Gautam Buddha Biography

Gautam Buddha Biography

Very little is known about Gautam Buddha. The biography of Gautam Buddha has come to know through ancient scriptures which were written after details related to him were passed by generations orally. It is stated that Gautama Siddartha was a North Indian Prince who lived between 563 and 479 BC and later on came to be known as Buddha or Enlightened One. It is stated that Queen Maya died seven days after giving birth to Gautama and Prince Siddhartha is said to have gone to Trayastrimsa Heaven and stayed there for three months to preach supreme knowledge to his mother.

Astrologers had stated that Prince Siddhartha would become a great sage on growing up if he came to know of the sufferings of mankind and in order to prevent this from happening his father King Suddhodana tried to prevent access of the outside world to Prince Siddartha and offered him all the worldly pleasures so that he could turn out to be a worthwhile king but its stated that nothing can change destiny but a visit to the kingdom changed all where he saw the sufferings of mankind and he left his kingdom to go on to become an ascetic.

Lord Buddha tried self mortification for six years but failed and traveled to Gaya and sat under a fig tree to gain enlightenment. Here he achieved what he wanted and became Buddha, a person who was released from consciousness of suffering.

It was at the age of thirty that Gautama Buddha left all his worldly belongings and devoted his life for self denial and spent the rest of his life teaching his disciples the Four Noble Truth and how they could achieve the state of Nirvana. The rest as they say is history and Buddhism spread throughout the world. This is the just of the biography of the great Gautam Buddha.

Master CVV Biography

Master CVV was born on 4th August 1868 in Khumbakonam, a temple town on the banks of river Kaveri. Khumbakonam was founded in the name of a great sage Agasthya (Master Jupiter). Sage Agasthya was born in a pot (khumba). There are many temples in South India especially in the Tamilnad in the name of Agasthya.

Sri Camsupati Venkat Rao, Venkasami Rao (CVV) was born in a middle class family. As a child, he was adopted by his aunt (Father’s sister). The aunt’s family was rich. By adoption, he moved to Srirangam. Venka Swamy had his early education at Srirangam and Khumbakonam. He married the niece of the adoptee father. It was an early marriage. In the mean time, Venka Swamy had developed interest in Philosophy. He read extensively Telugu, Sanskrit, Tamil and English books on Philosophy.

The Theosophical society was established in Adyar in those days. Young CVV was attracted towards Theosophy. He became a member of that Society founded by Madame Blavatsky. He was greatly influenced by the personality of Blavatsky and her teaching. The great Masters of Theosophy entered his thoughts and very much impressed. Like Buddha, CVV rebelled against tradition and despised all rituals. He set to search for a new path of his own. He began to meditate night after night, sitting under a banyan tree on the right bank of the river Kaveri. He never sought the help of a Physical Guru or had taken formal Initiation from anybody. He wanted to hear the voice of his Guru, from his heart directly. Every seeker should find his own Guru in his heart. That would be the right selection and right path.

Mr.CVV promptly received a message from Master MTA whom he accepted as his Master and Mantra. He believed it is the message of Paramatma. He heard some peculiar sounds emanating from his heart’s core during the times of meditation. Even while sleeping Mr.CVV used to hear some sounds. He gets up from sleep and records those messages. He practiced according to the instructions given by Master MTA. He had given up all other rituals and formalities and began to be self-centered. From then, he began to depend in his Self and inner Voice and cut off gods and rituals from his routine.

In 1888, Mrs.Rukminamma gave birth to a male child. He was named Venkat Rao, in memory of his adoptee father. Then Mr.CVV was elected as the chairman of Khumbakonam Municipality. He had to take interest in mundane affairs. Temporarily he had to suspend his spiritual pursuits, due to family demands. In 1893 the couple were blessed with a girl child. She was named Ammani Amma. In 1894 another girl was born. She was named Kamamma. Before the birth of the third child Mr.CVV had experienced ‘Bala’ the greatest ‘Shakthi’ in Mantra Yoga. Again in 1904 Rukmini gave birth to another boy and died.

Consequently, Mr.CVV began to dislike the worldly attachments and entertained higher thinking. Reading of Philosophical books and contemplation became his main stay. As a result, he met with losses in the railway contract works. He lost lakhs of rupees. To meet the loss he had to sell away his properties. Finally he became a bankrupt. Only in times of distress spiritual awakening begins. Again he was drawn towards Adyar Theosophical society. He met Madame Blavatsky. Some invisible yogic energy passed from Blavatsky into Mr.CVV. It was a sort of Initiation to him.

