Video: Swami Ramakrishnananda's Spiritual
Journey
Swami Ramakrishnananda is the disciple of His Divine Grace Sri
Srimad Baba Brahmananda Maharaja, who is one of the most important
disciples of His Divine Grace Sri Bhagavan Mastarama Babaji
Maharaja.
Swami Ramakrishnananda, or as his disciples call him with
affection, Gurudev, is one of the most respected spiritual masters
of our time. He is a sannyasi, an orthodox monk who has
accepted the renounced order of life within Hinduism.
Swami Ramakrishnananda is a yogi, a mystic, a philosopher, a
spiritual master, and for his disciples and followers without a
doubt, a completely enlightened being who has dedicated his life to
the service of God and humanity.
He was born in Chile on March 21st, 1958, and
he is currently an American citizen.
At the age of eight, a spontaneous and profound transcendental
experience led him to a life of passionate searching for God and
the Truth. His efforts to have the experience again made
him travel to and reside in the most remote and diverse countries,
cultures, and nations far from the South American culture in which
he was educated.
This inquiry has brought him to associate with great devotees,
mystics, guides, and masters of different lineages, paths, faiths,
and spiritual schools.
His first encounter with an established religion was in 1977
with the Gaudiya Vaishnava current, according to the tradition of
Sri Caitanya, in the Puente Alto temple, Chile. There he began his
studies of bhakti-yoga directly with His Holiness Sri Srimad Atulananda Acarya,
studies that would later continue with His
Holiness Sri Srimad Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Swami Maharaja,
who granted him the titles Bhakti Sastri and Tridandi Bhikshu. These two outstanding
masters of bhakti-yoga, founders of the organization
Vrinda, are direct disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada.
Gradually, in Gurudev's heart, an incredible and inexplicable
love for India and all things related to the Vedic culture
developed, which he attributes to previous lifetimes.
Years after Swami Ramakrishnananda will discover that this
attraction comes from previous lifetimes.
His Holiness Swami Krishnananda said in Rishikesh
about Gurudev: "His love and admiration for Vedic culture and
traditions and for the Hindu religion have transformed him
with the years into a Hindu soul in a Western body."
His Holiness Sri Srimad Swami Vishnu Devananda,
a direct disciple of Sri Swami
Sivananda Sarasvati, and the founder of the Sivananda centers
of Yoga Vedanta, granted him first initiation, or diksha,
into the maha-mantra with the name Ramakrishna. From that
moment, the maha-mantra has never left him.
Swami Vishnu Devananda would be a guide and a source of
inspiration in his the first years of study of integral yoga, in
all its varied aspects.
In 1988, Swami Vishnu Devananda, in recognition of Gurudev's
erudition, love, and devotion for Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha and
Krishna, and of his wisdom and authority in the field of
bhakti-yoga, honored him with the special title - Krishna Bhakta. This was the first and
only time that Swami Vishnu Devananda, by the spiritual authority
granted to him by his own spiritual master, Sri Sri Swami
Sivananda, had ever bestowed this rare title. Finally in 1989, he
personally bestowed him the high degree of Yoga Acarya or Master Acarya of Yoga, in the
Sivananda Ashram of Canada.
Gurudev also received the certificate of Yoga Teacher from Brahmananda Sarasvati of
Ananda Ashram.
Years later, the same title of Yoga Acarya was granted to him by the
prestigious Sri Sankarananda Yoga Ashram of Mysore, India, as well
as the title Yoga Pravina, which he received from Sri
Vivekananda Yoga Pratishthan.
Gurudev continued to deepen his studies of Hinduism, Vedic
philosophy, and yoga, studying directly from some of the most
renowned masters of his time and receiving their instruction,
guidance, and benediction.
He received many diplomas and certificates from masters such as
His
Holiness Sri Sri Swami Saccidananda, His Holiness Sri Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda,
His Holiness Sri Sri Swami Brahmananda, His
Holiness Swami Krishnananda, His Holiness Brahmananda Sarasvati,
among others.
