East Meets West: Journeys of the Masters

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More than forty years ago, Shri Gurudev Baba Hariharanandaji appeared before an immigration officer for procedural work related to his application to obtain permanent residence status (a green card) in the USA. The attorney who accompanied him had to tend to other work, so he asked his client (Shri Gurudev) to wait for him in the waiting room. While waiting, Shri Gurudev observed that an immigration officer officer was looking at him curiously, so he stood up and went to the officer. The immigration officer then proceeded to ask Shri Gurudev many questions, including "Sir, why do so many monks come to the USA?"

Such a question posed no challenge for Shri Gurudev. He immediately replied, "It is because all Americans cannot go to India. India has a lot to give to the Western people in terms of peace, happiness, love, and contentment."

Not surprisingly, Shri Gurudev's application was approved.

Can anything stand in the way of God's divine plan for His children? Shri Gurudev fulfilled the wish of Shri Babaji Maharaj, who directed him to come to the West, and he did so at the age of sixty-seven. Out of great compassion, he spent a considerable part of his life in the West for the spiritual upliftment of people; in fact, he even left his body in the West. Although about twelve years have passed since Shri Gurudev's final exit from his physical body, his life and message still continue to inspire countless people.

It has been four decades since Shri Gurudev first set foot on Western soil in June 1974. Thus, it is with great joy and heartfelt gratitude that we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of his arrival in the West. This beautiful Master came with the particular goal of spreading the sacred message of Kriya Yoga, but he also wanted to share how to live a life of love and compassion and unite the East and West with his universal perspective and love. He humbly followed the footprints of such esteemed masters as Swami Vivekananda and Paramahamsa Yogananda.

Hence, on this occasion we want to not only celebrate Shri Gurudev and his arrival in the West, but also to remember and give love and gratitude to the many other great masters of India who courageously traveled across the ocean, sacrificing their own comfort, often penniless, encountering hunger, cold, and sometimes non-acceptance, just to help humanity and spread the message of their masters and the ageless scriptures of ancient India.

Putting full trust in God, these great masters often came with nothing in their pockets, and yet found new homes, new friends, and followers in the West. From nothing, these spiritual giants built huge organizations. When they entered the lecture halls of the world they won the hearts of thousands. They are the luminous sons and daughters of India who have illuminated the world. We have included just a few in this booklet, but we pay our homage and respect to all. We pray that their grace and blessings continue to light up our hearts and minds with the timeless treasures of India.

Lives of great men inspire, motivate, and provide a positive outlook for the seeker's journey in life. Their lives and teachings are priceless treasures for all humankind. Undoubtedly, it does not matter whether one is born in the West or East indeed the challenges of life are the same everywhere. However, enlightened minds and ignited thoughts can help us a lot on our path of evolution.

Let the lives of such great people guide us on our paths so that we can live a better life, one that is useful for us as well as the entire creation.

India is known as dharmabhumi and tapobhumi, the land of values, discipline, and spiritual practices, a land where priority is given to self-discipline through knowledge and the manifestation of love, compassion, and devotion. India's soil has been sanctified for thousands of years by the penance and meditation of countless sadhus, monks, hermits, and sincere seekers who lived as exemplary householders. For centuries, many of them remained hidden in the Himalayan valleys; however, some of them stayed within their communities, sometimes even in crowded cities to show the path of reunion with God to all. Most of them stayed in the spiritually rich, fertile, and vast land of India, which at that time included such countries as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, to carry out their mission of propagating a spiritual lifestyle.

Very rarely a few would cross the boundary of India to travel abroad. India is the birthplace of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism), Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and the place where Sufism flourished. However, it was the Buddhist monks who were the first to go abroad with the intention of spreading the message of compassion and nonviolence. Later on this trend was subdued.

Many masters such as Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Shri Lahiri Mahashaya, and Swami Shriyukteshwarji trained their followers to be of service to the people of different faiths and even the entire world. They not only became the masters of the Hindus, but in their hearts, which encompassed the whole of God's creation, they could feel the intense longing for spirituality coming from the Western world. The West, which has achieved much success in the material world, was now crying for God and spirituality, and the great masters could feel that the time had come to bring the age-old spiritual wisdom of India to the West.

Although many could not come themselves, they laid the foundation by training their chosen disciples and inspiring them, and then sending them out on their world missions. However, not only did the spiritual masters of Hinduism come from India to the West, there were also a lot of masters from other faiths and practices who came from India to the West, such as Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan, who practiced Sufism (Islam), and the Dalai Lama of our present time, who brought the message of Buddhism from Tibet to India and now from India to the entire world. Yogi Bhajan and many others brought the light of Sikhism's beautiful message to live in peace and harmony.

Similarly, many Jain teachers from India like Virchand Gandhi, Chitrabhanu, and Acharya Sushil Kumarji, traveled to the West to disseminate Jainism's compassionate teachings of nonviolence and respect for all of God's creation. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi spent quite a bit of time in the West and was instrumental in encouraging scientists to investigate what happens in the body and brain during Transcendental Meditation (TM). These early studies resulted in meditation and Indian philosophy moving from the youth culture to the mainstream. After many experiments and ongoing publicity, yoga and meditation are now routinely recommended by healthcare professionals.

Unbeknownst to many, Shivapuri Baba traveled to the West on foot long before others. After Shivapuri Baba, Swami Vivekananda was the first torchbearer of wisdom who brought the light of Vedanta to the Western world. He was later followed by many of his brother disciples like Swami Abhedananda and Swami Turiyananda. Then came Swami Rama Tirtha, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Jagadguru Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha, Swami Chidananda Saraswati, along with his brother disciples, Swami Satchidananda, Swami Vishnudevananda, and Swami Venkateshananda. Next was Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, who established the Chinmaya Mission in the West, followed by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who popularized the bhakti movement. The teachings of Kriya Yoga were further taught by the great master Paramahamsa Hariharananda and his disciples, who are still traveling and actively spreading the sacred message of the timeless Kriya Yoga teachings. In the 1980s, Dada J.P. Vaswani began traveling to the West, spreading the message of hope and peace.

During the past century, the seeds of spiritual Truth and wisdom have sprouted and grown in the West. These renowned spiritual masters as well as the many other monks that traveled to the West from India, along with their Buddhist counterparts and Sufi leaders, transformed the perception of spirituality in the West through their practical insight and teachings. Such teachings brought a fresh, realistic approach to spiritual thought and ideals, attracting people who were alienated from, indifferent to, or disillusioned with present day mainstream religion. They provided a way for people to incorporate spirituality into their lives without sacrificing their sense of reason in regards to history and science. No doubt the lives and thinking of countless people have been greatly enriched as a result of their emphasis on love and compassion. Although many of these spiritual leaders were Hindus, they were not religious zealots or missionaries out to convert others. Their mission was solely to teach the essence of their tradition, which is known as Sanatana Dharma, or the eternal way of life, a science of consciousness that is applicable to all, one that can improve and enrich the life of anyone, whether religious or secular. As a result of their presence in the West, these spiritual leaders enhanced human development and elevated Western culture. They provided a new approach to the meaning of life, replete with a new understanding and rejuvenated value structure, showing the way to a peaceful focused life of love and compassion.