A total change took over. Mr.CVV became a changed person. It was not renunciation; it was more, more philosophizing human nature, birth and death. He had to marry again. He married Ms.Venkamma, a young girl of fourteen or fifteen at that time. It was his choice. He knew by perception that the young bride was none other than Madame Blavatsky, whom he adored. Madame Blavatsky after she died in London might have chosen to take birth in India to complete her unfinished yoga work. We cannot analyze the divine happenings. Anyhow Ms.Venkamma became the better half of Mr.CVV and partner in his Yoga Works.

One night, while Mr.CVV in trance a new energy entered in his body. Those were the days hallis comet was coming near the Earth. Many times before Hallis comet appeared in the Sky, stayed for some days and disappeared. It never touched the earth. This time when it touched the Earth, a rare phenomenon happened. Mr.CVV received the energy into his Self. Ore else when the comet touched the Earth, the earth would have broken to pieces or would have reduced to nothing. Mr.CVV received wonderful cosmic power by the touch of Hallis. Now he began to unravel the secrets of creation. This revealization caused to form a new Yoga called BRIKTHA RAHITHA TARAKA RAJA YOGA.

When Mr.CVV slips into trance like meditation one invisible master appeared before his mind’s eye to pass on Spiritual messages. One day Mr.CVV questioned the Astral Person-
“Sir, Who are you? Why are you haunting me night and day like this?”
Master MTA replied, “Iam you, and to be clear you are ‘I’”.
Mr. CVV – Is it the soul? Or Atma or Paramatma?
Master MTA- “Iam Brahmam. Iam Para Brahma. Iam you…. You are I…Iam in the atom. Iam the whole cosmos”.

Then on Mr.CVV became Master CVV. Master MTA treated him as his equal. A Master treating his disciple as his equal opened a new chapter. Master CVV also promised all his mediums to lift all of them to his level and make them equal to Him.

Master CVV analyzed and understood the secret of creation in the following manner –
“ VERY ATOM IN CREATION IS ATMA. IT POSSESSES ALL THE QUALITIES OF PARAMATMA. IN COURSE OF EVOLUTION, THE ATOMS GETTING TOGETHER FORMED MATTER. THE MATTER UNDERGOING FURTHER CHANGES IN EVOLUTION CAUSED THE WORLD. IT IS A VERY LONG PROCESS. THIS VOLUMINOUS CHANGE WORKED OUT IN THE GASEOUS STATE. IT IS THE ILLUMINATION OF BRAHMAM. THIS WORLD IS BEING CREATED AT VARIOUS LEVELS IN VARIOUS PHASES. THAT HAD HAPPENED DUE TO ILLUSION OF PARABRAHMA.”
“AN ATMA EMERGES FROM THE ILLUSION OF PARAMATMA AND ENTERS INTO DELUSION. MAN FORGETS HIS PAST AS SOON AS HE BORN ON EARTH AND AS HE TOUCHES THE GROUND. HIS BACK GROUND IS TOTALLY DROPPED IN THE PAST. BY FOREGOING THE MEMORY OF THE PAST, HE GAINS CONSCIENCE, THIS PRESENT CONSCIENCE OS PRESERVED, IN WHAT WE CALL BRAIN AS MEMORY. THE WHOLE FRAME THAT KEEPS THE MEMORY IS CALLED MEMORANDUM. IN DELUSION, HUMAN MIND IS FORMED. IT KEEPS IN IT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PAST THREE EVOLUTIONS. IT IS CALLED ‘THE TRIPLE FORCES’. IN MEDITATION, MAN CAN GO BACK, CHASING THE FOLDS OF EVOLUTION AND SEE HIS SELF, WILL GAIN TOTAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE CREATED WORLD”.

For the first time Master CVV had gained control over the triple forces. Now he knew how a seed is formed and how a seed develops into a tree. Now, he knew how a live atom (Jeevanu) enters the womb of a woman and builds up a human body. The Atma as an atom before it enters the womb of a woman, enters in man first. It develops in the man’s body pervading all through the body from top to bottom. For three months it resides in man. Then it enters the womb of a woman.

