Tag: Navnath Sampradaya

One of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj's notable Western devotees was a California woman named Jean Dunn.

Dunn edited and printed 100 copies of a booklet by Maharaj himself (the only one originally written by his own hand) called "Self Knowledge and Self Realization". It's an early work, very different from I AM THAT and the later books, and can be found for free on the internet (see links section).

Dunn had spent time with Nisargadatta Maharaj before his death in 1981, and that association led her in 1978 to write an article about Maharaj's teaching for The Mountain Path, the journal of Sri Ramanasramam. It was an article that attracted the attention of the then recently retired Ramesh Balsekar, who subsequently read I AM THAT and sought out Maharaj's talks.

Although many of Nisargadatta's students transcribed and edited Maharaj's talks and a few wrote books about his satsang, it can be said that none are better than Jean Dunn's three. They were compiled from daily talks given by Maharaj at his Bombay apartment from 1979 onwards.

Jean Dunn was a chain smoker as was Maharaj and suffered from emphasema as a result. In about 1993, when flying to Los Angeles, the partially pressurized airplane trip nearly killed her.

She told friends stories about Maharaj and the games he played with her. Her world revolved around him as befits a true Bhakta. At times he would go out of his way to ignore her by sitting where she wouldn't be able to see him or turning his back on her, or any number of other things that gurus do to challenge the ego.

Jack Kornfield and Jean Dunn appear in a video about Maharaj called “Awaken to the Eternal”.

Nisargadatta Maharaj acknowledged Jeaמ's profound understanding of his teaching and told her she was to carry on his work for him. After he left the body in 1982, Jean lived the rest of her life making the teachings available from her home in Vacaville, California. Before she passed away, she appointed a student of hers, Ngeton, as her successor.

Kadsiddheshwar Maharaj was born on 23 April 1905 (Chaitra Sankashti day) in the Linganoor Village, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra state of India. His father's name was Shri Shaigauda Patil. He was named Jaigauda Patil.

He was formally adopted by the Twenthy-Fifth Virupaksha Kaadeshwar of the Kaneri Math, Lingayat Parampara and invested as the Twenty-Sixth Mathadheepati of the Siddhagiri Kaneri Math, Lingayat Parampara in the year 1922 at the age of 17 years.

He was a master in Yoga and was known to have mastered all the difficult asanas like the Kumbhak which he could maintain for 9 minutes.

It is said that he would mediate for over 10 hours a day and from the period from 1922 to 1935, He mastered all the aspects of the Hindu spiritual tradition and philosophy.

He met his philosophical and spiritual guru, Siddharameshwar Maharaj, in 1935 and was given a new outlook on the deep philosophical concepts.

It is believed that he attained self-realization or Gyan Drishti.

Kaadsiddheswar Maharaj was known for his extensive activities with the poor laborers and farmer classes.

He renovated the Kaneri Math and renamed it as Siddhagiri Math. He constructed a 42 feet tall idol of a meditating Shiva with an equally massive Nandi, he built halls, several hostels for devotees and started a school with hostel facility for poor underprivileged students in the Math campus. He had also started an Old-Age home there.

He also established several other Maths such as in Mumbai, Mahabaleshwar, Khopi-Pedambe, Amurteshwar-Satara and Pune.

The tradition of Guru Shishya sampraday is one of the oldest paths pursuing the age old knowledge of Self Realization and Advait principles of Non dualness. This was started by Adiguru Shri Dattatreya, and was further carried in the Navanath Sampraday by the Holy Nine Gurus the Navanaths. One such branch was founded by Adiguru Sri Revanatah who initiated [[Shri Kaadasiddheshwar Swami Maharaj]] who was the founder of Kaneri Ashram in the 13 the century,it became a Dnyan Peeth and many solace seekers were initiated for centuries together. In the mid of the 19th century the then Shri Kaadasiddheshwar Swami Maharaj initiated Shri Gurulingajangam Maharaj also known as "Nimbarji Maharaj". He founded the Nimbargi sampraday and initiated Shri Raghunathpriya Sadhu Maharaj. Shri Samartha Sadaguru Bhausaheb Maharaj Deshpande, was an ardent follower and a devoted disciple of Shri Gurulingajangam Maharaj who was initiated by Shri Raghunathpriya Sadhu Maharaj.
Shri Samartha Sadaguru Bhausaheb Maharaj

Sadguru Shri Bhausaheb Maharaj was Born in Umdi (Karnataka State, India) on Ram navami, day in the year 1843. Raghunath Priya Sadhu Maharaj was a devoted disciple of Sadguru Shri Guruling Jangam Maharaj Viz.(Nimbargi Maharaj). Bhausaheb Maharaj & Raghunath Priya Maharaj used to meet regularly at the Hanuman temple. Raghunath Priya maharaj convinced Bhausaheb Maharaj that Bhakti Marg (Spiritual Sadhana.) was the only way to reach God, and took Bhausaheb Maharaj to Nimbargi (Nimbargi is a place where Sadguru Shri Guruling Jangam ie. Nimbargi Maharaj used to stay.) . Nimbargi Maharaj recommended Raghunath priya Maharaj to initiate Bhausaheb Maharaj. Raghuath priya sadhu maharaj agreed and then Initiated Bhausaheb maharaj. Thus, Bhausaheb Maharaj was now a Disciple of Nimbargi Maharaj. He was one of the most beloved disciples of Nimbargi Maharaj. With a Kind heart, this great saint devoted his life to his Sadguru and GOD. His love for his Sadguru Shri Guruling Jangam Maharaj consisted the vastness of the universe. However, His original last name was Deshpande He is known by Last Name Umdikar.
People used to respect Him very much. He encouraged & Practiced nem (Meditation) standing for 18 years without rest in the Jungle. After Nimbargi Maharaj, Bhausaheb Maharaj gave Spiritual Discourses, Initiated many people, decided to spread teachings of Nimbargi Maharaj. His love for his Sadguru was the only virtue in his life .One of the most beloved disciples of Bhausaheb Maharaj was Sadguru Shri Amburao Maharaj.

