Page 3 | Babaji

Venetian · 2013-03-02T22:03:43Z

I've been very interested recently in reading up on, and generally finding out about, Babaji. Many interested in spiritual topics will know the name as he is described in Yogananda's famous book, "Autobiography Of A Yogi", and indeed he appeared to Yogananda. Babaji is widely considered to be the Mahayogi or Guru of all gurus in the yogi tradition. The impression many have (mistakenly) from Yogananda's book is that Babaji is some otherworldly figure who is virtually impossible to find or encounter, not inhabiting a physical form. However, while a few dispute it, generally it is now considered that the same Babaji Yogananda wrote of was also the Babaji who lived in the Himalayan foothills around the small village of Haidakhan from around 1860 to 1922. He just suddenly was there, and disappeared in front of followers in a flash of light in 1922. But it's only in recent years I've known of the "new" Haidakhan Babaji. He was suddenly back there in a very youthful body in 1970, and lay down his body in "death" as he'd predicted to a few he would do, after 14 years in 1984. So he only manifested for 14 years. Again, it's widely believed that this was the same personage as the other two Babajis - and indeed he affirmed this and also proved it in many ways. Legally a court agreed that he was Babaji returned, so he inherited the rights to ashram buildings established by the "old" Babaji. I've put this under "General - Faiths" as he came not to support Hinduism or any religion in particular, but Universal Religion: all of them, and Truth. The 1970-1984 appearance of this great person is fascinating as from all accounts this was no normal human body. He came from no known family or parentage: suddenly, looking about 18, he was just there, in a cave, knowing about world affairs, able to play instruments, and extremely knowledgeable and wise about all religions and spiritual practices. It's not considered that this was a reincarnation; rather it's that Babaji can just manifest and then dematerialise bodies at will - and tri-located at times. At first this young "new" Babaji never ate, rarely drank fluid, didn't go to the loo, and could sit in meditation for over 40 days unmoving. Heat and cold didn't seem to phase him. It was apparent to the many who followed him that he knew their thoughts at any moment and would respond to them. He rarely if ever slept. He was with and helping people up to 20 hours a day, every day. Though he sometimes slept in a tiny locked room, his chief priest and helper shared the room and at night would find himself alone - Babaji gone though the door was still locked from the outside. Personally he had no belongings - even his clothes would be given, he'd wear them, then pass them on after a day or two. His beard and hair never grew - unless he wanted them to. Sometimes he grew a moustache, but then it seemed to withdraw at will into his body again. (Once he did shave his hair off.) He had immense energy, designed buildings for his ashram, taught many hundreds of people in an amazing one-to-one manner, and his body was seen to swell in moments if he took on karmic burdens or "low vibes" from newcomers. There are accounts of him healing and even raising the dead. After pretending that he only spoke the local dialect for over ten years, from 1981, though he'd received no education, he would speak almost any language to people who began to come to him from around India and the world. All spiritual teachers, gurus, and yogis who met him acknowledged him as their superior. Even though they might be elders, and he at first looked only 18-22. These are all just the physical attributes of a figure who changed enormously in appearance over the 14 years of his manifestation. The real story is in his teachings, his methods, and how he helped so many in their spiritual growth. It's all been a fascinating story to get into, and still little-known in the West. (He gave up his body, it seemed, soon after he became wide-enough known that Westerners were arriving to him by the hundred.) I've found it best to read the two books, "I Am Harmony" on him by Radhe Shyam, and "Fire of Transformation" by Gaura Devi. But there are small websites, a Facebook page, some other books, well over a thousand photos of him (some on Google images) and a limited amount of movie footage. Babaji was a truly remarkable Being, and all the more remarkable for being still so relatively little-known. An astonishing Being actually, and it's fascinating to read of his methods - often very Zen - of teaching individuals in their spiritual growth. He was often extremely subtle, but could overwhelm people with love or even hit them with his staff at a key moment. If he were still in that body today, I'm sure people would be flocking there in the hundreds of thousands. Certainly I regret not knowing of him at the time before 1984. V

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Venetian

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Mar 05, 2013 4:54 pm

(@venetian)

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Hi Judy,

A few topics there. On a Western approach, that was Yogananda's mission, to bring yoga and specifically kriya yoga, to the West. "New" Haidakhan Babaji of 1970-1984 also didn't appear as a Hindu but came to teach the "eternal wisdom" behind and at the core of all religion. So for example, Christmas was always a big day of a whole day of celebration (music, plays, food) at his ashram in the Himalayan foothills: this was a marvel to the poor people of the region who all went and attended.

Surprisingly, Yogananda didn't understand or get told that Babaji was more accessible than he thought. But it seems people really only got to know where Babaji was, including in the 1970s, if "called" - such as by a vision, in a dream, or by a "meant to be" word-of-mouth telling. If all readers of Yogananda's book, maybe in the millions, had known Babaji was in a specific location from 1970, he'd have been besieged as would the tiny village nearby.

