Tota Puri
Swami Tota Puri (* around 1815; † November 16, 1884 ) was an Indian ascetic and guru of the Hindu mystic Ramakrishna , whom he initiated into Shankara's monastic order. Ramakrishna later referred to Tota Puri as the 'naked one' because he usually stayed naked like a child. On the other hand, this was also a sign of respect for the guru, who in India is traditionally not called by his name, but by a description.
Tota Puri was a follower of the strict Advaita-Vedanta philosophy and considered Indian devotional popular piety to be superstition. He saw the world as unreal, as Maya . To protect himself from being attached to worldliness, he never stayed in one place for more than three days and never slept under one roof. In his life he combined the philosophy of Shankara with spiritual yoga practice. After 40 years of practice, he is said to have attained nirvikalpa samadhi , the spiritual experience of non-duality.
The contact with Ramakrishna changed his convictions considerably, according to statements by his students.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Tota Puri |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Indian ascetic |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1815 |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 16, 1884 |