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Rudi, born Albert Rudolph (January 24, 1928 – February 21, 1973), also known as Swami Rudrananda, was born in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
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. Rudi was a spiritual teacher and an
antiquities Antiquities are objects from antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures. Artifacts from earlier periods such as the Meso ...
entrepreneur in New York City.Swami Rudrananda
udi Udi may refer to: Places * Udi, Enugu, a local government areas and city in Nigeria * Udi, a place in the Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh, India People * Udi Gal (born 1979), Israeli Olympic sailor * Udi Vaks (born 1979), Israeli Olympic judoka ...
''Spiritual Cannibalism''. Links Books, New York, 1973, First Edition.


Life and career


Early years

Albert Rudolph was born January 24, 1928, to impoverished Jewish parents in Brooklyn, New York. His father abandoned the family when he was young. According to his autobiography, Rudolph's first spiritual experience occurred at age 6 in a park. Two
Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
an Buddhist
lama Lama (; "chief") is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term ''guru'', meaning "heavy one", endowed with qualities the student will eventually embody. The Tibetan word "lama" means "hi ...
s appeared out of the air and stood before him. They told him they represented the heads of the "Red Hat" and "Yellow Hat" sects, and they were going to place within him the energy and wisdom of
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
. Several
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
jar A jar is a rigid, cylindrical or slightly conical container, typically made of glass, ceramic, or plastic, with a wide mouth or opening that can be closed with a lid, screw cap, lug cap, cork stopper, roll-on cap, crimp-on cap, press-on cap, ...
s appeared, which they said they would put inside his
solar plexus The celiac plexus, also known as the solar plexus because of its radiating nerve fibers, is a complex network of nerves located in the abdomen, near where the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and renal arteries branch from the abdomin ...
. The lamas said these jars would stay in him and begin to open at age 31. He would then begin the process of assimilating their contents, and would continue to do so for the rest of his life. Rudolph began his first job at age 12 in a handbag factory, due to a labor shortage during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. To supplement his income, he searched through neighborhood rubbish bins to find items to sell. His next job was at a textile company when he was 16 years old, where he worked for the next two years. Rudolph joined the U.S. Army at age 18. For 1½ years, he was an instructor for the government, teaching
ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
at the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...
in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. After being discharged, he returned to his job at the textile company in New York.


