User:Gudkarl/sandbox
Babaji Bob Kindler | |
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| Personal life | |
| Born | |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Teaching Vedanta, the Four Yogas, Sankhya, Tantra, Meditation, Buddhism |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Philosophy | Advaita Vedanta |
| Religious career | |
| Guru | Swami Aseshanandaji |
| Part of a series on | |
| Hindu philosophy | |
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Babaji Bob Kindler (b. 1950) is the Spiritual Director of SRV Associations, and guide and Guru to its body of devotees and students. A prolific author with many books on religion and philosophy, he is also a professional musician, recording artist, and editor in Chief for SRV's journal titled, Nectar of Nondual Truth.
Biography
[edit]Babaji Bob Kindler was born in 1950 near the city of Portland, Oregon. In the 1960's he attended grade school and high school in Portland [1], took up the cello with a famous teacher, Beverly LeBeck, and soon became the principle cellist of the prodigious Portland Youth Philharmonic[2]. Winning scholarships and competitions took him to the East Coast and the classical music scene in Massachusetts, the Berkshires, and the Boston Symphony and then to Hawaii to perform with the Honalulu Symphony there under the direction of Robert LaMarchina. Prior to and during this period, around 1970, he read The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and began engaging in sadhana, and later, in Hawaii, met Lex Hixon who was a disciple of Swami Nikhilananda of the Vedanta Society of New York [3].
Lex acquainted Babaji with Swami Aseshananda of the Vedanta Society of Portland, and when Babaji returned to Portland to meet the swami, he received initiation, Mantra-diksha, from him. Both aforementioned swamis were initiated by Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother, wife and spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna [4] [5]. While practicing and studying Vedanta and many of the darshanas of India, he and Lex Hixon were graced by His Holiness, the Karmapa, with personal initiation into the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, receiving both White and Green Tara mantras and practices [6].
Jai Ma Music
[edit]Babaji's emergence as an instructor of Indian philosophy (Sanatana Dharma) and spiritual guide for aspirants and seekers, occurred from 1980 onwards. An important part of this development was connected with his creation of Jai Ma Music in 1980, which he envisioned as a vehicle for introducing and transmitting Indian dharma, bhakti, and jnanam to the West. Jai Ma Music produced an extensive series of devotional wisdom music offerings on cassette and CD, and toured both the United States and parts of India through the 80's and 90's offering spiritual arts programs, sometimes accompanied by Lex Hixon reading from his new books, such as Great Swan. These inspiring programs consisted of the singing of bhajans, Sanskrit chanting, instrumental music in both Indian raga and Western classical styles, recitation of inspirational poetry from India, and even incorporated classical Indian dance into many appearances [7]. Discourses on the inner meaning of Indian scripture and chanting were also given regularly by Babaji, evolving into the many discourses and lectures which today can be found on SRV's websites and on YouTube [8].
SRV Associations
[edit]| Part of a series on |
| Advaita |
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 Hindu philosophy |
In the late 1980's and early 1990's, Lex Hixon gathered together a group of American Vedantists from both the East and West Coasts to help formulate the Sarada Ramakrishna Vivekananda Association of America. The group acquired land with a temple in New York. With permission of the Association’s Board, Babaji started three independent SRV Associations on the West Coast and one in Hawaii, with the help of Bhavatarini Ma (Jocelyn Nielsen), Annapurna Sarada (Leigh Anne Gurtov), and his wife, Sarvamangala (Roseria Loke Cabanlit Kindler). Many students and seekers came forth to join this endeavor, taking initiation into the SRV fold and family. In this way did Jai Ma Music and the SRV Associations of the West fuse into a service oriented movement (SRV, serve) that today, three decades later, is still growing and opening the way for aspirants to find that rare peace of mind leading to enlightenment. [9]
As Spiritual Director of the SRV Associations, founded in 1993, Babaji teaches Vedanta, the Four Yogas, Yoga Patanjala, Sankhya, Tantra, Buddhism and schools of Advaitic or non-dual standpoint via satsang, in-person and online classes, retreats and group pilgrimages to India [10]. Of his many articles on spirituality and sadhana, several have appeared in the Ramakrishna Order's magazines, Prabuddha Bharata and Vedanta Kesari, and in SRV's own Nectar of Nondual Truth journal [11]. For several decades, SRV's outreach has been dedicated to the service of God in mankind via spiritual knowledge including 20 years of teaching Vedanta and Yoga Psychology to inmates in Correctional Institutions.
