Śrĩ Atmananda (8 December 1883 – 14 May 1959), also referred as Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon, was an Indian sage, guru, and philosopher. He has been described by scholars as a "neo-Hindu". His teachings have become a foundation for a spiritual method called the Direct Path. Biography Source materials Nitya Tripta (S. Balakrishna Pillai), one of Menon’s disciples, included a detailed life sketch toward the end of a collection of Menon’s teachings. M.P.B. Nair, whose family became disciples when he was a child, included biographical material in his Rays of the Ultimate. Philip Renard included a biography in his “I” is a Door, an excellent synthesis of the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj and Menon (collectively known as the "Big Three" of 20th century Advaita Vedanta). N. Narayana Pilliai, Ph.D., included a biographical chapter in a book on Menon’s teachings concerning the direct path and “I”-principle. Early life He was born as P. Krishna Menon in 1883 at Cherukulathu House, in Peringara, near Tiruvalla, in the state of Travancore, now a part of Kerala. After studying law, he became a Government Advocate and Inspector and District Superintendent of Police and remained in service until 1939. Sadhana and realization Meanwhile, his search for a guru led to his day-long meeting with Swami Yogananda (not to be confused with Paramahansa Yogananda) in 1919. In 1923, he assumed the name Sri Atmananda and started teaching Jnana Yoga. After retirement from government service, he resided in his family home, Anandavadi on the river Pampa in Malakara. He died at Trivandrum (now known as Thiruvananthapuram) in 1959. Legacy Menon's teachings have become a foundation for a spiritual method called the Direct Path. His disciple, Nitya Tripta (S. Balakrishna Pillai), compiled his teachings from 1950 to 1959 into a large volume titled Notes on the Spiritual Discourses of Sree Atmananda (of Trivandrum), which appeared in 1963. Menon’s eldest son K. Padmanadbha Menon (Sri Adwayananda) continued his teachings from his home in Anandawadi, Malakkara, near Chengannur, until his own death in 2001. He authored several books himself, including Atmaswarupam. Jean Klein, Francis Lucille, Rupert Spira and Stephan Bodian are prominent members of Menon’s spiritual lineage. Publications Menon published several books during his lifetime. Nitya Tripta (S. Balakrishna Pillai), one of his disciples, included a bibliography and publication history toward the end of a collection of Menon’s teachings. Radhamadhavam was composed in 1919. A typed, spiral bound,