Swami Ramakrishnananda, or as his disciples call him with love and affection, Śrīla Gurudev, is a sannyāsī, an orthodox monk. He has accepted the renounced order of life within Hinduism, one of the most ancient religions and traditions known to humanity. Over time he has become one of its most loyal representatives in the Western world.
Swami Ramakrishnananda is a yogī, a mystic, a philosopher, a spiritual master, and for us, his disciples and followers, undoubtedly a completely enlightened being who has dedicated his life to the service of God and Humanity.
He is an American citizen, originally born in Santiago, Chile on March 21st, 1958.
A spontaneous and profound transcendental experience at the age of eight led Swami Ramakrishnananda to a life of passionate searching for God and the Truth.
His efforts to experience "That" again made him travel and reside in the most remote and diverse places, countries, cultures, and nations, far from the South American culture in which he was educated. This search has brought him to associate with great devotees, mystics, guides, and spiritual masters of different lineages, paths, faiths, and spiritual schools.
His first encounter with an established religion was in 1977 with the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava religious current, which follows the Bengali tradition of Lord Śrī Caitanya, in the Puente Alto temple, Chile. It was there that he began his studies of bhakti—yoga directly with His Holiness Śrī Śrīmad Atulānanda Ācārya, studies that would later continue with His Holiness Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Āloka Paramādvaitī Swami Mahārāja, who personally granted him the title Bhakti Śāstrī and Tridaṇḍī Bhikṣu. These two outstanding masters of bhakti—yoga, founders of the organization Vrinda, are direct disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda.
Gradually, in his heart, an incredible and inexplicable love for India and all things related to the Vedic culture developed, which he later attributed to previous lifetimes.
His Holiness Śrī Śrīmad Swami Viṣṇu Devānanda, a direct disciple of Śrī Swami Śivānanda Sarasvatī, granted him first initiation, or dīkṣā, in the mahā—mantra with the name Rāmakṛṣṇa. From that first initiation, the mahā—mantra has never left Swami Ramakrishnananda. Swami Viṣṇu Devānanda would be a guide and a source of inspiration in the first years of Swami Ramakrishnananda's studies of integral yoga, in all its varied aspects.
In 1988, Swami Viṣṇu Devānanda, in recognition of his erudition, love, and devotion for Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and of his wisdom and authority in the field of bhakti—yoga, honored him with the special title — Kṛṣṇa Bhakta. This was the first and only time that Swami Viṣṇu Devānanda, by the spiritual authority granted to him by his own spiritual master, Śrī Śrī Swami Śivānanda, had ever bestowed this rare title to anyone.
Swami Ramakrishnananda continued to deepen his studies of Hinduism, Vedic philosophy and yoga, directly from some of the most renowned masters of his time, receiving their instruction, guidance, and benediction.
He received many diplomas and certificates from masters such as His Holiness Śrī Śrī Swami Saccidānanda, His Holiness Śrī Śrī Swami Jyotirmayānanda, His Holiness Śrī Śrī Swami Brahmānanda, His Holiness Swami Kṛṣṇānanda, His Holiness Brahmānanda Sarasvatī, and others.
He received the certificate of Yoga Teacher from Brahmānanda Sarasvatī of Ānanda Ashram. Finally, he reached the highest degree of Yoga Ācārya or Master Ācārya of Yoga, a title he received personally in 1989 from Swami Viṣṇu Devānanda, the founder of Śivānanda centers of Yoga Vedanta in the Śivānanda Ashram of Canada.
Years later, the title Yoga Ācārya was granted to him by the prestigious Śrī Śańkarānanda Yoga Ashram of Mysore, India, as well as the title Yoga Pravīṇa, which he received from Śrī Vivekānanda Yoga Pratiṣṭhān.
In the year 1990, Swami Jyotirmayānanda, founder of The Yoga Research Foundation, granted him the title Yoga Ratna, or The Jewel of Yoga.
In August of 1991, he was honored by being officially initiated into the sacred thread and ordained as a brahmana within the Sanātana—dharma by Kīrtanānanda Swami.
He met His Holiness Swami Kṛṣṇānanda of the Divine Life Society in India, a disciple of Swami Śivānanda, with whom he had the great opportunity to delve deeper into the knowledge of haṭha—yoga.
In 1995 His Holiness Śrī Śrī Swami Jyotirmayānanda Sarasvatī requested that he initiate disciples in the sacred Vedic mantras and granted him the order of renounced life, or sannyāsī, within the Sarasvatī order, under the name of Ramakrishnananda Swami. Swami Jyotirmayānanda himself recommended to some sincere seekers, that they see Swami Ramakrishnananda as their spiritual master.
During that same year, he personally met and received personal formal initiation from His Divine Grace Śrī Bābā Brahmānanda Mahārāja, born in Īśanagar, India, in 1931, and a disciple of the great siddha saint His Divine Grace Bhagavān Mastarāma Bābājī Mahārāja.
In one of his journeys to India, in the sacred city of Vṛndāvana, he met the one who would later become one of his most important instructing masters, or śikṣā—gurus, His Divine Grace Śrīla Narahari Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, a Vaiṣṇava saint of the Gauḍīya tradition, a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and disciple of His Divine Grace Śrīla Nityānanda Dāsa Bābājī. This saintly Bābājī gave instructions of great value and very important guidance in the path of bhakti—yoga to the restless seeker.
Swami Ramakrishnananda's love for bhakti and his devotion to Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, pushed him to ask for confirmation of his sannyāsī, or renounced monk vows, from a Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī in the line of Kṛṣṇa—bhakti, in a traditional Vedic ceremony in the Ashram of Vrinda. His Divine Grace B.A. Paramādvaiti Swami Mahārāja confirmed his vows of sannyāsī and granted him the title Bhaktivedānta.
In 2001, he was initiated in the mantra of Durgā Devī Mātā personally by Her Holiness Mā Yoga Śakti.
In 2007, he met another one of his instructional spiritual masters, or śikṣā—gurus, His Holiness Swami Svahānanda,of the Rāmakṛṣṇa order, disciple of Swami Vijñānanda. The respected swami officially initiated him, granting him valuable guidance in meditation.
In the year 2000, Swami Ramakrishnananda arrived in the United States, where he decided to give himself up completely to sharing what happens within his heart. It was only in the United States, in 2003, that he decided, for the first time, at the request of his Guru Mahārāja and many of his friends, and with the intention of spreading his message, to officially create a formal institution, the Ramakrishnananda Yoga Vedanta Mission, a religious Hindu organization, where, for the first time, he began to officially accepting disciples in the ancient Vedic tradition.
His vision and realization of Hinduism, sākṣi—yoga, is expressed in his message; it is particularly suited to modern society.
The life of Swamijī is an example of perseverance in the search for the Truth, surrender, respect, and service toward his gurus and his masters, a life of incomparable passion for God.
The message of Śrīla Gurudev is an invitation for all mankind to live each moment in its fullness and totality with complete awareness. For him, the timeless message of yoga, Hinduism, and the ancient spiritual masters is to realize the unconditional freedom as the true and authentic nature of every being.
His devotion or bhakti and his constant experience of the Self or Vedānta, make him a faithful representative of his title, Bhaktivedānta, and of Hinduism.
His works, lectures, workshops, and activities, imbibed with his wisdom, seriousness, and devotion, inspired the affection, appreciation, and support that he receives from both the Hindu community, as from his disciples, friends, and the public at large.
Swami Ramakrishnananda is a true source of inspiration for those who know him.