SHIVA RUDRA BALAYOGI

Dedicated to the lotus feet of the divine guru Shivabalayogi Maharaj

SHIVA RUDRA BALAYOGI

Shri Babaji

Shri Shiva Rudra Balayogi Maharaj (Babaji) was born in 1954 in the town of Kolar in south India into a prosperous, happy family. But even in these idyllic surrounds, as a young child he still felt an inner discomfort he was unable to clearly articulate – a feeling of not belonging, of not fitting in, or something being wrong. At the age of 6 or 7, he happened to hear his sister singing the famous hymn ‘Bhaja Govindam’ composed by the great Yogi-philosopher of India, Adi Shankaracharya. In the song, Shankaracharya warns people of the ultimate futility of worldly efforts – that in the end, the only thing truly worth devoting a human life and endeavour to, is seeking the consciousness of the Divine as it is the only true source of truly lasting, permanent happiness.

The young boy was deeply struck by these words, and found his inner longing finally clearly expressed. He read more of the Teachings of Adi Shankaracharya and also the Teachings of Ramana Maharshi and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and realised that to find the Divine as a living experience, he would need to find the guidance of a Self-realised Guru. He was very fortunate at the age of 16 to be guided to the Feet of Shri Shri Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj (Shri Swamiji) in whom he found the blessed Divine Guidance he had been seeking and 3 years later was able to enter Shri Swamiji’s service full-time. He was sent to manage Shri Swamiji’s Ashram in Dehra Dun and there for the next 20 years he carried on his service to Swamiji and the spiritual practices taught to him by his Guru. Perfectly following the paths of Karma Yoga (selfless service), Bhakti Yoga (devotional path), Jnana Yoga (path of knowledge) and Dhyana Yoga (path of meditation) for the next 20 years, he was finally in a Divine Vision initiated into Tapas following his Guru’s Mahasamadhi (death of the body) in 1994.

Retiring into Tapas (prolonged meditation for 20 hours a day) for the next 5 years, He finally attained Self-realisation and re-emerged into the world in 1999 to carry on His Guru’s Mission, offering His Teachings to the world, and freely and openly offering initiation into Jangama Dhyana – that technique of meditation which He practiced to Self-realisation as had Shri Swamiji Maharaj before Him. In His lineage, the initiation is offered freely and openly in the simple attitude of a friend, with no binding ‘contract’ or restrictions. Shri Babaji has explained, “If you had a very dear friend and you had a treasure in your possession which was priceless, then you would want to share that gift freely and openly with your friend – with no ‘strings’ or conditions attached. It is in that attitude that the initiation into Jangama Dhyana is offered on this lineage.”

Carrying on His Guru’s Mission, Babaji freely and openly offers His Guru’s Teachings and initiation into Jangama Dhyana to any who wish to take that very rare and precious opportunity.

Amba Shivaranjani

Ambaji with Babaji at the time of Tapas — Ambaji with Babaji during Tapas

The first time Ambaji saw Babaji was in 1979, when she was just 10 years old. Babaji, at that time known as Seenu, was playing dholak in one of Swamiji’s programs in Agra. Years later, Ambaji came to know more about Seenu and used to visit Him regularly at the Dehradun Ashram. She would always be asking questions about the Aatman, the teachings of the great Yogis like Ramana Maharishi, meditation, the mind… She also used to invite Babaji to conduct bhajans at her family’s home in Delhi. She understood that Babaji was not an ordinary person, and adapted Him as her own Guru even before Babaji went into Tapas, thus becoming His first disciple, that was the reverence and admiration she always had towards Seenu.

When the time for Tapas came for Seenu, Ambaji left home and came to live permanently at the Ashram, and became the main person take care of Him during those arduous five years of deep Meditation, along with a couple of others. She was in charge of preparing his daily food, sometimes a glass of milk, sometimes a thin vegetable soup. Taking care of his health, washing his clothes, protecting him from any outsiders and in so many other ways. Babaji has often said that when a person does Tapas, it is very important to have someone in whom you can trust to help take care of the physical body, because in Tapas the Sadhak will not be able to attend to the physical body’s needs properly and any evil person could easily put the body into danger.

Since then Ambaji has been living in the Ashram, taking Sanyaas and, with total selfless service, personally attending and taking care of Babaji, looking after His welfare, accompanying Him touring all over the world, wherever the devotees used to invite them, organising and conducting all programs in both, India and overseas, and helping and serving in every way possible to manage and maintain the Dehradun Ashram and the entire mission.