Hindu Mystics and Gurus-C

19th, 20th and 21st Century John Ruskin’s, Unto This Last, he is well known for his nonviolent resistance. He practiced simplicity, Hindu Mystics and Gurus vegetarianism, celibacy, and aparigraha, or non- and two Englishmen possession. He was an exemplary mystic. Compiled by Jon Mundy, Ph.D. 1879–1950 Ramana Maharshi is 1836–1886 Ramakrishna perhaps one of the most influential of taught the Vedanta system of non- the Hindu spiritual teachers. He taught dualism. He had several profound self-enquiry. In 1896, at the age of 16, mystical experiences as a young he had a "death-experience" where he boy. Describing at one point how became aware of a "current" or "force" watching white cranes flying again which he recognized as his true "I" or the background of an evening sky "self. He is often regarded as a primary threw him into an ecstasy. He teacher of Advaita Vedanta. When a sought to also experience the Truth of Christianity and student would come to him and ask a Islam and concluded that the goal of all religion is the question, he would respond with, "Who wants to know?" embodiment of the divine. His primary disciple was Vivekananda. 1882–1950 Sri Aurobindo was a Hindu nationalist, scholar, yogi, guru, poet, mystic, and Mystics in every religion speak philosopher and nationalist. He joined the same tongue and teach the same truth. the Indian movement for independence Indian, Swami Vivekananda from British rule and was for a while one of its most influential leaders. He became 1862-1902, Swami Vivekananda (India) the main a spiritual reformer, introducing his disciple of Ramakrishna is one of visions on human progress and spiritual the major figures in the history evolution. He developed a spiritual path of Hindu Reform movements, an he called Integral Yoga. A Life Divine is influential teacher of Vedanta not world denial; it includes active participation in life. and yoga. He is the first known Indian sage to bring Hinduism to 1884–1963, Swami Ramdas was an the West. At the World’s Indian saint, philosopher, philanthropist, Parliament of Religions in pilgrim. He became a wandering Chicago, in 1893, he opened his ascetic at a young age. In 1922 he speech with this line, "Sisters and Brothers of America." met Ramana Maharshi. As a result, he The audience clapped for two minutes, and the speech went into his first retreat, living for 21 catapulted him to fame with lectures all over the US. A days in solitude in a cave in Arunachala. street in downtown Chicago is named Swami Upon leaving this cave he began claiming that, “All was Vivekananda Way. Ram, nothing but Ram.” 1861–1941 Rabindranath “Just as a flower gives out its fragrance to whomsoever Tagore was a Bengali poet and approaches our uses it, so love from within us radiates literary figure influenced by the towards everybody and manifests as spontaneous mysticism of the Vedic sages, the service.” Swami Ramdas Upanishads, and the Bhakti-Sufi mystic Kabir. In 1913, he became 1887-1963, Sivananda was a the first "non-Westerner" to receive proponent of Yoga and Vedanta. the Nobel Prize for literature. In He studied medicine and served for 1915, English author Evelyn Underhill wrote an several years as a physician and he introduction to his "100 Poems." He writes “Once we founder of the Divine Life Society dreamt that we were strangers. We wake up to find that in 1936. He authored 200 books on we were dear to each other.” Yoga, Vedanta, and founded the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh. 1869–1948 Mahatma Gandhi, His disciples included Swami "the father of India," remained a Hindu Chinmayananda, Satchidananda (1914-2002) and his entire life. Influenced by Leo Vishndevananda. The Sivananda Ashram in NYC is Tolstoy’s (1828–1910, Russia) The named after him. Kingdom of God Is Within You and 1895–1986 Jiddu Krishnamurti is in a class by 1894–1969 Meher Baba was an himself. Born in India he spent most of his life in the Indian guru of Persian descent who United States. He would not accept disciples, as he spent long periods of fasting in said, “People use the guru as a crutch.” Refusing to seclusion. From 1925 to the end of his play the role of a guru, he urged his listeners to be a life, he communicated only with an light unto themselves. His primary teaching is the alphabet board. He taught that the pursuit of freedom from the ego. In 1929 phenomenal world is an illusion and Krishnamurti disbanded The that the Universe is imagination, that Order of the Star of the East God is what really exists, and that founded to support him. For the each soul is really God passing next sixty years he traveled the through imagination to realize world, speaking about self- individually His own divinity. knowledge. George