Brief Biography of Sri Atmananda
Policeman, lawyer, householder, husband, father, teacher, sage....
I call him "Gurunathan."
"Sri Atmananda [December 8, 1883 - May 14, 1959] was a great Sage and Guru. He was a householder and showed by his life and teachings that no way of life is an impediment to the realization of Truth. "It is not the objective world that presents obstacles to one's spiritual progress, but the false stand one has taken up." (Atma Darshan, Chapter 20)....
"He... matriculated as first in the state, receiving a gold medal from the then Maharaja of Travancore. After that he became a teacher in a convent in Thalavadi.... A few years later he joined the C.M.S. College, Kottayam for his F.A. (now pre-degree). After passing his F.A. he became a teacher at the M.G.M. School, Tiruvella. While remaining there he took his B.A. degree privately.
"The then Commissioner of Police, one George (an Englishman), had the idea to improve the department by absorbing some educated hands. As graduates were few in number, this new degree-holder was called to join the department. Though he did not have the required height or build, he was recruited as the second-grade inspector, merely on the merit of his qualifications. Thus he started his career in the police service. He got married also at this time.
"Feeling that the study of law would put him in a better position, he took his B.L. degree also. Then he was made the prosecuting inspector. In this work, in the court, he had to meet all the prominent lawyers of Travancore. Seeing his brilliance, they even advised him to resign and take up practice as a lawyer. But he continued as the police officer. His efficiency and correctness were recognized by the whole department.
"It was during this time that his spiritual life began in all earnestness. He read many spiritual works, and from them came to understand that without a Guru one cannot realize the Truth. With the questions he had, he met many who were in this line. But he did not get satisfactory answers. He was very much worried because of this. At this crucial moment, the siddha who gave him [his first] mantra earlier (his karya guru) appeared on the scene to console him. He said that he would meet a proper Guru within a week.
"One day when he was coming out of the court in Thakkalai, Padmanabha Puram, in southern Travancore, he saw a sanyasin sitting on a road-side parapet wall. The sanyasin, seeing him, got up and approached him in a familiar way and asked him whether they could walk for a mile. They walked some distance and entered a vacant house. During the conversation he put his questions and got very satisfactory answers. The humility in the sanyasin was very striking. Suddenly he remembered like a flash what the siddha had told him. He asked for spiritual instructions. Only then the sanyasin said that he came there only for that. This clearly shows that no real Guru will impose himself. This sanyasin's name was Yogananda (not the Yogananda from the self-realization group).
"A sage, Komba Swami, who was very much respected in the South, seeing Sri Yogananda, stood up and remained in a bent position till Sri Yogananda had gone out of sight. This only shows Sri Yogananda's greatnes. Only a sage can recognize another sage.
"Sri Yogananda had four other disciples, all sanyasins, staying with him in the ashram at Almora. Before leaving he had told them that a devotee in Travancore was calling him and he did not know when he would return. The Guru did not allow his last disciple, Sri Atmananda, to take up sanyasa, and he told him that he had a mission in the world."
[about one page detailing the initial yoga practices of Sri Atmananda omitted.]
"Even though he could contact his Guru and the Guru could contact him anytime, through their yoga powers, a desire developed in him to go to the Guru's ashram. He took leave for three months. The day previous to his leaving, after his evening meditation, he wanted to tell his wife about this. But the Guru appeared in vision and told him not to come. He said that he was going to leave the body within a week and that he would not be able to see him if he came. He had to cancel his trip. His co-disciples said that it was because of him that the Guru left the body so early, at the age of thirty-seven.
"The Guru said that Sri Atmananda was too tender-hearted to stand the separation, and therefore one of the disciples, Sri Promodananda, was asked to go to Trivandrum to console him. After the funeral-rites Promadananda went to Trivandrum. He met this householder disciple as he would meet the Guru. He prostrated before Him as instructed. Tradtionally, a sanyasin was never allowed to prostrate before a householder...."
"Sri Atmananda continued as the Guru even when he was in the police service. As the A.S.P. Nagercoil, when he was on temple duty in his uniform, an avadhuta sage, Mayiamma, came that way. Stopping near him she asked him, "Is this also a karma yoga?" He answered, "Yes." She said, "You can do this." Then she walked away. People there said that was the first time they heard her speak Malayalam.
"Because of his proficiency and thoroughness with procedures, he was asked to write the Police Manual, which was followed until quite recently. When he was A.S.P. Kottayam, once he went on circuit to Kumali. Leaving his car on the roadside he walked towards the hills, where he met his old karya guru. He felt curious to know the spiritual position of his karya guru. He found him stranded in awyakta (void). When asked whether it was enough, the siddha answered that he was not to question that. Sri Atmananda took a small twig from the ground. Placing it on his palm he told the siddha, "You are able to see the twig because it is in consciousness. Therefore, when it is removed, what is remaining is consciousness and not void or sunya." With emphasis he said, "Keep your stand there." Immediately, the siddha fell down, holding Sri Atmananda's feet. He lay in that state of samadhi for four hours. Thus his old karya guru became his disciple. From whomsoever one gets enlightened, he automatically becomes one's Guru."
