Who is He?

Baba's life is dedicated to God. Among his titles are "Swami" and "Paramahamsa." "Swami" is akin to "master" and denotes mastery over oneself and learning. "Paramahamsa" denotes one who has attained the high yogic state of nirvikalpa samadhi and realized oneness with the Absolute. His name, Hariharananda, means "the Divine Bliss coming from the Absolute Formless God."

He initiated thousands into Kriya Yoga, which simultaneously develops body, mind, and soul. He was very kind to his disciples, and gave us many blessings. He left his physical body at 95 years of age, after a life devoted to serving God. We use the past tense advisedly, because many have experienced him after his physical departure.

Not only was Gurudev profoundly advanced through his own efforts, but he also embodied the spiritual power, wisdom, and love of all the Kriya Yoga masters who went before him. In our era, he was the conduit, the human vessel, the riverbed, through which the river of compassion and strength that is the Kriya Yoga lineage pours into this parched world.

He was a son of India, the flower and fruit of India, offered not only to India but to all the people of the world. At an early age he had memorized the world's most important scriptures. His detailed knowledge of the wisdom of the ages became part of him, and informed and guided the teaching and sharing of his own profound Self-realization. He would explain spiritual life and principles to Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus, using their own scriptures.

Even though he loved India, he spent time in and valued the West. Baba first entered the West by spending time in Europe and establishing meditation centers there. His love for New York City, where he spent a lot of time, might cause one playfully to name him The Big Apple Swami. When two of his swamis came to visit him in the United States, he said to them, "If you don't go to New York your trip here will be unsuccessful. You must go to New York. You must see New York." Gurudev relished the energy of New York City. Moreover, the immortal Mahavatar Babaji, who reintroduced Kriya Yoga to the world in 1861, had a vision of Kriya Yoga being part of the development of the modern age. Perhaps Gurudev's love for and investment in New York City by offering Kriya Yoga there and spending a lot of time there were part of the unfolding of Babaji's vision. In Baba, the little, pinched and strained self was perfected, love was fulfilled in faithfulness, and the mortal was united with the immortal God. He was saturated in holiness from his decades of meditation and immersion in God. Just as you might smell wonderful fresh bread baking when you enter a home, the holiness in his vicinity (not just in his presence) was palpable. It was, in a sense, mouth watering, like fresh bread; it awakened a hunger for spirituality in you. Sometimes being with him was soothing, almost as if you were slowly slipping into warm, amber-colored water after being sweaty, sunburned and sore. Ahhh! It felt good.

As he aged, he maintained the vigor of a much younger man, until near the end of his life, when he lay on his bed most of the time, absorbed in God. Swimming in the divine, he kept a toehold in that old body, coming back when needed to guide and bless us.

Baba could be extraordinarily tender and loving. Like an adoring mother, he might caress the face of one of his students, and bring the person's head to rest on his chest as he held it in blessing. However, Baba could also be fierce. For those who wanted to open themselves fully to the divine, he would help. And since what keeps us from the divine often are parts of ourselves that we cherish or at least comfortably indulge, his rooting out of these things, his placing his students in situations in which we were scoured cleaner, often was excruciating, but helpful. His ferocity was an aspect of his love: sometimes a chisel is needed, and sometimes soothing balm. He gave and still gives us what we need to open more fully.

Although Baba was a monk, he was a very accessible teacher for householders. It is quite important to note that Kriya Yoga, although taught by monks, is also taught by householders (people who are living in the world with jobs, families, and so forth) and is a spiritual practice meant for householders. Kriya Yoga does not require that one leave the world to live in a cave and meditate. Rather, Kriya offers the world as the context for our spiritual practice. The world is not other than God.

In his living demonstration of Kriya in the world, Baba sometimes lived with his disciples for extended periods in their homes. Here are comments by one fortunate student:

Baba was true, 24/7. For me as a disciple, as a student, it was wonderful to spend such time with a realized master and know that he was the real thing. He was the real deal. And I had no doubts. He removed all my doubts.

Having him living in his disciple's home on a day-to-day basis, cooking meals, going to the dentist with him, going to the doctor with him, walking across the street to buy toothpaste, was very touching. We could relate to him as a human being. He knew the human condition. We would be with Baba and we would talk to him just as you would talk to your friend, someone you know. But there was always something deeper. He was not an ordinary human being. His consciousness and his awareness were different, in all his activities he was always watching, always aware. He would always remind you to be alert to the presence of God. He would say, “Can you perceive that?”

See, that's one of the unique things about Baba's way. We were all attached in a positive way. That was part of his endearing quality, this intimate relationship. He was your best friend, your most intimate friend, your confidant. I felt I could trust him implicitly. I gave him my deepest love.

To be truthful also, sometimes he would tell me things that may not be what I wanted to hear. But we knew that what he told us was really for our highest good.

Baba earned my trust, earned my love and found his way into my heart. I recall a time very early on in our acquaintance, one time in the meditation hall. At the end of meditation different disciples were going up and touching Baba's feet. I was sitting there, I really felt dejected. Who am I to touch Baba's feet? One person there had dreams and visions of Babaji. And I'm thinking, he had dreams of Babaji, who am I to touch Baba's feet? So I went and sat outside. And Baba comes out with everybody bowing to him. He gets in the car. The car pulls away and everybody goes back inside. And I'm just sitting there totally dejected. And then all of a sudden the car backs up and there's Baba bowing to me!

I once was wondering about his motivation for doing all this. He said, "I only have one motive and that is that you meditate deeply and be realized." He had a saying, "You may forget me, but I will never forget you."

Baba was a true realized master, yet he was humble. I am so touched by his humility, his humanity. His whole life was dedicated to service.

He would connect with us at our own level. One of the couples would bring their little boy to visit Baba, and Baba would give him chocolates. Baba said to the adults, "to you I am Hariharananda, but to him I am Chocolateananda."

Many spiritual teachers and masters live in the world. They have different gifts, different approaches. About himself, Baba said "A guru gives artha, material success and paramartha, spiritual excellence, to his disciples. A guru does not limit himself to giving a mantra or technique or sharing his spiritual wealth. A guru is one who takes care of his disciple's every need. A guru is at his disciple's side when difficulties arise." His spiritual children know this to be true.

Nothing is too small, nothing is too big for Baba. He literally blesses our gardens and makes them overflow with fruit and flowers. He said once, "If you are initiated, the stamp of Hariharananda is on your heart and everyone will love you," and this is demonstrated in our professional success and friendships. One kriyavan reported how Baba in nonphysical form came to her husband during a terrible heart attack and guided him back to life. Another kriyavan, dying of brain cancer, made astonishing spiritual progress in the last weeks of his life as Baba helped him to use his illness for accelerated development. Baba is one with God, and to be loved and blessed by Baba is to be held in the hand of a God who knows you by name, attends to your needs, and will work harder than you do for your own good.

Source: the Foreword and short biography in The Ocean of Divine Bliss: The Complete Works of Kriya Yoga Master Paramahamsa Hariharananda (pages xviii–xlii).