Haidakhan Babaji

Last updated

Haidakhan Babaji
One of the first photos of Haidakhan Babaji 1970.jpg
Haidakhan Babaji
Died14 February 1984 (1984-02-15)
NationalityIndian
Years active1970–1984
Website https://www.haidakhandisamaj.in

Haidakhan Babaji, simply called Babaji by his students and devotees, was a religious teacher who appeared near the village of Haidakhan [lower-alpha 1] in northern India (Uttarakhand) and taught publicly from 1970 until his death in 1984. He has a following in the Western world, and two ashrams in India.

Contents

Life

According to "The Teachings of Babaji", Haidakhan Babaji "appeared" in June 1970 in a cave at the foot of the Kumaon Mount Kailash, across the River Ganges, near a remote village called Haidakhan, in the Nainital District of Uttrakhand, India. His followers maintain that Haidakhan Babaji is a Mahavatar – "a human manifestation of God, not born from woman." [B 1]

It is reported that starting in late September 1970 Haidakhan Babaji spent forty-five days meditating in a small temple on the top of the Kumaon Mount Kailash "without leaving his seat." [B 1] In September 1971, Haidakhan Babaji, in a sworn testimony, convinced the judge of the court in Haldwani that he was the "Old Hariakhan Baba", thought to be active in that region in the years 1860–1922, and that he had the right to use the ashrams in Kathgaria and Haidakhan. [B 2] In 1971 Haidakhan Babaji started travelling across India, proclaiming his message, performing sacred ceremonies, such as yagna, and attracting more devotees. This included celebrities, such as Shammi Kapoor, [B 3] and gradually more Westerners. [B 4]

Though some of his followers [B 5] believed he was immortal, Haidakhan Babaji died on 14 February 1984; local sources said it appeared to be of heart failure. He was buried in Haidakhan Ashram. This is how Babaji foretold and explained his death:

My body is meant to dry up one day. This body is nothing; it is here only to serve people. […] Even my own body has come only to perform a duty to serve all human and all living things. [B 6]

Teachings

Unity of Religions

Haidakhan Babaji maintained that: "All religions are incorporated in the principle of Truth, Simplicity and Love". [B 7] In his living years he taught intensively the importance to live a simple life with loving principles in truth. Although worshipped according to local customs, Haidakhan Babaji explained that he came to restore Sanatana Dharma. Sanatan Dharma can be understood as a primordial religion reflecting natural laws established at the beginning of the Creation. [B 8] He explained further: "I have come to guide humanity to a higher path. I do not belong to any particular religion, but respect all religions. I seek the elevation of all mankind. " [B 9]

He stressed the unity of all religions as expressed in the following words: "In any town there is always a central place; all the roads in the town or from out of town lead to that central place. Similarly, all religions lead to one point, and that is God Himself; and therefore following any religion you will ultimately reach God." [B 10] He said: "We are all one with each other and with God." [B 11] Haidakhan Babaji said: "You should seek harmony in everything you do. I am harmony. Thank you for your love." [B 12] [B 13] Haidakhan Babaji proclaimed: "One can follow any religion, one can follow any practice or path, but one must be humane." [B 14] He said: "The world now is in a state of turmoil. It is suffering from three kinds of pain – physical, mental, spiritual – and there is only one way of being cured from these. We have to root out inhumanity and replace it with humanity. (…)" [B 15] He also made the following statement: "The only true man is one who practices 'humanism.' (…) this is the only way to success in life." [B 16]

Karma Yoga

Babaji talked about the importance of hard work and proper performance of one's duty so often that Karma Yoga should be considered the central element of his teachings. Babaji used to say that: "Work is worship" [B 17] and that hard work is the best spiritual practice. On another occasion he said: "If you are engaged in doing good deeds and go on doing good acts, you will have good sleep, good appetite and bad thoughts will not cross your mind. Otherwise, you will always be criticizing others. In inaction, your minds will always be engaged in thinking critically of others. Karma – activity – is the only thing which can drive out all evils". [B 18] Babaji also taught that "perfection in work" was the real meaning of Kriya Yoga. [B 19]

Japa Yoga

Nama Japa, the repetition of God's name, was a fundamental part of Haidakhan Babaji's teachings. He explained that God's name is the most powerful sound of the Creation – "more powerful than a thousand atomic and hydrogen bombs." [B 20] – and that this is the only real thing. Haidakhan Babaji especially recommended the use of the mantra "om namaḥ śivāy" (Sanskrit: ॐ नमः शिवाय् ) [B 21] – because of its protective qualities, [B 22] but also stated that one can use any God's name "his religion teaches". [B 23] The mantra is always written internationally simplified as "Om Namah Shivay" in books about Babaji written in English or other languages. [B 24]

