Ramakrishna

Minus the celibacy thing (to each their own) I totally love this guy. The West has damed little knowledge of India, but THIS was one of the greatest men of all time. 

Ramakrishna (Bengali: রামকৃষ্ণ পরমহংস Ramkṛiṣṇo Pôromôhongśo) (February 18, 1836 – August 16, 1886), born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay^[2] (Bengali: গদাধর চট্টোপাধ্যায় Gôdadhor Chôţţopaddhae), was a famous mystic of 19th-century India.^[3] His religious school of thought led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Mission by his chief disciple Vivekananda^[4][5][6][7] – both were influential figures in theBengali Renaissance^[8] as well as the Hindu renaissance during the 19th and 20th centuries.^[9][10][11] Many of his disciples and devotees believe he was an Avatar or incarnation of God.^[12] He is also referred as "Paramahamsa" by his devotees, as such he is popularly known as Ramkrishna Paramhansa.

Ramakrishna was born in a poor Brahmin Vaishnava family in rural Bengal. He became a priest of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, dedicated to the goddess Kali, which had the influence of the main strands of Bengali bhakti tradition.^[2] His first spiritual teacher was an ascetic woman skilled in Tantra and Vaishnava bhakti.^[13] Later an Advaita Vedantin ascetic taught him non-dual meditation, and according to Ramakrishna, he experienced nirvikalpa samadhi under his guidance. Ramakrishna also experimented with other religions, notably Islam and Christianity, and said that they all lead to the same God.^[2] Though conventionally uneducated, he attracted the attention of the middle class and numerous Bengali intellectuals.^{[citation needed]}

Contents  [hide] 1 Biography 1.1 Birth and childhood 1.2 Priest at Dakshineswar Kali Temple 1.3 Marriage 1.4 Religious practices and teachers 1.4.1 Bhairavi Brahmani and Tantra 1.4.2 Vaishnava Bhakti 1.4.3 Totapuri and Vedanta 1.4.4 Islam and Christianity 1.5 Arrival of followers 1.5.1 Devotees and disciples 1.6 Last days 1.7 Biographical sources 2 Teachings 3 Reception and legacy 4 Views and studies 4.1 Religious school of thought 4.2 Psychoanalysis and sexuality 4.3 Postcolonial studies 5 Notes 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links