The SRV work in general, based upon the lives of Sri Ramakrishna and Sarada Devi as the Ideals, on Swami Vivekananda as the superlative guide, and on the Ramakrishna Order as the best model for positive transformation on earth — all based in the highest thinking of Vedanta philosophy and the Universality of all religions [12] — is, as SRV's motto states, "Setting the feet of humanity on the path of Universal Truth."[13]
"The time is upon us to partake abundantly of India’s special storehouse of transcendent wisdom called Advaita. By championing it, studying it, and practising its eternal principles and axioms, the mistakes and shortcomings of conventional religious pathways around the world will be erased from the mind, and the atmosphere of harmony, unity, and indivisibility will reign supreme in the human heart and mind. This is the promise of true and authentic spirituality: The noblest philosophy of the unity of man ever had—the Advaita Vedanta"[14].
Bibliography
[edit]Babaji Bob Kindler has published 17 books along with publishing 35 issues of Nectar of Non-Dual Truth.
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | We are Atman All-Abiding: 108 Verses on the Atman | This poem was written for Lex Hixon, author of Great Swan: Meetings with Ramakrishna and Divine Mother of the Universe and founder of the National SRV Association, before he passed away in November, 1995. [15] |
| 1996 | Hasta-Amalaka Stotram | An English rendition of Hastamalaka's, Adi Shankaracharya's disciple, hymn of advaitic nature.[16] |
| 1996 | The Twenty-Four Aspects of Mother Kali, ISBN 9781891893049 | An 24-fold meditation on the Goddess Kali, the lynchpin of Non-Duality and Shaktism.[17] |
| 1996 | The Ten Divine Articles of Sri Durga: Insights and Meditations, ISBN 9781891893070 | Devotional analysis of Mother Durga's iconography and the religious symbolism associated with her worship.[18] |
| 1999 | Sri Sarada Vijnanagita: Her Teachings, Selected and Arranged in Verse Form, ISBN 9781891893063 | Sri Sarada Devi, wife and spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna, is known widely as The Holy Mother. This book examines her teachings, selected and arranged in verse form.[19] |
| 1999 | The Avadhut And His Twenty-Four Teachers in Nature, ISBN 9781891893056 | Here, The Vedantic teachings are placed within the journeys of an ascetic traveling through the country of India, the Avadhut.[20] |
| 2004 | An Extensive Anthology of Sri Ramakrishna’s Stories, ISBN 9781891893087 |
In this collection are found over 750 sayings, stories, anecdotes, parables, metaphors and allegories from the life of Sri Ramakrishna.[21] |
| 2008 | Swami Vivekananda Vijnanagita: The Wisdom Song of Vivekananda, ISBN 9781891893063 | Drawn solely from Swami Vivekananda's personal letters - this Vijnanagita or Song of Wisdom, represents the core of his thinking and message to the world.[22] |
| 2010 | A Quintessential Yoga Vasishtha, ISBN 9781891893100 | Yoga Vasistha details a lesser known period of Sri Ram's youth not discussed in the traditional Ramayana.[23] |
| 2011 | Reclaiming Kundalini Yoga, ISBN 9781891893117 | Concise book on the esoteric subject of Kundalini Yoga.[24] |
| 2014 | Strike Off Thy Fetters! Commentary on the Song of the Sannyasin, 2014 | Commentary based on Swami Vivekananda's poem, which he wrote while in the United States in the late 19th century. [25] |
| 2014 | Dissolving the Mindstream: Withdrawing Name & Form in Meditation, ISBN 9781891893148 | Dissolving the Mindstream is a traditional teaching of Vedanta and Yoga, where the reader is introduced to basic concepts pertaining to the nature of Objectivity phenomena, to more subtle points of philosophy. [26] |
| 2014 | The Wisdom Particle: Jnana Matra, ISBN 9781891893162 | A contemporary approach to the ancient Vedantic teachings, focused on the idea of the Wisdom Particle. [27] |
| 2014 | Walking the Wisdom Path: Lectures in the Jnana Marga, 2014 | Swami Aseshananda, Sri Sarada Devi's last living monastic disciple, lived and taught in America for forty years. He imbibed both the transcendent viewpoint of Advaita Vedanta and the practical teachings of Christianity in his life, for his message to Western culture and the world at large.[28] |
| 2015 | Manasana: The Superlative Art of Mental Posture, ISBN 9781891893209 | An handbook for mental balance of the contemporary practitioner of yoga and spirituality. [29] |
| 2016 | Cosmic Quintuplications: The Secret of Panchakarana, ISBN 9781891893216 | The Cosmic Quintuplication system describes the Vedic cosmological process by which manifesting consciousness takes on form or, put another way, how the embodying soul takes on matter by inserting itself into forms or vehicles of its choosing. [30] |
