Yogaswami
| Yogaswami யோகசுவாமி යොගස්වාමි |
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| Born | 1872 Maviddapuram, Sri Lanka |
| Died | 1964 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Known for | A sage |
Jnana guru Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna (Tamil: சிவயோகசுவாமி Sinhalese: යොගස්වාමි; 1872–1964) was a 20th-century Sri Lankan spiritual master, a śivajnani and a natha siddhar revered by both Hindus and Buddhists mainly, however he had a number of Catholic devotees as well. Yogaswami was trained in and practised Kundalini yoga under the guidance of Satguru Chellappaswami, from whom he received guru diksha (initiation).
1872–1905: Yogaswami was born near the Kandaswamy temple in Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka. His name was Sadasivan. Following his mother's death before he was 10, he was raised by his aunt and uncle. As a young adult, Yogaswami vowed to practice celibacy and renounced a place in his father's business because it did not allow him time to meditate and study the scriptures.
1905–1911: In 1905, Yogaswami found his guru Sage Chellappan outside Nallur Temple. As he walked along the road, Chellappaswami shouted loudly: "Hey! Who are you? There is not one wrong thing! It is as it is! Who knows?" Suddenly everything vanished in a sea of light for the young yogi. At a later encounter in a festival crowd, Chellappaswami ordered him, "Go within; meditate; stay here until I return." He came back three days later to find Yogaswami still waiting for his master. Soon afterwards Yogaswami gave up his job and everything else, to follow Chellappaswami for the next five years. His life became filled with intense spiritual discipline and severe austerity. Following Yogaswami's ordination (sannyas diksha), his guru sent him away and never received him again. Chellappaswami died in 1911.
1911–1961: Yogaswami spent years of intense tapas under the olive tree at Colombuthurai Road on the outskirts of Jaffna. His practice was to meditate for three days and nights in the open without moving about or taking shelter from the weather. On the fourth day he would walk long distances, returning to the olive tree to repeat the cycle. In his outward behaviour, Yogaswami followed the example of his guru, for he would drive away those who tried to approach him. After some years, he allowed a few sincere seekers to approach. As more and more devotees gathered around him, his austere demeanor relaxed. He was eventually persuaded to occupy a small hut in the garden of a house near his olive tree. This remained his 'base' for the rest of his life. Even here he initially forbade devotees to revere or care for him. Devotees would come to him for help in all their problems, usually in the early mornings and in the evenings. Day and night Yogaswami was absorbed in his inner worship. On one occasion, Yogaswami was seated in perfect stillness, like a stone. A crow flew down and rested several minutes on his head, apparently thinking this was a statue.
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