Shivabalayogi

Shivabalayogi

Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj (24 January 1935 – 28 March 1994) was a self-realized master of meditation in the tradition of the ancient and modern yogis of India. He attained Self-realization through twelve years of arduous tapas, meditating in samādhi (state of total thoughtlessness) for an average of twenty hours a day. Tapas is the most advanced stage of meditation in which one remains absorbed for long periods in the non-dualistic state of consciousness known as samādhi.

After he completed tapas, he assumed the name Shivabalayogi, which some devotees had already begun to use for him. The name means "Yogi devoted to Shiva and Parvati." Shiva is God in the form of a yogi. Bala is one of the many names for Parvati, God in the form of a yogini. The name reflects that Shivabalayogi is a manifestation of both the male and female aspects of the divine (Ardhanarishwara). The female aspect represents the invisible energy of the Divine through which the entire creation operates, while the male aspect represents the pure consciousness of existence beyond all imaginations. Generally, devotees called him simply "Swamiji" meaning "respected Master".

For three decades he traveled extensively in India and Sri Lanka, initiating over ten million people into dhyana meditation. From 1987 to 1991, he traveled in England and the United States. Shivabalayogi's teaching is consistent with the Vedanta, emphasizing the need for sadhana (spiritual practice) to achieve Self-realization.