Shri Bhausaheb Maharaj established the Inchegeri Sampraday and preached the principle of Nondualness - Advait tatva, he used to give discourses on Srimad Dasbodh. Sri Bhausaheb Maharaj had many followers and many of his follower disciples further rose to the state of Gurupad and practised and preached the Principles of Vedant & Advait througout India.

was his disciple and ardent follower, who was blessed and initiated by his Sadaguru. Shri S S Siddharameshwar Maharaj professed the knowledge and basics of self realization to the masses and became one of the most followed Guru of Inchegeri sampraday.Shri Samartha Sadaguru Ganapatrao Maharaj Kannur was blessed and initiated by Shri S S Siddharameshwar Maharaj at the tender age of 13 and who took the vow of celibacy throughout his life and renounced all worldly pleasures to gain the ultimate knowledge, the Atmadnyan - Self realization & Jeevan Mukti - Self liberation .

Ngeton, pronounced Nay-tone, was given her name by His Holiness the 16th Karmapa. Ngeton means “Original Mind”.

Ngeton was graced to meet many masters of various traditions from whom she received initiations, teachings, and practices.

In 1991, she met her final teacher and beloved guru Jean Dunn who was a disciple of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Nisargadatta was a member of the spiritual lineage of the Navnath Sampradaya.

The Nath lineage is said to date back to the legendary Avadhut Dattatreya and only came to be known as the Navnath (meaning ‘nine-masters’) when in the remote past 9 masters were chosen by followers as exemplars of their sect. The word sampradaya means an established teaching propagated from master to disciple. Though the Navnath lineage is tantric, in recent times the Inchgiri branch which came through Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj's guru, Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj, has been popularized as Advaita Vedanta. Many offshoots and sub-sects of the Naths have arisen spontaneously in service to Awakening.

Though the style and methods of Navnath gurus vary, the teachings are simple and direct. Historically, teachers traveled on foot from village to village propagating the teachings until they were no longer able to. If one or more disciples were ready, they would be asked to “carry on the teachings”.

In 1980 Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj told Jean Dunn to carry on the teachings. Prior to this, at his request, she edited and published his talks in the books Seeds of Consciousness, Prior to Consciousness, and Consciousness and the Absolute. In 1995, Jean Dunn designated Ngeton to carry on the teachings.

In the free and spontaneous way of the Naths, Ngeton utilizes any teaching or method necessary for liberation.

Robert Powell was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1918.

After obtaining a doctorate in chemistry from the University of London, he pursued a career first as an industrial chemist and later as a science writer and editor in the UK and USA.

Robert Powell’s exploration of spirituality began in the 1960s. His quest for deeper self-discovery led him to Zen and later to a number of spiritual masters including J. Krishnamurti, Ramana Maharshi, and ultimately Nisargadatta Maharaj.

He edited three books of dialogues of Nisargadatta Maharaj that took place towards the end of Maharj's life: The Experience of Nothingness, The Nectar of Immortality, and The Ultimate Medicine (ebook versions of these books are attached at the top of this Guru Profile).

He actually never managed to meet Nisargadatta Maharaj. He had planned to visit him the very year Maharaj passed away.

He was respected internationally as an author of deeply insightful books on self-inquiry and spiritual exploration, including Discovering the Realm Beyond Appearance, Why Does God Allow Suffering, and Dialogues on Reality.

He is considered as one of the few pioneers who helped to spread the teachings of nonduality (Advaita) in the West.

Robert Powell spent the later part of his life in quiet retirement, with his loving wife Gina, in La Jolla, California.

He passed away in 2013.

Alexander (Lex) Smit , also known as Parabrahmadatta Sri Maharaj was a Dutch spiritual teacher and a yoga teacher.

In the beginning of September 1978, a Dutch called Jacques Lewenstein had been in India and come back with the book 'I AM THAT' and tapes of Nisargadatta Maharaj. The book came into the hands of Wolter Keers, a known Dutch Advaita follower and teacher. Keers was very happy with the book because after the death of his spiritual master, Krishna Menon, he had not heard anything so purely advaita. After Keers had read the book he decided to translate and publish it. He then gave the book to Smit.

Extremely moved by the book, Smit decided to travel to India the same month in order to meet Nisargadatta Maharaj. His first meeting with Nisargadatta Maharaj was in that month of September 1978.

According to him, he he received from Maharaj his final instructions and also his spiritual name, Sri Parabrahmadatta Maharaj.

Later he returned to the Netherlands and continued his quest and under the wings of Wolter Keers, he soon gave his first satsangs. Smit's satsangs in Holland drew large numbers of attendees.