Sri Swami Satchidananda
The Reverend Sri Swami Satchidananda, one of the most revered Yoga Masters of our time, and a much-loved teacher, remains well known for his combination of practical wisdom and spiritual insight. He dedicated his life to the service of humanity, demonstrating by his own example the means of finding abiding peace. Each year, he received hundreds of invitations to speak at conferences, colleges, medical groups, and houses of worship around the globe. His message of peace, both individual and universal, still resonates worldwide.
Sri Swamiji was born into a highly spiritual family in South India in 1914. In his youth, he worked in agriculture, mechanics, electronics, and cinematography. At the same time, the richly devotional family atmosphere nurtured his spiritual aspiration.
At the age of twenty-eight, he began his full-time spiritual quest. He studied with some of India's greatest saints and sages, including: Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo, and his own spiritual master, the world-renowned Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj of Rishikesh, Himalayas. He received Sannyas Initiation (monkhood) in 1949 on the banks of the sacred Ganges River.
In the following years, Sri Swamiji served as professor of Hatha and Raja Yoga at the Yoga Vedanta Forest University in Rishikesh and made extensive lecture tours throughout India. In 1953 he was invited to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He spent thirteen years serving at the Ashram that he established there and became known and loved throughout the country for his universal, ecumenical outlook. There are many Divine Life Society branches and other Yoga centers in Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Philippines that were either organized or served by him during that period. In 1958 he undertook an 800 mile pilgrimage on foot to the heights of holy Mount Kailash in Tibet.
In 1966, Sri Swamiji made his first global tour, sponsored by an American devotee. The intended two-day visit to New York extended to five months as he was surrounded by hundreds of students, eager for his teachings and guidance. The Integral Yoga Institutes were founded under his direction, and today there are Integral Yoga Institutes and Centers throughout the world. In 1976, he became a US citizen.
Sri Gurudev was named as patron and advisor to various organizations around the world, which included: the European Union of National Yoga Federations, the International Association of Yoga Teachers, Unity in Yoga, and the Temple of Understanding. He received many honors for his service, including: the Martin Buber Award for Outstanding Service to Humanity, the Juliet Hollister Interfaith Award, the B'nai Brith Anti-Defamation League's Humanitarian Award, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award and the U Thant Peace Award . He received the titles of: Fellow of World Thanksgiving, Honorary Fellow of the World Vegetarian Congress, and Fellow of Concordia University. He was also the recipient of several honorary doctorates. Sri Swamiji dedicated his life to the cause of peace - both individual and universal - and to religious harmony among all people.
Sri Swamiji advocated the principle that "Truth Is One, Paths Are Many." He sponsored innumerable interfaith symposiums, retreats, and worship services around the world. Witnessing the genuine peace and joy experienced by all who participated in these gatherings, he was inspired to create a permanent place where all people could come to realize their essential oneness and to know the peace that is their True Nature. The Light Of Truth Universal Srine (LOTUS), dedicated to the Light of all faiths and to world peace, was opened in 1986 and is located at Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville in Virginia, USA. Yogaville serves as the international headquarters of the Integral Yoga Institutes and Centers.