Forthcoming Great Changes

Haidakhan Babaji warned his followers about the forthcoming Great Revolution or Maha Kranti. He described Maha Kranti as involving "earthquakes, floods, accidents, collisions and wars [...]." [B 25] In the context of these upcoming calamities, he called for courage: "Walk on with courage and bravery. Go on working to improve humankind and establish the Path of Truth. […] Fight for truth! To face life you must have great courage every day". [B 26] Haidakhan Babaji urged his followers to be "inspired". He stated: "Everything in this world is 'PHURO' – transient. It has no reality. True reality is to proceed on the path of truth, to keep the company of saintly people, and to render service to men." [B 27]

Babaji advocated on behalf of the less-fortunate. He stated: "you should look to the areas of your countries where people are poverty-stricken and helpless and then do all you can to raise their standard of living, teaching them cleanliness and high morals. To serve the needy truly and from the heart is true service to God. [...]" [B 28]

Spiritual routine

Babaji would typically start his day around 3:00 am, with a bath, often in the cold River Ganges, which was followed by meditation or a fire ceremony. Around 5:00 am he would see his devotees for ceremonial chandan (placing a mark on forehead), followed by morning Aarti (devotional singing) around 6:00 am. Then until noon everybody would be engaged in some form of karma yoga. At noon the only meal of the day was being served, followed by more karma yoga in the afternoon. Sometimes a more elaborate ceremony such as the fire ritual havan would be performed around the noon time. [B 29] In the afternoon, Babaji would sometimes see devotees for individual audiences, known as darshan. Then there would be another bath, followed by the evening Aarti. After the evening Aarti, Babaji gave short speeches that were recorded in "The Teachings of Babaji". [B 30]

Identity

Babaji maintained that he was identical with the Hairakhan Baba (also spelled as Hariakhan or Heriakhan) who lived around Hairakhan in the years 1860–1922. [B 31] He suggested a few times that he was identical with Mahavatar Babaji described in Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi . [B 32] This claim is apparently disputed by the Self-Realization Fellowship, the society founded by Yogananda. [B 33] Gaura Devi recorded Babaji as saying: "I am no one's Guru, but I am the Guru of gurus." [B 34]

Guru for Westerners

Image of the deity Haidakhandeshwari in the temple of the Haidakhandi Universal Ashram near Crestone, Colorado Haidakhandefwary.JPG
Image of the deity Haidakhandeshwari in the temple of the Haidakhandi Universal Ashram near Crestone, Colorado

Babaji was introduced to many Westerners by Leonard Orr, an exponent of immortalism and a founder of the breathwork practice of rebirthing. Orr maintained that Babaji was an immortal; his belief system was shaken by Babaji's death from a heart attack in 1984. [1] His following is widespread in the Western world, with followings in countries including Austria, [2] Germany, [3] Italy, [4] Sweden, [5] Switzerland, [6] the United Kingdom, [7] and the United States, where the "Yogananda/Babaji Lineage" was established in multiple centres [lower-alpha 2] by the time of the first American Hindu census in 2011. [8] An ashram dedicated to Babaji, the Haidakhandi Universal Ashram, with a temple to the goddess Lakshmi, was founded in Crestone, Colorado in 1989. [9] The musician Gopal Hari and his wife Ambika formed a group named Goma, performing Haidakhandi chants on their albums River of Grace and Sacred Source, and a third album of the Haidakhandi Aarati (service of worship). [10]

Haidakhandi Samaj

In India, the Haidakhandi Samaj, with ashrams at Haidakhan village and at Chilliyanaula (Chilianola), provides both communal living and to spread Babaji's message. The Haidakhan ashram, called "Haidakhan Vishwa Mahadham", offers medical and dental services. The Chilliyanaula ashram, called "Anandpuri Ashram", offers free cataract surgery, an ear, nose, and throat clinic, and dental services. [11]

Notes

  1. Haidakhan is also spelt at times as Hairakhan because the central sound, ḍ, in the name does not exist in English and is something between the R and D sound.
  2. These include the Haidakhan Samaj in the United States; the other centres would be related only if a connection with Yogananda's Babaji is assumed. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramahansa Yogananda</span> Indian yogi and guru (1893–1952)

Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian-American Hindu monk, yogi and guru who introduced millions to meditation and Kriya Yoga through his organization, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) / Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) of India – the only one he created to disseminate his teachings. A chief disciple of the yoga guru Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, he was sent by his lineage to spread the teachings of yoga to the West. He immigrated to the US at the age of 27 to prove the unity between Eastern and Western religions and to preach a balance between Western material growth and Indian spirituality. His long-standing influence in the American yoga movement, and especially the yoga culture of Los Angeles, led him to be considered by yoga experts as the "Father of Yoga in the West". He lived his last 32 years in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri</span> Indian yogi and guru

Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri is the monastic name of Priya Nath Karar, an Indian monk and yogi, and the guru of Paramahansa Yogananda and Swami Satyananda Giri. Born in Serampore, West Bengal, Sri Yukteswar was a Kriya yogi, a Jyotishi, a scholar of the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads, an educator, author, and astronomer. He was a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya of Varanasi and a member of the Giri branch of the Swami order. As a guru, he had two ashrams, one in Serampore and another in Puri, Odisha, between which he alternated his residence throughout the year as he trained disciples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lahiri Mahasaya</span> Indian hindu yogi and guru

Shyama Charan Lahiri, best known as Lahiri Mahasaya, was an Indian yogi and guru who founded the Kriya Yoga school. He was a disciple of Mahavatar Babaji. According to the book America's Alternative Religions by Timothy Miller, Lahiri Mahasaya's life was described in Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi as a demonstration of the spiritual attainment that could be achieved by a householder "living fully in the world". A part of Lahiri Mahasaya's face is pictured on the cover of The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self-Realization Fellowship</span> American spiritual organization

Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) is a worldwide religious organization founded in 1920 by Paramahansa Yogananda, the Indian guru who authored Autobiography of a Yogi. Before coming to the United States, Yogananda began his spiritual work in India in 1917 and named it Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS). He came to the West in 1920 and in 1925 established SRF's headquarters at Mount Washington, Los Angeles, California. Before his return visit to India in 1935, he legally incorporated SRF in the United States, designating it as the only organization to carry on his work – to care for and disseminate his teachings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahavatar Babaji</span> Hindu Yogi

Mahavatar Babaji is the Himalayan yogi and guru who taught Kriya Yoga to Lahiri Mahasaya (1828–1895). Babaji first became recognized through the writings of Paramahansa Yogananda, who devoted a chapter of his Autobiography of a Yogi to Babaji and founded Self-Realization Fellowship, a modern yoga movement that Babaji is associated with. The cave near Ranikhet where Babaji met Lahiri Mahasaya is now a tourist attraction and place of pilgrimage in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kriya Yoga school</span> Style of yoga

Kriya Yoga is a yoga system which consists of a number of levels of pranayama, mantra, and mudra, intended to rapidly accelerate spiritual development and engender a profound state of tranquility and God-communion. It is described by its practitioners as an ancient yoga system revived in modern times by Lahiri Mahasaya, who claimed to be initiated by a guru, Mahavatar Babaji, circa 1861 in the Himalayas. Kriya Yoga was brought to international awareness by Paramahansa Yogananda's book Autobiography of a Yogi and through Yogananda's introductions of the practice to the West from 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Russia</span> Overview of the presence, role and impact of Hinduism in Russia

Hinduism has been spread in Russia primarily due to the work of scholars from the religious organization International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and by itinerant Swamis from India and small communities of Indian immigrants. While ISKCON appears to have a relatively strong following in Russia, the other organizations in the list have a marginal presence in this country. There is an active Tantra Sangha operating in Russia. According to the 2012 official census, there are 140,010 Hindus in Russia, which accounts for 0.1% of the population of Russia.

<i>Autobiography of a Yogi</i> Autobiography of Paramahansa Yogananda

Autobiography of a Yogi is an autobiography of Paramahansa Yogananda published in 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daya Mata</span> President of Self-Realization Fellowship from 1955 to 2010

Daya Mata, born Rachel Faye Wright, was the third president and religious leader of Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (SRF/YSS). SRF/YSS is the only spiritual organization founded by her guru, Paramahansa Yogananda, to disseminate his teachings. She was president of SRF/YSS for over 55 years until her death in 2010.