Master CVV tried to experiment on that principle. He brought a gene into him, without the knowledge of Planets, directly through a comet. He fed it to grow by his Yoga energy. He supplied the required energy from his Kundalini. He kept the Prana, stability and memory separately without his wife Mrs.Venkamma’s knowledge. He just transferred the gene into her womb. As a result of which, she became Pregnant. The near relatives were surprised to know, how it was possible, without sexual contact, a woman gets pregnancy. To feed the embryo, Master CVV used to separate her astral body from the physical body daily. So, the child in the making grew with Yogic energy. That male child after birth was named Chandu.

The miraculous happenings started with the birth of Chandu. He became a miracle child. Everyday, Master used to take a glass of buttermilk after prayer. One day, while the master was sipping the buttermilk two months old Chandu snatched the glass from his father and gulped off. Master did not object the child. Moreover he behest another glass of butter milk for himself. It had become a routine affair. One day Mother Venkamma happened to see that and was aghast. Master assured her nothing would happen. Chandu began to grow a year per month.

Within four months, Chandu grew to become four-year-old boy. He began to narrate to his Master father about other planets, cosmos, constellations and their workings. Chandu used to reveal the secrets of past births of the visitors that come to meet the Master. He even predicted the forth-coming events. By the time Chandu attained six months age, Himalayan Yogis and Maharshies came to visit him. They even talked and discussed with him for hours together. Their luminous bodies scared the inmates. The family members feared to go near and talk to Chandu. Whenever those astral Rishies visit Chandu, local people were not allowed inside.

Mother CV had to be in trance for hours together at the insistence of master husband. During such periods, Chandu was kept in charge of his grand mother. One day the old woman saw Chandu in the company of great Mahatmas and in fear ran out of the house. She never dared to come back. At the age of nine months Chandu initiated his father Master CVV. The Master practiced the prayer for one week. Then another mantra for another week, then the third one. Thus Chandu Initiated his father three prayers in three weeks. Master practiced them for three weeks. On the 21st day Chandu swooned and breathed his last.

Master CVV gave Chandu a healing touch and revived. Like that Master treated 25 times in one night and brought Chandu to life. He was exhausted. Then he advised Mother CV to leave the Physical body and bring necessary Prana energy to revive Chandu.,

Maha Prana is abundantly in store at higher levels where ordinary human beings cannot reach. There will be a trick level in between the world atmosphere and at the top Prana Sphere. Some super natural powers will be on guard at the trick level. They don’t allow a single human soul to go up. Now those powers smelt a human soul near approaching them. They stopped mother CV’s astral travel. Her spiritual body got perturbed and sends a request thought to the Master below. The Master sent a thought message to inform the forces at the trick level that she came here at the behest of Master and request them to allow her to proceed. When mother CV uttered the name of Master CVV all the trick forces vanished. She rushed to Maha Prana and said, “MASTER WANTS PRANA”. It was granted. She did not mention its purpose. Thus limitless Prana came into possession of Master. With an iota of Prana, Master revived Chandu to life.

But Chandu refused to stay any longer in this life. He was creator Brahma who came to human form on obligation. If he continues on earth for more than twelve human calendar months, that is a day in cosmic calendar, the whole creation would be smashed. Thus saying Chandu left the physical body. That was the starting point of a new Yoga by Master CVV.

Master CVV selected three mediums for his experiment. He took reins of their physical, mental and astral segments under his control. Whenever he needs their support he used to send them into trance and work out. He kept the key with him always. In a minute’s time he would separate their astrals from the physical bodies. When thus separated the doctors would undoubtedly declare them dead. Until the work is completed they could not come to conscience. Prana retains somewhere. But they would dictate what they were finding there in the astral worlds. Mother CV used to keep up both the physical and meta-physical levels alike. She took one year to come to that parallel level.

Master CVV Proposed to start the NEW YOGA on May 29 1910. By then Master CVV was regularly in touch with Master MTA. The spiritual Master had been sending messages day after day regularly. Whenever the magic bell rings, Master CVV would rush to receive the dictate from his Master MTA. That was the routine. MASTER CVV PRACTICED ALL THE PRAYERS AND COURSES AS DICTATED BY THE INVISIBLE MASTER AND MADE HIS MEDIUMS ALSO PRACTICE. IT HAD BECOME A UNIVERSAL LABORATORY. THEY DEVOTED EVERY HOUR FOR EXPERIMENTS. In the mean time master CVV Initiated to 750 mediums directly. It is believed that he had initiated another 250 mediums indirectly by thought media. MASTER CONDUCTED THESE EXPERIMENTS IN THIS YOGA FOR 11 YEARS 11 MONTS AND 11 DAYS. IT IS A MYSTIC RECORD. The mystic significance of it nobody knows.

