Shivarudra Balayogi
Encyclopedia
Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj (born 20 September 1954), born Srinivas (Seenu) Dikshitar in Kolar in the South Indian state of Karnataka, is a Self Realized Yogi and direct disciple of Shri Shivabalayogi
Maharaj.
After meeting his Guru at the age of sixteen, Seenu performed 20 years of vigorous service and meditation under Shri Shivabalayogi's guidance at his Dehradun
ashram
in the foothills of the Himalayas
. Soon after the physical passing of his Guru in 1994, Srinivas entered a stage known as tapas -- intense and unbroken dhyana
(meditation
) in which the mind is kept in perfect thoughtlessness. By performing tapas for around 20 hours a day continuously for five years, he achieved Enlightenment
/Self Realization
. Based in the Dehradun ashram, he now travels to many parts of the world teaching meditation and continuing his Guru's mission. He has established numerous meditation groups in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and around India.
Hinduism Today has written that, "Thousands have been inspired by his influence," and that, "When the famous Sri Sri Sri Shivabalayogi passed away in 1994, meditators around the world wondered who would take his place. The suspense slowly subsided as Shivarudra Balayogi, Shivabalayogi's close disciple since 1974, humbly emerged as his qualified successor." In his book on Indian spirituality, renowned Vedanta scholar Adwaita P. Ganguly writes, "Baba Shivarudra Balayogi is the embodiment of gentleness, compassion and service to humanity. He is also resolute and immovable as Silence itself."
, composed by the great Yogi-teacher Adi Shankaracharya. The spiritually precocious child immediately learned the Sanskrit
verses, began singing them and contemplating their meaning. A sudden detachment (vairagya
) dawned, as a result of Adi Shankaracharya's exhortation:
Seenu's mind became obsessed with thoughts of birth and death: "What is the use of living if we are simply going to die?" "Do we come into being with our physical body, and do we die with this body?" "If one is truly the Immortal Soul, the Consciousness beyond birth and death, why is it that we are unaware of it?" "If happiness exists, why is it that we do not have it all the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?"
Srinivas had become uncomfortable with the sight of the world, and wondered whether there was a technology to "switch off" the universe.
(knowledge), bhakti
(devotion) and vairagya
(detachment) from the teachings of Adi Shankaracharya, and longed for a Guru of the calibre of Shri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa and Shri Ramana Maharshi
.
At the age of fifteen, Seenu began to secretly meditate in the isolated Nagara Theertha cave in the Chamundi hills
(outside Mysore) several days a week instead of going to school. At the age of sixteen, Srinivas was led to the great Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj through a series of unusual events. Having performed a heroic twelve-year tapas (intense meditation) at the age of fourteen, Shivabalayogi Maharaj was known for his powerful presence and dazzling aura of peace. In a dream, on the night before meeting His Guru, Swamiji initiated Seenu into a mantra
, which was to become a powerful anchor for his mind on the path to Self Realization:.
Taking Swamiji's darshan the next day, Seenu fell in love with his Guru
at first sight, and his mind became totally concentrated on the form of Shivabalayogi
. After communicating his desire to leave home immediately to serve in Shri Shivabalayogi's mission, Srinivas was persuaded by his mother to wait three years to make sure his feelings were genuine. During this period, Seenu would visit Swamiji in Bangalore
. While waiting for the time to pass and continuing his studies at Mysore College, Srinivas would practice the technique of dhyana meditation into which he had been initiated by His Guru—this was to be his technology for "switching off" the universe. In September 1974, at the age of nineteen, Seenu finally received his mother's blessing and was accepted into Swamiji's service. Shivabalayogi sent Seenu to manage his ashram
in Dehradun
, in the foothills of the Himalayas
, and trained him in a close Guru-disciple relationship.
