About the book: 2012 / This book is the autobiography of the master of practical Advaita Swami Vishnudevananda Giri - the founder of a yoga monastery in Russia. In it, the author talks about the different stages of his life, which in one way or another led him to the search for the inner “I”, self-knowledge. The spiritual experiences that Swami experienced from childhood predetermined his life path - unshakable perseverance in practice, faith in the infinite Source of being helped him achieve realization and become one of the most respected Hindu monks (non-Hindu) in the world. Now Mahamandaleshwar Swami Vishnudevananda Giri is a Russian-speaking monk, teacher of Laya yoga in the Siddha tradition, founder of the Yoga Monastery “Collection of Secrets”. Swami Vishnudevananda Giri was initiated into the status of mahamandaleshwar of the ancient Indian monastic order "Juna Akhara", the founder of which is Sri Adi Shankaracharya. In his youth, he spontaneously had deep experiences classified as "nirvikalpa samadhi". Looking for an explanation for his experiences, he studies philosophy, Eastern traditions, immerses himself in the study of Vaishnavism and finally comes to the understanding that Advaita philosophy is closest to his worldview. So he begins to follow Sahajya (Hindu tantra, which assimilated the ideas of Vajrayana Buddhism), Laya yoga.