Draft:Swami Vignanananda

Swami Vignanananda (June 14, 1933 - March 2, 2008)

Swami Vignanananda was born on 14 June 1932 in Thinnanur, in the Tiruchirapalli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. His parents gave him the name Sivalingam.

Swami Vignanananda around 1936 with mother, father and older brother Swami-ji's father was a successful businessman who worked mostly in Sri Lanka, so he moved his family there to live in prosperity. When Swami-ji was about five years old, they all traveled together to South India to visit their relatives. While there, the father died unexpectedly. The family suddenly found themselves completely destitute. Relatives in Salem initially took them in, but soon they had to earn their own living. Swami Vignanananda also had to contribute early on and therefore took on an office job in a textile factory in Salem. At a certain point, Kadapa Swami (Paramahamsa Satchidananda Yogeshwarar) began to appear to him in dreams and visions and to guide him, whereupon Swami-ji began to practice Yoga intensively from 1947.

He soon began teaching Yoga himself and publishing spiritual articles in various magazines - while continuing to work in the textile company until 1957. Around 1953, began to correspond with his future Guru Swami Sivananda of the Divine Life Society, which was extremely important for Swami Vignanananda's development.

His intensive Yoga practice and contact with Kadapa Swami and Swami Sivananda developed in him a great spiritual strength and at the same time an increasing disinterest in worldly things.

In 1957, Swami Vignanananda finally left everything behind and traveled to Bangalore to complete his spiritual development alongside Kadapa Swami. Kadapa Swami, however, had entered Mahasamadhi (left his body voluntarily) shortly before his arrival. His followers, realizing Swami Vignanananda's extraordinary charisma, now asked him to take over the Bangalore Ashram, but Swami Vignanananda refused, feeling that his spiritual goal had not yet been achieved. For the time being, he continued to travel through southern India, remaining in constant contact with Swami Sivananda and staying in Madurai for an extended period. Swami Vignanananda worked there for the Divine Life Society, but continued his intensive Yoga practice at the Sri Meenakshi Temple, developing the foundations of PRANA YOGA. His spiritual strength increased, but at the same time he became increasingly aware that he could only reach his goal in the company of an accomplished master.

In 1959, he finally traveled to the Himalayas, to Rishikesh, where he was accepted as a disciple by Swami Sivananda and soon became one of his closest confidants. Swami-ji conducted the Tamil correspondence for Swami Sivananda, led the Yoga classes in the Sivananda Ashram and taught at the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy.

Swami Sivananda with Swami Vignanananda and other disciples, 1959 in Rishikesh This also brought him into contact with many of his master's foreign followers, who were drawn to Swami Vignanananda's spiritual power and authentic way of teaching Yoga. After three years of selfless service in the Ashram and to his Guru-ji Swami Sivananda, he had achieved complete purity of mind. Then one morning, during his daily bath in the holy Ganges, ... something opened up... and the goal of his spiritual quest was achieved. Now he knew exactly what his mission was, and soon an inquiry came from Japan asking if he would be willing to introduce Yoga there.

With Swami Sivananda's blessing, Swami Vignanananda went to Japan in 1962. He worked there for 10 years, perfecting the Prana Yoga Method and developing it into a system specially adapted to modern times.

Swami Vignanananda became very popular in Japan, with regular television appearances, appearances in movies and Yoga events, private and group lessons (including at the US Army-Navy Base Camps), lectures and Prana Healings that took him all over the country.

Regular trips to India were followed by trips to Asia, especially Korea, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, where many followers were found and Prana Yoga Centers were established.

Swami Vignanananda with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (Japanese press photo around 1967) In 1972 Swami-ji left Japan, taught for a year in Hong Kong and in 1973 accepted an invitation to the USA and later to Canada, where he lived for several years.

In 1975, Swami Vignanananda finally founded his headquarters in the USA, the Prana Yoga Ashram in Berkeley, California.

Swami Vignanananda's 67th birthday, 1999 at the Prana Yoga Ashram Here he taught Prana Yoga at all levels, maintained his vast correspondence and enabled many to spend extended periods of time at the Ashram under his spiritual guidance. Swami Vignanananda opened several Retreats and Prana Yoga Centers in the USA and became a US citizen in 1982.

From there he began to travel the world and new Prana Yoga Centers were established in many countries, such as Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, India and Europe, which Swami-ji traveled to regularly from then on.

He came to Dresden for the first time in 2002 and for the second time in 2004, where he gave courses and laid the foundation for a Prana Yoga Center in the city.

Swami Vignanananda never lost contact with his students and followers in India. He flew to India for the last time in January 2008.

Swami Vignanananda gave his usual energetic talks and Yoga demonstrations, awakening and renewing spiritual aspirations in many, giving solace and selflessly helping in any way he could.

On March 2, 2008, Swami Vignanananda — the world-renowned Grandmaster of Meditation, Pranayama, Hatha Yoga, and Yoga Vedanta Philosophy — unexpectedly for everyone, entered Maha Samadhi (leaving the body) and was buried a few days later in Salem in the traditional Sannyasin manner.

For nearly 50 years, Swami Vignanananda taught and counseled thousands of students seeking happier, more harmonious lives, traveling extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. His divinely inspired writings have been published in English, Tamil, German, Japanese, Danish, and Hebrew. Swami-ji and his teachings of truthfulness, simplicity and love, as well as his emphasis on the importance of regular spiritual practice, live on in the hearts of his students and followers around the world.

His legacy is the system of PRANA YOGA he developed and his books, such as Wings of Divine Wisdom and Soul Flowers, and texts in publications of the Prana Yoga Ashram: Prana Yoga Life, Sivashram, Yoga Vision or Prana Yoga Leaves.




References

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.