-century India did not found any cult, nor did he show a new path to salvation. His message was his God-consciousness.
When God-consciousness falls short, traditions become dogmatic and oppressive and religious teachings lose their transforming
power. At a time when the very foundation of religion, faith in God, was crumbling under the relentless blows of materialism
and skepticism, Sri Ramakrishna, through his burning spiritual realizations, demonstrated beyond doubt the reality of God
and the validity of the time-honored teachings of all the prophets and saviors of the past, and thus restored the falling
edifice of religion on a secure foundation. Drawn by the magnetism of Sri Ramakrishna's divine personality, people flocked
to him from far and near -- men and women, young and old, philosophers and theologians, philanthropists and humanists, atheists
and agnostics, Hindus and Brahmos, Christians and Muslims, seekers of truth of all races, creeds and castes. His small room
in the Dakshineswar temple garden on the outskirts of the city of Calcutta became a veritable parliament of religions. Everyone
who came to him felt uplifted by his profound God-consciousness, boundless love, and universal outlook. Each seeker saw in
him the highest manifestation of his own ideal. By coming near him the impure became pure, the pure became purer, and the
sinner was transformed into a saint. The greatest contribution of Sri Ramakrishna to the modern world is his message of the
harmony of religions. To Sri Ramakrishna all religions are the revelation of God .Thus he declared, "As many faiths, so many
paths." The paths vary, but the goal remains the same. Harmony of religions is not uniformity; it is unity in diversity. It
is not a fusion of religions, but a fellowship of religions based on their common goal -- communion with God. This harmony
is to be realized by deepening our individual God-consciousness. In the present-day world, threatened by nuclear war and torn
by religious intolerance, Sri Ramakrishna's message of harmony gives us hope and shows the way.
| Swami Vivekananda |
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SWAMI VIVEKANANDA'S inspiring personality was well known both in India and in America
during the last decade of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth. The unknown monk of India suddenly
leapt into fame at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, at which he represented Hinduism. His vast knowledge
of Eastern and Western culture as well as his deep spiritual insight, fervid eloquence, brilliant conversation, broad human
sympathy, colourful personality, and handsome figure made an irresistible appeal to the many types of Americans who came in
contact with him. People who saw or heard Vivekananda even once still cherish his memory after a lapse of more than half a
century.In America Vivekananda's mission was the interpretation of India's spiritual culture, especially in its Vedantic setting.
He also tried to enrich the religious consciousness of the Americans through the rational and humanistic teachings of the
Vedanta philosophy. In America he became India's spiritual ambassador and pleaded eloquently for better understanding between
India and the New World in order to create a healthy synthesis of East and West, of religion and science.In his own motherland
Vivekananda is regarded as the patriot saint of modern India and an inspirer of her dormant national consciousness, To the
Hindus he preached the ideal of a strength-giving and man-making religion. Service to man as the visible manifestation of
the Godhead was the special form of worship he advocated for the Indians, devoted as they were to the rituals and myths of
their ancient faith. Many political leaders of India have publicly acknowledged their indebtedness to Swami Vivekananda.The
Swami's mission was both national and international. A lover of mankind, be strove to promote peace and human brotherhood
on the spiritual foundation of the Vedantic Oneness of existence. A mystic of the highest order, Vivekananda had a direct
and intuitive experience of Reality. He derived his ideas from that unfailing source of wisdom and often presented them in
the soulstirring language of poetry.The natural tendency of Vivekananda's mind, like that of his Master, Ramakrishna, was
to soar above the world and forget itself in contemplation of the Absolute. But another part of his personality bled at the
sight of human suffering in East and West alike. It might appear that his mind seldom found a point of rest in its oscillation
between contemplation of God and service to man. Be that as it may, he chose, in obedience to a higher call, service to man
as his mission on earth; and this choice has endeared him to people in the West, Americans in particular.In the course of
a short life of thirty-nine years (1863-1902), of which only ten were devoted to public activities-and those, too, in the
midst of acute physical suffering-he left for posterity his four classics: Jnana-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, and Raja-Yoga,
all of which are outstanding treatises on Hindu philosophy. In addition, he delivered innumerable lectures, wrote inspired
letters in his own hand to his many friends and disciples, composed numerous poems, and acted as spiritual guide to the many
seekers, who came to him for instruction. He also organized the Ramakrishna Order of monks, which is the most outstanding
religious organization of modern India. It is devoted to the propagation of the Hindu spiritual culture not only in the Swami's
native land, but also in America and in other parts of the world.
