Swami Sivananda

July 24, 2019
Experience

Swami Sivananda is one of the all time greats. A medical doctor by profession before he was recognised as a Master, his teachings have made a huge impact in the modern world, and he is key in bringing to light for the modern world, some of the most simple and accessible ancient practices. Revered and worshiped as a saint, one can still visit his meditation room in Rishikesh, which is filled with the beautiful energy and vibrations of his penance.

Speech: You are the Master of your Destiny

A brief Montage

Source: Karen Verhoog

Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887-1963) is one of the great yoga teachers of our time. Throughout his lifetime he founded the Divine Life Society, the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy, and left a rich list of publications and teachings. He is most fondly remembered as one of those people who is innately drawn to service of others, as is evident in many parts of his life story…

WHO IS SWAMI SIVANANDA

The child Kuppuswamy was born in September 1887 in South India. He had religious parents, who noticed early on that he was sympathetic and kind-hearted, as well as being intelligent and mischievous. He went on to be a model student at school, coming top of his class every year, as well as taking part in activities like singing, gymnastics and drama.

After graduating he went to medical school, where he earned himself top marks in all his classes. One of Dr. Kuppuswamy’s first assignments as a doctor was to work in and manage a hospital on a rubber estate in Malaysia. He had become a very gifted doctor and was often willing to treat patients for free, or to pay for their treatments himself. This was the beginning of his life of service.

Among his patients were many of the local sadhus (holy men) and sannyasins (renunciates) who he treated for free. It was one of these sadhus who gave him a spiritual book which ignited his interest in spirituality.

PILGRIMAGE TO RISHIKESH

In his spare time he began to study all the spiritual texts he could find, as well as making time for his daily prayers and āsana practice. He was inspired by the writings of Swami Vivekananda and Adi Sankara, and drew inspiration from the Bhagavad Gītā and the Bible.

It’s easy to find accounts of how generous a person he was. He would give money and items away freely, and his top priority was constant service of those who required it. In time he had a lucrative medical practice, but he felt that to develop his spiritual practice he needed to make that his first priority. So in 1923 he renounced his life as he knew it, and made his way back to India where he would start his pilgrimage to find a guru.

It was his plan to travel the whole of India and visit spiritual teachers along the way. So at some point in his journey someone recommended that he visit an ashram in Rishikesh, part of a village in the Himalayas. It was here that he met Swami Visvananda Sarawati, who recognised the potential of the doctor. He was initiated and given the name Swami Sivananda Saraswati.

SĀDHANĀ — A LIFE OF SERVICE

The definition of sādhanā is “a discipline undertaken in the pursuit of a (usually spiritual) goal. A sādhaka, or practitioner, is one who skillfully applies mind and intelligence in practice towards a spiritual goal.”

It can be said that Swami Sivananda’s sādhanā was to serve humanity. He lived in a small hut with no luxuries, did intense tapas (austerities), observed silence, and fasted. He would spend more than twelve hours in daily meditation, as well as continue his service to the sick. After some time, he came into some money, with which he started a charitable dispensary in 1927.

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