Roy Eugene Davis was an American spiritual teacher and author who "established the Georgia-based Center for Spiritual Awareness in 1972". Previously he had founded New Life Worldwide Inc. In 1967, he began publishing Truth Journal Magazine which has now been in continuous publication for 44 years. By 1970 he had authored nine books. Davis continued to teach in the Kriya Yoga tradition for more than 60 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panchanan Bhattacharya</span>

Panchanan Bhattacharya (1853–1919) was a disciple of the Indian Yogi Lahiri Mahasaya. He was the first disciple to be authorized by Lahiri Mahasaya to initiate others into Kriya Yoga, and helped to spread Lahiri Mahasaya's teachings in Bengal through his Arya Mission Institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yogoda Satsanga Society of India</span> Indian spiritual organization

Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS) is a non-profit, nonsectarian spiritual organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1917 and is a part of the Self-Realization Fellowship which was founded in 1920 to care for and disseminate his teachings. The current president of the SRF/YSS is Brother Chidananda. Paramahansa Yogananda is most noted for his 1946 book Autobiography of a Yogi which became an international bestseller and featured in the 100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century by HarperCollins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hariharananda Giri</span> Indian yogi and guru

Hariharananda Giri, was an Indian yogi and guru who taught in India as well as in western countries. He was born as Rabindranath Bhattacharya in Nadia district, West Bengal. He was the head of the Kriya Yoga Institute, United States, and founder worldwide Kriya Yoga Centers. According to some sources, Hariharananda was a direct disciple of Yukteswar Giri.

A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satyananda Giri</span> Indian monk

Satyananda Giri, is the monastic name of Manamohan Mazumder, an Indian monk and a monastic disciple of Kriya Yoga guru Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri. He was a close childhood friend of, and brother-disciple to, Paramahansa Yogananda. In his later monastic life, he served as the leader of several yoga training institutions in east India.

Dunagiri is a historic area in Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Dunagiri is known as the birthplace of modern-day Kriya Yoga due to the fact that Lahiri Mahasaya was initiated into Kriya Yoga by Mahavatar Babaji at this site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Govindan</span> American Kriya Yogi

Marshall Govindan is a Kriya Yogi, author, scholar and publisher of literary works related to classical Yoga and Tantra and teacher of Kriya Yoga. He is the President of Babaji's Kriya Yoga and Publications, Inc., and the President of Babaji's Kriya Yoga Order of Archaryas, a lay order of more than 25 Kriya Yoga teachers operating in more than 20 countries, and ashrams in St. Etienne de Bolton, Quebec, Bangalore, India, Colombo, and Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keshavananda Brahmachari</span>

Sri Sri Yogiraj Swami Keshavananda Brahmachari (1830-1942) was a Kriya Yogi and master of the Tantras from West Bengal. He was an important disciple of Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri who is popularly known as Lahiri Mahasaya and was well known for his austere Yogic practices through which he had attained the highest degree of enlightenment within his lifetime. He spent a significant part of his lifetime in the Himalayas while being engaged in Yogic practices.

<i>God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita</i> 1995 book by Paramahansa Yogananda

God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita is a posthumously published non-fiction book by the Indian yogi and guru Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952). It is a two-volume work containing an English translation and commentary of the Bhagavad Gita. It explicates the Bhagavad Gita's psychological, spiritual, and metaphysical elements. It was originally published in 1995 in Los Angeles by the Self Realization Fellowship, and later published in other countries and languages. The book is significant in that unlike other explications of the Bhagavad Gita, which focused on karma yoga, jnana yoga, and bhakti yoga in relation to the Gita, Yogananda's work stresses the training of one's mind, or raja yoga. The full title of the two-volume work is God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita – Royal Science of God Realization – The Immortal Dialogue between Soul and Spirit – A New Translation and Commentary.

Bhakti Marga is a neo-Hindu organisation founded by Mauritian-born guru Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda. It was founded on 13 June 2005 in Frankfurt, Germany. Its main headquarters is located in Heidenrod, Hesse, Germany. It views itself as being part of a new tradition founded by Vishwananda, the Hari Bhakta Sampradaya, which represents a combination of certain Vaishnava, Shaiva and Shakta philosophies. The followers not only adhere to multiple sets of Hindu scriptures but also predominantly on the "personality of Paramahamsa Vishwananda", similar to the Sant tradition.