(spiritual practice). His daily practice was gruelling involving cleaning the entire ashram, cooking, 4–5 hours of meditation, as well as performing the ashram puja (worship) and evening bhajans (devotional songs). In addition to these duties, Swamiji charged Seenu with taking care of two mentally retarded boys, one of whom he looked after for thirteen years, and both of whom died in his arms as he chanted and prayed. His Guru tested him in many ways, often scolding him harshly for up to an hour at a time. Adopting the methods of karma yoga
(service) and bhakti yoga
(devotion), Seenu took it as a spiritual blessing. One day Shivabalyogi Maharaj remarked:
On an early trip to Rishikesh for a bath in the river Ganges, Swamiji saw the poonal (sacred thread worn by the Brahmin
priest caste) on Seenu's body and became furious, yelling "Why are you having this thread? It will simply give you the ego that you belong to a higher caste
, which is not at all proper on the spiritual path." He instructed Seenu to offer the thread to Mother Ganges, which Seenu did at once, gently immersing the thread in the water. Then Shivabalayogi Maharaj sprinkled Ganges water on Seenu's head and slapped him lovingly on the back, declaring "From now, remember that you are a sannyasi (monk). You must live a simple life so that people themselves can call you a monk, but you yourself should not become egoistic by claiming or boasting of any status as such."
On 20 September 1978—Seenu's 24th birthday—he asked Swamiji to bless some vibhuti
(sacred ash) and place him into tapas (intense meditation performed for several years). Blessing the vibhuti, Swamiji said, "If you want to sit for tapas now, I can make you sit for tapas; but if you sit for tapas now, instead of successfully completing it you might acquire some ego and you may even go away from me physically and may not be able to serve in my mission." To this Seenu replied, "Swamiji, then I do not want to do tapas. Because what I want is Swamiji, that's all I know. I love you and I want to be in Swamiji's mission. I want to serve you only. Whether I get Realized or not, that is not so important for me. But definitely I would like to remain at your lotus feet and serve you forever." Then Swamiji smiled, saying "Take this vibhuti
and keep it with you. In due course of time, when the time is ripe, you will get what you want.".
Maharaj died. Upon completion of the Mahasamadhi ceremony, Seenu immediately travelled to Mysore, walking out onto the Chamundi Hills
where he had first met his Guru Shivabalayogi and where he used to secretly spend his days in meditation as a teenager.
Going into deep meditation for two to three days, he was roused by a vision of his Guru Shri Shivabalayogi, who informed him that the time had come to do tapas. Thinking that this might be an illusion created by his grieving mind, Seenu ignored the vision. On 10 November 1994, after the evening arathi
(salute with lights ceremony), Seenu witnessed the shining figure of Sri Shivabalayogi manifesting from the photo kept on the dais in the darshan
hall, and leading him into a neighbouring room:
Deep meditation continued unbroken for two or three days. He then resumed meditation for around 20 hours a day in seven to eight-hour cycles.
In the fourth year of tapas, the name "Shiva Rudra Balayogi" was bestowed upon him by Shri Shivabalayogi. Swamiji instructed his Yogi-disciple to begin giving darshan
to devotees, and thus Shivarudra Balayogi came to be affectionately known by devotees who visited as Babaji (revered father).
On 16 November 1999, five years after he commenced tapas, Shivarudra Balayogi experienced the dazzling manifestation of the deity Ardhanarishwara -- half the body of Lord Shiva and half the body of Goddess Parvati. They said, "Now that we have come due to your tapas, you do not require your Guru and can go ahead to get many followers." This was the final test for any remnant of ego. Babaji spontaneously replied:
Pleased with this reply, they blessed the Yogi and the manifestation was withdrawn back into the Self. In their place, Shivabalayogi then manifested. He directed his Yogi-disciple, "After you come out of tapas, inspire the people of this world to practice this dhyana
meditation
and know themselves. Through this practice they can achieve total Peace." Shri Swamiji then explained: "I am actually the Divine, your real Self
. I have manifested through the power of Maya
(illusion technology) in this form which is dearest to you, as Guru
." Shortly after this, Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj achieved the final Nirvikalpa Samadhi in which all individuality was absorbed in the Self, permanently composed in Supreme Peace. On 23 November 1999, Babaji emerged from his room as the Yogi, Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj.
ashram
, at the foothills of the Himalayas
. He now travels the world at the invitation of devotees to continue Shri Shivabalayogi's mission, as directed by his Guru.
In keeping with the tradition established by his Guru, initiation into the Jangama dhyana
meditation technique that Babaji used to achieve Self Realization is given without charge and in the attitude of a friend (mitra bhava). He does not require students who come to him to have any particular faith or accept him as Guru. While training monastic disciples, he emphasizes that true reunciation (sannyas) occurs in the mind and encourages householders to perform meditation and service while retaining their way of life.