Middle years

At age 20, Rudolph – now calling himself "Rudi" – "experienced a deep spiritual awakening". He also developed a serious interest in
Asian art The history of Asian art includes a vast range of arts from various cultures, regions, and religions across the continent of Asia. The major regions of Asia include Central, East, South, Southeast, and West Asia. Central Asian art primarily c ...
and began collecting
sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
. Due to downsizing at the textile company, Rudi’s employer helped him to enter
North Carolina State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
College, where he studied textile engineering. After college, Rudi returned to New York, where he became an engineering trainee at a textile company. During this time, Rudi began to attend meetings based on the teachings of
Gurdjieff George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (; rus, Гео́ргий Ива́нович Гурджи́ев, r=Geórgy Ivánovich Gurdzhíev, p=ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj ɪˈvanəvʲɪd͡ʑ ɡʊrd͡ʐˈʐɨ(j)ɪf; hy, Գեորգի Իվանովիչ Գյուրջիև; c. 1 ...
, which he continued for 5 years. Rudi wrote that when walking in
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
, he saw a storefront with a "FOR RENT" sign in the window. It was small and in terrible condition. He reported that he heard a voice whisper, "This is your store, this is your store, this is your store." He soon opened "Rudi Oriental Arts" in the Seventh Avenue space, with just a few hundred dollars and some of the sculptures he had collected. Early on, Rudi supplemented his income by working evenings at the
Village Vanguard The Village Vanguard is a jazz club at Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. Originally, the club presented folk music and beat poetry, but it became primarily a jazz ...
nearby. In the next years, Rudi established an international network of Asian art suppliers, collectors, and distributors in several countries. Rudi joined the
Subud Subud (pronounced ), acronym of Susila Budhi Dharma, is an international, interfaith spirituality, spiritual movement that began in Indonesia in the 1920s, founded by Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo (1901–1987). The basis of Subud is a spir ...
organization, studying with its founder,
Pak Subuh Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo (born June 22, 1901, in Kedungjati, near Semarang, Java, Indonesia; died June 23, 1987) was an Indonesian who founded the movement known as Subud. "Subud", by Gisella Webb, in ''America's Alternative Religions'', T ...
, and helping to establish the group in New York. In 1958, Rudi met
Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Bharatikrishna Tirtha (IAST: Jagadguru Śaṅkarācārya Svāmī Bhāratīkṛṣṇa Tīrtha) (1884–1960), born Venkataraman Shastri (IAST: Veṅkatarāmaṇ Śāstrī), was an Indian Hindu monk and Shankar ...
,
Shankaracharya of Puri Purvamnaya Sri Govardhana Peetham or Govardhan Math is one amongst the four cardinal peethams established by the philosopher-saint Bhagwan Adi Shankaracharya to preserve and propagate Sanatana Dharma and Advaita Vedanta, the doctrine of non-d ...
, during his first visit to the United States, and lived with him in New York for 4 months. At age 30, Rudi was at a turning point in his life when a friend took him to meet Bhagavan Nityananda at his ashram in Ganeshpuri. Rudi later wrote, "My first meeting, in India in 1958, with the great Indian saint Bhagavan Nityananda was of such depth that it changed the course of my life." Rudi continued to study with Nityananda, whom he considered his ultimate
guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
, until his master died in 1961. In early 1959, Rudi declared himself a
spiritual teacher This is an index of religious honorifics from various religions. Buddhism Christianity Eastern Orthodox The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Protestantism Catholicism Hinduism Islam Judaism ...
and began teaching students individually in his store. Rudi’s method was to sit opposite a student and gaze intently into their eyes for perhaps five to ten minutes, said to allow him to transmit
shaktipat Shaktipat or Śaktipāta (Sanskrit, from ''shakti'' "(psychic) energy" and ''pāta'', "to fall")''Abhinavagupta : the Kula ritual, as elaborated in chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka'', John R. Dupuche, 2003, page 155 refers in Hinduism to the transmi ...
energy. In 1960, Rudi began to hold classes in his apartment, which consisted of an open-eyed
meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...
where he "transmitted shaktipat energy" in a group setting, followed by a lecture. Spiritual teacher and friend Hilda Charlton was frequently in attendance. Occasionally after classes, Rudi would invite the students up to his living room to play poker, or he would take them to dinner in Chinatown. In early 1961, Rudi sat for a painting by Edith Montlack, an artist in New Rochelle, New York. In 1961, Rudi first met
Swami Venkatesananda Venkatesananda Saraswati (or Swami Venkatesananda) 29 December 1921 in Tanjore, South India–2 December 1982 in Johannesburg, South Africa), known previously as Parthasarathy, was a disciple of Sivananda Saraswati. He received his spiritual trai ...
in India, and they became lifelong friends. In 1962, after Bhagawan Nityananda's death, Rudi became a student of
Swami Muktananda Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa (16 May 1908 – 2 October 1982), born Krishna Rai, was a yoga guru, the founder of Siddha Yoga. He was a disciple of Bhagavan Nityananda. He wrote books on the subjects of Kundalini Shakti, Vedanta, and Kash ...
in India, mainly because of that adept's strong shaktipat powers and discipleship to Nityananda, according to several sources. In 1966, Rudi traveled to Ganeshpuri with the intention of obtaining the title of 'swami' from Muktananda. Muktananda did not want to give Rudi the title, and so Rudi spoke with Chakrapani Ullal, a Vedic astrologer, about the situation. Chakrapani Ullal agreed with Rudi and persuaded Muktananda to give him the title, 'Swami Rudrananda', thereby initiating him into the Sarasvati branch of the Dashanami Sampradaya, established by Shankara in the 8th century. In 1964, Franklin Jones, who later became the controversial guru
Adi Da Adi Da Samraj, born Franklin Albert Jones (November 3, 1939 – November 27, 2008) was an American-born spiritual teacher, writer and artist. He was the founder of a new religious movement known as Adidam. Adi Da initially became known in the ...
, became a casual student. For two years, Rudi's influence on Jones was pervasive. Jones eventually traveled to India to meet Swami Muktananda, who encouraged Jones to abandon his studies with Rudi and study with himself directly, which Jones did. Later, after joining the
Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a scientology as a business, bu ...
, Jones severed all contact with Rudi, though they spoke again years later.Feuerstein, Georg: "Holy Madness," 1992 p. 81 By 1967, Rudi's business had expanded. He traveled to Asia at least two or three times per year. In 1968, Rudi moved his store, Rudi Oriental Antiques. The new location was five times larger, and in attendance at the gala opening was Japanese
Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
master
Eido Tai Shimano was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist roshi. He was the founding abbot of the New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in Manhattan and Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji monastery in the Catskill mountains of New York; he was forced to resign from that position of 40 years aft ...
. That autumn, Rudi began searching for a location to establish an
ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or a ...
. After a few months, he discovered a small
Borscht Belt The Borscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange, and Ulster counties in the U.S. state of New York, straddling both Upstate New York and the north ...
resort in the town of
Big Indian, New York Big Indian is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet within the Shandaken, New York, Town of Shandaken in Ulster County, New York, Ulster County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is located along New York State Route 28, State Route 28, within t ...
. Rudi purchased and named it Shree Gurudev Rudrananda Yoga Ashram. He traveled there on weekends, giving classes and supervising the restoration of the property by his students. Rudi was said to be an excellent chef. He enjoyed the performing arts and music, movies, television, and mystery novels. In 1970, Rudi arranged for
Muktananda Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa (16 May 1908 – 2 October 1982), born Krishna Rai, was a yoga guru, the founder of Siddha Yoga. He was a disciple of Bhagavan Nityananda. He wrote books on the subjects of Kundalini Shakti, Vedanta, and Kashm ...
to visit the United States for the first time. Muktananda arrived with his entourage on Labor Day weekend in New York, and traveled with Rudi to Big Indian to stay for two months.
Ram Dass Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019), also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist, and author. His best-selling 1971 book '' Be Here Now'', which has been d ...
was also present. Late in October Rudi escorted
Muktananda Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa (16 May 1908 – 2 October 1982), born Krishna Rai, was a yoga guru, the founder of Siddha Yoga. He was a disciple of Bhagavan Nityananda. He wrote books on the subjects of Kundalini Shakti, Vedanta, and Kashm ...
on tour to Texas and California. In 1971, after enduring a series of blatantly and pointless, ungrateful, abusive behaviour from his guru (snatching of students, changing Rudi's teaching methods, asking for Rudi to severe his inner connection to Nityananda, constant disregard and snubbing) Rudi had enough and finally dissolved his affiliation with Muktananda.Mann, John. ''Rudi: 14 Years With My Teacher''. Rudra Press, Cambridge, MA, 1987. p. 215-219


