Sri H.W.L. Poonja, affectionately known as Papaji or Poonjaji, was born on October 13, 1910, and passed into Mahasamadhi on September 6, 1997, in Lucknow, India. After his initial spiritual awakening following a meeting with his Guru, Ramana Maharshi, in 1944, Papaji dedicated his life to teaching the non-dual realization of the Self, settling in Lucknow after his 1966 retirement. He became a key figure in the Neo-Advaita movement, spreading the teachings of Advaita Vedanta to both Indian and Western seekers, especially during the 1990s.