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 to Test the Value of Psychic Experiences

To someone who wrote describing many kinds of psychic experiences including astral travel and kundalini manifestations. So many kinds of experiences are possible that even the yogis of India have not listed and classified them as to their character and value. For the yogi there … Continue reading

The Yoga Life Podcast 7: Tips for Successful Meditation

Click here to listen to Tips for Successful Meditation if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 18:28 minutes. In this the seventh podcast on the Yoga Life, Abbot George gives tips for success in meditation. You will hear about: how to … Continue reading

The Great Experiment in Vegetarianism and Meditation

Q: I eat meat, however I have decided to adopt a strict vegetarian diet for sixty days. If it does enable me to go deeper into meditation, I will never eat meat again. My question is, is sixty days long enough for me to experience … Continue reading

What is Karma?

Whether a student of spirituality is new or has been studying for a while, it always pays to review the basics, in this case, “what is karma?”. “Karma” comes from the Sanskrit root kri, which means to act, do, or make. It is exactly the … Continue reading

Podcast: How to Tell if You Are Making Progress in Meditation

Click here to listen to How to Tell if You Are Making Progress in Meditation if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 15:20 minutes. Today’s podcast concerns how to gain a greater understanding of spiritual life through study of the Bhagavad Gita, … Continue reading

Jesus Teaches the Brotherhood of Life in India

“Benares is the sacred city of the Brahm[in]s, and in Benares Jesus taught; Udraka was his host. Udraka made a feast in honor of his guest, and many high born Hindu priests and scribes [pandits] were there. “And Jesus said to them, With much delight … Continue reading

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