In the year 1990, Swami Jyotirmayananda, 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
Sanatana-dharma by Kirtanananda Swami.
He met His Holiness Swami Krishnananda of the Divine Life Society in
India, a disciple of Swami Sivananda, with whom he had the great
opportunity to delve deeper into the knowledge of
hatha-yoga.
In 1995 His Holiness Sri Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda Sarasvati
requested that Gurudev initiate disciples in the sacred Vedic mantras
and granted him the order of renounced life, or sannyas, within the Sarasvati order, under
the name of Swami Ramakrishnananda. Swami Jyotirmayananda himself
recommended to sincere seekers, that they see Gurudev as
their spiritual master.
During that same year, Swami Ramakrishnananda met and received
formal initiation from His
Divine Grace Sri Baba Brahmananda Maharaja, born in Isanagar,
India, in 1931 and a disciple of the great siddha saint
His Divine Grace Bhagavan Mastarama Babaji
Maharaja.
In 1996 His Holiness Sri Srimad Tamal Krishna Goswami formally
accepted him as a siksha disciple and gave him important
instructions in bhakti, according to the Gaudiya
Vaishnava school.
In one of his journeys to India, in the sacred city of
Vrindavana, met the one who would later become one of his most
important instructing masters, or siksha-gurus, His Divine Grace Srila Narahari Dasa Babaji
Maharaja, a Vaishnava saint of the
Gaudiya tradition, a pure devotee of Krishna, and disciple
of His Divine Grace Srila Nityananda Dasa Babaji. This
saintly Babaji gave valuable instructions and important guidance to
the restless seeker in the path of bhakti-yoga.
Gurudev's love for bhakti and his devotion to Their
Lordships Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, inspired him to ask for
confirmation of his sannyasi, or renounced monk vows, from
a Vaishnava sannyasi in the line of Krishna
bhakti, in a traditional Vedic ceremony in the Ashram of
Vrinda. His
Divine Grace B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami Maharaja confirmed his
vows of sannyasi and granted him the title
Bhaktivedanta.
In the year 2000, he decided to leave the Middle East where he
had studied Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and had been
especially interested in Hassidism and Jewish mysticism, or Kabala.
He arrived in the United States where the religious freedom and
tolerance of the American people moved him to dedicate himself
completely to sharing his message and the experience in his
heart.
In the year 2003, he decided, for the first time, following a
request by his guru maharaja and many of his friends, to
create the Ramakrishnananda Yoga Vedanta Mission, in order to
spread his message and officially accept disciples in the ancient
Vedic tradition.
In 2001, he was personally initiated in the mantra of Durga Devi Mata, by Her Holiness Ma Yoga
Sakti.
In 2007, he met another one of his instructing spiritual
masters, or siksha-gurus, His Holiness Swami Swahananda,
of the Ramakrishna order, disciple of Swami Vijñananda. The
respected swami officially initiated him, granting him valuable
guidance in meditation.
His vision and realization of Hinduism, the Vishwa Dharma, is
expressed in his message; it is particularly suited to modern
society.
The life of Swamiji 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.
In 2008 he decided to found the Vishwa Dharma Mandalam as the
proper frame to spread at a large scale the Vishwa Dharma religion.
It is an invitation for humanity to live every moment in totality
and to the fullest, with complete watchfulness. For him, the
ancient message of yoga, Hinduism and the past spiritual masters,
is the realization of the unconditional truth as the true and
authentic nature of every being.
His devotion or bhakti and his constant experience of
the Self or Vedanta, make him a faithful representative of his
title, "Bhaktivedanta".
On September 2008, Vishwa Dharma Ashram was founded, which is
Gurudev's Vision for an ideal society, where the values of the
Vishwa Dharma religion come into practice.
His works, lectures, workshops, and activities, imbued with his
wisdom, seriousness, and devotion, have inspired the affection,
appreciation, and support that he receives from both the Hindu
community, as well as from his disciples, friends, and the public
at large.
Swami Ramakrishnananda is a true source of inspiration for those
who know him.
Vishwa Dharma ki Jai!