About Me
Sri Tat Wale Baba was the living embodiment of the Vedas. He did not have to speak or preach. He exhibited those qualities about which other yogis only preach. His presence radiated a divine essence that, of itself, communicated the goal of life to all who had the honor to come within his aura.
Tat Wale Baba lived at the ashram with his guru for about three months during which time he was initiated into Raja Yoga. However, life at this ashram was too hectic for the serious meditation Tat Wale Baba sought. There were too many disciples and cows milling about, and the general noise of an active ashram caused too much disturbance for him. So, Tat Wale Baba left his guru's abode in search of a more reclusive retreat. After a few months' search he arrived at Rishikesh where his parents frequently attended Swargashram for meditation. He thought this might be an ideal place for his meditations as well. However, as before, he found too many disturbances from the many visitors to this ashram. After only a short stay he again sought a more reclusive refuge, and went to Ganeshagupa, Laxmanjoola. There, he found the ambient peace he required. However, living at this site was harsh. Firewood was not easily available to provide warmth, and for cooking. Other essentials, such as food and water, were not readily available. The time and effort required to provide for himself disturbed his long periods of deep meditation.For days Tat Wale Baba sat near the Ganges river wondering where he would find a retreat that was fully suitable for his purpose. He was intuitively, or perhaps divinely, guided to Manikut mountain. There he came upon an old, emaciated man with very long gata (hair) living in a cave. Tat Wale Baba approached the man and was invited to sit and talk. Their conversation lasted several hours. At the conclusion of their talk the old man left saying that his time was finished, and that he was going to the Himalayas to take mahasamadhi. He left the cave for Tat Wale Baba to occupy.
The cave was ideal for Tat Wale Baba. It had only a tiny opening which was barely visible from the passing trail. If the opening was sealed from within by a rock the cave was secluded completely. The cave was also conveniently located near a fresh water spring. And, its location of about one kilometer from Swargashram made it easy for Tat Wale Baba to go there to obtain his food supply. However, after some time, Tat Wale Baba felt that the daily trips to the ashram for food were too disturbing for him. So, he decided to forage for food in the ambient forest where he found kandamulo leaves and roots, and fruits to sustain him. He foraged for food only occasionally, gathering a sufficient supply to last him for several days at a time. He ate sparingly during these secluded periods of long silence. Tat Wale Baba's regular schedule of meditating was from 2:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. From 10:00 a.m. until noon he would eat and rest. Then, from noon until 4:00 p.m. he would again meditate. He would exercise for about two hours, until 6:00 p.m. For exercise he usually took long walks of about ten kilometers, collected firewood, and worked hard at expanding the dimensions of his cave. He only did a few asanas (yoga postures). Instead, he preferred to meditate.People coming into the forest to gather leaves and sticks for sale in Rishikesh occasionally spotted Tat Wale Baba emerging from his retreat. Word soon spread that a yogi was taking long periods of silence in a cave. As a result, pilgrims began to come by the hundreds to try to visit Tat Wale Baba. Because of the demand for his time, he changed his schedule to enable visitors to see him. He posted a sign stating that he would speak with visitors from 10:00 a.m. until noon, and then from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. The rest of the time he remained in his cave, or did his chores and exercised.
