Stories attest to Babaji’s ability to become
invisible at will. Because of this and his implicit
instruction to his disciples to keep silent about
him, little is known about his life. He can speak
in any language but generally uses Hindi. His
body is forever young, immortal, and not in need
of food. Yogananda is said to have demonstrated
this ability by the incorruptibility of his own
body after his death in 1952, perhaps a capac-
ity that develops after intense practice of kriya
yoga.
Since Yogananda’s death, many more stories
relating to Babaji have emerged. He has been iden-
tified with an unnamed person who lived in the
foothills of the Himalayas in the Kumaon region
from around 1890 to 1922. His followers, acting
on his statements, expected him to return after
his departure in 1922 and established a number
of ASHRAMS for him throughout India. Another
teacher, Mahendra Baba (d. 1969), throughout
the 1950s and 1960s predicted Babaji’s return.
Blessed from childhood with appearances from
Babaji, Mahendra Baba (d. 1969), a sainted figure
himself, devoted his life to facilitating the reap-
pearance of Babaji. Mahendra restored the old
ASHRAMS, wrote books about Babaji, and asked
everyone to receive Babaji. However, Mahendra
died before Babaji returned.
In June 1970, a young man identified as Hai-
dakhan (also spelled Hariakhan) Baba appeared
and moved among the Babaji ashrams for 14
years. From 1970 until his death on February
14, 1984, he traveled around India teaching and
healing as more ashrams were opened for him.
Tens of thousands of Hindus traveled to see him.
Haidakhan Baba/Babaji stayed in the countryside,
where he could teach the traditional sacred prin-
ciples. He taught by example how to attain spiri-
tual awakening silently. Babaji told his devotees
that he appeared in many incarnations to restore
the SANATANA DHARMA, the eternal truth of creation
that has manifested and operates in harmony with
Divine Will. He urged his students to live in truth
and simplicity, regardless of religious affiliation.
According to Babaji, true devotion will replace
material obsessions and will cultivate the pres-
ence of divine wisdom. He urged people at all
times to chant the name of God, using the man-
tra Om Namah Shiva, literally “I take refuge in
God.” Babaji’s followers sing a song to him each
morning and evening in a service called an arati.
They practice a fire ceremony called the yagya or
hawan. Babaji advocated above all things a dedi-
cation to serve humanity through karma yoga,
selfless action.
Leonard Orr and Sondra Ray, founders of the
“rebirthing” movement, were among his Ameri-
can disciples, and BABA HARI DASS of Santa Cruz,
California, published a book about stories col-
lected about Haidakhan Baba, Hariakhan Baba
Known, Unknown.
The Haidakhan Samaj was established in 1980
near Nainital, Uttar Pradesh state, India, as a cen-
tral headquarters for the teachings of Haidakhan
Baba/Babaji. The American headquarters of the
Haidakhan Samaj is located in Crestone, Colo-
rado. American devotees publish American Hai-
dakhan Samaj Newsletter. The movement counts
more than 8,000 members worldwide.
Another Indian teacher, S. A. A. Ramaiah,
independently of the Haidakhan Baba movement
and Self-Realization Fellowship, claimed that
in 1942 he and a journalist, V. T. Neelakantan,
became students of Babaji in spirit and received
directly from him the texts of three books, The
Voice of Babaji and Mysticism Unlocked, Babaji’s
Masterkey to All Ills, and Babaji’s Death of Death.
Ramaiah reports that Babaji revealed his actual
beginning in human form in 203 C.E. in Tamil
Nadu, India, as the son of a priest of Shiva.
Ramaiah reports that Babaji traveled during
the third century to the southern tip of Sri Lanka,
where he studied with a guru and had a vision of
Lord Muruga, son of Shiva. After studies in Tamil
Nadu, he eventually went to the Himalayas to
practice kriya yoga. Through his practice he was
transformed into a SIDDHA (a perfected person
with supernatural abilities) and his body becameK 62 Babaji