Rudi, born Albert Rudolph (January 24, 1928 – February 21, 1973), also known as Swami Rudrananda, was born in
Brooklyn,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. Rudi was a
spiritual teacher and an
antiquities entrepreneur in New York City.
[Swami Rudrananda udi ''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
Tibetan 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. Several
clay jars appeared, which they said they would put inside his
solar plexus. 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. 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.]