Later years

In September 1972, Rudi traveled to India with four of his students. While in India, they visited
Swami Chidananda Chidananda Saraswati (24 September 1916 – 28 August 2008) was President of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, India. He is well known in India as a yogi, dnyani and spiritual leader. He succeeded as President of the Divine Life Society in 1 ...
at the
Divine Life Society The Divine Life Society (DLS) is a Hindu spiritual organisation and an ashram, founded by Swami Sivananda Saraswati in 1936, at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, India. Today it has branches around the world, the headquarters being situated in Rishikes ...
in
Rishikesh Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city near Dehradun in Dehradun district of the Indian state Uttarakhand. It is situated on the right bank of the Ganges River and is a pilgrimage town for Hindus, with ancient sages and saints meditati ...
. By end of 1972, Rudi had established fourteen ashrams in the US, and three in Europe. His
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
store housed one of the largest Asian art collections in the world. In early 1973, Rudi published ''Spiritual Cannibalism'', his only book. On February 21, 1973, Rudi died in a small plane crash in the Catskills. The three other occupants walked away with only minor injuries. He was dictating a journal entry, and his last words were, "...a deeper sense of surrender".


Teachings

Rudi taught an eclectic blend of techniques he called "Kundalini yoga" (though with no formal relation to the Indian tradition by that name). He wrote it was "a
yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
which is used to collect energy within yourself and bring through your own chemistry the energy that is in the universe. A human being is only able to do that by internalizing energy and bringing it through their system. A person has all the mysteries of the universe inside."
/ref> Rudi developed several spiritual exercises with physical components, which he describes in detail in his book ''Spiritual Cannibalism''.''Spiritual Cannibalism'', by Swami Rudrananda
udi Udi may refer to: Places * Udi, Enugu, a local government areas and city in Nigeria * Udi, a place in the Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh, India People * Udi Gal (born 1979), Israeli Olympic sailor * Udi Vaks (born 1979), Israeli Olympic judoka ...
Links Books, New York, 1973 ()
They include exercises for releasing negative energy, cultivating gratitude, sitting with deceased persons, and "double breathing" for "drawing in cosmic energy".


Notes


Books by Rudi

* / Cambridge, MA: Rudra Press (1990). ISBN 0-915801-07-8. * *


Books on Rudi

* * *


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudi (spiritual teacher) 1928 births 1973 deaths Jewish American writers People from Brooklyn American spiritual teachers Spiritual teachers American spiritual writers American yoga teachers 20th-century American writers 20th-century American Jews