His Holiness Ramakrishnananda Swami Shaktipada 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 Srimad Baba Mastarama Babaji Maharaja.
Ramakrishnananda Swami, or as his disciples call him with affection, Shaktipada, is one of the most respected spiritual masters of our time. He is a sannyasi, an orthodox monk that has accepted the renounced order of life within Hinduism. With the years, his message and work made him a unique exponent of the Smarta sampradaya in the West. Shaktipada is a yogi, a mystic, a philosopher, a spiritual master, and for his disciples and followers; without a doubt, he is a completely enlightened being who has dedicated his life to the service of God and Humanity.
Swami Ramakrishnananda is an American citizen who was born in Chile on March 21st, 1958. At the age of eight, a spontaneous and profound transcendental experience led Swami Ramakrishnananda to a life of passionate search for God and the Truth. His efforts to 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 religious current, which follows the tradition of Lord 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 his heart, an incredible and inexplicable love for India and all things related to the Vedic culture developed, which he attributes to previous lifetimes.
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 first initiation, the maha-mantra has never left Shaktipada. Swami Vishnu Devananda 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 Vishnu Devananda, in recognition of Shaktipada'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, he reached the highest degree of Yoga Acarya or Master Acarya of Yoga, a title he received personally in 1989 from Swami Vishnu Devananda in the Sivananda Ashram of Canada.
Shaktipada 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.
Shaktipada continued to deepen his studies of Hinduism, Vedic philosophy, and yoga, directly from some of the most renowned masters of his time and received 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 Shaktipada initiate disciples in the sacred Vedic mantras and granted him the order of renounced life, or sannyasi, within the Sarasvati order, under the name of Swami Ramakrishnananda. Swami Jyotirmayananda himself recommended to sincere seekers, that they see Shaktipada 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 Holindess 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, Shaktipada 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. Shaktipada's love for bhakti and his devotion to Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, pushed him to ask for confirmation of his sannyasi, 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 studied Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. He was especially interested in Hassidism, and Jewish mysticism, Kabala. He arrived to 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 decides, for the first time, following a request by his guru maharaja and many of his friends, to create the Vishwa Dharma Mandalam, in order to spread his message and officially accept disciples in the ancient Vedic tradition. In 2001, he was initiated in the mantra of Durga Devi Mata, personally by Her Holiness Ma Yoga Sakti. In 2007, he met another one of his instructing spiritual masters, or siksha-gurus, His Holiness Swami Svahananda, 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 create 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, and of Hinduism.
On September 2008, Vishwa Dharma Ashram is founded, which is Shaktipada'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, 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.
His Holiness Ramakrishnananda Swami Shaktipada is a true source of inspiration for those who know him.
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