List of teachers of Advaita Vedanta
Encyclopedia
Advaita Vedanta has had many teachers over the centuries in India
and other countries. This article lists some of the major teachers. Adi Shankara
charya was the most prominent in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta
to formulate its doctrine
in his many works
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and other countries. This article lists some of the major teachers. Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
charya was the most prominent in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...
to formulate its doctrine
Siddhanta
Siddhanta, a Sanskrit term, roughly translates as the Doctrine or the Tradition. It denotes the established and accepted view of a particular school within Indian philosophy.-Hindu philosophy:...
in his many works
Works of Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara, a Hindu philosopher of the Advaita Vedanta school, wrote many works in his life-time of thirty two years; however, many works thought to be of his authorship are debated and questioned as to their authorship today. His works deal with logically establishing the doctrine of Advaita...
.
Sages and saints
- MarichiMarichiRishi Marichi or Mareechi or Marishi is the son of Brahma, the cosmic creator, and also one of the Saptarshi , in the First Manvantara, with others being Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, and Vashishtha .Before the creation started, Lord Brahma needed a few people who can be held responsible...
- Angiras
- AtriAtriThis article is about the sage named Attri. See also the gotra named Atri. For the Italian city, see Atri, AbruzzoIn Hinduism, Attri or Atri is a legendary bard and scholar and was one of 9 Prajapatis, and a son of Brahma, said to be ancestor of some Brahmin, Prajapatis, kshatriya and Vaishya...
- YajnavalkyaYajnavalkyaYajnavalkya of Mithila was a legendary sage of Vedic India, credited with the authorship of the Shatapatha Brahmana , besides Yogayajnavalkya Samhita and the Yājñavalkya Smṛti...
- PulastyaPulastyaPulatsya was one of the ten Prajapati or mind-born sons of Brahma, and one of the Saptarishis in the first Manvantara....
- Vashishta
- Kashyapa
- Vishwamitra
- JamadagniJamadagniJamadagni is one of the Saptarishis in the seventh, i.e. the present Manvantara. He was a descendant of the sage Bhrigu, one of the Prajapatis created by Brahma, the God of Creation...
- BharadwajaBharadwajaBharadwaja was one of the greatest Hindu Arya sages descendant of rishi Angirasa, whose accomplishments are detailed in the Puranas. He was one of the Saptarshis in the present Manvantara; with others being Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Kashyapa.Bhardwaj Rishi was father of...
- Bhrigu
- AgastyaAgastyaAgastya was a Tamil/Vedic Siddhar or sage. Agastya and his clan are also generally credited with uncovering many mantras of the Rig Veda, the earliest and most revered Hindu scripture, in the sense of first having the mantras revealed in his mind by the Supreme Brahman...
- Shri DattatreyaDattatreyaDattatreya or Datta is a Hindu deity encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti. The name Dattatreya can be divided into two words - "Datta" and "Atreya" referring to the sage Atri, his physical father.Various Hindu sects worship him differently...
- Shri AshtawakraAshtavakraAshtavakra is a sage mentioned in Hindu scriptures. He is described as one born with deformities in eight limbs of the body . In Sanskrit, Ashtavakra means "one having eight bends". Ashta means eight, while Vakra means bend or deformity...
- VyasaVyasaVyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
Recent Jagadgurus of Peethams
- Sringeri Sharada PeethamSringeri Sharada PeethamSringeri Sharada Peetham is the southern Advaita Vedanta matha. It is located in Shringeri. It is claimed that it is the first of the four original mathas established by Adi Shankara.-Location:...
- Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharathi Mahaswamiji, Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada PeethamSringeri Sharada PeethamSringeri Sharada Peetham is the southern Advaita Vedanta matha. It is located in Shringeri. It is claimed that it is the first of the four original mathas established by Adi Shankara.-Location:...
http://www.sringeri.net (1865–1912); a realised YogiYogiA Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
; initiated many into Adi Shankaracharya's philosophy including Sacchidanandendra SaraswatiSacchidanandendra SaraswatiSri Satchidanandendra Saraswati Swamiji was the founder of the Adhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya in Holenarasipura, Hassan district, Karnataka, India.-Life:...
- founder of Adhyatma Prakashana Karyalaya ;known as "Abhinava Shankara" because of his many tours around Bharatvarsha spreading the Advaita Vedanta philosophy and Hindu Dharma - Sri Chandrashekhara Bharathi Mahaswamiji, Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada PeethamSringeri Sharada PeethamSringeri Sharada Peetham is the southern Advaita Vedanta matha. It is located in Shringeri. It is claimed that it is the first of the four original mathas established by Adi Shankara.-Location:...
