Neem Karoli Baba
“Everything is impermanent, except the love for God.”
Born in Akbarpur, Uttar Pradesh to Brahmin parents, Neem Karoli Baba was named Lakshminarayan Sharma. He was married at an early age, but left home in quest for the Eternal. More than a decade later His father managed to bring Him back home. Hereafter, Neem Karoli Baba led a householder’s life alongside being the spiritual magnet that He was. Saints such as Neem Karoli Baba, Lahiri Mahashay and others choose to be householders in order to deliver practical lessons of leading a detached life, and to show that a spiritual life does not always mean abandoning worldly responsibilities. It is being like a lotus – grows in the mud, but remains above it.
There is a well-known story as to how He got the name Neem Karoli. In pre-independence India, Baba was travelling on train without ticket and the authorities disembarked Him at the village of Neeb Karori. But then somehow the train engine didn’t start. Experts were called in, but they couldn’t find the fault. At last, somebody suggested them to apologize to the saint and call him back onboard. Baba agreed upon the condition that a station be built at that village. Thence, He became popular as Neeb Karori Baba.
Countless accounts of miracles performed by Him are recalled by people from world over. A disciple’s son was suffering from small pox. On verge of death, his parents dropped Baba’s charanaamrit in his mouth and the boy was healthy by the next day. At the same time, Baba had rashes all over His body. Once in 1943, He was staying at a couple’s whose son was fighting in Burma. Around dawn Baba called the father, handed him something wrapped in a blanket and asked him to throw it in the Ganga. The man could feel there were bullets in there. Around a month later when their son returned home, he told them how his post was attacked by the Japanese and he was the only one left alive. The attack happened at the same time when Baba had handed that blanket to his father. Swami Chidananda narrates an incident when he saw Baba distribute 18 oranges out of a basket that only had 8 oranges in it. Many other instances are there of Him healing people, appearing out of the blue to help somebody, forewarning people of illness or accident, etc.
Baba never discriminated among His devotees. A thief and a judge were treated alike in His presence. He was unpredictable. At any moment He’d wrap his blanket around Himself, pick His kamandal and be off. Other than these two things, He hardly had any personal belonging. He was very particular about ensuring that everyone who came to see Him got something to eat. Baba had many Hanuman temples built in his lifetime. Of the several ashrams associate with Him, Kainchi is significant because Baba resided here for a long time, and Vrindavan because here He left His mortal body in September 1973.
Neem Karoli Baba is one of the most well known Gurus throughout the globe due to His many famous devotees and disciples, some of whom are Siddhi Maa, Ram Dass, Larry Brilliant, Krishna Das, Trevor Hall, John Bush, Daniel Goleman, etc. Steve Jobs and Julia Roberts are famously influenced by Him. Mark Zuckerberg has also visited His ashram at Kainchi. Many foundations now function all over the world in His name towards nurturing spirituality and spreading the message of Divine Love.
Baba’s whole persona exudes nothing but love, for everyone. His long warm hugs and their intoxicating after-effects are legendary. Those fortunate enough to be in the company of Neem Karoli Baba testify His boundless compassion, ingenious and unconventional teaching methods, and miracles. For instance, once Baba constantly kept saying nothing except “thul thul, nan nan”. Finally when somebody enquired Him, Baba replied that the worldly people are always judging. It is always either too much, or too little.
Baba wrote no book nor delivered lectures – His presence itself was enough to guide people. A twitch of His eyes or a couple of sentences was enough to put His disciples back on track. Neem Karoli Baba taught people to follow the path of bhakti or devotion. Baba used to say that love is the strongest medicine. God must be remembered every moment, and should be kept in one’s heart like money in bank!
The primary lesson He taught was to love everyone, and urged His devotees to do seva or service. According to Him, selfless service to others is the best way to love God. He also said that the best service you can do is to keep remembering God. He often repeated – “Sab ek” meaning all are one. Just as same blood flows through different body parts, God is in everyone. There is no difference. The best worship is to see God in everyone. All water is Ganga and all land is Varanasi. Love everything.
To his devotees Baba assured that I won’t ever leave you. Once I catch hold of you, I won’t let go. The whole world is my child. Despite Him having left the physical plane, people feel His presence, and He always guides those who call to Him sincerely. In his own words- I come when I am remembered
“Yaad karne se hum aa jaate hain”