| KABIR |
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Six
hundred years ago Kabir was born in India in 1398 AD. He lived for 120 years and is said to have relinquished his body in
1518. This period is also said to be the beginning of Bhakti Movement in India.A
weaver by profession, Kabir ranks among the world's greatest Hindu poets. Back home in India, he is perhaps the most quoted
author. The Holy Guru Granth Sahib contains over 500 verses by Kabir. He Composed some Dohas, Love Songs and Mystic Poems
as he was a siddha yogi.
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| Maha Avtaar Babaji |
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Kriya Babaji Nagaraj, Mahavatar Babaji or Shiva Baba. Born in 203 AD in
Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu, India, called Nagaraj (King of the Serpents). He was initiated by Agastyar into Kriya Kundalini
Pranayama at Courtrallam, Pothigai Hills, Tamil Nadu. Babaji, and his guru Agastyar, are part of the Siddha yoga tradition,
which extends back at least 10,000 years.Babaji guides from a distance, is rarely seen and usually remains invisible.
Babaji appeared one day as a man of some twenty years of age and is currently over 2000 years old. He still looks the same
as seen in the picture. He is most frequently seen in the Himalayas.
| SRI YUKTESHWAR |
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Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri (1855-1936) was Lahiri Mahasaya's disciple and the Guru of
Paramahansa Yogananda. His family name was Priya Nath Karar. He was born on May 10, 1855 in Serampore, where his father was
a wealthy businessman. He left him the mansion which became his hermitage. His middle life was blessed with the guidance of
Lahiri Mahasaya. Priya Nath Karar was married but after the death of his wife he joined the Swami Order and received the new
name of Sri Yukteswar Giri. At the behest of Lahiri Mahasaya's Guru, the deathless Mahavatar Babaji, he wrote "The Holy Science",
a book where there is underlined the unity between the Scriptures of Christianity and the Hindu scriptures. He trained Paramahansa
Yogananda for his spiritual world-mission: the dissemination of Kriya Yoga.He left consciously his body on March 9, 1935 in Puri
and he returned three months later in a supernal new body before the astonished eyes of his beloved disciple Paramahansa Yogananda
and a week later before an aged woman, Ma (Mother), whose home was close to the Puri hermitage.
| LAHIRI MAHASAYA |
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Yogiraj Lahiri Baba. In 1861, in the Himalayas, he received initiation
and guidance from Babaji on Kriya Yoga. The story goes that one day his employer decided to transfer him to an office located
in a small town in the foothills of the Himalayas. While out walking one afternoon after his arrival, he met Babaji. He then
stayed with him for a while and was instructed in the scientific techniques of Kriya Yoga. Babaji told him to initiate any
person who sincerely desired to learn and practice Kriya Yoga. Shortly thereafter Lahiri Baba's employer decided to transfer
him back to his home town. From that time on, Lahiri Baba initiated and guided thousands of devotees. For this reasons, he
is often thought of as the Father of Kriya Yoga.
| SRI YOGANANDA |
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Paramahansa Yogananda was born Mukunda Lal Ghosh on January 5, 1893, in Gorakhpur,
India, into a devout and well-to-do Bengali family. From his earliest years, it was evident to those around him that the depth
of his awareness and experience of the spiritual was far beyond the ordinary. In his youth he sought out many of India's sages
and saints, hoping to find an illumined teacher to guide him in his spiritual quest.It was in 1910, at the age of 17, that
he met and became a disciple of the revered Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri. In the hermitage of this great master of Yoga he spent
the better part of the next ten years, receiving Sri Yukteswar's strict but loving spiritual discipline. After he graduated
from Calcutta University in 1915, he took formal vows as a monk of India's venerable monastic Swami Order, at which time he
received the name Yogananda (signifying bliss, ananda, through divine union, yoga). His ardent desire to consecrate
his life to the love and service of God thus found fulfillment.Yogananda emphasized the underlying unity of the world's great
religions, and taught universally applicable methods for attaining direct personal experience of God. To serious students of his teachings he introduced the soul-awakening techniques of Kriya Yoga, a sacred spiritual science originating millenniums ago in India, which had been lost in the Dark Ages
and revived in modern times by his lineage of enlightened masters.Among those who became his students were many prominent
figures in science, business, and the arts, including horticulturist Luther Burbank, operatic soprano Amelita Galli-Curci,
George Eastman (inventor of the Kodak camera), poet Edwin Markham, and symphony conductor Leopold Stokowski. In 1927, he was
officially received at the White House by President Calvin Coolidge, who had become interested in the newspaper reports of
his activities.Yogananda's life story, Autobiography of a Yogi, was published in 1946 and expanded by him in subsequent editions. A perennial best seller, the book
has been in continuous publication since it first appeared and has been translated into 18 languages. It is widely regarded
as a modern spiritual classic.On March 7, 1952, Paramahansa Yogananda entered mahasamadhi, a God-illumined master's
conscious exit from the body at the time of physical death. His passing was marked by an extraordinary phenomenon. A notarized
statement signed by the Director of Forest Lawn Memorial-Park testified: "No physical disintegration was visible in his body
even twenty days after death....This state of perfect preservation of a body is, so far as we know from mortuary annals, an
unparalleled one....Yogananda's body was apparently in a phenomenal state of immutability."
