Study Tools
I had always longed to have Bhagavan Nityananda’s darshan in his temple in the village of Ganeshpuri. One morning I was looking at a photo of Bade Baba’s murti in the Ganeshpuri temple. My heart cried out, “I guess I’ll never get to see you in your home!” Immediately, I heard within, “Come to Ganeshpuri. Bring your daughter.”
I followed this instruction and asked my daughter if she’d consider applying with me to participate in the Pilgrimage to the Heart Retreat in Gurudev Siddha Peeth. She answered, “Yes!” We had many seeming obstacles to overcome to make this happen, but I always kept in mind that it was Bade Baba’s direction.
After a transformative week at the retreat, my daughter and I walked together up the steps to Bade Baba’s temple in Ganeshpuri. As I bowed to Bade Baba’s murti, I thanked him deeply for the great blessing of his darshan. My daughter and I have become deeply bonded through sharing this wonderful experience, and my heart is overflowing with love for Bade Baba. I’ve learned to—always and forever—trust and follow the Guru’s instructions.
Nebraska, United States
When I was first made aware of the Siddha Yoga path, my heart was intrigued, but my mind was suspicious. Despite receiving the spiritual awakening I had always longed for, my heart and mind were battling with each other.
Then one night I dreamed of a large man who was wearing a loincloth and lying on his side. This man was radiant and emanated light. I became very still. He spoke a few words to me in a language I did not know; yet I understood somehow that he was directing me to bathe him with water and a cotton cloth. I did so in my dream, and became absolutely filled with blissful energy.
The next day I learned from my wife, who was already a Siddha Yogi, that this radiant being was Shri Bade Baba.
With Bade Baba’s blessings, I have been a Siddha Yogi and a student of Gurumayi’s for thirty years now. “Fortunate” does not even begin to describe how astonishingly meaningful this path is for me, nor how overwhelmingly grateful I am.
Hawaii, United States
On Bade Baba’s Lunar Punyatithi, I meditated with Bade Baba for an hour and a half in the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland. At one point, I experienced a golden light scintillating within. I opened my eyes and saw the same light around Bade Baba’s form.
Today, I started to see all the light in the world as the light of God. This was my experience all day as I walked about and performed tasks—everything was lit up with light, and I felt comforted and exhilarated by this experience.
California, United States
I feel so grateful for Bade Baba’s darshan and inner guidance.
Recently, I realized I could not complete a project. “How would I tell everyone?” I wondered. The best thing to do was to just tell the truth. With this thought, I became aware of Bade Baba’s presence within and knew I was doing the right thing.
Yet there was still some underlying discomfort. Suddenly I had a vision of Bade Baba. He was lying down with his back to me, and he spoke these words: “Are you still thinking about that?” I laughed and understood that the situation was over, and I was just prolonging it by continuing to think about it.
Maryland, United States
Viewing this gallery, I recalled the happiness I felt when I visited Bade Baba’s Ashram in the village of Ganeshpuri, India. The tour guide took us through his house and spoke about Bade Baba. I offered my pranam and put my head on the edge of Bade Baba’s bed, aware that this is where Bade Baba himself had stretched out his legs. My heart expanded, and absolute joy filled my being. The experience was full of love and shakti.
South Carolina, United States
Viewing this gallery reminded me of a heartwarming story my father has often shared about an experience of Bade Baba’s darshan. Many years ago, his job transferred him to a remote village far from our hometown. He made this move alone in order to spare our family from disruption.
While there, he prayed to Bade Baba to help him with his feelings of loneliness and sadness at the lack of a local Siddha Yoga meditation center. That same day, during his morning japa walk around the village after meditation, he noticed a crowd gathered around a small tea stall. Intrigued, he approached and asked why so many people were gathered there.
To his astonishment, the young stall owner explained that he had been given a photo of an unknown saint that was drawing many people to visit and pay their respects. My father was overjoyed to see that the photo was of his beloved Bhagavan Nityananda. With tears of love and gratitude, my father realized that Bade Baba was always with him, no matter where he was.
