Siddha Yoga, founded by Muktananda, has its tenets from the eastern philosophy especially Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita and Kashmir Shaivism.
Profile
Muktananda was born Krishna Rai on 16th May 1908 in Mangalore, Karnataka. He was born into an affluent family and at the age of 15 he chanced to meet BhagawanNityananda a wandering monk. This changed his outlook on life and he left his home and went in search of god-experience. He found an erudite teacher in Siddharudha Swami at Hubli from he learnt Vedanta, Yoga and Sanskrit. From this guru he took his initiation into sanyasa and was named Swami Muktananda. After the death of his guru travelled all over the country on foot and met many saints and sages. Swami Muktananda went to meet BhagawanNithyananda in Ganeshpuri, near Mumbai, in the year 1947. On 15th August he received his shaktipat initiation from Bhagawan. Shaktipat was a tradition where spiritual energy is transferred from one person to another. Swami Muktanandais believed to have said,‘his spiritual journey didn’t truly begin until he received shaktipat from the holy man BhagavanNityananda.’ From then on for about nine years Swami Muktananda spent his time in meditation in a small hut in Yeola, in Maharashtra. In 1956 Swami Muktananda was given a land in Ganeshpuri to build an ashram by BhagavanNithyananda. From then he began teaching his Siddha Yoga path and soon his teachings spread to other places and countries. Swami Muktananda passed away on October 2nd, 1982 at the age of 74.
Philosophy Propounded
Swami Muktananda propounded Siddha Yoga and the core teaching was to “See God in each other.” He wanted his followers to honour and worship the self as god dwells in the self. He could awake the kundalini in his disciples as he was initiated into the shaktipat as well.
Work Done to Spread the Philosophy
Swami Muktananda established ashrams in many countries. He also wrote sixteen books. He founded the Siddha Yoga Dham Associates Foundation (SYDA). He appointed a brother and sister as his successor but the brother Swami Nithyanandaresigned and now the SYDA Foundatio is headed by the sister Swami Chidvilasananda.