:
In practical terms, his teaching is based on the Jangama dhyana
meditation technique, which was taught to him by his Guru Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj. He also guides students on the bhakti
marga (path of devotion) and karma
marga (path of service), according to their temperament.
Shivabalayogi
Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj was a self-realized master of meditation in the tradition of the ancient and modern yogis of India. He attained Self realization through twelve years of arduous tapas, meditating in samādhi for an average of twenty hours a day...
Maharaj.
After meeting his Guru at the age of sixteen, Seenu performed 20 years of vigorous service and meditation under Shri Shivabalayogi's guidance at his Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
in the foothills of the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. Soon after the physical passing of his Guru in 1994, Srinivas entered a stage known as tapas -- intense and unbroken dhyana
Dhyana in Hinduism
According to the Hindu Yoga Sutra, written by Patanjali, dhyana is one of the eight limbs of Yoga, ....
(meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
) in which the mind is kept in perfect thoughtlessness. By performing tapas for around 20 hours a day continuously for five years, he achieved Enlightenment
Enlightenment (spiritual)
Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
/Self Realization
Jnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
. Based in the Dehradun ashram, he now travels to many parts of the world teaching meditation and continuing his Guru's mission. He has established numerous meditation groups in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and around India.
Hinduism Today has written that, "Thousands have been inspired by his influence," and that, "When the famous Sri Sri Sri Shivabalayogi passed away in 1994, meditators around the world wondered who would take his place. The suspense slowly subsided as Shivarudra Balayogi, Shivabalayogi's close disciple since 1974, humbly emerged as his qualified successor." In his book on Indian spirituality, renowned Vedanta scholar Adwaita P. Ganguly writes, "Baba Shivarudra Balayogi is the embodiment of gentleness, compassion and service to humanity. He is also resolute and immovable as Silence itself."
Beginning
Shivarudra Balayogi was born Srinivas Dikshitar on 20 September 1954 to a pious Brahmin family in Kolar in the South Indian state of Karnataka. The youngest of four children (including Vijay Kumar, Vijaya Lakshmi, Satyanarayana), he was affectionately known as 'Seenu.' His father, Shankara Dikshitar, was a doctor who dedicated much of his time to serving the poor without charge. Seenu drew inspiration from a young age from his mother's example of fervent devotion and inner strength.Awakening
Despite being raised in a loving and comfortable household, Srinivas had begun to experience an acute spiritual hunger by the age of five. At the age of six or seven, he became mesmerized upon hearing his sister singing Bhaja GovindamBhaja Govindam
Bhaja Govindam[Praise/Seek Govinda ] also known as Moha Mudgara is a popular 8th century Hindu devotional composition in Sanskrit attributed to Adi Shankara...
, composed by the great Yogi-teacher Adi Shankaracharya. The spiritually precocious child immediately learned the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
verses, began singing them and contemplating their meaning. A sudden detachment (vairagya
Vairagya
Vairāgya is a Sanskrit term used in Hindu philosophy that roughly translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation, in particular renunciation from the pains and pleasures in the material world...
) dawned, as a result of Adi Shankaracharya's exhortation:
Sing the Glory of God and adopt His consciousness into your mind, for when the end comes to the physical body, none of your worldly scholarship, wealth or possessions are going to come to your rescue.
Seenu's mind became obsessed with thoughts of birth and death: "What is the use of living if we are simply going to die?" "Do we come into being with our physical body, and do we die with this body?" "If one is truly the Immortal Soul, the Consciousness beyond birth and death, why is it that we are unaware of it?" "If happiness exists, why is it that we do not have it all the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?"
Srinivas had become uncomfortable with the sight of the world, and wondered whether there was a technology to "switch off" the universe.
Guru
During his teenage years, Seenu spent much of his time at various temples around his home, sitting quietly by himself. He would contemplate the meaning of jnanaJnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
(knowledge), bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
(devotion) and vairagya
Vairagya
Vairāgya is a Sanskrit term used in Hindu philosophy that roughly translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation, in particular renunciation from the pains and pleasures in the material world...
(detachment) from the teachings of Adi Shankaracharya, and longed for a Guru of the calibre of Shri Ramakrishna
Ramakrishna
Ramakrishna , born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay , was a famous mystic of 19th-century India. His religious school of thought led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Mission by his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda – both were influential figures in the Bengali Renaissance as well as the Hindu...
