A Biography of Prabhuji
By Swami Ramananda
His Holiness Avadhuta Sri Ramakrishnananda Babaji Maharaja, who is respectfully and lovingly called “Prabhuji” by his disciples, devotees, followers and friends, is a religious philosopher, a tantric master, a mystic, a yogi and a realized spiritual master in several of the main yogic paths, especially, hatha, raja, bhakti and jñana. Prabhuji is also an internationally recognized humanitarian leader, who brings together volunteers from different countries through his projects to society. Prabhuji was born in Santiago, Republic of Chile, on March 21st, 1958. At the age of eight, he had a mystical experience that impelled him to search for the Truth and set the course of his life.
Prabhuji dedicated most of his youth to the exploration, study and practice of different religions and spiritual paths. After years of study, he realized that his childhood experience was a mysterious initiation given by Existence itself; he knew that what he received was only the seed of this wisdom, which he had to continue revealing through spiritual practice and meditation.
His spiritual interest led him to travel to many countries in search of association with religious or spiritual personalities who could offer him some information and guidance about his early transcendental experience. He journeyed throughout his homeland for two years; during this period, he came into contact with the Mapuche culture, discovering the nobility of the huaso, people in the countryside and the goodness of the peasant. At the age of twenty-one, he expanded his horizons to other South American countries, going as far as Brazil. It was during this time that he came into contact with the Aymara culture and various shamans. Later on, he traveled to places and cultures so distant for him, such as Europe, the Middle East, India, Canada, and finally the United States, where he has settled until this day.
Throughout his thirty years of searching, he studied and practiced different spiritual paths. He learned Shamanism and Santeria from his paternal grandmother in his early childhood. Later on, he devoted himself to the Umbanda religion.
During his adolescence, he delved into Christianity (Catholicism, Seventh-day Adventism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian mysticism). During those years, he dedicated most of his time to studying and carefully exploring Christian theology. His biblical studies culminated in the official ordinance as pastor. His studies of the Old Testament aroused his curiosity for the Semitic roots of the Christian faith. This path led him to the Middle East where he learned Hebrew and Aramaic, the original languages of the Bible. In Israel, he had the opportunity to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of Judaism for several years, as well as study the Bible, the Talmud, the Shulchan Aruch, Hassidism, and Kabbalah under the guidance of important rabbis. His insight into Judaism was expressed in three Hebrew books published in Israel: The Short and Long Path from Here to Here, Ayeka, or “Where are you?” and Hineni or “Here I am”.
In 1976, he took his first steps on the path of Hinduism in a Vaishnava Gaudiya temple in Puente Alto, Chile, under the guidance of H.H. Sripad Atulananda Acharya. In those years, Prabhuji learned to live as a strict Vaishnava under the rules and regulations stated by the Hari Bhakti Vilasa scripture. Later on, this code of conduct comprised an integral part of Prabhuji’s life.
During 1983, Prabhuji maintained a frequent exchange of correspondence with Mother Krishnabai, disciple of Swami Ramdas. Finally, the great master gave him her blessings through a letter. He studied and practiced kriya-yoga of Yogananda Paramahamsa, being initiated as a Kriyaban in 1988 within the "Self Realization Fellowship".
Furthermore, he dedicated long periods of his life to the study of Bhuddhism (Thera-vada, Mahayana, and Tantric), Taoism, Sikhism, tantra (Dakshinachara and Vamachara), Neotantra, Western philosophy, Sufism, yoga, (karma, bhakti, hatha, raja, kundalini, mantra, and jñana), Hinduism (Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism), among others.
His great interest for martial arts, especially for Karate Do, lead him to delve into Zen Buddhism according to the Soto and Rinzai traditions. In India, he learned meditation with the venerable Medhananda, a monk from Sri Lanka who follows Theravada Buddhism.
Prabhuji devoted several years of his life to the study of hatha yoga, and he was certified as an instructor, teacher and master in the discipline. His intense studies were accredited with various titles by renowned organizations, such as the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta, Yoga Research Foundation, Integral Yoga, Ananda Ashram, World Yoga University, Swami Sivananda Yogasana Research Center, Rishikesh Yoga Peeth, Ma Yoga Shakti International Mission, Prana Yoga Ashram, and Aham Brahmasmi Yoga Mandir.
His profound studies and twenty years of teaching turned him into an authority in the field of hatha yoga. During these two decades, he prepared a large number of hatha yoga instructors and teachers.