In the earlier days, while in Meditation, siren sounds emanated from the Master. For the three months the sound came our like that. Local people were attracted by the miracles. Master Initiated only to his close friends and relatives. All of them greatly enjoyed the trance. One day the Master before the gathered audience, exhibited a rare feet in Pranayama. He breathed in continuously fro six hours, retained the air in the lings for six hours and breathed out for another six hours. He even exhibited Patanjali eight fold Yoga principles on various occasions. He used to fly in the air like a balloon.

Another miracle Master CVV had shown to establish his yogic power. His adoptee mother died suddenly. At that moment Master was ready to go out. He advised his relatives and family members to keep the dead body in a room and keep a watch. He further told them that she would re-live after 16 days. As told, they kept vigilance on the dead body. She breathed to life again after the 16th day. There after she lived for three years.

MASTER’S YOGA IS TOTALLY NEW. IT HAS NO ROOTS IN THE PAST. IT NEEDS NO SUPPORT OF GODS, GODESSES, TEMPLES AND TANTRA, MANTRA AND MAGICS. IT IS NOT EVEN LINKED WITH KARMA AND PAST DEEDS. NO SINS AND VIRTUES WILL CURTAIL. WE DO NOT BLAMETHE PLANETS OR EVEN THE ASTROLOGERS. NO OUTSIDE PRESSURE WILL TOUCH. NO NEGATIVE WORKING OR INFLUENCE IN SADHANA. MASTER ALONE TAKES ENTIRE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MEDIUMS ON HIMSELF. HE IS THE MASTER OF ALL MANTRAS, ALL POWERS, ENERGIEES AND YOGA WORKINGS AND RESULTS. IN ORDER TO AVOID COMPETITION AND MIS-UNDERSTANDINGS, HE COMPOSED AND COMPILED ALL PRAYERS IN ENGLISH. THEY MAY LOOK LIKE ENGLISH, REALLY THEY CONTAINS MANY STROKES OFMANY LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD. MANTRA IS NOT IMPORTANT IN MASTER YOGA. IT IS MASTERS GRACE ALL THAT COUNTS. THE DISCIPLES ARE INITIATED INTO YOGA BY TOUCH OR THOUGHT.

MASTER CVV COMPOSED THE PRAYERS AND COURSES WITH THE SPIRITUAL SUPPORT OF INVISIBLE MASTER MTA. ONE HAS TO PRACTICE A MINIMUM OF TEN YEARS TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF YOGA. HE WHO MEDITATED FOR 35 YEARS IS SAID TOHAVE COMPLETED THE YOGA, AND BECOMES PERFECT. PERFECTION MEANS ONE WILL HAVE NO MORE BIRTHS AND DEATHS. THAT MEANS, ONE BECOMES PHYSICALLY IMMORTAL.

SOME SECIAL COURSES ARE SET TO RECTIFY OUR PHYSICAL DEFECTS. SOME OTHER COURSES ARE INTENDED FOR PLANETARY ADJUSTMENTS. HE WILL BE THE NEW MAN AND HE’S WILL BE THE PERFECT MAN-FORM. BY REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA THE DEFECTS OF AN INDIVIDUAL ARE RECTIFIED. BY GROUP PRAYERS, DEFECTS IN THE CREATION ARE SET RIGHT.

Sources: Taken from the books written by Master Sarvari

Swami Vivekananda Biography

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

[1863-1902]

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA'S inspiring personality was well known both in India and in America during the last decade of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth. The unknown monk of India suddenly leapt into fame at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, at which he represented Hinduism. His vast knowledge of Eastern and Western culture as well as his deep spiritual insight, fervid eloquence, brilliant conversation, broad human sympathy, colourful personality, and handsome figure made an irresistible appeal to the many types of Americans who came in contact with him. People who saw or heard Vivekananda even once still cherish his memory after a lapse of more than half a century.

