Ram Chandra 125th Birth Anniversary

Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur (1899-1983), affectionately known as Babuji Maharaj by his disciples, is a great spiritual Master in the Sahaj Marg tradition, a widely known and practiced system of Raja Yoga Meditation. Babuji Maharaj founded Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) in year 1945, in the memory of his Guru Shri Ram Chandra Ji of Fategarh (U.P) and introduced this system of meditation to all and called it 'Sahaj Marg' or the natural path to self-realization.

Babuji Maharaj was born in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on 30th of April 1899. From an early age, he displayed a craving for spiritual realization. In June 1922, at the age of twenty-two, he met Lalaji Maharaj - Shri Ram Chandra of Fategarh, whom he wholeheartedly accepted as his guru. He considered the home and family to be the best training ground for spirituality, and it was in this light that he approached his familial responsibilities. He held the position of a clerk in the district court of Shahjahanpur for more than thirty years.

Babuji Maharaj defined the ultimate goal of human life as a condition of complete oneness with the Divine, insisting that this is attainable in a single lifetime for any sincere seeker. He taught that material and spiritual life should go hand in hand, like the two wings of a bird, and that the normal life of a householder is the best environment in which one can learn the virtues of love and sacrifice. Accordingly, he simplified and perfected the spiritual system of raja yoga so that ordinary people could practice it and reach their spiritual goal.

Babuji Maharaj was convinced that God is simple and can be achieved by simple means, and seekers of every culture and nationality could embrace this simple and effective spiritual practice of Sahaj Marg Meditation now popularly known and practiced as Heartfulness Meditation.

Babuji Maharaj traveled to many parts of India and abroad to offer spiritual service free of cost to all of humanity. He took the Sahaj Marg method of meditation across the length and breadth of India, Europe, and America and popularized it in these countries. The fruits of this labour are now visible in the widespread network of Sahaj Marg centers that are present throughout the globe. He distilled the essence of meditation practices into a simple method suitable for everyone and demystified yogic practices for modern humanity. He recognized that universal harmony can never be possible unless we take into account the inner state of the individual mind. World peace is directly related to individual peace.

In 1957, Babuji Maharaj wrote a letter to the United Nations Organization, offering a simple and very practical solution to the world' ills. In this letter he stressed upon the need to adopt spiritual principles of peace and love to maintain our existence, the surest remedy of all evils and tool to free us from the horrors of war .Babuji devoted his life to the spiritual upliftment of humanity with unremitting faith and devotion. The thought of his Master remained constant in his mind and heart from their first meeting until Babuji passed away in April of 1983 at the age of eighty-three.

Today, Shri Ram Chandra Mission, known nationally and internationally as the Heartfulness movement, is guided by its current president and spiritual guide, Shri Kamlesh D. Patel. He aspires and strives to bring together people of different nationalities and religious backgrounds for personal change and human integration. According to Daaji, as he is affectionately called, through individual spiritual growth, each aspirant becomes an element of a global change while on the path toward universal brotherhood.

Heartfulness movement offers a dynamic and practical approach to meditation and relaxation for people from all walks of life, as well as programs for children and youth, universities and colleges, and the corporate world. Students and faculty in many schools, universities, and colleges are now benefitting from a portfolio of value-based self- development programs. Heartfulness programs for schools focus on relaxation techniques, self-discipline and better focus, positivity, and developing growth-oriented mindsets.

The Heartfulness movement strives to bridge the ancient tradition of yoga with modern scientific understanding or approach spirituality with scientific methodology. Heartfulness Institute has a team of scientists researching the physiological and genetic effects of meditation and yogic transmission. Research is underway to study the health benefits of Heartfulness practices and the neurophysiological effects of meditation.

Today Heartfulness has centers in over 160 countries of the world offering meditation training to millions of seekers. Heartfulness trainers are available worldwide for individual and group meditation in person on voluntary basis or remotely via the Heartfulness App. The training in Heartfulness meditation is offered free of charge.

From a humble beginning in 1945, when the Shri Ram Chandra Mission was established, the message of Babuji Maharaj has spread far and wide, and the practice of Heartfulness meditation is Babuji Maharaj's gift to the world.

(Other images for reference)