Thane West, India
The next morning the pain was gone. The doctors who saw me again were in shock, for the threat had disappeared! “What did you do?” they asked. I just smiled. When I went to the reception to ask about the bill, I was told, “No charge!”
I ran down the hall to the exit, chanting Om Namo Bhagavate Nityanandaya in gratitude and joy.
Florida, United States
I decided to write a letter to Bhagavan Nityananda and put it on my puja. I asked Bade Baba to help my grandson through his loneliness and to help him make friends.
A few weeks later my grandson met a young person his age. She invited him to meet up at a park with some of her local friends. The meeting was on July 24, the day of Bade Baba’s lunar punyatithi! When my daughter told me about these events, I remembered my letter to Bade Baba and felt touched by the Guru’s love.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Since receiving this gift of Bade Baba’s guidance, I have been applying his words to my heart—like a sacred balm—when I find I am judging myself harshly.
Milan, Italy
Rodez, France
Oregon, United States
As Gurumayi recommends in the words quoted next to Image 30, I often focus on Bade Baba in meditation and experience his presence and his radiant form or face. Recently during meditation I saw Bade Baba, made of beautiful blue light, with hands raised in the mudra of blessing.
I trust that everything is in Bhagavan Nityananda’s hands; in my experience, he is always near me. I am ever grateful to this great Siddha’s guiding grace.
Pennsylvania, United State
I have had experiences when he would hold me as I was going through pain, whether physical or emotional. I felt that he supported me through those times and then freed me of that karma. Sometimes I felt that he gazed into my eyes from his pictures, and it felt like darshan with Gurumayi in person.
He has brought me so much peace and love. I feel so blessed to have known about him in this lifetime, and so grateful for his ongoing presence.
Washington, United States
This fills me with tremendous gratitude for the Siddha Yoga path website.
Florida, United States
Maryland, United States
Nashik, India
I feel that Bade Baba is my spiritual grandfather, and that his protection is always with me. I am so thankful for his benevolence.
West Vancouver, Canada
He’s shown me that events I once experienced as painful were actually critical turning points that ushered in tremendous blessings—personal, spiritual, and material. After he reveals these understandings, we merge into fields of blue bliss, galaxies of stars that radiate pure ecstasy.
The gifts of insight and ecstasy I’ve received from Bade Baba have taught me that everything is perfect and is always unfolding perfectly. I bow with great love and gratitude to Bhagavan Nityananda, who guided me to Shri Gurumayi and whose grace is my anchor.
Illinois, United States
Two months ago at the local Siddha Yoga meditation center, we performed the abhishek ritual worship to our beloved Bade Baba.
Some nights before the abhishek, I had a dream in which Gurumayi asked me to arrange the abhishek. When I started to prepare, I found out that my pitcher was empty. I then started walking on a narrow path surrounded by high and beautiful mountains, with plenty of water coming from the many streams and pure, white waterfalls. To my amazement, suddenly all the waters of all the mountains entered my little pitcher all at once. I thought, “They are eager to serve Bade Baba by giving him his ritual bath.”
At that point I awoke with a new awareness: all of nature contributes to the abhishek of a great being like Bade Baba. I understood how divine he is and how fortunate we are just to be in his presence, and to receive back the blessed waters as prasad for the benefit of all.
Milan, Italy
When I read Gurumayi’s quotation, next to the first image, that Bade Baba “is totally immovable,” I was reminded that the Guru’s grace and shakti are always guiding me. I also recalled a vision I had had years before of Bade Baba sitting, immovable, on his pedestal in the Temple, bestowing blessings timelessly.
Yesterday, I was experiencing some physical difficulty and low energy. I remembered Gurumayi telling her dream and so I went to the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in the local Siddha Yoga meditation center to sing the Arati. With effort, I sang the Arati and meditated for half an hour. Today, I woke up feeling much better physically than I have in many days. I felt and feel renewed, and can see this renewed strength and enthusiasm shining forth.