| 2020 | Footfalls of the Indian Rishis: Charting the Timeless Wisdom of Mother India, ISBN 9781891893278 | Comprehensive resource and study-book for students, practitioners, and teachers alike, which spans the spectrum of philosophical schools and religious Ideals. A work in progress for almost 15 years, presenting hundreds of charts on Yoga, Sankhya, Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta, Tantra, Yoga Vasistha, Buddhism, and the Ramakrishna lineage. An extensive glossary of Sanskrit terms is included.[31] |
Discography
[edit]| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1980 | Wingspan |
| 1982 | Music from the Matrix, Vol. 1: Infinite Space, |
| 1983 | Music from the Matrix, Vol. 2: Sacred Earth, 19 |
| 1985 | Music from the Matrix, Vol. 3: Waters of Life |
| 1985 | Bhajans of Love & Wisdom |
| 1986 | Shakti Bhajans |
| 1987 | Guru Bhajans |
| 1989 | Bhajananda |
| 1990 | Hymns to the Goddess |
| 1990 | Hymns to the Master and the Mother |
| 1991 | Universal Aspects of Sanatana Dharma |
| 1991 | Kali Bol |
| 1992 | Tiger's Paw |
| 1992 | Avatar Bhajans |
| 1993 | Worlds Unseen |
| 1994 | 108 Names of Sarada & Ramakrishna Suprabhatam |
| 1996 | Ever Free Never Bound |
| 1996 | Puja & Arati Hymns |
| 1996 | Deva Devi Svarupaya |
| 1997 | Hari Om Ramanam |
| 1998 | Sarada Ramakrishna Name |
| 2005 | Gita Govinda Mala |
| 2001 | Sound Castles: Eight Vibrational Chambers |
| 2007 | The Ecstatic Songs of Ramprasad, Vol. 1 |
| 2007 | The Ecstatic Songs of Ramprasad, Vol. 2 |
| 2010 | Siva! Siva! |
| 2013 | Jai Ho Vivekananda! |
| 2014 | Kali Bol Ramakrishna |
Recorded CD Discourse Sets
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Spiritual Awakening Through Mantra |
| 2001 | Points and Principles of the Upanishads |
| 2002 | Fundamentals of Vedanta I |
| 2002 | Fundamentals of Vedanta II |
| 2002 | The Evolutes of Maya |
| 2002 | Axioms of Advaita |
| 2003-2006 | Bhagavad Gita - 4 Volume Set |
| 2010 | Coalescing the Four Yogas |
| 2011 | Divine Mother & Her Wisdom |
References
[edit]- ^ "Introductory text about Babaji Bob Kindler on SRV website".
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ "Introductory text about Babaji Bob Kindler on SRV website".
- ^ Sridhar, Aparna (2020). "Indian Philosophy Awakens One to Jnanamarga as Opposed to Bhogamarga: Babaji Bob Kindler".
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ "An introductory booklet of questions & answers concerning sangha life, SRV's history, and recommended reading, p. 17-18" (PDF). 2015.
- ^ "The Official SRV website". 2015.
- ^ "An introductory booklet of questions & answers concerning sangha life, SRV's history, and recommended reading, p. 24-29" (PDF). 2015.
- ^ "Introductory text about Babaji Bob Kindler on SRV website".
- ^ "Babaji Bob Kindler's Article List in Prabuddha Bharata". January 2014.
- ^ "About Babaji Bob Kindler, from SRV website". January 2014.
- ^ "SRV's Medium page, listing its motto". January 2014.
- ^ B. Kindler, Babaji (January 2014). "The Open Arms of Religious Congeniality, 119(01), p. 131-142" (PDF).
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (1994). "We are Atman All-Abiding: 108 Verses on the Atman".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (1994). "Hasta-Amalaka Stotram".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (1996). "Twenty-Four Aspects of Mother Kali".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (1996). "The Ten Divine Articles of Sri Durga: Insights and Meditations".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (1999). "Sri Sarada Vijnanagita: Her Teachings, Selected and Arranged in Verse Form".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (1999). "The Avadhut And His Twenty-Four Teachers in Nature".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2004). "An Extensive Anthology of Sri Ramakrishna's Stories".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2008). "Swami Vivekananda Vijnanagita: The Wisdom Song of Vivekananda".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2010). "A Quintessential Yoga Vasishtha".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2011). "Reclaiming Kundalini Yoga".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2014). "Strike Off Thy Fetters! Commentary on the Song of the Sannyasin".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2014). "Dissolving the Mindstream: Withdrawing Name & Form in Meditation".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2014). "The Wisdom Particle: Jnana Matra".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2014). "Walking the Wisdom Path: Lectures in the Jnana Marga".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2015). "Manasana: The Superlative Art of Mental Posture".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2016). "Cosmic Quintuplications: The Secret of Panchakarana".
- ^ Kindler, Babaji Bob (2020). "Footfalls of the Indian Rishis: Charting the Timeless Wisdom of Mother India".
- ^ "Bob Kindler profile on Dsicogs".
Sources
[edit]- SRV Official Website
- Babaji Bob Kindler Livestream Channel
- SRV Sangha Life Booklet (2015)
- Indian Philosophy Awakens One to Jnanamarga as Opposed to Bhogamarga: Babaji Bob Kindler
- Prabuddha Bharata, 119(01), January 2014