Paramahamsa and Shri Ramana Maharshi
Ramana Maharshi
Sri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was a Hindu spiritual master . He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After experiencing at age 16 what he later described as liberation , he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus...
.
At the age of fifteen, Seenu began to secretly meditate in the isolated Nagara Theertha cave in the Chamundi hills
Chamundi Hills
The Chamundi Hills are located in India, close to the palace city of Mysore. The hills' average elevation is 1,000 meters.According to legend, the demon Mahishasura, king of the area that is currently Mysore, was killed by the Goddess Chamundeswari after a fierce battle. The hills are named after...
(outside Mysore) several days a week instead of going to school. At the age of sixteen, Srinivas was led to the great Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj through a series of unusual events. Having performed a heroic twelve-year tapas (intense meditation) at the age of fourteen, Shivabalayogi Maharaj was known for his powerful presence and dazzling aura of peace. In a dream, on the night before meeting His Guru, Swamiji initiated Seenu into a mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
, which was to become a powerful anchor for his mind on the path to Self Realization:.
Om Shivaya Shivabalayogendraya Parabrahmanaya
Taking Swamiji's darshan the next day, Seenu fell in love with his Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
at first sight, and his mind became totally concentrated on the form of Shivabalayogi
Shivabalayogi
Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj was a self-realized master of meditation in the tradition of the ancient and modern yogis of India. He attained Self realization through twelve years of arduous tapas, meditating in samādhi for an average of twenty hours a day...
. After communicating his desire to leave home immediately to serve in Shri Shivabalayogi's mission, Srinivas was persuaded by his mother to wait three years to make sure his feelings were genuine. During this period, Seenu would visit Swamiji in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. While waiting for the time to pass and continuing his studies at Mysore College, Srinivas would practice the technique of dhyana meditation into which he had been initiated by His Guru—this was to be his technology for "switching off" the universe. In September 1974, at the age of nineteen, Seenu finally received his mother's blessing and was accepted into Swamiji's service. Shivabalayogi sent Seenu to manage his ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
in Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
, in the foothills of the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, and trained him in a close Guru-disciple relationship.
Sadhana
Life at the ashram marked a new period in Srinivas's sadhanaSadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
(spiritual practice). His daily practice was gruelling involving cleaning the entire ashram, cooking, 4–5 hours of meditation, as well as performing the ashram puja (worship) and evening bhajans (devotional songs). In addition to these duties, Swamiji charged Seenu with taking care of two mentally retarded boys, one of whom he looked after for thirteen years, and both of whom died in his arms as he chanted and prayed. His Guru tested him in many ways, often scolding him harshly for up to an hour at a time. Adopting the methods of karma yoga
Karma Yoga
Karma yoga , or the "discipline of action" is a form of yoga based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of Hinduism. Of the four paths to realization, karma yoga is the science of achieving perfection in action...
(service) and bhakti yoga
Bhakti yoga
Bhakti yoga is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to a personal form of God....
(devotion), Seenu took it as a spiritual blessing. One day Shivabalyogi Maharaj remarked:
Look at the faith and attachment that Seenu has. Even if I cut him into pieces and throw him in the river, he will get joined back up and come back to me. (Beyond Bliss, 2006).
On an early trip to Rishikesh for a bath in the river Ganges, Swamiji saw the poonal (sacred thread worn by the Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
priest caste) on Seenu's body and became furious, yelling "Why are you having this thread? It will simply give you the ego that you belong to a higher caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
, which is not at all proper on the spiritual path." He instructed Seenu to offer the thread to Mother Ganges, which Seenu did at once, gently immersing the thread in the water. Then Shivabalayogi Maharaj sprinkled Ganges water on Seenu's head and slapped him lovingly on the back, declaring "From now, remember that you are a sannyasi (monk). You must live a simple life so that people themselves can call you a monk, but you yourself should not become egoistic by claiming or boasting of any status as such."
On 20 September 1978—Seenu's 24th birthday—he asked Swamiji to bless some vibhuti
Vibhuti
Vibhuti is a word that has several meanings in Hinduism.-Sacred ash:Vibhuti is the sacred ash used in religious worship in Hinduism. The main ingredient of Vibuthi is a special kind of wood, but several other substances, such as milk and ghee, prescribed in scriptures are also added...
