On the heights above Almora in the Himalayas, Mikhaël met two exceptional beings, Anagarika Govinda and his wife, and they became fast friends. And then, on June 17, 1959 he met Babaji. Omraam Mikhaël had long wished to meet this ‘great being’, but as he did not know where to find him, he decided to communicate by telepathy. Babaji responded immediately by going to meet him in Almora.

When he arrived, he asked the disciples who had accompanied him to leave him alone with this Master from another land. They spent some time together and then Babaji arranged for him to meet many interesting people, introducing him as ‘the French sadhu, a yogi and great saint’. The people greeted Babaji’s friend with respect, bowing low in the traditional way.

But who was Babaji? First of all we must remember that ‘Baba’ or ‘Babaji’ are terms of affection meaning ‘father’ or ‘little father’ which are given to many spiritual guides in India. Since the publication in 1946 of Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi, the West has known of the existence of Mahavatar Babaji, a very mysterious being whose role seemed to be that of a guide for prophets and spiritual Masters.

It was said of him that he always seemed to be the same age, that he had lived in the Himalayas for two hundred and fifty or three hundred years, and that he appeared and disappeared at will. His disciples were highly evolved beings toward whom he was extremely demanding.

He had been known to foretell events and it was said that his predictions always came true, that he could see and hear people at a distance, and that among other powers, he had the ability to be present in several different places at once. Countless people told of being saved from danger or illuminated by the great Babaji, without ever having seen him.

The same things were said of another great Master known as Neemkaroli Babaji. Some maintained that he too was several hundred years old, and although others said they knew where and when he had been born, he remained a mystery. He had never been known to represent himself as a great lord; on the contrary, he always behaved with the utmost simplicity. After his return from India, Omraam Mikhaël told of an incident involving Neemkaroli Babaji which had occurred in the small town of Nib Karauri.

To be continued…

Louise-Marie Frenette,
Extract from The Life of a Master in the West  (Amazon, ‘look inside’)
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