Lahiri was the surname of Schyama Tscharan Lahiri, who lived from 1828 to 1898. Mahasaya is a religious Sanskrit title and means "magnanimous". Lahiri Mahasaya was a contemporary of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and a direct disciple of Mahavatar Babaji. He was the Guru of Swami Sri Yukteswar who was the Guru of Paramhansa Yogananda. Always soft and humble in contact with others, as a Christ-like spiritual teacher he was provided with great miraculous powers and took worldly responsibility as a familiy man as well. In the only photo of Lahiri known to exist, he is shown with half opened and half closed eyes. This shows his attitude to be at the same time in the everyday outside world of normal life and in the internal world of spirit. Through his exemplary life he taught the people an age-old and nevertheless modern form of Yoga, which shows the correct balance between meditation and the fulfilment of wordly obligations.