I get from time to time emails from visitors of our Portal with one and only question:
is Sri Babaji really Shiva?

While answering such question seems simple, it is really much more complicated. Lets take a closer look at this important topic.

Shared in the book: "Babaji - Gateway to the Light

...
The decision alone to follow the path of light is not sufficient; it takes conscious, single-minded work on oneself to strengthen positive forces. During a gathering at the temple-side one time, Sri Babaji said:
"None of you has a pure heart. You are merely playing out dramas."

Namaste :)

Shiva Pancaakshari Mantra, Om namah Shivaya, is very very potent mantra. To me, it is like pure Love.
Lets take a look what Shastriji, a direct disciple of Sri Babaji has to say about this mantra:


"It is a 'mahamantra,' great mantra, a shortened and more powerful version of the mantra central to all four Vedas. It is called a beej mantra, a 'seed' mantra. The smaller and more concentrated an object, the more powerful it is. A seed contains within it all necessary power to create a mighty forest tree, and so, by comparison, it is much more powerful than the tree.

So it is with 'Om Namaha Shivaya' it is the beej, seed, of the longer version, and thus is a very, very potent mantra."

I know a lot of people who literally crave for the blessing of Sri Babaji , His instructions, personal teachings and His company.
And there are some who downright deny Him and everything He represents without a second thought.

To some, He is Mahavatar Babaji Paramhansa Yogananda wrote about in his famous book. Sri Babaji was asked over and over again if He is the Mahavatar form Yogananda's book. His conformation, given once, didn't seem to be enough.

By His grace, all advanced devotees and disciples of Sri Babaji have realized His Eternal Identity as manifestation of Sri Krsna and Shiva - Sadasiva.
Without His grace and without sincere heart no one can really assert His true nature. It is useless to speculate about Him.
Love is needed and devotion, to realize His Identity.

Early in 1972 a very old man in ragged cloths came to Sri Babaji's ashram in Vrindaban. It turned out that he is a great yogi form Himalayas, Gangotri Baba, who was inspired to leave the mountains and to take Sri Babaji's darshana.

There are numerous accounts and experiences of disciples of "Old" Babaji, in His previous manifestation, from 1890 to 1922. This is one of those stories:

"...In 1922 "Old" Sri Babaji was ending His public manifestation. That year He gave some instructions to Gangotri Baba and handed him
tulasi mala (a necklace or rosary made of tulasi wood beads) in a cotton mala bag and told him to keep it safely, saying: "I will take it back when I come next time."

Paraphrasing form "I am Harmony", the book about Babaji:


"Don't go by appearences" said Sri Babaji, Siva avatar

In 1974, the Lals heard a rumor that a Shiva avatar had appeared in the form of Sri Haidakhan Wale Baba, also known simply as "Babaji". Dr. Lal did not give much credence to this claim until one of his friends told him about a very holy book about Shiva coming as Sri Haidakhan Wale Baba and that that Babaji might be the Babaji he and his wife had met before on Dronagiri mountain. At that time Sri Babaji was in Mathura, so the Lals drove off to meet Him.

Chant the Names of God!

Sri Babaji traveled all over India in His recent public manifestation from 1970 to 1984. He visited most of the sacred places in India and when He arrived to Benares, the followers, kriyabans (practitioners of kriya yoga) and devotees of Lahiri Mahasaya recognized Him as Mahavatar Babaji and implored Him to show them more kriyas (kriya yoga techniques).

Sri Babaji then made them sit in rows and whispered in the ears of each and every one of them mantra Om namah Shivaya.

From the book in public domain "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramhansa Yogananda
Link:
http://www.crystalclarity.com/yogananda/


The Science of Kriya Yoga

The science of Kriya Yoga, mentioned so often in these pages, became widely known in modern India through the instrumentality of Lahiri Mahasaya, my guru's guru. The Sanskrit root of Kriya is kri, to do, to act and react; the same root is found in the word karma, the natural principle of cause and effect. Kriya Yoga is thus "union (yoga) with the Infinite through a certain action or rite." A yogi who faithfully follows its technique is gradually freed from karma or the universal chain of causation.