As a complementary field, he graduated in 1993 as a professional chiropractor from the prestigious Health Institute for the Back and Limbs of Dr. Sheinerman, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Prabhuji has earned the recognition of respected Hindu spiritual authorities due to his wisdom and devotion. He has been awarded titles such as Yoga-shiromani, Krishna-bhakta and Yogacarya, personally from His Holiness Swami Vishnu Devananda; Yoga-ratna, granted by His Holiness Swami Jyotirmayananda Sarasvati; Bhaktivedanta and Bhakti-shastri, obtained directly from His Holiness Sri B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami Maharaja; and many other titles, such as Pracarya, Yoga-pravina, Veda-vidyalankara, etc.
His erudition in Hinduism and yoga is certified by diplomas and titles from prestigious organizations such as Jiva Institute for Vedic Studies in Vrindavan, Prana Yoga Ashram, Patanjala Yoga Kendra, Rishikesh Yoga Peeth, Vrindavan Institute of Vaishnava Culture and Studies, among others. In 2013, he was honored with the titles of "Yogi" and "Yoga Acharya", granted by the Institute of Yoga Sciences and Research of Indore, India, in recognition of his dedication and service in the field of yoga.
Within Sanatana Dharma, Prabhuji received personal guidance and instruction from great spiritual masters of their time such as H.H. Swami Vishnu Devananda, H.H. Swami Swaroopananda, H.H. Swami Mahadevananda, H.H. Tamala Krishna Goswami, H.H. Narahari das Babaji,H.H. Swami Swahananda, H.H. Swami Krishnananda, H.H. Krishna das Babaji, Sant Keshava das, H.H. Swami Viditatmananda, H.H. Swami Dayananda, H.H. Swami Satchidananda, H.H. Swami Narayana, His Holiness Krishna Das Babaji H.H. Swami Pratyagbodhananda, H.H. B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaja, H.H. Sripad Bhakti Srirupa Radhanti Maharaj and others.
He met spiritually advanced beings, thinkers, philosophers, pastors, rabbis, priests, monks, roshis, lamas, Kabbalists, yogis, tantrikas, gurus, devotees, mystics, shamans, guides, and masters of different traditions, lines, paths and religions. In India, Her Grace Mataji Reena Sharma, an incarnation of Mahadevi, or the Divine Mother of the Universe, initiated him in the millenarian wisdom of Tantra Shakta.In 1986, he personally received initiation from His Holiness Swami Vishnu Devananda, founder of Shivananda Ashram, with the name Ramakrishna. After an extensive period of practice and study of Hinduism, in 1995, H.H. Swami Jyotirmayananda, disciple of H.H. Swami Shivananda Saraswati of Rishiskesh, initiated him as a sannyasa.
Despite his advancement and progress, Prabhuji did not feel fully realized. In 1996, in India, he had the grace of meeting his spiritual master, His Holiness Avadhuta Shri Brahmananda Babaji Maharaja, disciple of His Holiness Avadhuta Shri Mastarama Babaji Maharaja of Rishikesh, who initiated and accepted him as a personal disciple.
After meeting his spiritual master, Prabhuji dedicated himself to an intensive meditative sadhana for several months. His devotion and commitment to his spiritual master has been complete and unreserved. It was on an afternoon in August 1997 when the process that began in his childhood was completed in Prabhuji. On that day, all of the years that he persevered in his search were crowned with divine realization.
The non-dual message of Prabhuji, cVimukti Yoga, or "The Path of the Supreme Liberation", is the synthesis of the path that this great master went along throughout his life.
It reflects all the spiritual paths walked by him during his life. Through his teachings, he has helped countless people around the globe find peace and fulfillment in their lives. The essence of his message is that a spiritual awakening and the transcendence of the egoic phenomenon is the next step in the evolutionary process of humanity. According to his Advaitic teachings, “only God really is and all beings are Divine in essence”.
Prabhuji’s vast literary contribution includes books in Hebrew such as Yoga - experience your presence, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Classical Hatha Yoga; and in Spanish and English he has written Yoga - Union with reality, Ishavasya Upanishad, Narada Bhakti Sutras, Tantra as it is, Kundalini Yoga, Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavata Purana, What is as it is, Bhakti Yoga, Spiritual Stories, and others.
