Swami Ramakrishnananda, or Shrila Gurudev, as his disciples call him out of love and affection, is a sanyasi, or monk by

having accepted the renounced order of life within Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma religion.  Swami Ramakrishnananda  is

a yogi, a mystic, a philosopher, a spiritual master, and without doubt, an enlightened being. He was born in Santiago,

the capital of The Republic of Chile, on March 21st in 1958.

The history of his life is the history of the evolution and growth of a soul whose only motive and interest has been his search

for God and the Truth. A spontaneous and profound transcendental experience that occurred to him at the age of 8 has led

him to a life of passionate searching for God and the Truth. His efforts to experience "that" again has led him to travel and

reside in the most remote and varied places, countries, cultures and nations, very far from his native country in South America. Throughout his searching he came to associate with great devotees, mystics, guides and spiritual masters of different lineages,

paths, faiths and spiritual schools.

After studying a great number of different philosophies and religions he discovered, in the depths of his soul, an indescribably deep love and relation, from previous lives, with Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion.

His first encounter with an established religion was, in 1977, with the Vaishnava religion, according to the Bengali Gaudiya tradition of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the temple of Puente Alto, Chile. It was here where he started his studies of Bhakti-yoga directly with His Holiness Sri Srimad Atulananda Acharya, studies that would later continue with

His Holiness Sri Srimad Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Swami Maharaja, who personally granted him the title

"Bhakti Shastri" and "Tridandi Bikshu". These two outstanding masters of Bhakti Yoga, founders of the organization

"Vrinda", are direct disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 

His Holiness Sri Srimad Swami Vishnu Devananda, a direct disciple of His Holiness Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati, granted him first initiation or "diksha" in the Maha Mantra with the name of Ramakrishna.This Swami would be for him a guide

and a source of inspiration in his first years of studies of Integral Yoga, in all its varied aspects. From that first initiation, the

Maha Mantra has never left Swami Ramakrishnananda.

In 1988 Swami Vishnu Devananda, under the spiritual authority conferred to him by his own spiritual master, Sri Sri Swami Sivananda, in recognition of his erudition, love and devotion for Their Lordship Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, and of his wisdom

and authority in the field of Bhakti-yoga, honored him with the special title of "Krishna Bhakta". This was the first and only

time that Swami Vishnu Devananda had ever given this very rare title to anybody in the wisdom of Bhakti Yoga.

Swami Ramakrishnananda continued to deepen his studies of Hinduism, the Vedic religion and Yogic philosophy, and obtained instructions, guidance and benedictions directly from some of the most famous yogis and masters of their time such as His Holiness Sri Sri Swami Viditatmananda, His Holiness Sri Sri Swami Satchidananda, His Holiness Sri Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda, His Holiness Sri Sri Swami Brahmananda, His Holiness Swami Krishnananda, His Holiness Swami Dayananda Saraswati, His Holiness Brahmananda Saraswati and others, receiving diplomas and certificates of instructor, guide and teacher. He received the certificate of "Yoga Teacher" from Brahmananda Saraswati of the "Ananda Ashram". Finally he reached the highest degree of "Yoga Acharya" or Master Acharya of Yoga, a title he received personally in 1989 from Swami Vishnu Devananda, the founder of Shivananda centers of Yoga Vedanta in the Shivananda Ashram of Canada. Years after the title "Yogacharya" will be granted by the prestigious "Sri Shankarananda Yoga Ashram" from Mysoree, India and the title "Yoga Praveena" which he received from "The Sri Vivekananda Yoga Pratishan".

In the year 1990 Swami Jyotirmayananda, the founder of "The Yoga Research Foundation", granted him the title "Yoga Ratna" or "The Jewel of Yoga".

In August of 1991, he was honored by being officially initiated into the sacred thread and ordained as a Brahmana within the Sanatana Dharma by Kirtanananda Swami. 

He met His Holiness Swami Krishnananda of the Divine Life Society in India, a disciple of Swami Sivananda, with whom he had the great opportunity to delve deeper into the knowledge of Hatha Yoga.

In 1995 His Holiness Sri Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda Saraswati requested from him to initiate disciples in the sacred Vedic mantras and granted him the order of renounced life or sanyasi, within the Saraswati order, under the name of Ramakrishnananda Swami. Swami Jyotirmayananda himself recommends to some sincere seekers, that they see Swami Ramakrishnananda as their Spiritual Master.

During that same year he personally met His Divine Grace Sri Baba Brahmananda, born in Ishanagar, India, in 1931, a disciple of the great Siddha saint His Divine Grace Baba Mastramji, and personally received formal initiation.

In one of his journeys to India, in the sacred city of Vrindavan, he met the one who would later on become one of his most important instructing masters or "siksha gurus", His Divine Grace Srila Narahari Das Babaji Maharaja, a Vaishnava saint of the Gaudiya tradition, a pure devotee of Krishna and disciple of His Divine Grace Srila Nityananda das Babaji. This saintly Babaji gave instructions of great value and very important guidance in the path of Bhakti Yoga to the restless seeker.

The love of Swami Ramakrishnananda for Bhakti, and his devotion for Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, pushed him to ask for confirmation of his vows of sanyasi or renounced monk from a sanyasi in the line of Krishna Bhakti, and in a traditional Vedic ceremony in the Ashram of "Vrinda", the very famous Bhakti Yogi, His Divine Grace B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami Maharaja, confirmed his vows of sanyasi and granted him the title "Bhaktivedanta".

In 2001 he was initiated in the mantra of Durga Devi personally by Her Holiness Ma Yoga Shakti.

In the year 2000, Swami Ramakrishnananda arrived in the United States, where he decided to give himself up completely to sharing what actually happens within his heart. It was only in the United States, in 2003, that he decided, for the first time, at the request of many of his disciples, to officially create a formal institution, the "Ramakrishnananda Yoga Vedanta Mission", a religious Hindu organization.

The life of Swami Ramakrishnananda is an example of perseverance in the search for the Truth, surrender, respect and service toward his guru and his masters; a life of incomparable passion for God.

His devotion or bhakti and his constant experience of the Self or vedanta, transform him into a faithful exponent of his title "Bhaktivedanta". 

His works and activities in the West, his seriousness, wisdom and devotion have contributed to the fact that Swamiji has generated much affection, appreciation and respect from both the respectable Hindu community, and the public in general.