[two lengthy paragraphs regarding family members omitted]
"In 1959 Sri Atmananda entered into Mahasamadhi, on May 14th between 7:10 and 7:15 A.M. All his three children--two sons and a daughter--and all the in-laws, relatives, and disciples were around. His eldest son was blessed in a special way on 11th. This was his last act...."
"Even though he did all the intricate yoga, bhakti and jnana sadhanas, he never gave any of these sadhanas to his disciples. From his experience, according to him, these were not necessary for the realization of Truth...."
[Two lengthy philosophical paragraphs omitted for sake of focus on the biography.]
"For the permanent establishment, the hold on to the Guru is very important: "Deskikoktya sivoham" ("I am the Absolute through the words of my Guru")--Sri Sankara. Sri Atmananda said that his Guru aked him to think of the Guru for three minutes before he started his daily meditations. Sri Atmananda told his disciples later that that was the only meditation he had done. His presentation was very direct. In examination of wave and sea, there is no difficulty to realize that the wave is nothing but water. There is no need to go from the wave to the sea to realize it as nothing but water. Form is seeing and seeing is being. The whole work in the spiritual is only to remove one's stand from the body-mind identification to the real "I." "When once he becomes fully aware of this stand, he is freed and thenceforward, all thoughts, feelings and objects of perception will be pointing to himself," the "I" (Atma Nirvriti, Chapter 20)"
"An avadhuta sage, Annan, meeting some of Sri Atmananda's disciples told them, "You are very fortunate: water is boiled, rice is put, cooked, made into balls, put into your mouths and pushed down. But our case is different. Some water, firewood, and rice are given; we have to cook our own food." By this Annan meant only that Sri Atmananda made the path very easy."
~Life Sketch of Sri Atmananda
Atmananda Tattwa Samhita: The Direct Approach to Truth as Expounded by Sri Atmananda, 1973
Compiled, edited and Malayalam portions translated by Sri Adwayananda
Sri Krishna Menon, ~Atmananda~
"I am pure consciousness which knows no dissolution."
I call him "Gurunathan."
"Sri Atmananda [December 8, 1883 - May 14, 1959] was a great Sage and Guru. He was a householder and showed by his life and teachings that no way of life is an impediment to the realization of Truth. "It is not the objective world that presents obstacles to one's spiritual progress, but the false stand one has taken up." (Atma Darshan, Chapter 20)....
"He... matriculated as first in the state, receiving a gold medal from the then Maharaja of Travancore. After that he became a teacher in a convent in Thalavadi.... A few years later he joined the C.M.S. College, Kottayam for his F.A. (now pre-degree). After passing his F.A. he became a teacher at the M.G.M. School, Tiruvella. While remaining there he took his B.A. degree privately.
"The then Commissioner of Police, one George (an Englishman), had the idea to improve the department by absorbing some educated hands. As graduates were few in number, this new degree-holder was called to join the department. Though he did not have the required height or build, he was recruited as the second-grade inspector, merely on the merit of his qualifications. Thus he started his career in the police service. He got married also at this time.
"Feeling that the study of law would put him in a better position, he took his B.L. degree also. Then he was made the prosecuting inspector. In this work, in the court, he had to meet all the prominent lawyers of Travancore. Seeing his brilliance, they even advised him to resign and take up practice as a lawyer. But he continued as the police officer. His efficiency and correctness were recognized by the whole department.
"It was during this time that his spiritual life began in all earnestness. He read many spiritual works, and from them came to understand that without a Guru one cannot realize the Truth. With the questions he had, he met many who were in this line. But he did not get satisfactory answers. He was very much worried because of this. At this crucial moment, the siddha who gave him [his first] mantra earlier (his karya guru) appeared on the scene to console him. He said that he would meet a proper Guru within a week.
"One day when he was coming out of the court in Thakkalai, Padmanabha Puram, in southern Travancore, he saw a sanyasin sitting on a road-side parapet wall. The sanyasin, seeing him, got up and approached him in a familiar way and asked him whether they could walk for a mile. They walked some distance and entered a vacant house. During the conversation he put his questions and got very satisfactory answers. The humility in the sanyasin was very striking. Suddenly he remembered like a flash what the siddha had told him. He asked for spiritual instructions. Only then the sanyasin said that he came there only for that. This clearly shows that no real Guru will impose himself. This sanyasin's name was Yogananda (not the Yogananda from the self-realization group).
