Swami Chidananda Saraswati gives up the body




I had the good fortune of knowing Swamiji personally. I wrote about him in my book 'In Touch with Masters'
http://www.dalsabzi.com/books/in_touch_with_masters/swami_chidananda.htm

One of the prominent saints of contemporary times, and the President of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh , established by Swami Sivananda , Swami Chidananda Saraswati, gave up the body on August 28th , 2008 at the age of 92 . He was a great Yogi and was a Loyola College, Chennai alumni in his pre-monastic days. He was initiated into Sannyasa in 1949 by the great Master , Swami Sivananda himself.
Swami Chidananda stands out for his exemplary selfless service in the cause of the leper colonies in Rishikesh, and nearby places besides being an ideal preceptor to thousands across the world in his capacity as President of the Divine Life Society for forty years from August 1963 onwards .
"Service before Self" epitomized the entire life of this austere saint , who kept alive the spirit of the ancient Vedantic tradition in these confused and turbulent times , much like his own Master Sivananda ----- the clarion call given by these sages drew many a seeker from all over the world to Sivananda Ashram , Rishikesh . His inspiring early morning meditation talks given in the Ashram , and recently compiled under the umbrella- titles such as , "Ponder these Truths" , " A Call to Liberation" and "Seek the Beyond", have been compelling reference-points for hundreds of seekers and aspirants .
As Swami Chidananda would exort and inspire his listeners , "…To enter into the spiritual life is a rare blessedness , it is a great good : to take it seriously and engage in active spiritual Sadhana is a second blessedness and a still greater good : but to persevere in the spiritual life , to be ever progressive and ceaseless in one's spiritual life , is the greatest good , the crowning blessedness" . This was his message as one of India's representatives to the Centenary of the World Parliament of Religions in 1993 , and his own life was a living testimony to the great ancient ideals he reiterated for the modern age .
Ever-vigilant in his personal Sadhana , ever compassionate to the poor and needy , ever-willing to champion the cause of the underprivileged , Swami Chidananda's passing away leaves a huge void in the hearts and minds of seekers who search for ultimate truth beyond the transitory and fleeting . In his 'passing on' , for which he had left strict instructions for his body to be immersed in the Ganges quickly (Jal Samadhi) , and no spectacle be made of in terms of mourning , as in life , Swami Chidananda remained a simple monk , despite being the President of an international organization with centres across the globe, upholding the highest values of India's monastic traditions . He is often referred to as the St. Francis of India , after the great Franciscan monk , St. Francis of Assissi , of whom Swami Chidananda himself was greatly attracted to .