| GORAKHNATH |
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Gorakhnath(the greatest Siddha), the disciple of Matsyendranath, is credited with the
foundation of Laya or Kundalini Yoga and Hatha Yoga. He is also revered by many of the Natha subsects as their founder.Such
sects are called Kanphata (split ear) after their initiationrite in which the ear cartilage was cut to allow the insertion
oflarge wooden rings.Both Gorakhnath and Matsyendranath are credited with fantastic powers and magical ability.The Gurkhas,
famed inbattle for their heroism, worship Gorakhnath as a god and he has many centres of worship in Nepal. Gorakhnath is the traditional author of the first treatise on Hatha Yoga, now lost, and is called the founder of Hatha Yoga. Various
texts are attributed to him which are all expositions of the practices and mystic doctrines of Hatha Yoga. The most important
are the Siddhasiddhanta-paddhati and Goraksa-sataka written in Sanskrit and the Sabadi and Gorakhbodh written in old Hindi.
| TRAILANGA SWAMI Ji |
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GREAT SAGES
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| Sri Saibaba |
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Sai ( means "Saint" in Persian) was incidentally and instantaneously
coined by Bhagat Mhalsapati when he accosted a handsome young fakir circa 1858 AD.. Little did he know that the world inherited
from that moment the word that would be repeated enormously and with utmost devotion by people all over the world. The divine
role of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba in the present embodiment covered a period of about 64 years between 1854, when He made His first appearance
in Shirdi, and 1918 when He left His body. However, sixty years of stay at Shirdi on his second appearance between 1858 and
1918 manifested the depth and expansiveness of his unique role. The period in which Shri Sai lived and influenced scores of people is as historic and universal and replete with inter-religious and
inter-cultural interactions as was his philosophy in life. The Indian fabric was woven with racial, cultural and religious
threads.. The Mughal empire was on the wane and the British Empire was in the process of laying its foundations. Western culture
and Christianity were slowly entering into the mainstream of Indian life. Religious and cultural intolerance were raising
their ugly heads in the Post-Sepoy-Mutiny Scenario of India. The scenario cried out loud for a leader, a messiah who could
bring about harmony among the divergent religious, cultural groups in such a situation. This formidable task could only have
been possible by a human bestowed with the qualities and power of God, who could dare and accomplish the task of bringing
unity between the different religious and social groups. Shri Sai was the manifestation of this Godliness as was proven by
the association of a large number of Hindu Parsi and Muslim devotees with him. Christians and Sikhs also used to visit Him.
His own antecedents are unknown to mankind and history. Was he a Muslim since he uttered "Allah Bhala Kare"? Was he Hindu
since he was well versed in all Hindu scriptures and Holy Books? The vibrant religious harmony were reflected in his words
"Sab Ka Malik Ek" ( One God governs all). All were treated alike by him. Under his umbrella, both the Hindus and Muslims happily
took part in each others religious festivals. The caste scheme of the Hindus had no relevance with Shri Sai. He had introduced
the tradition of group worship, group prayer and group dining for all and would share his "Chillum" ( tobacco pipe) with all.