I am grateful to Gurumayi for always being present in my life, sharing her love, giving me hope, strength, and freedom, and taking me ever closer to God through her grace and teachings. I am grateful to Bade Baba and Baba for bestowing blessings continuously.
Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
In 1993 I was staying at Shree Muktananda Ashram, and since I am Italian, I was given the seva of guiding visitors to the Ashram from Italy, into Bhagavan Nityananda Temple. Two days later I guided the visitors into the Temple and gave a short introduction. Then we offered pranam, chanted Om Namo Bhagavate Nityanandaya, and sat for meditation for ten minutes.
The moment I closed my eyes, I suddenly found myself somewhere else. It was dark, and as I looked around, it was like being inside a cave with some light at the bottom. Walking backward was a great being I recognized as Bade Baba. He stopped walking, turned his head towards me—sending balls of blue light, one after the other. It was so beautiful! Then the meditation was over, and the Temple tour ended.
I love Bade Baba! I always remember his divine darshan.
Rome, Italy
On the morning of Bade Baba’s lunar punyatithi, I spent some time looking at the beautiful blue picture of Bade Baba reclining in image 11. At the end of the day, when I tried to go to sleep, I could not relax. Then I began to breathe deeply and imagine my whole system relaxing with the prana flowing through it. Right from the beginning of this practice, I felt intensely aware of Bade Baba’s body as though it were my body. The inner vision of this fusion with Bade Baba was bathed in blue, just as in the photograph that morning. I was filled with a calming, ecstatic energy that relaxed me so much that I wanted to continue for many more minutes than I usually would.
I woke the next morning feeling energized. I hadn’t even asked for anything, and yet Bade Baba blessed me with this wonderful experience. I am so grateful for the kindness and compassion of Shri Guru.
London, United Kingdom
When I look at photographs of Bade Baba, I feel his supreme power. To join his state of quietness wherever I am, I have to dive deeply into my heart, beneath the waves of the external world. When I do my daily activities with the awareness of the breath and the mantra, a sweet inner vibration takes place. The prana shakti nourishes my mind and body; I feel calm and free.
I am grateful to Gurumayi for teaching us the benevolent wisdom of the Siddha Masters.
Rodez, France
This gallery triggered a flood of memories in me. I recall first coming before Bade Baba’s chair with the arm extensions at his home in the little town of Ganeshpuri. Baba Muktananda had just taken mahasamadhi. Feeling bereft at Baba’s recent passing, I sat with eyes closed before Bade Baba’s chair.
A brilliant sapphire, the Blue Pearl, descended and hung before my inner eye for a long while. I was comforted as it drew me deeper and deeper within to a place of utter stillness and perfection. Thereafter, whenever the Blue Pearl has appeared to me, I recognize it as Bade Baba’s darshan and allow it to lead me home to that place of peace.
Washington, United States
As I move through these images of our beloved Bade Baba, stillness arises in me, and a calmness; even more than a feeling of peace, it’s a state of oneness I recognize.
My very first experience of meditation, and of that stillness, was in the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple. It’s a place I can return to within myself.
As I read about Baba’s experience of his Guru, and Gurumayi’s teachings about him, their words pull me deeper inside. How blessed we are to receive this wisdom and Bade Baba’s darshan!
New York, United States
I’m grateful for such a divine darshan.
Amrawati, India
California, USA
With all our love, we celebrated the Punyatithi of Bhagavan Nityananda in the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Mexico City. After receiving Bade Baba’s darshan, the mantra Om Namah Shivaya arose spontaneously. I felt it move up from my belly to my head. My mind was not repeating the mantra, only my body!
I am grateful to Gurumayi, Baba, and Bade Baba for their infinite grace in our lives.
Mexico City, Mexico