(1912–1954); A well known JivanmuktaJivanmuktaJivanmukta is someone who, in the Advaita philosophy of Hinduism, has attained nirvikalpa samadhi - the realization of the Self, Parasiva - and is liberated from rebirth while living in a human body....
; said to be one of the greatest saints ever to take birth in India - Sri Abhinavavidya Tirtha Mahaswamiji, Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada PeethamSringeri Sharada PeethamSringeri Sharada Peetham is the southern Advaita Vedanta matha. It is located in Shringeri. It is claimed that it is the first of the four original mathas established by Adi Shankara.-Location:...
(1954–1989); A great YogiYogiA Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
and master of scriptures; blessed with realisation early in life; In His many tours of Bharatvarsha and also Nepal He established many maths, shrines and temples. - Sri Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswamiji, Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada PeethamSringeri Sharada PeethamSringeri Sharada Peetham is the southern Advaita Vedanta matha. It is located in Shringeri. It is claimed that it is the first of the four original mathas established by Adi Shankara.-Location:...
(1989- );A distuinguished sage and present Jagadguru of Shringeri Peetha, Sringeri, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
.
- Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharathi Mahaswamiji, Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada Peetham
- Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
- Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswathi Mahaswamiji Jagadguru of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam (1894–1994), also called as Nadamadum Deivam(Walking God) by devotees and followers all over the world
- Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swami, Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam
- Jagadguru Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swami, Kanchi Kamakoti peetam
- Sapta Na Sannyasin Ruchira BuddhaBuddhaIn Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
Adi DaAdi DaAdi Da Samraj , born Franklin Albert Jones in Queens, New York, was a spiritual teacher, writer and artist, and the founder of a new religious movement known as Adidam...
Samraj Jagadguru of Naitauba Peetham the main HermitageHermitage (religious retreat)Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
AshramAshramTraditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
called "Samrajashram" in the FijiFijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an Islands. Other SatguruSatguruSatguru does not merely mean true guru. The term is distinguished from other forms of gurus, such as musical instructors, scriptural teachers, parents, and so on...
Peethams: Mountain Of Attention SanctuarySanctuaryA sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
, Love's Point HermitageHermitage (religious retreat)Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
and Tat Sundaram HermitageHermitage (religious retreat)Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
and Tat Sundaram HermitageHermitage (religious retreat)Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
, all in Northern CaliforniaNorthern CaliforniaNorthern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
; and Da Love-Ananda Mahal in KauaiKauaiKauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
, HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
Other teachers
- Shri Ramana MaharshiRamana MaharshiSri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was a Hindu spiritual master . He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After experiencing at age 16 what he later described as liberation , he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus...
(1879–1950) the silent sage of Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
who had a profound realization of nonduality - Ramesh BalsekarRamesh BalsekarRamesh S. Balsekar was a disciple of the late Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, a renowned Advaita master. From early childhood, Balsekar was drawn to Advaita, a nondual teaching, particularly the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and Wei Wu Wei...
a disciple of the late Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, a renowned Advaita master. - Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902), disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, wrote books on four Hindu YogaYogaYoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
s: Bhakti YogaBhakti yogaBhakti yoga is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to a personal form of God....
, Jnana YogaJnana yogaJyâna yoga or "path of knowledge" is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies...
, Karma YogaKarma YogaKarma yoga , or the "discipline of action" is a form of yoga based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of Hinduism. Of the four paths to realization, karma yoga is the science of achieving perfection in action...
and Raja YogaRaja YogaRāja Yoga is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.Raja yoga was first described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and is part of the Samkhya tradition.In the context of Hindu...
. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda contains a complete collection of transcribed lectures. He spoke at the Parliament of the World's ReligionsParliament of the World's ReligionsThere have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World’s Religions, most notably the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, the first attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another conference on its centenary in 1993...
in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1893. - Swami SivanandaSwami SivanandaSwami Sivananda Saraswati was a Hindu spiritual teacher and a proponent of Yoga and Vedanta. Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He studied medicine and served in Malaya as a physician for several years before taking up monasticism...
