‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ pulls seeker to Haidakhan Babaji (Part 1)
Early in year 1975, while reading Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda my attention became mainly focused on the chapters on Babaji. I repeatedly read these chapters with an effort to digest every sentence. I was deeply drawn towards the existence of such a divinity in flesh on the Earth. My faith about the existence of Babaji gradually acquired intensification. My desire to see Babaji became strong when I read the sentence "The one who remembers Babaji with reverence gets immediate spiritual blessings". Often in a state restlessness I prayed to Babaji in my heart “My Lord if you really exist on this earth, kindly grant me your darshan, otherwise this life will be meaningless." Soon I realized that the description of Babaji as given by Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography is the description of God taking up a human form. Many Indian spiritual scriptures and writings confirm His existence from times immemorial but His appearance in a physical body on Earth is a matter of time.
We travelled with Sri Munirajji in his jeep from Patel Chowk (Haldwani) up to Khanna farm, the place of the Yagna Ceremony. Without any known reason, tears were falling from my eyes till I reached that place. We entered in a large tent with a large gathering, including many Sadhus and many people from far off places. Recitation of spiritual songs was going on there. In front of us at some height there was a decorated Asan for Babaji. Some time after, amidst the slogans "Bhole Baba ki jai, Bhole Baba ki jai", we saw Babaji coming into the tent. After sitting on his Asan for some time, He got up and sat on a thatch heap outside the tent. We all prostrated before Him and offered fruits and flowers we had purchased in Haldwani. I was deeply shaken and became speechless on seeing a saint, whose age appeared 20-25, with his long, partially copper-colored hair. His beautiful face with calm and dark eyes had a radiance never to be seen in human beings. “He should be Mahavatar Babaji Maharaj”, this thought immediately came in my mind. In the winter sunshine, as I saw Him, He looked so beautiful that I fail in all my capabilities to describe Him . The first thing I perceived on looking towards Him was "He knows me and I know Him". At this time, pointing towards me with His lotus hand, He called me near and told me to associate myself with a group of 4-5 people sitting at some distance. One of the persons in the group was Mr Harish Pandya from the U.S.A., another an Italian lady, and two others. Mr Pandya asked me if I have ever read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. On my replying 'yes', he told me that Babaji before us is Mahavatar Babaji Maharaj Himself and told us that Babaji has united all of us here as we were brothers and sisters in our past lives. Mr Pandya told me that his beloved Gurudev Baba Ranchor Dass ji Maharaj has directed him to Mahavatar Babaji. Babaji thus answered all that I required through Mr Pandya. After attending Bhandara we took Babaji's blessings with permission to leave on that day. Babaji asked us to come to Haidakhan on the coming Makar Shakaranti day, on 14.1.1976
In the room where I stayed at Haidakhan on 14.1.76, when I entered in the morning after chandan, my eyes were searching for something. Suddenly my sight fell on a white rectangular paper lying in a niche of that room. I took it in my hand and turned it over. It was a beautiful smiling picture of Lahiri Mahashya. I was allowed to get and see the picture because I was searching for something to satisfy myself further. In this way Babaji gave me faith up to the required extent . My dream of seeing Mahavatar Babaji in a physical body materialized in Haidakhan Vishwa Mahadham . With the glow of His omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence working at His will in the background of creation, Babaji's divine Leelas always showed the right path to His devotees. There is an amazing resemblance in Babaji's Leelas with or without a physical body.
Bhole Baba ki jai
B.M.L. Saxena