(sacred ash) and place him into tapas (intense meditation performed for several years). Blessing the vibhuti, Swamiji said, "If you want to sit for tapas now, I can make you sit for tapas; but if you sit for tapas now, instead of successfully completing it you might acquire some ego and you may even go away from me physically and may not be able to serve in my mission." To this Seenu replied, "Swamiji, then I do not want to do tapas. Because what I want is Swamiji, that's all I know. I love you and I want to be in Swamiji's mission. I want to serve you only. Whether I get Realized or not, that is not so important for me. But definitely I would like to remain at your lotus feet and serve you forever." Then Swamiji smiled, saying "Take this vibhuti
Vibhuti
Vibhuti is a word that has several meanings in Hinduism.-Sacred ash:Vibhuti is the sacred ash used in religious worship in Hinduism. The main ingredient of Vibuthi is a special kind of wood, but several other substances, such as milk and ghee, prescribed in scriptures are also added...
and keep it with you. In due course of time, when the time is ripe, you will get what you want.".
Tapas
On 28 March 1994, Shri ShivabalayogiShivabalayogi
Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj was a self-realized master of meditation in the tradition of the ancient and modern yogis of India. He attained Self realization through twelve years of arduous tapas, meditating in samādhi for an average of twenty hours a day...
Maharaj died. Upon completion of the Mahasamadhi ceremony, Seenu immediately travelled to Mysore, walking out onto the Chamundi Hills
Chamundi Hills
The Chamundi Hills are located in India, close to the palace city of Mysore. The hills' average elevation is 1,000 meters.According to legend, the demon Mahishasura, king of the area that is currently Mysore, was killed by the Goddess Chamundeswari after a fierce battle. The hills are named after...
where he had first met his Guru Shivabalayogi and where he used to secretly spend his days in meditation as a teenager.
Going into deep meditation for two to three days, he was roused by a vision of his Guru Shri Shivabalayogi, who informed him that the time had come to do tapas. Thinking that this might be an illusion created by his grieving mind, Seenu ignored the vision. On 10 November 1994, after the evening arathi
Arathi
The Arathi, a term meaning "prophets", are a Christian religious movement founded in 1926 in Kenya. Along with the African Orthodox Church, Arathi was founded by the Agikuyu in the wake of Kenya's civil unrest during the 1920...
(salute with lights ceremony), Seenu witnessed the shining figure of Sri Shivabalayogi manifesting from the photo kept on the dais in the darshan
Darshan
or Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine" in Hindu worship, e.g. of a deity , or a very holy person or artifact...
hall, and leading him into a neighbouring room:
As I was closing my eyes, it felt as if I was sinking into a deep sea of space. Total darkness had engulfed, total silence and serenity was there. Nothing else seemed to be there. No thoughts were coming. In that state I heard a strong voice telling me, 'Look, from this room either you have to come out as a Yogi, or your dead body shall come out. Do not abandon the practice under any circumstances until you reach the goal. I want you do this for five years as you already have the fruits of seven years of tapas. (Beyond Bliss, 2006).
Deep meditation continued unbroken for two or three days. He then resumed meditation for around 20 hours a day in seven to eight-hour cycles.
In the fourth year of tapas, the name "Shiva Rudra Balayogi" was bestowed upon him by Shri Shivabalayogi. Swamiji instructed his Yogi-disciple to begin giving darshan
Darshan
or Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine" in Hindu worship, e.g. of a deity , or a very holy person or artifact...
to devotees, and thus Shivarudra Balayogi came to be affectionately known by devotees who visited as Babaji (revered father).
