The Hanuman Ansh movie has led a lot of us to ponder on Neem Karoli Baba once again. Many moons ago, I had spent some time exploring him – through documentaries, devotee sharings and Krishna Das’s music. It is a strange little story…
In my recently published book, My Journey to Devi, I describe a powerful meditative experience that brought about a profound shift in my perception of time. This experience was very much in keeping with my usual spiritual practices, which revolve around stillness, silence, and meditation. Yet, what followed was rather unexpected. I suddenly found myself drawn towards Vaishnava bhajans, something I had never particularly explored before. Around the same time, I began watching documentaries and videos about Neem Karoli Baba. I also discovered Krishna Das’s beautiful rendition of Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram.
This entire phase was brief, but intriguing. It was my time exploring Neem Karoli Baba.
Balancing Touch
One of the interesting threads running through My Journey to Devi is the interplay between different deities and spiritual traditions.
Looking back, I find it interesting that an intense meditative experience was followed by this relatively light and devotional phase of Vishnu bhajans.
At the time, I didn’t quite understand the connection.
Today, however, I notice something rather beautiful.
I have a personal playlist of bhajans that I listen to almost daily. It brings together chants dedicated to different deities. Often, after listening to the Kalabhairava Ashtakam and chants dedicated to Maa Kali, I move into Krishna Das’s Shri Ram Jai Ram and Sita Ram chants.
The combination works remarkably well for me. There is a certain balancing quality to it. And it was while reflecting on this that I realised something.
Perhaps the Encounter Never Really Ended
I had thought of my exploration of Neem Karoli Baba as a short chapter in my spiritual journey, something that happened a while ago and then faded into the background.
But Krishna Das’s chants have remained part of my life. And as he shared in a recent podcast interview, “When I sing, people hear Him“. And in this way, the connection has continued quietly, even though I didn’t realise it until now.
Now, while I reviewed Hanuman Ansh movie and shared a bit about Neem Karoli Baba in a youtube video… it was almost as though someone tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that my little tryst with him isn’t really over.
We can never fully gauge the significance of our encounters with spiritual beings. Something what appears fleeting today may become deeply meaningful years later.
A little about my book
My Journey to Devi is a short spiritual memoir exploring my personal experiences with Devi, pilgrimage, sadhana, and the intriguing interplay of different deities and spiritual traditions.
The episode described above is briefly mentioned in the book, alongside many other experiences from my journey.
The book is available in paperback and ebook formats through my website and Amazon. Know all about it here, https://inspirituality.in/my-journey-to-devi-book/
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