(1887–1963) – Hindu saint who founded the Divine Life SocietyDivine Life SocietyThe Divine Life Society is a religious organization and an ashram, founded by Swami Sivananda Saraswati in 1936, at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, India...
in Rishikesh, India. Author of more than 300 works of theology and philosophy. Bestowed sanyasa upon Swami Chidananda, Swami Krishnananda, and Swami Chinmayananda, among others. According to disciples, achieved MokshaMokshaWithin Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
upon death. - Swami KrishnanandaSwami KrishnanandaSri Swami Krishnananda Saraswati Maharaj was a Hindu saint. He was a foremost disciple of Swami Sivananda and served as the General Secretary of the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, India from 1958 until 2001...
(1922–2001) – Hindu saint who was the General Secretary of the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, India from 1958 to 2001. Foremost disciple of Swami Sivananda. Author of more than 200 works of theology and philosophy. According to disciples, achieved Moksha upon death. - Shivarudra BalayogiShivarudra BalayogiShri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj , born Srinivas Dikshitar in Kolar in the South Indian state of Karnataka, is a Self Realized Yogi and direct disciple of Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj....
(1954-) - Sage and Yogi, performed intense meditation and other spiritual practices from a young age. Teaches that Advaita is an experience, and the highest path to this experience is meditation. - Sri Narayana GuruNarayana GuruSri Nārāyana Guru , also known as Sree Nārāyana Guru Swami, was a Hindu saint, sadhuand social reformer of India. The Guru was born into an Ezhava family, in an era when people from backward communities like the Ezhavas faced much social injustices in the caste-ridden Kerala society...
(1856–1928)- Vedic scholar, mystic philosopher, prolific poet and social reformer, from the present-day KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. - Mannargudi Raju SastriMannargudi Raju SastriRaja Mannargudi Mahamahopadhyaya Thyagaraja Mahi Raju Sastrigal , also known as Mannargudi Raju Sastri or Mannargudi Periyaval, was a Hindu scholar. He was born in the Bharadwaja Vamsa, as a descendant of Adayappaalam Sri Appayya Dikshitar...
(1815–1903), Formed ‘The Adwaita Sabha’ for propagating the tenets of the Adwaita faith - Sri AurobindoSri AurobindoSri Aurobindo , born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose , was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet. He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders, before developing his own vision of human progress...
(1872–1950) Bengali philosopher-sage who synthesized Advaita thought with Western philosophical theories of evolutionEvolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
. - Swami Tapovan MaharajTapovan MaharajSwami Tapovan Maharaj was a Hindu Sannyasi and Vedanta scholar who taught both Swami Chinmayananda, the founder of the Chinmaya Mission Movement and Swami Sundaranand....
- A virakta mahatmaMahatmaMahatma is Sanskrit for "Great Soul". It is similar in usage to the modern Christian term saint. This epithet is commonly applied to prominent people like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jyotirao Phule and Branch Rickey... - Swami KarpatriSwami KarpatriSwami Karpatri was a monk in the Hindu dashanami monastic tradition. His ordained name as a monk was Hariharananda Saraswati, but he was popularly known by the name Karpatri Swami. He was married and the father of a baby daughter when he left home at age 17 to seek ordination as a sannyasi...
(1905–1980), a well-known sannyasi of VaranasiVaranasi-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south... - Swami ChinmayanandaChinmayanandaSwami Chinmayananda , born Balakrishna Menon , was a Hindu Indian spiritual leader, and teacher, who inspired the formation of Chinmaya Mission in 1953 to spread the message of Vedanta...
JnanaJnanaJñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
dikshaDikshaDiksa also spelled deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony", is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism...
bestowed under Sri Swami Tapovan Maharaj in UttarkashiUttarkashiUttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a holy town in Uttarakhand, India. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples and also to...
. Disciples founded the Chinmaya Mission. 'Chinmaya' = "pure consciousness of bliss".- Swami AtmanandaSwami AtmanandaŚrĩ Atmananda , also referred as Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon, was a well-known Indian sage, guru, and philosopher...
(1883–1959) lived in KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
- Swami Atmananda
- Swami Dayananda Saraswati, (c.1930-) originally student of Chinmaya above. He has set up many traditional gurukula (vedanta schools) in India and Western countries.
- Sacchidanandendra SaraswatiSacchidanandendra SaraswatiSri Satchidanandendra Saraswati Swamiji was the founder of the Adhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya in Holenarasipura, Hassan district, Karnataka, India.-Life:...
, a profound Advaitin and the founder of the Adhyatma Prakasha KaryalayaAdhyatma Prakasha KaryalayaAdhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya is a non-profit organization in India, founded for the purpose of stimulating the study and practice of the Vedanta philosophy "revealed in the Upanishads".-History:...
in Holenarasipura - Sri Sai Baba of ShirdiSai Baba of ShirdiSai Baba of Shirdi , also known as Shirdi Sai Baba , was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint....