"A sage, Komba Swami, who was very much respected in the South, seeing Sri Yogananda, stood up and remained in a bent position till Sri Yogananda had gone out of sight. This only shows Sri Yogananda's greatnes. Only a sage can recognize another sage.
"Sri Yogananda had four other disciples, all sanyasins, staying with him in the ashram at Almora. Before leaving he had told them that a devotee in Travancore was calling him and he did not know when he would return. The Guru did not allow his last disciple, Sri Atmananda, to take up sanyasa, and he told him that he had a mission in the world."
[about one page detailing the initial yoga practices of Sri Atmananda omitted.]
"Even though he could contact his Guru and the Guru could contact him anytime, through their yoga powers, a desire developed in him to go to the Guru's ashram. He took leave for three months. The day previous to his leaving, after his evening meditation, he wanted to tell his wife about this. But the Guru appeared in vision and told him not to come. He said that he was going to leave the body within a week and that he would not be able to see him if he came. He had to cancel his trip. His co-disciples said that it was because of him that the Guru left the body so early, at the age of thirty-seven.
"The Guru said that Sri Atmananda was too tender-hearted to stand the separation, and therefore one of the disciples, Sri Promodananda, was asked to go to Trivandrum to console him. After the funeral-rites Promadananda went to Trivandrum. He met this householder disciple as he would meet the Guru. He prostrated before Him as instructed. Tradtionally, a sanyasin was never allowed to prostrate before a householder...."
"Sri Atmananda continued as the Guru even when he was in the police service. As the A.S.P. Nagercoil, when he was on temple duty in his uniform, an avadhuta sage, Mayiamma, came that way. Stopping near him she asked him, "Is this also a karma yoga?" He answered, "Yes." She said, "You can do this." Then she walked away. People there said that was the first time they heard her speak Malayalam.
"Because of his proficiency and thoroughness with procedures, he was asked to write the Police Manual, which was followed until quite recently. When he was A.S.P. Kottayam, once he went on circuit to Kumali. Leaving his car on the roadside he walked towards the hills, where he met his old karya guru. He felt curious to know the spiritual position of his karya guru. He found him stranded in awyakta (void). When asked whether it was enough, the siddha answered that he was not to question that. Sri Atmananda took a small twig from the ground. Placing it on his palm he told the siddha, "You are able to see the twig because it is in consciousness. Therefore, when it is removed, what is remaining is consciousness and not void or sunya." With emphasis he said, "Keep your stand there." Immediately, the siddha fell down, holding Sri Atmananda's feet. He lay in that state of samadhi for four hours. Thus his old karya guru became his disciple. From whomsoever one gets enlightened, he automatically becomes one's Guru."
[two lengthy paragraphs regarding family members omitted]
"In 1959 Sri Atmananda entered into Mahasamadhi, on May 14th between 7:10 and 7:15 A.M. All his three children--two sons and a daughter--and all the in-laws, relatives, and disciples were around. His eldest son was blessed in a special way on 11th. This was his last act...."
"Even though he did all the intricate yoga, bhakti and jnana sadhanas, he never gave any of these sadhanas to his disciples. From his experience, according to him, these were not necessary for the realization of Truth...."
[Two lengthy philosophical paragraphs omitted for sake of focus on the biography.]
"For the permanent establishment, the hold on to the Guru is very important: "Deskikoktya sivoham" ("I am the Absolute through the words of my Guru")--Sri Sankara. Sri Atmananda said that his Guru aked him to think of the Guru for three minutes before he started his daily meditations. Sri Atmananda told his disciples later that that was the only meditation he had done. His presentation was very direct. In examination of wave and sea, there is no difficulty to realize that the wave is nothing but water. There is no need to go from the wave to the sea to realize it as nothing but water. Form is seeing and seeing is being. The whole work in the spiritual is only to remove one's stand from the body-mind identification to the real "I." "When once he becomes fully aware of this stand, he is freed and thenceforward, all thoughts, feelings and objects of perception will be pointing to himself," the "I" (Atma Nirvriti, Chapter 20)"
"An avadhuta sage, Annan, meeting some of Sri Atmananda's disciples told them, "You are very fortunate: water is boiled, rice is put, cooked, made into balls, put into your mouths and pushed down. But our case is different. Some water, firewood, and rice are given; we have to cook our own food." By this Annan meant only that Sri Atmananda made the path very easy."
~Life Sketch of Sri Atmananda
Atmananda Tattwa Samhita: The Direct Approach to Truth as Expounded by Sri Atmananda, 1973
Compiled, edited and Malayalam portions translated by Sri Adwayananda
Sri Krishna Menon, ~Atmananda~
"I am pure consciousness which knows no dissolution."