Swami Shankarananda of Baltimore is the founder and current minister of the Divine Life Church of Baltimore, Maryland. The church was established in 1974. Swami Shankarananda is of the line of Guru

Guru

A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

s, from Babaji

Babaji

"Babaji" may refer to:* Guru Nanak, the universal enlightener and founder of sikhism, often known as "Baba Nanak" or "Babaji"* a Muslim, Sufi, Hindu or Sikh ascetic or holy man, including:...

, Lahiri Mahasaya

Lahiri Mahasaya

Shyama Charan Lahiri , , best known as Lahiri Mahasaya, was an Indian yogi and a disciple of Mahavatar Babaji. He was also popularly known as Yogiraj and Kashi Baba. He revived the yogic science of Kriya Yoga when he learned it from Mahavatar Babaji in 1861...

, Sri Yukteswar Giri

Sri Yukteswar Giri

Sri Yukteshwar Giri is the monastic name of Priyanath Karar , the guru of Swami Satyananda Giri and Paramahansa Yogananda. Sri Yukteshwar was an educator, astronomer, a Jyotisha , a yogi, and a believer in the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible...

, Swami Yogananda Paramhansa, and his own Guru, Swami Premananda. (1) Swami Premananda (2) founded and was in charge of the Self-Revelation Church in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 at the request of his Guru, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda

Paramahansa Yogananda

Paramahansa Yogananda , born Mukunda Lal Ghosh , was an Indian yogi and guru who introduced many westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his book, Autobiography of a...

.

Swami Shankarananda, who was known in his monastic training as Achariya Peter, began his active ministry at the Washington church. He was initiated into the Ancient Swami Order, ordained as a minister (3), and lived for a time in the ashram

Ashram

Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....

 there. While in Washington, he was also active in the Masonic Order Scottish Rite

Scottish Rite

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...

 and York Rite

York Rite

The York Rite or American Rite is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry. A Rite is a series of progressive degrees that are conferred by various Masonic organizations or bodies, each of which operates under the control of its own central authority...

. He was Master of the Benjamin B. French Lodge in Washington, and a 32nd degree Mason in the Scottish Rite. He was also honored by being named KCCH (Knight Commander of the Court of Honor).

He is author of many books on Vedanta

Vedanta

Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...

, Kriya Yoga

Kriya Yoga

Kriya Yoga finds mention in the ancient spiritual texts of Patanjali Yogasutras "Tapah svadhyayeshvara pranidhani kriyayogah" . It was later revived by Yogiraj Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri in the 19th century. Subsequently Paramhansa Yogananda in his Autobiography of a Yogi reported the same for his...

, mysticism

Mysticism

Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...

, subjects related to the Old

Old Testament

The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...

 and New Testament

New Testament

The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....

, Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

, Taoism

Taoism

Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...

 and Hinduism

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

. He has established the Universal Swami Order of Absolute Oneness and initiates devotees into that Order, which is open to all who aspire to live a life of spiritual ministry, men and women, married and unmarried.

External links

For further information: http://www.divinelifechurch.org
Divine Life Church, 5928 Falls Road, Baltimore, MD 21209

BOOKS BY SWAMI SHANKARANANDA (ACHARIYA PETER)

• Divine Love
• Golden Lotus Blossoms
• The Lord’s Prayer in the Light of Yoga
• Blessings of Life: The Beatitudes
• The Twenty-Third Psalm: A Psalm of Healing
• Lotus Flowers
• Spiritual Perfection
• Revelations for Eternity: First & Second Series