(c. 1838-1918), a great philosopher of MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
who propagated the oneness of God and urged harmony amongst the various religions. - Sri Nisargadatta MaharajNisargadatta MaharajSri Nisargadatta Maharaj , born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli, was an Indian spiritual teacher and philosopher of Advaita , and a Guru, belonging to the Inchgiri branch of the Navnath Sampradaya....
A twentieth-century master of Advaita from MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million... - Maharishi Mahesh YogiMaharishi Mahesh YogiMaharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...
, founder of the Transcendental MeditationTranscendental MeditationTranscendental Meditation refers to the Transcendental Meditation technique, a specific form of mantra meditation, and to the Transcendental Meditation movement, a spiritual movement...
programme and movement, which have practices and philosophy firmly routed in the Advaita tradition. The TM initiation puja references Adi Shankara and the monastery set up by his devotee Trotakacharya at Jyotir MathJyotirmathJyotirmath , also called Jyotir Math and Joshimath , is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is home to one of the four cardinal pīthas established by Adi Shankara.-Demographics:...
. This was the same monastery re-established by Sri Brahmananda Saraswati, Maharishi's master, often referred to as "Guru Dev." - MadhukarMadhukarMadhukar may refer to:*Madhukar , Advaitin, Jnani Yogi and philosophical author*CV Madhukar, director of PRS Legislative Research...
, popular modern Western teacher and founder of Yoga of silence. Disciple of Papaji, philosopher and author of several books. - Sri H.W.L. Poonja (1910–1997), or Papaji. Disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi, he denied being part of any formal tradition, and remained always available, welcoming newcomers to his home and satsangs.
- TibbetibabaTibbetibabaTibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known as Mahasadhak Tibbetibaba or Paramhamsa Tibbetibaba, alternative spellings Tibbatibaba, Tibbati Baba, Tibbeti Baba,Tibbotibaba or Tibboti Baba originally named Nabin Chattopadhhyaya or Nabin or Nabin Chandra, Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known...
- Hindu BengaliBengali peopleThe Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
Saint whose life was based on both Advaita Vedanta and Mahayana principles. - Adi DaAdi DaAdi Da Samraj , born Franklin Albert Jones in Queens, New York, was a spiritual teacher, writer and artist, and the founder of a new religious movement known as Adidam...
(1939–2008) American-born teacher of enlightenmentMokshaWithin Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
whose followers state he is the promised HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
AvatarAvatarIn Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
and first seventh stage realizer, who wrote over 70 books on "Advaitayana BuddhismBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
", the unique philosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
that transcends both Advaita thought and the philosophical theories of BuddhismBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.http://www.adidam.org/ - American yogi, Richard HittlemanRichard HittlemanRichard Hittleman was an American Yoga teacher and author who taught Hatha and Raja Yoga through one of the first Yoga television series, Yoga for Health. - General philosophy :...
, who was the first person to bring Hatha and Raja Yoga to English-speaking audiences via the medium of a television series (in the 1950s and 1960s). His teachings were essentially those of Advaita Vedanta and Ramana MaharshiRamana MaharshiSri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was a Hindu spiritual master . He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After experiencing at age 16 what he later described as liberation , he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus...
(Richard Hittleman, Guide for the Seeker, Bantam Books, 1978, p. 92) - American yogini, GangajiGangajiGangaji is an American born spiritual teacher and author. She currently lives in Ashland, Oregon with her husband, fellow spiritual teacher Eli Jaxon-Bear.-Early life:...
(Toni Roberson); disciple of Papaji (see above) and author of several books. - Swami PrajnanapadaPrajnanapadaPrajnanapada, popularly known as Swami Prajnanapada or Swami Prajnanpad of Channa Ashram , was one of the eminent disciples of Niralamba Swami, the great yogi and Guru of India. He was born on February 8, 1891...
(1891–1974) disciple of Niralamba Swami and a great exponent of Advaita philosophy. He was in charge of Channa Ashram in West Bengal, India.
- Bhagawan NityanandaBhagawan NityanandaBhagawan Nityananda was an Indian guru. His teachings are published in the "Chidakash Gita". Nityananda was born in Quilandy , Kerala, South India.- Early life :...
(November/December, 1897?[1] – August 8, 1961) was an Indian guru. His teachings are published in the "Chidakash Gita". Nityananda was born in Quilandy (Pandalayini), Kerala, South India. His teachings are simple and on the nonduality.