Tota Puri

An ascetic initiated into the Puri order
of the Dashanami Sanyasis, as can be
seen from his surname. Tota Puri was
one of the teachers of the Bengali saint
Ramakrishna, who appeared to instruct
Ramakrishna in Advaita Vedanta as part
of the latter’s continuing exposure to
many different types of religious practice. In his earlier religious practice,
Ramakrishna had been a fervent devotee (bhakta) of the goddess Kali, whereas the Advaita Vedanta philosophy
claims that behind all things lies a single
impersonal reality that has no defining
attributes except for being, consciousness, and bliss (sacchidananda). In the
Advaita understanding, because all conceptions of particular deities have specific attributes, they are thus conditioned
forms of the ultimate Brahman
(Supreme Reality).
Although this conception ran
counter to his own previous experience,
Ramakrishna practiced diligently
under Tota Puri’s direction. When
Ramakrishna attained enlightenment
through the practices of Advaita, he
discovered that the essence of this
706
Tota Puri
The god Vishnu’s Tortoise avatar. He takes this
form to help the gods regain their immortality.
experience was the same as that gained
from his earlier devotional practices.
This inner experience of identity was
a pivotal experience for Ramakrishna
and reinforced his conviction that all
forms of religious practice led the seeker
to the same place. After Ramakrishna’s
experience of enlightenment, Tota
Puri disappeared.