Quintessence Ashram

In his life as much as in his teachings, the Mauritian saint and visionary Swami Ambikananda (1934-97) exemplified the spiritual path of love and devotion to God, and showed his devotees how this could be attained. His practical mysticism bound together the Hindu way of Sri Ramakrishna, the Bengali saint and avatar, with the Western way of Lord Jesus Christ, in a unique synthesis that he called Shiva-Christ Consciousness.

Swami Ambikananda's Quintessence Ashram or Universal Independent Ashram began in London during the 60s with the meeting of Swamiji and Raja Ram, the founder of the Quintessence rock band. Swamiji gave the band spiritual teaching and also composed some of their hits. It wasn't long before the ashram grew as friends, roadies, groupies and friends-of-friends met Swamiji. His instruction was not just through words. He cooked and cared for his devotees helping them with the minutest details of their lives.

Satchitananda, a devotee of Swami Ambikananda, has gathered together a collection of his sayings published in 2003 called Le Repas De L'Ame. It is to be published in English as Feeding the Soul. Read some extracts.

Since Swamiji's mahasamadhi, the ashram still meet regularly to sing and dance to God. Shiva Shakti offers workshops too. Please email her shaktidavis@googlemail.com for more details.

This My Unknown Life: The Life and Teachings of Swami Ambikananda is a compilation of Swamiji's discourses over three decades. It offers a useful and practical guide to self-realization through love of God, from the singing of His or Her names and glories, to the disciplines of meditation, prayer, service and sacrifice, and the constant application of 'dual consciousness', as a result of which the divine may be directly experienced.