Krishna Prem facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sri Krishna Prem |
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Krishna Prem in the early 1950s
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| Religion | Hinduism |
| Denomination | Vaishnavism |
| Sect | Gaudiya Vaishnavism |
| Temple | Uttar Brindaban ashram, Mirtola |
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | British, Indian |
| Born | Ronald Henry Nixon 10 May 1898 Cheltenham, England |
| Died | 14 November 1965 (aged 67) Mirtola, Almora district, India |
| Resting place | Krishna Prem's samadhi mandir, Mirtola 29°38′33″N 79°49′39″E / 29.64237°N 79.82751°E |
| Guru | Sri Yashoda Mai, Sri Bal Krishna Goswami |
| Works | The Search for Truth, Initiation into Yoga, The Yoga of the Bhagavat Gita, The Yoga of the Kathopanishad |
Ronald Henry Nixon (born May 10, 1898 – died November 14, 1965) was a British spiritual seeker. He later became known as Sri Krishna Prem or Sri Krishnaprem. In the early 1900s, he traveled to India. There, he and his spiritual teacher, Sri Yashoda Mai (1882 – 1944), started a spiritual center called an ashram. This ashram was located in Mirtola, near Almora, India.
Krishna Prem was one of the first Europeans to follow a branch of Hinduism called Vaishnavism. Many people in India respected him, and he had many Indian students. Later, his main student, Sri Madhava Ashish, said that Krishna Prem moved beyond the strict rules of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition. He believed in a spiritual path that was open to everyone, without needing to follow old traditions blindly.
Early Life and Adventures
Ronald Henry Nixon, often called Ronald Nixon, was born in Cheltenham, England, in 1898. He went to school in Taunton. His mother followed a religion called Christian Science. His father worked in the glass and china business.
When he was 18, Nixon became a British fighter pilot in the First World War. He joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1917. During the war, he had a close call where he felt a special power saved him from enemy planes. Seeing so much death and destruction during the war made him feel that life was "futile and meaningless." He left the Royal Air Force in 1919.
After the war, Nixon went to King's College, Cambridge. He studied English literature there. He also learned about philosophy and different spiritual ideas. These included Theosophy, Advaita Vedanta Hinduism, and Buddhism. He also studied an ancient language called Pali. He became very interested in going to India. He wanted to learn more about how people practiced religion there.
Life in India and Spiritual Journey
In 1921, while still in England, Nixon got a job offer. He was asked to teach at the University of Lucknow in northern India. The university's leader, Gyanendra Nath Chakravarti, was also interested in spiritual topics. He helped Nixon settle in.
Over time, Nixon came to see Gyanendra's wife, Monica Devi Chakravarti, as his spiritual teacher. In 1928, Monica decided to take special vows. These vows meant she would give up worldly things. This was part of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition. She took the spiritual name Sri Yashoda Mai. Soon after, she helped Nixon take similar vows. He then took the spiritual name Krishna Prem.
In 1930, Sri Yashoda Mai and Krishna Prem started an ashram together. An ashram is a spiritual community. It was built in Mirtola, a mountainous area in north-central India. This ashram followed the strict rules of Vaishnavism. In 1944, Yashoda Mai passed away. Krishna Prem then became the head of the ashram. He did not travel much. However, in 1948, he visited South India. There, he met other famous spiritual teachers. These included Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo, and Mirra Alfassa (also known as "The Mother").
Historians say that Nixon was likely the first European to fully embrace Vaishnavism in India. He was also probably the first Westerner to follow the path of Krishnaism. He was well-known for his deep spiritual understanding.
Even though he was from England, Krishna Prem was widely accepted in India. Many Indians admired him. People wrote books about his life and teachings. He was seen as a Hindu saint by many. When he died in 1965, the president of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, called him a "great soul." Krishna Prem's last words were, "my ship is sailing."
Works
Sri Krishna Prem wrote several books about his spiritual insights:
- Krishna Prem; Madhava Ashish; Karan Singh (2004). Letters from Mirtola. Mumbai, India: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. ISBN 9788172763565. OCLC 223080940.
- Krishna Prem, Sri (1988). The yoga of the Bhagavat Gita. Shaftesbury, UK: Element. ISBN 9781852300234. OCLC 59891805. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.171976.
- Krishna Prem, Sri (1976). Initiation into yoga: An introduction to the spiritual life. London: Rider. ISBN 9780091256319. OCLC 2440284.
- Krishna Prem, Sri; Ashish Madhava (1969). Man, the measure of all things, in the stanzas of Dzyan. London: Rider. ISBN 9780090978700. OCLC 119543.
- Krishna Prem, Sri (1955). The yoga of the Kathopanishad. London: John M. Watkins. OCLC 14413144. https://archive.org/details/cu31924023202264.
- Krishna Prem, Swami (1938). The search for truth. Calcutta, India: Book Land. OCLC 35694199. https://archive.org/details/searchfortruthsrikrishnaprem_202003_865_L.
- Kaul, Narendra Nātha (1980). Writings of Sri Krishna Prem: an introduction. Bombay, India: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. OCLC 7730748.
Images for kids
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Memorials of Yashoda Mai, Krishna Prem and Madhava Ashish at Mirtola Ashram.