In America Vivekananda's mission was the interpretation of India's spiritual culture, especially in its Vedantic setting. He also tried to enrich the religious consciousness of the Americans through the rational and humanistic teachings of the Vedanta philosophy. In America he became India's spiritual ambassador and pleaded eloquently for better understanding between India and the New World in order to create a healthy synthesis of East and West, of religion and science.

In his own motherland Vivekananda is regarded as the patriot saint of modern India and an inspirer of her dormant national consciousness, To the Hindus he preached the ideal of a strength-giving and man-making religion. Service to man as the visible manifestation of the Godhead was the special form of worship he advocated for the Indians, devoted as they were to the rituals and myths of their ancient faith. Many political leaders of India have publicly acknowledged their indebtedness to Swami Vivekananda.

The Swami's mission was both national and international. A lover of mankind, he strove to promote peace and human brotherhood on the spiritual foundation of the Vedantic Oneness of existence. A mystic of the highest order, Vivekananda had a direct and intuitive experience of Reality. He derived his ideas from that unfailing source of wisdom and often presented them in the soulstirring language of poetry.

The natural tendency of Vivekananda's mind, like that of his Master, Ramakrishna, was to soar above the world and forget itself in contemplation of the Absolute. But another part of his personality bled at the sight of human suffering in East and West alike. It might appear that his mind seldom found a point of rest in its oscillation between contemplation of God and service to man. Be that as it may, he chose, in obedience to a higher call, service to man as his mission on earth; and this choice has endeared him to people in the West, Americans in particular.

In the course of a short life of thirty-nine years (1863-1902), of which only ten were devoted to public activities-and those, too, in the midst of acute physical suffering-he left for posterity his four classics: Jnana-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, and Raja-Yoga, all of which are outstanding treatises on Hindu philosophy. In addition, he delivered innumerable lectures, wrote inspired letters in his own hand to his many friends and disciples, composed numerous poems, and acted as spiritual guide to the many seekers, who came to him for instruction. He also organized the Ramakrishna Order of monks, which is the most outstanding religious organization of modern India. It is devoted to the propagation of the Hindu spiritual culture not only in the Swami's native land, but also in America and in other parts of the world.

Swami Vivekananda once spoke of himself as a "condensed India." His life and teachings are of inestimable value to the West for an understanding of the mind of Asia. William James, the Harvard philosopher, called the Swami the "paragon of Vedantists." Max Muller and Paul Deussen, the famous Orientalists of the nineteenth century, held him in genuine respect and affection. "His words," writes Romain Rolland, "are great music, phrases in the style of Beethoven, stirring rhythms like the march of Handel choruses. I cannot touch these sayings of his, scattered as they are through the pages of books, at thirty years' distance, without receiving a thrill through my body like an electric shock. And what shocks, what transports, must have been produced when in burning words they issued from the lips of the hero!''

Sai Baba Shirdi Sai Baba Biograpy

Sri Saibaba of Shirdi lived between 1838 and 1918, whose real name, birthplace and date of birth are not known. An Indian spiritual guru and a fakir that transcended the barriers of religions, Saibaba of Shirdi was regarded with great reverence by both Hindu and Muslim followers. He lived in a mosque and after death his body was cremated in a temple.

Life Of Sai babaHis philosophy ingrained 'Shraddha' meaning faith and 'Saburi' meaning compassion. According to him Shraddha and Saburi were the supreme attributes to reach the state of godliness.

It is believed that at a tender age of 16 yrs Shri Saibaba arrived at the village of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra and remained their till his death. He found shelter in Khandoba temple, where a villager Mahalsapathi in the temple addressed him as Sai or Saint.

Saibaba of Shirdi lived an extremely simple and austere life, sleeping on the floor of temple and later taking a ruined mosque as his shelter. With his arrival to Shirdi, in no time he began exhibiting a hypnotic attraction among people as they began flocking to him. He is attributed many miracles doing things that were beyond a mortal's power. He never discouraged these attributes and soon his fame spread like wild fire. Many pilgrims came seeking his blessings. Such was his hypnotism that even the mundane of his activities attracted large crowds.

Popular among both Hindus and Muslims, Shri Saibaba became a great building force between the two disparate communities. He regularly recited Hindu and Muslim prayers. His Hindu followers considered him to be an avatar or reincarnation of Shiva and Dattatreya. Sai Baba did not leave any written works. All his teachings were oral and catchy. His sayings were short, crisp and in layman language with which the common mass could easily associate.

