Swami Rudrananda (Rudi) was a powerhouse—a rare and wonderful source of inspiration to everyone around him. The foundation of Rudi’s spiritual work was a deep personal wish to grow spiritually. He talked about this to his students constantly—daily—without fail. Born in New York City in 1928 and a student of various spiritual teachings since his youth, he was himself a teacher for thousands of followers in the United States and Europe. Rudi met Nityananda in Ganeshpuri, India, in 1958 and studied with him until Nityananda passed away in 1961. In 1966 Swami Muktananda initiated him into the Saraswati Order of monks, making him one of the first Americans to be recognized as a Swami or master in this tradition.