He even showed highest compassion for animals and birds and encouraged his devotees to feed and take care of them. He recognized
no difference in temporal status of human beings. In Him were vested the philosophy of all saints: He practiced and
preached humanism and universal brotherhood prophet like. He established superiority of love and compassion above egoism Christ
like He taught simplicity of livelihood and excellence of human virtue reflected in day to day conduct Buddha-like. In the
post industrialized world of today, humankind is looking for fast-paced, magical solutions to the problems it created yesterday.
All intellectual exercises to bring about peace in the world and happiness to mankind have failed for these efforts are not
based on humanism, universalism and love as taught by Shri Sai.
| Sri Adi Sankracharaya |
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Initiated into the ascetic order at age 8 (supposedly by his Secret Guru Babaji, Govinda
Bhagvatacharaya & Shri Gaudapadacharaya . Vanquishes many learned scholars in debating on religious topics. Established
4 maths (learning centres) in the North, South, West and East of India. Died in the Himalayas.
Sankara was born to
the nambUdiri brAhmaNa couple, Sivaguru and AryAmbA, in a little village called kAlaDi in Kerala. Sankara was filled with
the spirit of renunciation early in his life. Spent early life in debates with learned spiritual teachers. In the course of
his travels, Sankara reached Kashmir. Here was a temple dedicated to SAradA (sarasvatI), the goddess of learning, which housed
the sarvajnapITha, the Throne of Omniscience. It was a tradition for philosophers to visit the place and engage in debate.
Sankara was reaching the age of 32 now. He had expounded the vedAnta philosophy through his writings; he had attracted many
intelligent disciples to him, who could carry on the vedAntic tradition; and he had established monastic centers for them
in the form of maThas. His had been a short, but eventful life. He retired to the Himalayas and disappeared inside a cave
near Kedarnath. This cave is traditionally pointed out as the site of his samAdhi. Other variant traditions place Sankara's
last days at Karavirpitham or at Mahur in Maharashtra, Trichur in Kerala or Kancipuram in Tamil Nadu. It is a measure of SankarAcArya's
widespread fame that such conflicting traditions have arisen around his name.
| SWAMI SIVANANDA |
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The Great Sannyasin Swami Sivananda
Born in 1887 in Pattamadai, Tamil Nadu, South India, Swami
Sivananda whose name was then Kuppuswami, was a brilliant boy at studying as well as gymnastics and naturally inclined toward
spiritual and religious practices.His parents were very devoted to Lord Siva and Kuppuswa mi was eager to join them twice
daily for worship (Puja) and Kirtan (Mantra chanting).His natural selfless spirit lead him to a career in the medical field.
His amazing eagerness and ability to learn and assimilate his studies earned him the respect of his professors who invited
him to attend surgeries while still in his first year of medical school. Filled with a tremendous desire for spiritual
growth and enlightenment Kuppuswami went to North India in search of his Guru. After spending time in Varanasi (Banaras) he
travelled north to the Himalayas. There in the holy town of Rishikesh (which means "the abode of the sages") Kuppuswami discovered
his Guru who gave him Sannyas (a monk's vows of renunciation). After taking these vows, Swami Sivananda Saraswati, as he would
be known henceforth, started an extremely intense daily Sadhana (spiritual practices) and Tapas (austerities) for the next
10 years or so. By the end of that period many co-Sadhus felt drawn to Swami Sivananda for his instruction and his spiritual
inspiration.
Swami Sivananda, The World Teacher
From that time Swami Sivananda became one of the most prolific Yoga teachers who has
ever existed. Although he rarely left the little town of Rishikesh (with only 2 India tours and no visits abroad) Swami Sivananda's
teachings spread quickly throughout our entire planet. He personally wrote - by hand, no computers at the time :-) - more
than 200 books on topics connected to Yoga and Philosophy. He wrote in a style that is very direct and bursting with dynamic,
spiritual energy. As a result many who read his books felt their lives deeply touched and transformed and so came from all
of India, all of the world, to learn from him directly, and to bask in his holy presence. The teachings of Master Sivananda are summarized in these 6 words:
"Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize".
In 1957, Swami sivananda sent his devoted and industrious disciple, Swami Vishnu-devananda to the West where he then established the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers.
| RAMANA MAHARISHI |
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RamanaMaharishi - Ramana Maharishi Gurus Ascended master Tantra Teacher Yogi Disciple.
| SRI AURBINDO |
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| MANTRA-TANTRA |
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