Biography Abhishiktananda

1 biography

1.1 years , benedictine monastic life (1910–1948)
1.2 sannyasa life (1948–1968)
1.3 final years , awakening (1968–1973)

biography
early years , benedictine monastic life (1910–1948)

henri le saux born on 30 august 1910 in st briac, small town on north coast of brittany. first child of alfred le saux , louise sonnerfaud, gave him names henri briac marie. in 1921 parents sent him minor seminary @ châteaugiron, in 1925 went major seminary @ rennes. boyhood had felt monastic vocation: “what has drawn me beginning , still leads me on, hope of finding there presence of god more anywhere else….” @ age of 19 admitted postulant benedictine monastery @ sainte-anne de kergonan spent nineteen years (with short break between years 1939 , 1941 when required participate in world war ii sergeant of french army).

the call india heard le saux @ kergonan 1934, within 5 years of entering monastery. closely related vocation more radical contemplative life lacked within existing framework of western monasticism. expressed feeling in characteristic phrase became motto: “beyond, beyond.” in may 1947 wrote bishop of tiruchirappalli, asking in “settling somewhere in neighborhood of tiruchi that, living in hermitage, might there lead contemplative life…in closest possible conformity traditions of indian sannyasa.” letter replied french priest, jules monchanin, had left india in 1939 @ age of 44. latter did best le saux in arranging arrival india. in correspondence of 7 august 1947, monchanin advised future partner: “learn english can. have no objection purely vegetarian diet (essential life of sannyasi). need unshakable courage…complete detachment things of west, , profound love india….”

sannyasa life (1948–1968)

le saux arrived colombo on 15 august 1948 , few days later joined jules monchanin in kulittalai (tamil nadu). in january 1949 2 seekers visited ashram of 1 of greatest sages of modern india, sri ramana maharshi (1879 – 1950), @ foot of arunachala mountain in tiruvannamalai (tamil nadu). le saux’s meeting sage had profound effect on life recounted in diary: “i consider stay @ tiruvannamalai real retreat , @ same time initiation hindu monastic life. want to…enter great silence , peace which, have read , been told, found @ ashram….” darshana of sri ramana maharshi became him first introduction wisdom of advaita: “in contemporary sage of arunachala unique sage of eternal india appeared me… call pierced through everything, rent in pieces , opened mighty abyss.”

in 1950 le saux , monchanin following monastic vocation , emerging spiritual ideal, established saccidananda ashram (shantivanam) on banks of holy river kaveri (cauvery), aim of allowing monks of different traditions live in contemplation, sharing “silent communion” in quest of unique”. in accordance indian tradition adopted new names themselves: le saux became abhishikteshvarananda (“bliss of anointed lord”), later shortened abhishiktananda, , monchanin parama arubi ananda (“bliss of supreme formless one”). daily routine in ashram based on 3 sandhyavandanam-s (prayers @ meeting points of day , night , @ midday), enriched sanskrit , tamil texts , hymns. time given spiritual , indological study, although 2 monks remained in silence greater part of day.

from 1952 1955, abhishiktananda made several visits sacred mountain of arunachala, of account can found in book secret of arunachala (published posthumously in 1975). during these visits experienced lengthy stays in mountain’s caves, dedicating of time contemplation. in 1953 met known teacher of advaita, sri h.w.l. poonja (also known later papaji ), had deep impact on spiritual quest. in 1955 in tirukoilur, first meeting contemporary sage swami sri gnanananda giri took place: “i not resist making great prostration of our hindu tradition, , whom believe might give myself on completely…. know india means term guru….”. further on sri gnanananda became swamiji’s guru , teachings eloquently described in swami abhishiktananda’s publication guru , disciple (1970). sri gnanananda’s message focused on practice of dhyana (meditation):

return within,

to place there nothing,

and take care nothing comes in.

penetrate depths of yourself,

to place thought no longer exists,

and take care no thought arises there!

there nothing exists,

fullness!

there nothing seen,

the vision of being!

there nothing appears longer,

the sudden appearing of self!

dhyana this!.

abhishiktananda’s deep devotion guru seen in letters of period: “here fortnight guru. have been totally “caught”…. if man ask me tomorrow set out on roads naked , silent sadasiva brahmendra, unable refuse…. in him have felt truth of advaita….”

later in 1960s, abhishiktananda commenced regular pilgrimages northern india , in 1968 left shantivanam forever having passed bede griffiths osb cam (1906–1993) ongoing development of ashram.

final years , awakening (1968–1973)

in october 1968, abhishiktananda settled in small kutiya @ gyansu (a kilometre away uttarkashi), spend 6 8 months in solitude during years 1969 1971. main purpose lead contemplative life, of wrote close friend, odette baumer-despeigne: “… living here rule going new experience. can scarcely hope acosmic being of whom wrote in gangotri, @ least might able of sort….” during period participating in series of interreligious meetings, conferences , study sessions, including participation in all-india seminar in bangalore (15 may–20 june 1969), etc.

however, 1 of main events of final years meeting young frenchman later became 1 true , prominent disciple, marc chaduc. correspondence commenced in late 1960s. in 1 of first letters abhishiktananda, replying marc’s questions regarding possibility of permanent stay in india, states: “…the essential thing penetrate interior mystery india bears witness intensely…. without contemplative sense, come india absolutely useless….” chaduc arrived in india on 29 september 1971 @ age of twenty-seven , met abhishiktananda few weeks later in delhi on 21 october. first ten days spent in delhi led unparalleled guru-disciple relationship between 2 brought revolutionary change in abhishiktananda’s life: “i have found in him (chaduc) total disciple. him , 2 young hindus experience other end guru is. chela (disciple) makes guru, , have have lived it, in order grasp relationship “beyond words….” abhishiktananda subsequently sent chaduc on pilgrimage, including sri ramana’s ashram , arunachala, abhishiktananda had encountered profound spiritual experience: “there no question arunachala powerful magnet. how should lead round cave cave….” during last twenty months of life abhishiktananda’s advaitic experience deepened , realizes truth of upanishads utter clarity: “the mantra om tat sat sings day long… madhu (honey) everything else, constant take-off beyond, golden purusha full of glory – know well….”

on 30 june 1973, abhishiktananda, along president of divine life society, swami chidananda saraswati, arranged on banks of ganga in rishikesh, simple rite of sannyasa-diksha (initiation sannyasa) chaduc, after became known swami ajatananda saraswati. abhishiktananda moved experience considered culmination of own life. had clearer vision of fact truth not conditioned concepts, myths or symbols , lies beyond them all: “we have descend ultimate depths recognize there no common denominator @ level of namarupa (name , form). should accept namarupa of varied kinds…. should penetrate depth of each other’s mystery…. take off each of them springboard, towards bottomless ocean….”

his posthumous book, further shore, wrote several months before mahasamadhi, reflects last experiences , disciple swami ajatananda draws attention in book s foreword fact “…nothing swamiji wrote had not been lived him, realized in himself. beauty of written work, fruit of silence.”

on 14 july 1973, abhishiktananda struck heart attack himself described “spiritual awakening”. remaining several months of life spent in state of bliss , realization, expressed himself in writings: “o have found grail…. quest grail nothing else quest self…. seeking through everything. , in quest running everywhere, whereas grail here, close @ hand, have open eyes…. there awakening.”

in evening of 7 december 1973 in indore, abhishiktananda underwent brief heart attack , @ 11 pm died. last words “god’s done.”