Saibaba encouraged charity and said, "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect."

Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi was unique in the sense that he lived his message through the essence of his being. He lived among the common people adorning a torn kafni (long robe), sleeping over a mat while using brick as his headrest and got his food by begging. Such was his smile that radiated a mystical charisma and deep seated inward look that hypnotized the people who visited him.

His most concise message for one and all alike was "Why fear when I am here".
Saibaba said that he was a slave in the service of those who loved him. He was ever living to help those who turn to him and that he has to take care of his children day and night.

Saibaba's mission was to restore belief in god and according to him, "I give people what they want in the hope that they will begin to want what I want to give them (knowledge of the Ultimate)." He then taught values of total surrender to the Almighty Master (ALLAH MALIK EK- The only ONE) and experiences his grace.

Today, Shri Saibaba has millions of devotees in India and abroad. Shirdi, the obscure village in Maharashtra has become a pilgrimage destination much as Bethlehem, Jerusalem or Varanasi. With over 25,000 pilgrims thronging in here each day the number of pilgrims climb to over a hundred thousand on holidays and festival days. There are over 2,000 major Sai temples in different parts of India and 150 abroad in places as far-flung as Canada and Kenya, Singapore and England.

Osho, Osho Rajneesh, Bhagwan Osho Rajneesh Biography

Bhagwan Shree Osho Rajneesh

Osho or Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh was born in 1931 in Central India. He was a charismatic and gifted speaker who became the leader of a worldwide new spiritual movement. It is said that at the age of 21 he attained enlightenment or Samadhi. At the time he was studying philosophy at the University of Saugar. On receiving a masters degree he taught philosophy at the University of Jabalpur for nine years.

As well as teaching philosophy he also began to attract disciples to follow his own eclectic mix of philosophy and religion. In 1966 he decided to leave his teaching post and give full attention to his role as spiritual Master. In 1974 he moved with his disciples to Pune, India. Here he established a new ashram in a comfortable setting of 6 acres. In 1980 he was attacked by a Hindu fundamentalist who disagreed with Osho’s unconventional stance on religion and spirituality. It is said that due to police incompetence the assailant was never convicted.

Due to failing health Osho decided to leave India for America where he would be able to receive better medical treatment. His disciples bought a large plot of land near Antelope, Oregon. Here they wished to build a large ashram and other buildings. There was often friction between the local townspeople and the ashramites. There was a clash of cultures and the local townspeople felt threatened by the influx of devotees. Because of this many building permits were denied. This led to ashramites trying to get elected directly to the town council. There were also allegations made that followers of Osho were involved in illegal activities such as spreading salmonella in a local restaurant. More seriously there were allegations of Murder made against some followers of Osho. Two were eventually convicted of the murder of Charles Turner who had tried to close the ranch.

In 1987 Osho became fearful of investigation by the authorities so he decided to leave the compound in Oregon and went to South Carolina. Here he fell foul of US immigration law. He had arranged false marriages and other violations of immigration laws. He was given a suspended sentence on the condition that he leave the country. Therefore he reluctantly decided to leave for Puna in India. It was at this time that he decided to change his name from Rajneesh to Osho. This is said to be a Japanese word for “Master”, although others say Osho comes from the term “oceanic experience” Osho died in 1990, his birth certificate gave a reason of heart failure. Although some followers alleged poisoning by the CBI, although these allegations had little evidence to support them.

Philosophy and Beliefs of Osho

Osho was born into a Jain family. He though never believed in any one religion but combined elements of many religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. However he also added new types of meditation practise. His philosophy was a type of Monism that God was in everything. All human beings were in essence divine, it was just that there were different manifestations of that divinity. He introduced a new type of meditation that involved letting go of all attachments to the past and future and ego.
If a seeker could attain a consciousness where there was "no past, no future, no attachment, no mind, no ego, no self.” Then he would attain enlightenment. One different practise he advocated was to practise physical exercise just before meditation. Unlike many Indian gurus Osho taught that sex was not an obstacle to spiritual progress. Although many of his disciples led fairly simple and frugal lifestyles Osho was well known for his love of cars. It is said he amassed over 20 Rolls Royces.