On 16 November 1999, five years after he commenced tapas, Shivarudra Balayogi experienced the dazzling manifestation of the deity Ardhanarishwara -- half the body of Lord Shiva and half the body of Goddess Parvati. They said, "Now that we have come due to your tapas, you do not require your Guru and can go ahead to get many followers." This was the final test for any remnant of ego. Babaji spontaneously replied:
I want only the lotus feet of my Guru. I offer my life at the lotus feet of the Divine Guru who helped and guided me to this. So please, if you want to bless me, bless me that I can always remain at the lotus feet of my Guru and serve him and work according to my Guru's guidance... there is no other desire. (Guru-Disciple, 2008)
Pleased with this reply, they blessed the Yogi and the manifestation was withdrawn back into the Self. In their place, Shivabalayogi then manifested. He directed his Yogi-disciple, "After you come out of tapas, inspire the people of this world to practice this dhyana
Dhyana in Hinduism
According to the Hindu Yoga Sutra, written by Patanjali, dhyana is one of the eight limbs of Yoga, ....
meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
and know themselves. Through this practice they can achieve total Peace." Shri Swamiji then explained: "I am actually the Divine, your real Self
Real self
The Real self theory in politics and philosophy proposes that people often have a private "real will" , that is different from their public "expressed will".-References:...
. I have manifested through the power of Maya
Maya (illusion)
Maya , in Indian religions, has multiple meanings, usually quoted as "illusion", centered on the fact that we do not experience the environment itself but rather a projection of it, created by us. Maya is the principal deity that manifests, perpetuates and governs the illusion and dream of duality...
(illusion technology) in this form which is dearest to you, as Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
." Shortly after this, Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj achieved the final Nirvikalpa Samadhi in which all individuality was absorbed in the Self, permanently composed in Supreme Peace. On 23 November 1999, Babaji emerged from his room as the Yogi, Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj.
Mission
As word of his tapas spread, spiritual seekers from various parts of the world sought Babaji out at his base in the DehradunDehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
, at the foothills of the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. He now travels the world at the invitation of devotees to continue Shri Shivabalayogi's mission, as directed by his Guru.
In keeping with the tradition established by his Guru, initiation into the Jangama dhyana
Jangama dhyana
Jangama dhyana is a meditation technique, which has been practiced by various Sages over the centuries. In modern times, it has been used by Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj and his direct disciple Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj to achieve Self Realization. The technique is currently taught by Shri...
meditation technique that Babaji used to achieve Self Realization is given without charge and in the attitude of a friend (mitra bhava). He does not require students who come to him to have any particular faith or accept him as Guru. While training monastic disciples, he emphasizes that true reunciation (sannyas) occurs in the mind and encourages householders to perform meditation and service while retaining their way of life.
Teachings
The teachings of Shri Shivarudra Balayogi are difficult to define because they are based on his direct experience rather than any particular scripture or school of Indian philosophy. Nevertheless, his philosophy is consistent with the VedantaVedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
:
Every one, consciously or unconsciously, is searching for peace and happiness. You are suffering because you have forgotten your real Self. Once you Realize that you are this Immortal Self, you will Realize that your very existence is Permanent and Supreme Peace.
In practical terms, his teaching is based on the Jangama dhyana
Jangama dhyana
Jangama dhyana is a meditation technique, which has been practiced by various Sages over the centuries. In modern times, it has been used by Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj and his direct disciple Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj to achieve Self Realization. The technique is currently taught by Shri...
meditation technique, which was taught to him by his Guru Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj. He also guides students on the bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
marga (path of devotion) and karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
marga (path of service), according to their temperament.
- On meditation: "It is only a purifying process when you try to meditate. The mind is the tape which has acquired habits and brain acts as tape recorder. When you sit for meditation the mind gets applied (sucked) onto the brain because of its habits. Purifying process starts when the vasanas (impressions) are getting evaporated. Visions and sounds get created by a decodifying method from the brain. Then is the time you require enormous patience to allow it to happen. Then you should not analyze or judge what it is, good or bad just allow it to happen. Then only the mind can recede."
- On miracles: "Efforts can bring miracles. Achieving Supreme Peace through sadhana is the real miracle. Rings and chains cannot give Peace to this world and are easily available in shops. For a few hundred dollars one can fly in the air. I have always said that if someone can wave the hand and give Peace to the world, that day I will consider it a miracle."
- On bhava samadhi: "Every individual must be careful if they are genuinely interested in going towards Enlightenment. One should not imagine and deceive oneself by claiming to be some divine authority. One has to be very careful about bhava samadhi. My Guru said that it is like giving a lollipop to a child, to make them go to school. But, unfortunately, people sometimes get stuck to the lollipop and they do not go to school."
- On mind and brain: "The brain is in touch with the nervous system and the universe. Through its reflections, the mind, which is a spark of the Supreme Consciousness called the Self, comes into existence. The mind assumes everything that is reflected by the brain is real, recognizes and absorbs as an imprint, and starts wandering in the universe aimlessly - getting pampered, losing control, losing consciousness of the Self."
