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Sri
Ramakrishna
"Sri Ramakrishna, who was born in 1836 and passed away in 1886, represents
the very core of the spiritual realizations of the seers and sages of India. His whole
life was literally an uninterrupted contemplation of God. He reached a depth of
God-consciousness that transcends all time and place and has a universal
appeal." - Swami Adiswarananda |
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Ramana
Maharshi
The silent sage of
Tiruvanamali living at the feet of the Holy Mountain called "Arunachala,"
spontaneously enlightened at the age of 17, taught a simple path of
self-inquiry and of always pondering the ultimate question: "Who am
I?" |
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J.
Krishnamurti
Krishnamurti was
"discovered" by a group called the Theosophical Society at the
early age of 13. He was declared to be the World Teacher that the group
had been awaiting. He was the long awaited one to thousands of followers.
In 1929 he renounced all this and stood on his own and dissolved the
"Order of the Star". He opened up a new path: a
"pathless path". |
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Vimala Thakar
Vimala Thakar writes of her
experiences and friendship with J. Krishnamurti in her remarkable book,
"On an Eternal Voyage." She has traveled the world meeting with
small groups of people teaching and sharing her awakening. She now lives
at her home in Mt. Abu, India, and often spends some time each year in
Dalhousie. |
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Nisargadatta
Nisargadatta Maharaj has
often been compared to Ramana Maharshi and J. Krishnamurti, but his
teachings are unique in their bold and modern exposition of the most
ancient Indian Upanishadic knowledge. |
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Gurdjieff
Often called "The
Unknowable Mr. Gurdjieff," George Gurdjieff taught a unique path
called "The Fourth Way." It was a path of wisdom and practical
spirituality brought from the east and combined with the science of the
west. |
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Sri
Aurobindo
Originally a freedom fighter in
West Bengal, Aurobindo discoved his "Integral Yoga" in prison.
On release he left politics behind and went to Pondicherry in South India
where he started an ashram. Working with a French woman known as "The
Mother," the ashram became one of the truly great ashrams in all of
India. He was a hugely prolific writer. One of his works, "Savitri,"
is the longest poem in the English language. |
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Ammachi
This contemporary Indian saint was much beloved by Premamayi.
In the bhakti tradition she expresses her realization of God through
singing bhajans and traveling the world bringing her message of divine
love.
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Neem
Karoli Baba
Neem Karoli
Baba became known to western seekers through the writings and talks of his
western disciple Baba Ram Dass, aka Richard Alpert, former sidekick to
Timothy Leary. Neem Karoli was sometimes called "the blanket
Guru," since his only possession was a blanket. Once Alpert gave him
a strong dose of LSD and nothing whatever happened to the saint. |
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Anandamayi Ma
Anandamayi Ma
is renowned
and beloved by millions throughout the whole of India. She was a lover of
Krishna and through intense devotion and love attained the highest state
of God realization. She had many ashrams in India and traveled between
them to give her darshan and blessings to her many devotees. |
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