Mahaswami Medhirananda

 
It is our pleasure to introduce you to our spiritual preceptor for the Gnostic Yoga Fellowship within the Universal Gnostic Church, Mahaswami Medhirananda. (Maw' - haw - swah' - mee -- Med' - hear - uh - nahn' - duh)

Swamiji started studying Raja Yoga in 1952 at the age of 14.  He studied with a swami in the lineage of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna.  In 1954 he turned his attention to Kriya Yoga and the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, the author of "Autobiography of a Yoga."  In 1991 he met and started studying with Goswami Kriyananda the spiritual preceptor of the Temple of Gnostic Yoga in Chicago, Illinois.  In 1994 he was ordained as a Kriya Yoga priest by Goswami Kriyananda in the lineage of Paramahansa Yogananda.  Four years later he was recognized as a Mahaswami by Sri Gnanananda.

Mahaswami was born in South Dakota on February 4, 1938 and baptized John Frederick Gilbert, a name he still uses today.  Medhirananda is the Kriya Yoga name given to him by Goswami Kriyananda.  This name translates roughly into English as  "One who finds enlightenment through ritual."  Those who know Swamiji will attest to the fact he is an extraordinary master of all sorts of rituals from Freemasonry to the Golden Dawn to the Ancient Order of  Druids in America to Gnostic Masses of all kinds and to Yoga.

John Gilbert has a Ph.D. in education administration and curriculum, an MBA in business administration and a D.D. in comparative religions.  He has been a professor of mysticism, comparative religion and esoteric spirituality for Universal Seminary since 1972.  He is considered to be a Kaballah Master and a Meditation Master by the Seminary and most of his students.  In his capacity as business manager of the Seminary, he has helped over 100 students enter the priesthood and start their own businesses in order to support their ministry.

John is a retired high school principal (1984), retired insurance executive (1992) and a retired medical equipment manufacturing company executive (1998).  He plans to retire from Universal Seminary and the priesthood in 2012.  John is a Master Essene Healer, Reiki Master and a naturopath who teaches healing, health and nutrition through the Seminary, Envision 4 Health, the Order of Modern Essenes and the Licensed Spiritual Health Certification Board.

Dr. Gilbert was ordained as a Gnostic priest in 1972, became acting bishop in1984 and consecrated as a Gnostic bishop in 1994.  He was elected to the office of archbishop in the Universal Gnostic Church four months later.  He currently serves as the archbishop for the Gnostic Yoga Fellowship which was formed in 2002.  He is an officer or former officer in the Order of Spiritual Alchemy, Ancient Order of Druids in America, Magickal Order of the Golden Dawn, Order of Modern Essenes, Intentional Prayer Project, Order of Mary, Ancient Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons, and several other organizations within the Universal Gnostic Church.

Mahaswami Medhirananda

Mahaswami Medhirananda teaches the Essene healing techniques, nutrition and health, Kaballah and meditation in several seminars and workshops around the country each year.

[ Kriya Yoga Lineage ]

[ Gnostic Apostolic Succession ]

[ Mahaswami's Yoga Teachers ]