- On the branches of VedantaVedantaVedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
: "Adi Shankaracharya spread the teaching of 'advaita' - only one single self exists. A contemporary of Shankaracharya was Ramanujacharya. He taught, "We are a spark of the Divine only." At the same time the school of philosophy connected to MadhvacharyaMadhvacharyaMadhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...
expressing devotion taught, "That individual 'jivatma' is separate from God." These three are not different - there is no disunity. In the beginning, you see yourself as God's devotee. At the next stage you experience you are part of God - like a ray from the Sun or a droplet from the ocean. Finally in Nirvikalpa Samadhi, only one single Self exists; the ancient sages used the term 'Tat' which means 'That'."
- On bhakti yogaBhakti yogaBhakti yoga is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to a personal form of God....
: "Because of imagination only the mind has gone out of control. This is the basic technique of the bhakti marga (devotional path). Using the same imagination the mind is to be brought back to its concentrated position, the composed position. So rituals and form worship or formlessness, they are all prescribed so that you can begin somewhere if you need an anchor, so that your mind can lose all other imaginations and become single-pointed into one imagination. Even it is advised during meditation also, if there are thousands of thoughts coming, you are unable to lose all the thoughts, try to stick to one particular thought before giving up all such thoughts. So that is how the worship of an idol in the temple and rituals are all prescribed."
- On karma yogaKarma YogaKarma yoga , or the "discipline of action" is a form of yoga based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of Hinduism. Of the four paths to realization, karma yoga is the science of achieving perfection in action...
: "When you are doing karma (any work), do it without trying to analyze or judge anything. Then your Mind would surrender to the Divine Guru and that action (all such work) can get converted into sadhana. Specifically if you are trying to repeat any name of the Divine Guru, just concentrate on the name (or japa or chant) and observe from where it is coming. Your mind gets absorbed there, converting such action (sadhana) into deeper and deeper sadhana. While you try to meditate also do the same. Allow the mind to get purified without trying to imagine what it is. When vision or any experience happens do not try to see whether it is good or bad, right or wrong. Remember either way the mind gets involved and is in existence always. If you simply watch and do not bother what it is, then the mind recedes. When it recedes it is going towards its original abode, the Divine, which is beyond all imaginations and explanations."
- On surrender: "The mind can never tell the truth because it can tell you only based on its own imaginations. So meditation can definitely help you to really surrender, technologically surrender in every way. Surrender means that the mind has to become quiet. Not simply if we touch our heads and do a deep prostration do we convey surrender."
- On SamadhiSamadhiSamadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
: "Samadhi is when the mind totally gets absorbed into the Real Ultimate Self. The yogi becomes aware of the Self's existence but without any definitions. Even the earlier imagined false self's identity also vanishes. This means the thought of 'I' vanishes. In Samadhi, the Yogi has no mind which recognizes or identifies anything. The Yogi simply experiences the Existence, which is Supreme Peace."
- On the Yogi: "The Ultimate Truth is Supreme Consciousness which is all-pervading. A Yogi experiences the Self's existence in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. There will not be an iota of imagination, not even the thought of 'I' or 'Existence', but you experience the existence. A Yogi remains there effortlessly with contentment."
- On Self: "This has to be experienced. Nobody else can do it for you. You cannot demonstrate it to anyone else, or define it in words. Just like you cannot simply define what space is, and you cannot measure space by any scale. It is all pervading. It is an amazing thing. If at all you want to measure the space and know the space, you have to become space itself."
Further reading
- Ganguly, Adwaita P., 2007, Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj, in India Travel Guide: Spiritual Tourism and Ground Realities, *Vedantic Research Publications
- Malik, R., 2001, A Yogi Worth Watching, Hinduism Today, November/December
- Young, Bruce, 2006, Beyond Bliss, (ISBN 0-9758478-0-5)
- Young, Bruce, 2008, Guru-Disciple, (ISBN 978-0-9758478-3-1)
- Hopkins, Charles, 2006, His Master's Grace, (ISBN 0-9758478-0-5)
- Hopkins, Charles and Carol, 2007, From the Heart of Peace, (ISBN 1-59975-866-0)