References

Primary and devotional

  1. 1 2 Antonov 2008 , foreword
  2. Shyam 1990 , pp. 125–135
  3. Shyam 1990 , p. 158
  4. See e.g. Devi 2001 and "Guru for Westerners" below.
  5. See for instance: Orr, Leonard, 1988, 1995.
  6. Antonov 2008, 2 February 1983
  7. Antonov 2008 , 25 December 1981
  8. Antonov 2008 , 25 March 1983
  9. Antonov 2008 , 29 July 1983
  10. Antonov 2008 , 24 December 1981
  11. Antonov 2008 , 2 April 1980
  12. Antonov 2008 , 12 April 1980
  13. For further details, see Shyam 1990
  14. Antonov 2008 , 22 January 1983
  15. Antonov 2008 , 23 September 1983
  16. Antonov 2008 , 29 October 1983
  17. Antonov 2008 , 23 October 1981
  18. Antonov 2008 , 17 November 1983
  19. Antonov 2008 , 10 November 1983
  20. Antonov 2008 , 26 December 1982
  21. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. E.g. "Chant OM NAMAH SHIVAY and you can defy death." Antonov 2008 , 28 July 1979
  23. Devi 1990 , p. 6 Babaji's Teachings
  24. Maria Gabriele Wosien: Ich bin Du – Botschaften des Meisters vom Himalaya, G. Reichel Verlag, ISBN   3-926388-23-4
  25. Antonov 2008 , 26 July 1979
  26. Antonov 2008 , 16 January 1983
  27. Antonov 2008 , 31 August 1983
  28. Antonov 2008 , 20 April 1983
  29. "The Fire Ritual: Havan/Homa". 2 March 2014.
  30. For more description of daily routines around Babaji see also Devi 1990 , pp. 63–67, 73
  31. Antonov 2008 , Foreword See also Shyam 1990 , pp. 50–65
  32. Antonov 2008 , Foreword
  33. Shyam 1990 , p. xvi
  34. Devi 1990 , p. 9 Babaji's Teachings

Independent

  1. Christof Dada, Catharine (22 December 2017). "The physical Immortalist and the Guru who Died". Body and Religion. 1 (2). Equinox Publishing: 169–184. doi:10.1558/bar.32181. ISSN   2057-5831.
  2. Winter, Franz (7 July 2020). "Hindus and Hindu Religious Traditions in Austria". Handbook of Hinduism in Europe (2 vols). Brill. pp. 806–832. doi:10.1163/9789004432284_029. ISBN   978-90-04-43228-4. S2CID   242543421.
  3. Bergunder, Michael; Stiftungen, Franckesche (2006). Westliche Formen des Hinduismus in Deutschland: eine Übersicht. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. pp. 10ff. ISBN   978-3-931479-76-3.
  4. Nencini, Andrea Maria; Squarcini, Federico (7 July 2020). "Hinduism in Italy". Handbook of Hinduism in Europe (2 vols). Brill. pp. 1098–1140. doi:10.1163/9789004432284_045. ISBN   978-90-04-43228-4. S2CID   242737099.
  5. Sardella, Ferdinando (2020). "Hinduism in Sweden". Handbook of Hinduism in Europe (2 vols). Brill. pp. 1466–1485. doi:10.1163/9789004432284_062. ISBN   978-90-04-43228-4. S2CID   225594509.
  6. Mayer, Jean-François (1993). Les nouvelles voies spirituelles: enquête sur la religiosité parallèle en Suisse. L'AGE D'HOMME. pp. 16ff. ISBN   978-2-8251-0412-5.
  7. Wildcroft, Theodora (2020). Post-Lineage Yoga : from Guru to #metoo. Sheffield: Equinox Publishing. pp. 20, 49, 123, 130. ISBN   978-1-78179-940-6.
  8. 1 2 Melton, J. Gordon; Jones, Constance A. (7 April 2011). "Reflections on Hindu Demographics in America: An Initial Report on the First American Hindu Census" (PDF). Association for the Study of Religion, Economics & Culture. p. 16. Retrieved 7 April 2021. Yogananda/Babaji Lineage: Self Realization Fellowship, Amrita Foundation, Ananda Church of Self Realization, CSA (Roy Eugene Davis), Cross and the Lotus, Haidakhan Samaj, Hariharananda Mission West, Hamsa Yoga Sangh, International Babaji Kriya Yoga Sangam (S. A. A. Ramaiah), Kriya Yoga Ashram (Swami Shankarananda Giri), Kriya Yoga International, Kriyayoga of Babaji (Guru Gyan swami), Self Enquiry Life fellowship, Temple of Kriya Yoga
  9. "About Us". Babaji Ashram. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  10. Hari, Gopal; Ambika. "Goma: Music". Goma. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  11. "About Haidakhandi Samaj" . Retrieved 7 April 2021.

Sources

Further reading