Scepticism will always be there. Babaji of 1970-84 certainly existed! In that modern time, it was possible to take innumerable photos of him. Still before the era of widespread webcams etc though, there are just some grainy movie shots of him maybe totaling an hour, on YouTube. But it's impossible to "prove" utterly that he was also the former Babaji of up to 1922, or later appearances. He seemingly just "appeared" in a cave in 1970 - but one or two did seem to think they'd known him in the area in the 1960s, from when he appeared to be about 12. That's all a bit unclear. Yogananda's organisation, Self-Realization Fellowship, discount new Haidakhan Babaji as being the same Babaji as in Yogananda's book - but this just makes me smile as it's not only typical, but a "given" that religious organisations behave this way. (To have aknowledged the Babaji of from 1970 would have meant he'd have had claim to lead their organisation, and large religious organisations, I've found again and again, just don't allow that or relinquish power ......)

..... if Jesus Himself came back in a body today, I am certain the churches themselves would deny and not acknowledge him: IMHO that's a given. It's how political/organisational power works.

But in India itself, new Haidakhan Babaji traveled around, proved himself, and got back under his wing the ashrams and temples dedicated to him up to 1922. In that body of up to 1922, he had given secret mantras to individuals, telling them he'd return, or given objects to them to keep for him: when he was back after 1970, he recited these personal mantras with a twinkling in his eye in private one-to-one meetings, or took back the objects only the owners knew were from him (such as rosary necklaces). There are many such humorous incidents of how Babaji proved himself. More than I could cite here.

I'll put below one interesting anecdote I just read today..... indicating his bi-locating and appearing after the latest known body was given up. (He always said it wasn't really his body in a normal sense, and that he was elsewhere.)

V xx

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Posts: 10423

Venetian

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Mar 05, 2013 4:56 pm

(@venetian)

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Joined: 23 years ago

From the book "I Am Harmony" by Radhe Shyam:

---------------------------

A story narrated by Naveen Joshi :

Shri Babaji was visiting Bombay every year and mostly staying at Shammi Kapoors Vallabh apartments. There were several devotees living there and I am not sure if Babaji was staying with Dr. Clerck, Suresh Bhai or Sardharji in that year 1978. It was around 6 o'clock in the evening Babaji was taking rest and was going to give next darshan at 8 oclock.

There was a ring at the door and a very tired looking, shabby, bearded old man was at the door and politely requested to see Shri Babaji.

He was told to come for evening darshan at 8 pm down in the tent.

He insisted and said that he had came from very far from Mecca Medina in Saudi Arabia where Babaji had told him to come and meet HIM in Bombay.

I was seated on the couch in the living room heard the conversation, jumped up and asked this man to come in.

He didnt wanted to speak a lot and looked very tired. He even refused to eat or drink anything and said that He just wanted to meet Babaji and have His darshan, He said that he had met Shri Babaji in Mecca and further added that every few years there is a meeting held of Muslim Saints in mountains not far from Mecca- a very secret meeting in which Babaji also attended many times.

Everybody in the room knew well that Shri Babaji had never left India in His physical form and listened with skepticism to this man. However it seemed sincere and when it was time Babaji was woken up with a tea and the news of this man was relayed to Him. He immediately requested to have him called in the room. After a greeting in Arabian language everyone was requested to leave the room so they could have privacy. After half an hour this man came out happy, energized, greeted every one in the room and left. Shri Maha Muniraj ji who was also present in Bombay when this happened, confirmed the truth of this story 2 weeks ago.

Nobody knew who that man was, what this was all about. Through the years Babaji spoke well of Pir's which are sufi saints but no details were ever recorded.

In the year 1986, Sheikh Nazim came to Babaji's Ashram in Switzerland. He said, on his arrival that Babaji had sent him there and mentioned later on a few occasions that Shri Babaji was heading a counsel of great masters and sheikhs in the Sufi world.

All very intriguing but reason enough to be reminded that the Divine has mysterious way and resides everywhere in so many forms.

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Principled

Mar 05, 2013 11:43 pm

(@principled_1611052765)

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Hi V,

Thanks, interesting story. I can just see him with Sufi saints. :p

And you're so right with this:

..... if Jesus Himself came back in a body today, I am certain the churches themselves would deny and not acknowledge him: IMHO that's a given. It's how political/organisational power works.

Mary Baker Eddy would agree with you there!:

If that Godlike and glorified man were physically on to-day, would not some, who now pro?fess to love him, reject him? Would they not deny him even the rights of humanity, if he entertained any other sense of being and religion than theirs?
(Science and Health 54)

Some things never change, hey>

Love and peace,

Judy

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