Muktananda - Definition and Overview

Swami Muktananda (स्‍वामी मुक्तानन्‍द) (1908-1982) is the monastic name of an Indian guru. He began the life of a sadhu at an unusually early age. He gained recognition for his yogic attainments as a young man but he considered Bhagawan Nityananda to be his spiritual master. He wrote the classic spiritual autobiography The Play of Consciousness and founded the Siddha Yoga new religious movement. Among his disciples was Franklin Jones, who later became known as Adi Da, after splitting with Muktananda.

External links

• Siddha yoga (founded by Muktananda) (http://www.siddhayoga.org/index.html)
  • Siddha Yoga website about Muktananda (http://www.siddhayoga.org/guru-muktananda-baba.html)
• "Traumatic abuse in cults", Long, rather psychological, critical essay by ex-follower Daniel Shaw. The article is popular among anti-cult activists (http://www.excultworld.com/misc_articles/daniel%20shaw%20essay.htm)
• Open letters, other ex-members speak out bitterly (http://www.eskimo.com/~tlotus/letters/SYDAYoga.htm)
• An artist, filmmaker, and author, inspired by Muktananda and his successor Gurumayi, writes of her years in Muktananda's ashram (http://www.kumuda.com)
• Information and testimonials about problems with Siddha Yoga, past and present, and support for those who have left or are thinking of leaving. (http://www.leavingsiddhayoga.net)
• Yahoo forum for people who have left Siddha Yoga or similar groups, people who are thinking of leaving Siddha Yoga or similar groups, and those who know people who are still in Siddha Yoga or similar groups. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eXSY2/)