Excerpts from the Ceremony to “unveil” the Memorial Honoring Baba Hari Dass
Guru Purnima, July 10, 2025
An auspicious ritual of new beginnings was performed on Guru Purnima, July 10, 2025, at the Memorial honoring Baba Hari Dass by Prem Das, Joe, and Bhavani, evoking the energies of creation through Ganesh Puja.
Dayanand Diffenbaugh offered these words:
We are here to honor the person who inspired our spiritual life, our Guru, Baba Hari Dass. Babaji embodied the aim, gave us the teachings of Yoga, and inspired us to practice. Babaji modeled keeping the rigor and authenticity of the teachings, while adapting them to modern culture and making the ancient teachings accessible to all. We recognize that the responsibility for continuing the lineage of practices, which he brought to North America in 1971, is now in our hands. We are continuing the practices and “teaching to learn.”
Here and now, we dedicate this Memorial as a place to honor teachers and teachings, and reflect on the aim of peace. Without the embodiment of the teachings of Yoga by Babaji, this would not be possible; we would not be here and this place would not exist. We dedicate this site in the memory and in the name of Baba Hari Dass ji, a Vairagi sadhu and silent monk – Mauni Baba (maintaining a vow of silence) – from the Kumaon Region of the foothills of the Himalaya in Northern India.
Why this place and why a rock?
At the beginning of Mount Madonna Center, Babaji chose this area for our community to perform yajna, which is the foundational ritual of Mount Madonna and Hanuman Fellowship. Yajna (ritual of symbolic sacrifice that yields transformative awakening) continues. The rock, representing Babaji, sits over the remains of the shraddha ceremony performed here in 2018, and witnessed by over 1,000 devotees. These relics are buried six to eight feet deep in the earth at this spot, commemorating Babaji’s passing into Maha Samadhi. His ashes were taken to the ganga in Haridwar, where the children of the Ashram he founded performed the ritual of Asti Visarjan (immersion of the ashes) at the holy site of Brahma Kund.
Now, for the rock: Babaji loved rocks! And the rock walls you see all around are a testament to his work with the Rock Crew, starting in 1978 and continuing for over three decades. No one could see the fault lines in rocks better than Babaji.
The rock symbolizes several things:
- Babaji’s discipline was like a rock. He adhered to his self-chosen schedule of ritualized living, writing “I stick to my discipline as closely as I can.”
- The rock stands for presence. Babaji taught, “Presence is the most important thing.”
- The rock represents “witnessing awareness,” that Guru principle within each of us. We experienced being witnessed by Babaji. It was a dynamic state of inner awakening and outer transformation.
- The rock represents endurance. May this Fellowship endure.
In conclusion, we acknowledge our supreme good fortune in having in our lives the continuing inspiration of the teachings of yoga, given by our Guru, Baba Hari Dass. May his memory continue to bless us.
Radha Mallery shared a reflection and a letter from Babaji:
In reflection on our time with Babaji and this honoring of him through this blessed Memorial, I’m struck with profound gratitude. Gratitude for his presence in not just my life but all the lives he touched throughout the many many years of his own life, which he gave so generously. There’s an image that I carry in my mind and heart of Govind on the last day of his life—his final visit with Babaji. Babaji drew him in. They locked eyes and I knew Govind was thanking him for all that he taught him… most especially to accept that death is only forgetting who we really are. Babaji left shortly after with tears in his eyes.
When we visit this refuge [in the days and years to come], let’s remember that it’s really each other from whom we are being taught as we carry his legacy. We are the reflection of each other. No matter how we choose to practice Babaji’s teachings, it is in each other’s company, listening to each other and trusting each other that we truly honor his generosity of spirit.
“Yes, there is an absolute through which is beyond definition, description and explanation. We can only say “God.” It’s a matter of experience. As long as real is not contacted or identified, everything is unreal. Sadhana, worship, prayers, etc. are games, tricks, plays, but very important to find the truth.
I love you whether you know it or not. You asked about our relationship. It’s a relationship of guru and disciple in which all relationships merge. You will know me through sadhana. You can’t understand me by seeing my physical body. How the body acts, plays, shows pleasure and pain—it’s all an illusion.
If I have to know you then I have to see inside you and not your physical body. My only aim is to bring people to sadhana. For me sadhana is not only asana, pranayama, and meditation. Sadhana includes developing positive qualities, building right conduct, closeness with your parents, friends, and society, right livelihood, etc.”
Baba Hari Dass
We recognize with gratitude all those who have contributed in various ways to making the Memorial a reality. We extend our gratitude to those who are continuing the work on and maintenance of this sacred space.
We acknowledge our supreme good fortune in having in our lives the continuing inspiration of the Teachings of Yoga given by our Guru Baba Hari Dass. May his memory continue to bless.”
Jai Gurudev! Jai Sri Baba Hari Dass! Jai Babaji!
