Swami Vishuddhananda (1882-1962), born Jitendranath Rai, was the eighth president of the

Ramakrishna Mission Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) is a Hindu religious and spiritual organisation which forms the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as the ''Ramakrishna Movement'' or the ''Vedanta Movement''. The mission is named after and inspired by th ...

, a Hindu reformist organisation adhering to the

Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...

philosophy.

Early life

From his early life, he came in contact with Sarada Devi, spiritual consort of

Sri Ramakrishna Ramakrishna Paramahansa ( bn, রামকৃষ্ণ পরমহংস, Ramôkṛṣṇo Pôromohôṅso; , 18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886),——— — also spelled Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, born Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya,, was an In ...

and direct disciples of Ramakrishna.

Monastic Life

In 1906, at the age of 24, he received his

initiation Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...

from Sarada Devi and 1907 he joined the Ramakrishna Order, and he was noted for his love of

solitude Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, meaning lack of socialisation. Effects can be either positive or negative, depending on the situation. Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one may work, think, or rest without distu ...

and

contemplative life Enclosed religious orders or ''cloistered clergy'' are religious orders whose members strictly separate themselves from the affairs of the external world. In the Catholic Church, enclosure is regulated by the code of canon law, either the Lat ...

. In 1947, he became the Vice President of the Order and in 1962 he became the President of the Order. He died on 16 June 1962 (at the age of 80) after an operation of prostate.

References

* Rama Krishna Math and Mission: President's site
Vishuddhananda
(archived 16 January 2008) Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order 20th-century Hindu religious leaders Monks of the Ramakrishna Mission 1882 births 1962 deaths {{Hindu-bio-stub