Bernard Shaw said Krishnamurti was the 1895-1986, Wei Wu most beautiful human being he Wei, (Terence Gray) was an ever saw. Krishnamurti and Englishman and theatre Aldous Huxley were friends and producer who created Huxley wrote the foreword to Krishnamurti book The the Cambridge Festival First and Last Freedom. He was also friends with and Theatre as an experimental influenced the works of Joseph Campbell. He was theatre in Cambridge. He considered a great teacher by Ramana Maharshi, produced over 100 plays Anandamayi Ma, and Osho (1931-1990, India). A there between 1926 and 1933. Gray maintained his spiritual teacher who disavowed rituals and dogma, family's racehorses in England and Ireland and in 1957 Krishnamurti claimed that liberation is available, his horse Zarathustra won the Ascot Gold Cup. He here—now. At age 90 he addressed the United dropped out of society in 1958, went to India, studied Nations about peace, and he was awarded the 1984 with Ramana Maharshi, and wrote several inspirational UN Peace Medal. books under the pseudonym of Wei Wu Wei. In Chinese Wei Wu Wei means “non-meddlesome action.” He was 1898–1981 Paul Brunton was a a tremendous influence on Ramesh Belsekar. British philosopher, traveler, mystic and guru, and a true "seeker" who 1896–1981 Anandamayi Ma dedicated his life to the inner search. (Bangladesh) Sivananda described He went to India where he spent time her as "the most perfect flower the with Meher Baba and Ramana Indian soil had ever produced." Maharshi. He is credited along with Paramhansa Yogananda Madam Blavatsky, Vivekananda and translates Anandamayi as Yogananda as the man who "joy permeated." This name was introduced Eastern Philosophy to the Western World. He given to her by her devotees in the 1920s to describe introduce Ramana Maharshi to the West through his what they saw as her habitual state of divine joy and books, "A Search in Secret India" and "The Secret bliss. She said she became completely empty with no Path." sense of "I am." She is," she said, "nobody." 1897–1981 Sri Maharaja 1893–1952 Paramahansa Nisargadatta was an Yogananda was the founder of the Self- Indian Guru of non-dualism. The Realization Fellowship in 1917. He publication in 1973 of I Am That, taught the need for direct experience of brought him worldwide mystical truth. "The true basis of religion recognition and followers, is not belief, but intuitive experience. especially from North America and Intuition is the soul’s power of knowing Europe. He said that our true God. To know what religion is all about, nature is perpetually free, peaceful one must know God." His Autobiography awareness. This awareness is different from the of a Yogi has been a perennial bestseller since the early personal, individual consciousness that is related to the 20th century. See the movie “Awake.” body. He influenced Wei Wu Wei, Ramesh Belsekar and Jed McKenna. his ashram in Genishpuri, India I had my first experience 1897–2009 Ramesh of Kundalini Shakti. His spiritual autobiography is The Belsekar was a disciple of Play of Consciousness. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. He was drawn to the nondualism 1910-1997 H.W.L. Poonja, of Advaita, particularly the also known as "Poonjaji" or teachings of Ramana "Papaji". Although he denied Maharshi and Wei Wu Wei. He being part of any formal tradition, wrote more than 20 books, was he is considered a yogi-saint of president of the Bank of India, the Advaita Vedanta and Bhakti and received guests daily in his traditions. Although he studied home in Mumbai until shortly under Ramana Maharshi. Ramana before his death. According to Ramesh, Consciousness is Maharshi never claimed to have all there is. Perhaps his best book is "Who Cares?!" any disciples. When he met Ramana Maharshi in 1944, Ramana Maharshi told him. 1897- 1961 Bhagawan Nityananda Nityananda, which means, "always in bliss. Before the I cannot show you God or enable you to see God age of twenty, Nityananda became a wandering yogi, because God is not an object that can be seen. spending time on yogic studies and God is the subject. He is the seer. practices in the Himalayas. In 1936, he Don't concern yourself with objects went to the Shiva temple in the village that can be seen. Find out who the seer is. of Ganeshpuri and asked if he could stay there. The family that looked after 1913-2002 Satchidananda Saraswati was a disciple the temple agreed and built a hut for of Sivananda (1887-1963) a yoga adept, who gained him. As his visitors and followers fame in the west particularly after increased, the hut expanded and patriating in Woodstock Festival in became an ashram. To the people Bethel, NY in 1969.

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