In 2003, Prabhuji founded the Vimukti Yoga Mission, a not-for-profit religious organization dedicated to spreading Vimukti Yoga. The mission publishes books, CDs and DVDs, maintains websites and offers a large variety of satsangs, courses, workshops and meditation retreats throughout the year, which are personally designed by Prabhuji.
The Vimukti Yoga Mission is inspired by His Holiness Sri Avadhuta Mastarama Babaji Maharaja and has the approval of H.H. Avadhuta Sri Brahmananda Babaji Maharaja and the warm blessings of H.H. Srila Narahari das Babaji Maharaja, H.H. Sant Keshavadas, H.H. Krishna das Babaji, H.H. Swami Swahananda, and H.H. Swami Krishnananda Saraswati.
Accepting his Vaishnava roots, in 2005, Prabhuji confirmed his vows of sannyas directly with H.H. B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaja,a disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
In 2010, Prabhuji founded the Vimukti Yoga Institute, an online institute with the purpose of spreading his teachings. The institute features hundreds of conferences and online seminars taught personally by Prabhuji and as well as his more qualified disciples.
In recognition of his transcendental state, in 2011 his spiritual master initiated him into the sacred order of Avadhuta Babaji, giving him the name of Avadhuta Shri Ramakrishnananda Babaji Maharaja.
The following year, Prabhuji founded the Vimukti Yoga Ashram a magnificent ashram that comprises 47 acres in Round Top, New York. In 2012, he set the foundations of Vishwarupa Ganapati Mandir, a temple that serves as a place of pilgrimage in Upstate New York dedicated to Lord Ganesha.
Throughout the years, Prabhuji has received the support, respect, appreciation and official recognition from prominent Hindu religious authorities. His main literary works include Yoga - Union with Reality, Kundalini Yoga and Tantra as it is.
In recent years, the health of H.H. Avadhuta Sri Ramakrishnananda Babaji Maharaja has forced him to retire from public life; he lives secluded in nirjana bhajana, or “solitary worship”, a contemplative life of prayer and meditation in the Vimukti Yoga Ashram in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, U.S.A. In this heavenly place, surrounded by forests and creeks, he shares the direct experience of his true nature with sincere seekers who visit him in search of advice, guidance and instruction. There are many souls thirsty for God who travel from all over the world to the Vimukti Yoga Ashram to experience the powerful presence of the master. Despite being retired, Prabhuji is active in his various humanitarian projects due to his conviction that "serving human beings is serving God.” In January 2013, Prabhuji began Food Distribution Programs in Colombia and the Dominican Republic. In February of the same year, he founded the Ramakrishnananda Tuition Center in the holy city of Rishikesh, India, a project that supports children of poor families.
In January 2012, Prabhuji decided to stop accepting new monastic disciples and he officially renounced to the management of Vimukti Yoga Mission; he put the organization that he founded completely in the hands of his spiritual successors: H.H. Yogacharya Swami Ramananda, H.H. Yogacharya Swami Durgananda, and H.H. Yogacharya Swami Omkarananda.
Pranati Mantra of Prabhuji
nityaṁ niṣkāma-yogī tattvasya vettā ’vadhūtaḥ
sānandāgre sthito yaḥ śrī rāmakṛṣṇābhidhānaḥ
nityaṁ tṛpto na kāmaiḥ saṁsāra-bandhair na yuktaḥ
brahmānanda-prapūrṇas tvāṁ taṁ guro ’haṁ namāmi
“I offer my reverences to you, Avadhuta Shri Ramakrishnananda! Always established in supreme ananda (bliss), you are named for and protected by Sri Rama and Sri Krishna. O Knower of the Truth, you are the ever-satisfied, desireless yogi. Free of all attachments to the material world, you are perpetually overflowing with the bliss of Brahman.”
tantre mantre ca vede yasyāsti pūrṇādhikāraḥ
bhūtātmānau vyatītya prāptaṁ padaṁ yena siddham
bhedān bhittvā hyaśeṣān svasmin sthito yo vareṇyaḥ
īśāvāsyaṁ hi yasmai viśvaṁ guruṁ taṁ namāmi
“O excellent master of all Tantras, mantras and Vedas, you have attained the state of perfection. Having abandoned all sense of partiality, you have transcended matter and spirit and become situated in your own Self. O most beloved and venerated, the one who perceives the Lord everywhere in this world, to you I offer my humble reverences.”
Prabhuji
