Abhidevananda

Abhidevananda Avadhuta

Abhidevananda Avadhuta is a renunciate of Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar.

Monastic life

In 1971, Abhidevananda was initiated into Ananda Marga in Philadelphia, PA (USA) by householder acarya Raghaw Prasad. In December of that year, Abhidevananda visited India to meet his guru, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti (Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar). While Abhidevananda was there, Sarkar was arrested. Despite Sarkar's arrest and imprisonment, Abhidevananda developed a strong bond of devotion toward Sarkar at that time. At the end of Abhidevananda's first visit to India, while Sarkar was in prison, Abhidevananda requested and received from Sarkar a spiritual name. Sarkar gave him the name, Abhiik Kumara (fearless prince).

In early 1973, Abhidevananda entered training as a renunciate, completing his training a few months later. As a brahmacarii, junior renunciate, Abhidevananda chose to retain the name, Abhiik Kumara.

Abhidevananda's first posting was to Australasia, where he was instrumental in building a popular and dynamic base for Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (AMPS). Abhidevananda remained in charge of Australasia until 1979, when his posting was changed briefly to include Southeast Asia. Soon thereafter he was sent to Europe.

In January of 1981, Abhidevananda was initiated into Kapalika Sadhana by Sarkar himself. Immediately thereafter, Abhidevananda took the oath of avadhuta, at which time Sarkar gave him the name that he has gone by ever since. Sarkar explained the meaning of Abhidevananda as "one who enjoys the complete composure that comes from the spiritual force which functions throughout the greater universe".

Over the course of his career, Abhidevananda has worked in most parts of the world (predominantly Australasia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East). Abhidevananda has started numerous projects around the world, including schools (kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools), land projects (notably in Australia and the USA), children's homes (Africa), prisoner action groups (Australia), magazines and newspapers (Australasia and Europe), and social movements (everywhere). Sarkar declared Abhidevananda's disaster relief work in Zambia after ruinous, torrential rains there to be the standard that Sarkar's Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) should emulate.

Abhidevananda is a respected lecturer on alternative circuits and a recognized authority within AMPS on both organizational matters and Sarkar's philosophy (especially Sarkar's Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT) and Neohumanism). Abhidevananda is also considered to be an expert on Sarkar's theory of revolution, having received considerable training directly from Sarkar himself on the subject.

In recent years, Abhidevananda founded AmRevolution, Inc. and subsequently Sarkarverse.

Controversy

During his time as head of AMPS in Australasia (1973-1979), Abhidevananda was a leading figure in the global campaign for Sarkar's release from prison. As such, his name cropped up in several court cases, along with numerous unsubstantiated allegations against him.

Abhidevananda is a naturalized citizen of Australia. In mid-1978, the Australian government briefly withdrew Abhidevananda's passport. However, within a few weeks, after sustained protests by members of AMPS in Australia, the Foreign Affairs minister, Andrew Peacock, invited Abhidevananda to Canberra, where an accommodation was struck. The Australian Government, however, was less than forthright in their implementation of the deal, first seeking Abhidevananda's arrest in Nepal and then in Germany. In both cases, Abhidevananda was quickly released from custody. (In Germany, it was almost instantaneous. However, in Nepal, it took three days, because the Government of India had threatened that they would consider it an act of war if Abhidevananda were to enter India through Nepal.)

A bit over a year later, when it again seemed that Australia was reneging on the deal, delaying the issuance of a replacement passport (with a normal duration of five years, rather than the one year on his expired passport), Abhidevananda sought political asylum in Sweden. After his application was accepted by the Swedish Government, the Australian Government issued Abhidevananda the required passport, and the matter was resolved. This history, in particular the two known and verifiable cases when the Australian Government sought the arrest of Abhidevananda while abroad, was reported to the Commonwealth Ombudsman in Australia, but no action was taken on the complaint by that office.

Over the years, Abhidevananda has been temporarily placed on various national watchlists and persona non grata lists. However, he has never been placed on a no-fly list. Abhidevananda has never been convicted of any crime, and there is no known legal case outstanding against him with Interpol or in any country.

Even within Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, Abhidevananda is no stranger to controversy. Perhaps most notable of the controversies was his 38-year struggle to publish a genuine translation of the last five sutras of Ananda Sutram, the most authoritative source of Sarkar's five fundamental principles of PROUT. Despite or perhaps because of the fact that Abhidevananda's writings have been influential, at least three of his books (PROUT Primer, From Faith To Freedom, and The Passion Of Lord Anandamurtiji) were once banned by the AMPS authorities. Today, however, Abhidevananda's writings are all published and widely read.

Publications

Abhidevananda has authored numerous books and assorted presentations. He has also produced a movie on PROUT.

Here are some of Abhidevananda's more notable publications:

• The Passion Of Lord Anandamurtiji
• From Faith To Freedom under the pen name of Avery Newman
• Yoga Tattva Part 1
• Yoga Tattva Part 2
• PROUT Primer
• Relief Organizer's Handbook
• Renaissance In Education
• The Left Hand Path
• Capitalism versus PROUT a debate between David D. Friedman and Abhidevananda Avadhuta compiled by Paul Adams
• Concealed Hand of Adam Smith
• Sustainable Happiness
• Scientific Study Methods
• Neohumanism
• PROUT: The Movie