International Yoga Day 2023: June 21 is celebrated annually as World Yoga Day. This year marks the ninth celebration of International Yoga Day. And today we are here to shed light on some of the greatest yogis of all time whose teachings have led to the spiritual evolution of humanity. In general, yogis are people who are sannyasins or practitioners of Yoga and live an austere life. The female form of Yogi is Yogini. A great yogi/yogini inspires people through the way they live and embody the path of yoga.
1- Adi Shankaracharya (788 AD)
Adi Shankaracharya traveled with other thinkers and philosophers of his time to propagate his philosophy through speeches and debates. He founded four mathas which helped him in the revival and spread of Advaita Vedanta. He stated that Atman (soul, self) exists in Hinduism, while in Buddhism there is no soul and no self. He is believed to be the organizer of the Dashanami monastic order and unified the Shanmata cult tradition. He is considered the Jagadguru, a title used in Sanatana Dharma which means Guru of the Universe.
2- Abhinavagupta (c. 950-1016 AD)
Author of Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta was a multifaceted mystic and philosopher who left strong influences on Indian culture. He studied all the schools of philosophy and arts of his time. He is popular for his contributions to Kashmir Shaivism.
3- Lahiri Mahasaya (1828-1895)
Lahiri Mahasaya brought Kriya Yoga back to life. Unlike other yogis, he did not denounce the material world in search of ultimate self-realization, but achieved it by being a worldly man. He was the head of the family and worked as an accountant. He also accepted social outcasts and people of other religions as students, despite being a high-caste Brahmin from an orthodox Hindu society.
4- Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836-1886)
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was a legendary mystic and bhakti yogi who experienced spiritual ecstasies from an early age. He was influenced by various religious traditions and his teachings focused on the realization of God as the supreme goal of all human life. He was a priest at the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple and gained wide recognition due to his mystical temperament and the ecstasy of it. He is considered Paramahamsa, a title given to Hindu spiritual masters who have become enlightened.
5- Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri (1855-1936)
A disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya and guru of Paramahansa Yogananda, Yukteswar Giri was a progressive-minded figure in the 19th century. He regularly invited people from all social backgrounds to his ashrams to exchange ideas on a wide range of topics. He attained maha samadhi (an act of consciously and intentionally abandoning the body at the time of death) at Karar Ashram, Puri, India, on March 9, 1936.
6-Sri Aurobindo (1862-1950)
Sri Aurobindo was a poet and journalist who was active during the Indian Independence Movement. He faced treason charges for the Alipore conspiracy. During his stay in prison he experienced mystical and spiritual ecstasies that led him to leave politics for spiritual work. He developed integral Yoga and believed that a divine and liberated life is possible on earth.
7-Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)
Swami Vivekananda, chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, introduced the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and generated interfaith awareness. He founded the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. His speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893 began with the words “Sisters and Brothers of America” and marked the official recognition of Hinduism as one of the world’s major religions. His birthday is celebrated as National Youth Day.
8- Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950)
Raman Maharshi was Jivanmukta (liberated during life) and 63 Nayanmars were awakened in him. A death experience at the age of 16 made him aware of his divine self. He is best known for his “Who Am I?” Recommended method of meditation and self-inquiry to eradicate ignorance and remain in self-awareness. According to his teachings, our true self is sat-chit-ananda, which means truth-consciousness-bliss. He became very popular in the West and was recognized as an enlightened being.
9- Swami Kuvalayananda (1883-1966)
Spiritually inclined, idealistic and strictly rationalist, Swami Kuvalayananda was a researcher and educator who pioneered the scientific foundations of yoga through the first scientific journal on Yoga, Yoga Mimamsa (1924).
10- Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887-1963)
Before taking up monasticism, Swami Sivananda Saraswati studied medicine and worked as a doctor. As an advocate of Yoga and Vedanta, he founded the Divine Life Society (DLS) in 1936 and the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy in 1948. He is the author of more than 200 books on Yoga, Vedanta and other subjects.
11- Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989)
The father of modern yoga, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, revived Hatha Yoga and is best known for developing the Vinyasa Krama yogic style. He emphasized the principle of “teaching what is appropriate for an individual.” He is widely known for restoring people’s health and well-being through Ayurvedic and yogic traditions.
12-Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952)
Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri’s chief disciple, Paramahansa Yogananda, introduced millions of people to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga. He also bridged the gap between Eastern and Western religions. He is also known as the Father of Yoga in the West due to his influence on the American Yoga Movement, especially the Los Angeles Yoga culture. He believed in the principle of “simple living and high thinking.” His book, Autobiography of a Yogi (1946), changed the lives of millions of people around the world.
13- K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009)
K. Pattabhi Jois popularized the vinyasa style of yogic known as Ashtanga Yoga. He got many eminent personalities like Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow to take up yoga. He established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute and was among those who played a pivotal role in establishing modern yoga as an exercise in the 20th century.
14- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1918-2008)
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi developed the technique of Transcendental Meditation and his devotees referred to him as “His Holiness.” He earned the title ‘Giggling Guru’ because he mainly laughed in television interviews. He became a guru to the Beatles, the Beach Boys and other celebrities. In 2008, after announcing his retirement from all administrative activity, he remained silent until his death three weeks later.
15- BKS Iyengar (1918-2014)
A disciple of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, BKS Iyengar developed Iyengar Yoga, the style of yoga as exercise. He is the author of several books on Yoga and philosophy. At the age of 95, he could stand on his head for 30 minutes. He received Padma Shri (1991), Padma Bhushan (2002), Padma Vibhushan (2014).
16- Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh or Osho (1931-1990)
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, widely known as Osho, emphasized the importance of meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humor. His openness towards human sexuality earned him much criticism and the title of ‘Sex Guru’. To make matters worse, some of his followers committed serious crimes in the 1980s that resulted in his deportation. He was denied entry from 21 countries and returned to India. He revived the Pune Ashram where he died in 1990. His ashram is now known as OSHO International Meditation Resort. His teachings continue to inspire many and have had an impact on new age Western thought.
17- Sadhguru (1957)
Jagdish Vasudev, widely known as Sadhguru, founded the Isha Foundation, authored several books and participated in several important international meetings, including the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit, the House of Lords of the British Parliament, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the International Institute for Management Development. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan (2017) for his contributions to social welfare.
18-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (1956)
Ravi Shankar, often referred to as Sri Sri (honorary title), believes that the spiritual bond that an individual shares as part of the human family is more prominent than nationality, gender, religion, profession or other identities that separate them. His goal is to create a world free of stress and violence. According to him, “the truth is spherical and not linear, so it has to be contradictory.” He is the founder of the Art of Living Foundation and was previously associated with Transcendental Meditation (TM). He received Padma Vibhushan (2016).
The theme of this year’s Yoga Day focuses on ‘Yoga for Vasudheva Kutumbakam’, which aims solely at the physical and mental well-being of all, irrespective of geographical conditions, age, gender, race and other differences.
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Source: ptivs2.edu.vn