Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur or Babuji, as he is referred to by most people, was a yogi born in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India at the end of the 19th century. He spent most of his life researching, perfecting, and giving free training on a method of Raja Yoga meditation called Sahaj Marg or Heartfulness Meditation to help others attain perfection in this life. Following his Guru's teachings, he founded a non-profit organization called Shri Ram Chandra Mission in 1945, dedicated and named after his Guru, who also bore the same name as him.
Early Life
Ram Chandra was born on 30th April 1899 in Shahjahanpur, UP, India.. He was born to a well-off family, his father Rai Bahadur Shri Badri Prasad held the position of Honorary Special Magistrate 1st Class. He was not a keen student in school where he studied only up to his matriculation. He worked in the local court for thirty-one years and retired as a record keeper. From a very early age, he felt a thirst for Reality. He met his Guru in June 1922 at the age of twenty-three. Incidentally, his guru's name was also Ram Chandra, who lived in Fatehgarh, UP. People fondly called him Lalaji.
Spiritual Life and Contributions
Babuji learnt Raja Yoga meditation practice aided with Yogic transmission from his Guru, Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh. He redefined the method and made it suitable for modern times, demystifying yogic practices so the common house holders can adopt it while taking care of their worldly duties. He founded and registered a non-profit organization called Shri Ram Chandra Mission in 1945 to teach this new method called as Sahaj Marg to any interested seeker. Today this practice is followed by four million people around the world in 160 countries and there are over 13,000 trainers across 132 countries. Babuji wrote several books; many of these are available in various libraries. After him the organization he founded was led by Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari; today the president of this organization is Kamlesh D. Patel. On 28 January 2020, the world's largest meditation center was inaugurated in the presence of the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind in Kanha Shanti Vanam, the world headquarters of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission.
His Teachings
As per his spiritual research, the invisible power that created the universe can be called the primordial mind of the divine. The primary thing in yoga is proper regulation of the 'individual-mind' which is restless. If you can bring your 'individual-mind' to the level of original mind, then you can get the realization of that real truth and divinity.
He said that the physical and spiritual life is like two wings of the bird which move together. Household life provides the most suitable environment for learning qualities like love and sacrifice. He simplified and refined the ancient Raja Yoga method to adapt to changing needs over time so that every person could benefit from it by practicing it while living in the household.
He believed that the gradual development of consciousness is the birth-proven right of every human being and it should be provided free of charge to every true inquisitor. In his view, a true Guru is indeed a supreme servant. He continued to serve mankind for a lifetime without any distinction of caste, religion, nationality, or gender.
Literary works
Reality at Dawn
Efficacy of Raja Yoga in the Light of Sahaj Marg
Commentary on the Ten Maxims of Sahaj Marg
Towards Infinity
Sahaj Marg Philosophy
Voice Real - The First Selection
Voice Real - The Second Selection
Autobiography of Ram Chandra
Complete Works of RAM CHANDRA - The work of Babuji also compiled into a set of six volumes.
