Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke)

Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) is the founder and director of the Light of the Spirit Monastery (Atma Jyoti Ashram) in Cedar Crest, NM, USA.

In his many pilgrimages to India, he had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During his first trip to India he was given sannyas by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharat Krishna Tirtha.

In the United States he also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York.

For many years, Swami Nirmalananda has been engaged in deep study of the spiritual unity (actual identity) of Jesus Christ and his teachings with India and Sanatana Dharma. It is his conviction that original Christianity (not contemporary “Churchianity”) and original Yoga are not just compatible, they are essentially one; that Jesus lived in India for most of his life, being a Sanatana Dharma missionary to the West, and that after his resurrection he returned to India and lived the rest of his life in the Himalayas.

He has written extensively on these and other topics, many of which are posted here at OCOY.org. Of major significance are: The Christ of India, Soham Yoga: Its Theory and Practice, The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening and his various commentaries on spiritual texts which you can explore in the Dharma for Awakening section.

Most of his writings available here at OCOY.org are also available in print and ebook formats at Amazon and other online book outlets.

How Enlightenment is Reached in Seven Stages

Sutras 27 and 28 of Book Two of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2: 27. In his case the highest stage of enlightenment [prajna] is reached by seven stages. Swami Vivekananda’s explanation of this is extremely valuable, so here it is: “When this knowledge … Continue reading

My Friend Jugavati, and the Vishnupur Train Platform Swami | Podcast

Click here to listen to My Friend Jugavati, and the Vishnupur Train Platform Swami if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 6:35 minutes. The next treasure I want to tell you about lived right in the midst of the bustle of Delhi, but … Continue reading

Meditation and the Heart

Q: I am looking for a type of meditation that focuses on the heart in order to attain pure love: a loving path, a way to be purified in heart as Jesus said. Can you help me in this? It is important to realize that … Continue reading

What is the Name of God?

A Continuation of the Commentary on Theologia Germanica, by the Frankfurter. The things which are in part can be apprehended, known, and expressed; but the Perfect cannot be apprehended, known, or expressed by any creature as creature. The ancient sages of India knew by direct … Continue reading

Swami Rama of Hardwar (Ram Kunj) | Podcast

Click here to listen to Swami Rama of Hardwar (Ram Kunj) if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 11:06 minutes. Late one afternoon when I was staying for a while with Srimati Rani Bhan and her family in Delhi she told me … Continue reading

The Purpose of Life, and How to Attain It

Sutras 23 through 26 of Book Two of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2: 23. The purpose of the coming together of the purusha and prakriti is the gaining by the purusha of the awareness of his true nature and the unfoldment of powers … Continue reading

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