It is estimated over 50,000 westerners spent time seeking enlightenment with the Guru. At its peak there were over 200,000 members world wide, although this dropped off after the scandals of the late 1980s. Osho never wised to appoint a successor but he did appoint 21 followers to administer the Osho foundation which continues to provide an outlet for the dissemination of his teaching.

Resources on Osho

• Osho Biography

Ramana Maharshi Biography

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi was probably the most famous Indian sage of the twentieth century. He was renowned for his saintly life, for the fullness of his self-realization, and for the feelings of deep peace that visitors experienced in his presence. So many people came to see him at the holy hill of Arunchala where he spent his adult life that an ashram had to be built around him. He answered questions for hours every day, but never considered himself to be anyone's guru.

He was born on December 30, 1879 in a village called Tirucculi about 30 miles south of Madurai in southern India. His middle-class parents named him Venkataraman. His father died when he was twelve, and he went to live with his uncle in Madurai, where he attended American Mission High School.

At age 16, he became spontaneously self-realized. Six weeks later he ran away to the holy hill of Arunachala where he would remain for the rest of his life. For several years he stopped talking and spent many hours each day in samadhi. When he began speaking again, people came to ask him questions, and he soon acquired a reputation as a sage. In 1907, when he was 28, one of his early devotees named him Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, Divine Eminent Ramana the Great Seer, and the name stuck. Eventually he became world-famous and an ashram was built around him. He died of cancer in 1950 at the age of 70.

Ramakrishna Paramhansa Biography

Born: February 18, 1836
Died: August 16, 1886

Ramakrishna Paramhansa was one of the foremost Hindu spiritual leaders of the country. His teachings are still deeply revered by the people. He also played a key role in the social reform movement in Bengal in 19th century.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa's original name was Gadadhar Chattopadhyay. He was born on February 18, 1836 in the village of Kamarpukur, in what is now the Hooghly district of West Bengal. Gadadhar Chattopadhyay's parents were Khudiram and Chandramani. Ramakrishna was born in a poor family and his parents were hardly able to make both ends meet. Ramakrishna disliked going to school, and was not interested in the pursuit of money. Ramakrishna loved nature and liked meeting monks who stopped at his village on their way to Puri.

Right from childhood Ramakrishna Paramhansa was an iconoclast. At his investiture ceremony (Upanayna) he shocked everyone when he declared that he would have his first alms as a Brahmin from a certain Sudra woman of the village. No argument or appeal was able to budge him from his position. Finally, Ramkumar, his eldest brother and the head of the family after the passing away of their father, gave in.

Ramakrishna's elder brother Ramkumar ran a Sanskrit school in Calcutta and also served as priest in some families. During this time, a rich woman of Calcutta, Rani Rashmoni, founded a temple at Dakshineswar. She approached Ramkumar to serve as priest at the temple of Kali and Ramkumar agreed. Ramakrishna decorated the deity and when Ramkumar retired, Ramakrishna took his place as priest.

When Ramakrishna started worshipping the deity Bhavatarini, he began to question if he was worshipping a piece of stone or a living Goddess. This question disturbed him day and night. He prayed to Goddess Kali to reveal Herself to him. One day he was so impatient to see Mother Kali that he decided to end his life. He seized a sword hanging on the wall and was about to strike himself with it, when he is reported to have seen light coming from the deity in waves. He is said to have been soon overwhelmed by the waves and fell unconscious on the floor. Ramakrishna prayed to Goddess Kali for more religious experiences and he is believed to have experienced number of them.

Soon he became popular and drawn by the magnetism of Sri Ramakrishna's divine personality, people flocked to him from far and near. People of all ages, caste, and religion visited him. Ramakrishna Paramhansa's small room in the Dakshineswar temple garden on the outskirts of the city of Calcutta became a veritable parliament of religions.

Ramakrishna emphasised that God-realisation is the supreme goal of all living beings. Hence, for him, religion served as a means for the achievement of this goal. Ramakrishna's mystical realization, classified by Hindu tradition as nirvikalpa samadhi (constant meditation), led him to believe that various religions are various ways to reach the Absolute, and that the Ultimate Reality could never be expressed in human terms.

Ramakrishna Paramhansa taught ceaselessly for fifteen years the basic truths of religion through parables, metaphors, songs and by his own life. He developed throat cancer and attained Mahasamadhi on August 16, 1886, leaving behind a devoted band of 16 young disciples headed by the well-known saint-philosopher and orator, Swami Vivekananda.