In the person of Swami Shivananda, one of Sri Ramakrishna’s direct disciples as well as the second President of the Ramakrishna Order, we see a towering figure of spiritual illumination and tireless service to humanity.
Born into an influential Brahmana family in Bengal, he was blessed with parents who had material means as well as a great yearning for God realization. After losing her first son, the Swami’s mother devoted herself to austerities and devotion at the Shiva Temple near Tarakswar. Soon afterward the Swami was born and named Tarak, after the temple at which she had worshipped.
As a young man, Tarak had a yearning to explore and understand the nature of samadhi, and questioned many people, but no one had sufficient knowledge of this state of spiritual absorption in which union with God is achieved. Through a friend, he learned that Sri Ramakrishna had experienced this rare state, and Tarak’s spiritual longing led him to the feet of the Master whom he immediately saw as one who had achieved God realization. He quickly felt a deep attachment to Sri Ramakrishna and felt that he had already known him a long time.
Tarak, filled with the faith and certitude of a child, surrendered himself to the Master and went to see him often, either in Dakshineswar or Calcutta.
The Hawaii sangha is a strong core group of 5 intrepid students who will travel 3 hours for a Sunday class! Since the closing of the Honoka’a ashram in 2007, our Hawaii classes with Babaji have taken to the road, meeting regularly at the homes of our sangha.