"Be Like Me, Don't Worship Me"

Baba Hariharananda

Starting at the age of 67, Baba Hariharananda started traveling all over the world, teaching the Kriya Yoga techniques and giving Kriya Yoga initiation to sincere seekers from all walks of life. 

When Baba established his final residence in Homestead, Florida, USA in late 1990's, he posted a sign on the wall next to the main office entrance:

"Be Like Me, Don't Worship Me"

Baba gives some insight into his message in Chapter 1, Principals of Kriya Yoga, from his 1982 Odia book, Vaijnanika Kriya Yoga Paddhati, (The Science of Kriya Yoga):

"The Bhagavad Gita (2:50) says, yogah karmasu kaushalam: 

"Yoga is the right means of skillful action." 

It is also a technique or method for God-realization. 

Kriya Yoga is such a technique, which one can practice in order to attain the blissful stage of samadhi in this very life. 

This is real worship of God."

Another source, which gives insight into Baba's posted sign, comes from one of the most informative reviews written about Baba Hariharananda's Kriya Yoga book.

The review was published in AMRITA BAZAR PATRIKA, which was one of the oldest daily Indian Newspapers, printed in Bengali, on November 24, 1985:

 Easy Way to Salvation

"One need not renounce the mundane world and live the life of an ascetic to become a yogi.

 Neither is it must for one to continue in one's practice of yoga to attain the Ultimate Reality - God. 

For, according to Swami Hariharananda, anyone, male or female, above the age of 13, leading a normal family life, can aspire to mingle with the Divine being in his or her lifetime, if he/she practices Kriya Yoga.

Kriya Yoga as expounded by him, is a combination of three yoga's: Karma, Jnana and Bhakti. 

Its scientific technique closely follows the method of Patanjali. 

The technique involves six stages. 

Swami Hariharananda describes not only these stages in detail, but also the feeling the Kriyaban, (practitioner) is supposed to experience in each of the successive stages. 

Side by side, he also discuss how during each stage, the kriyabans bodily functions are toned up.

Another merit of Swami Hariharananda's preaching, is that it is remarkably free from any religious dogma or sectarian belief. 

His nonsectarian outlook is reflected in his scientific approach to the subject."

Baba Hariharananda's 2002 email message

In 1996, when he empowered me to give Kriya Yoga initiation, privately he encouraged me to spread the message of Kriya Yoga all over the world. 

"Don Baba, you go to the corner of the park in London and stand on the box and tell everyone about Kriya Yoga."

 (A few years later during my first visit to England, I found out that in London's Hyde Park, there is a famous place where speakers stand on a box and speak to the crowd of people gathered there to listen to the different speakers. It is known as "Speakers' Corner".)

"Meditate and watch Gurus within you" Humble Hariharananda's letter to Don Baba