Baba Hari Dass
Encyclopedia
Baba Hari Dass was born in 1923 near Almora
, India
. He is a silent monk and guru
who was classically trained in the tradition of Ashtanga Yoga
. He has maintained a continual vow of silence since 1952. He and his teachings have inspired the Mount Madonna Center and Mount Madonna Institute
near Santa Cruz, California
, The Salt Spring Centre in British Columbia
and the Sri Ram Ashram in Haridwar
, India
. Baba Hari Dass was initiated into the Vairagi Vaishnava order in 1942 by Baba Raghubar Dassji Maharaj, a renunciate and Sanskrit scholar.
Baba Hari Dass first came to the attention of the West in the book by Baba Ram Dass
, Be Here Now
. Ram Dass' Guru
, Maharaj-ji, AKA Neem Karoli Baba
, instructed Ram Dass to receive teachings from Baba Hari Dass, who taught Ram Dass Ashtanga Yoga using only a chalkboard.
Baba Hari Dass agreed to mentor his pregnant student Jeannine Parvati
through a course of prenatal Yoga, and supported her desire to continue practicing asana
s, despite traditional male yogic proscriptions against it. From this, the first book in the Western world on the subject, Prenatal Yoga & Natural Childbirth was published in 1974.
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is a silent monk and guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
who was classically trained in the tradition of Ashtanga Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
. He has maintained a continual vow of silence since 1952. He and his teachings have inspired the Mount Madonna Center and Mount Madonna Institute
Mount Madonna Institute
Mount Madonna Institute is a non-profit college specializing in the field of Yoga, Ayurvedic medicine, massage and community studies. The Institute is hosted by the Mount Madonna Center inspired by Baba Hari Dass.-Ayurveda School:...
near Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
, The Salt Spring Centre in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and the Sri Ram Ashram in Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Baba Hari Dass was initiated into the Vairagi Vaishnava order in 1942 by Baba Raghubar Dassji Maharaj, a renunciate and Sanskrit scholar.
Baba Hari Dass first came to the attention of the West in the book by Baba Ram Dass
Ram Dass
Ram Dass is an American contemporary spiritual teacher and the author of the seminal 1971 book Be Here Now. He is known for his personal and professional associations with Timothy Leary at Harvard University in the early 1960s, for his travels to India and his relationship with the Hindu guru Neem...
, Be Here Now
Be Here Now (book)
Be Here Now is a seminal 1971 book on spirituality, yoga and meditation by the Western born yogi and spiritual teacher Ram Dass. The title comes from a statement his guide, Bhagavan Das, made during Ram Dass's journeys in India...
. Ram Dass' Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
, Maharaj-ji, AKA Neem Karoli Baba
Neem Karoli Baba
Shri Neem Karoli Baba or Shri Neeb Karori Baba , also known to followers as Maharaj-ji, was a Hindu guru and devotee of the Hindu deity Hanuman...
, instructed Ram Dass to receive teachings from Baba Hari Dass, who taught Ram Dass Ashtanga Yoga using only a chalkboard.
Baba Hari Dass agreed to mentor his pregnant student Jeannine Parvati
Jeannine Parvati Baker
Jeannine Parvati Baker was a Yogini, midwife, herbalist, published author, and poet. She was also an international activist on the matters of homebirth, unassisted childbirth and newborn rights issues.-Biography:...
through a course of prenatal Yoga, and supported her desire to continue practicing asana
Asana
Asana is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still, with the spine as a conduit of biodynamic union...
s, despite traditional male yogic proscriptions against it. From this, the first book in the Western world on the subject, Prenatal Yoga & Natural Childbirth was published in 1974.
Books
- The Yellow Book: The Sayings of Baba Hari Dass
- Silence Speaks: From the Chalkboard of Baba Hari Dass (ISBN 0-918100-19-4)
- Hariakhan Baba (ISBN 0-918100-00-3)
- Ashtanga Yoga Primer (ISBN 0-918100-04-6)
- Child's Garden of Yoga (ISBN 0-918100-02-X)
- Mystic Monkey (ISBN 0-918100-05-4)
- Fire With Out Fuel (ISBN 0-918100-08-9)
- Vinaya Chalisa: Forty Prayers (ISBN 0-918100-16-X)
- Everyday Peace: Letters for Life (ISBN 0-918100-21-6)
- The Path to Enlightenment is Not a Highway (ISBN 0-918100-18-6)
- The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A Study Guide for book I Samadhi Pada (ISBN 0-918100-20-8)
- The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali : A Study Guide for book II Sadhana Pada (ISBN 978-0-918100-23-8)
- Sweeper to Saint:Stories of Holy India (ISBN 978-0918100030)
- Pigeon Throne (ISBN 978-0918100269)