Baba Hari Dass, lovingly known as Babaji by his students, is the guiding inspiration behind the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga. A master yogi and scholar, he was also deeply accomplished in sculpture, music, architecture, yogic philosophy, writing, storytelling, martial arts, and Indian cosmology. He was a respected advocate of Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of health, and the author of many books.
Babaji was a mauni sadhu, a monk who takes a vow of lifelong silence. He made this vow in 1952 and never spoke aloud again. Instead, he communicated mainly through a small chalkboard, often worn around his neck. With remarkable clarity, he was able to express profound teachings in very few words, distilling ideas to their essence. His life was devoted to helping people live through Sadhana, the daily practice of spiritual life. Those who met him often felt a deeply personal connection, inspired by his steady discipline, devotion, compassion, and playful spirit.
Babaji played an important role in the early spiritual journey of Ram Dass. In the late 1960s, Ram Dass met his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, at Kainchi Ashram in India, where Babaji was instrumental in building and overseeing the ashram. Neem Karoli Baba asked Babaji to teach yoga to the many seekers arriving from the West. Ram Dass stayed in correspondence with Babaji after returning to America, and some of the Ashtanga Yoga practices and observances Babaji taught him were included in Be Here Now in 1971, a landmark book that introduced many Westerners to yoga. Babaji later expanded on these teachings in his comprehensive Ashtanga Yoga Primer in 1977.
Through this connection, AD was invited to India to study with Babaji. That time together proved pivotal, inspiring this dedicated group of students to arrange for Babaji to travel with them to the United States. AD later followed Babaji to California. From the students AD taught in Santa Cruz, the Hanuman Fellowship was formed, and soon after, our sister centre, Mount Madonna Center, was established.
Babaji then asked AD to return to Canada and begin a Satsang for students interested in learning and practicing yoga. Through AD’s devotion to Babaji, and his commitment to yoga practice and philosophy, a community began to take shape in Vancouver. In the spring, AD, Ravi Dass, Aparna, and Anuradha went on retreat to visit Babaji in California. They invited Babaji and his sponsor, Ma Renu, to Vancouver that summer. Babaji’s 10-day visit to Canada in 1974 was deeply meaningful for everyone involved, and marked the formal beginning of the Canadian society of students.
Babaji gave the Society the name Dharma Sara Satsang Society: Dharma meaning right living, Sara meaning essence, and Satsang meaning a gathering of truth seekers. He encouraged teachers and students to prepare for a yoga retreat the following summer, when he would return to attend. Yoga classes and Satsang then took place weekly, first in homes and later in larger rented spaces as the community grew. The retreat was a great success, welcoming hundreds of new faces and hearts, and it soon became an annual gathering. After several years of renting a campground in the interior of BC, Babaji encouraged the group to purchase land—a place where people could find peace through yoga practice and nature. After a long search, a heritage farmstead was found and bought in the heart of Salt Spring Island. In 1981, the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga was born.
Babaji lived everything he taught, embodying the example of a true yogi and master teacher. He had a deep understanding of the many paths of yoga practice and philosophy: Bhakti, Hatha, Ashtanga, Raja, Karma, Jnana, and Tantra. He encouraged each student to discover the path that best expressed their own gifts.
He taught classes on sacred texts such as the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, Samkhya, and Vedanta, as well as Sanskrit and Hindi language. He loved bringing ancient stories to life on stage and created extraordinary productions of the Ramayana, a tradition that continues today. At both the Salt Spring Centre and Mount Madonna Center, he laid the foundation for spiritual practice. He taught at annual retreats, worked and played alongside others, and shared the fullness of yoga as a way of life. His many books continue to offer guidance through both practice and story.
In addition to silence, Babaji also took a lifelong vow of poverty. When his books began to be published and sold, his American sponsor, Ma Renu, asked what should be done with the income, since keeping it would go against his vow. Babaji shared that as a child he had known a friend living in an orphanage where the children were treated very badly. From that time on, he carried the wish to create a loving and respectful home for orphaned children in India. With the funds from his publications, land near the holy city of Haridwar was purchased and construction began. In 1984, with the arrival of babies and children, Sri Ram Ashram became a nurturing home for abandoned and destitute children. Its mission continues to flourish today, and many children have grown from infancy into adulthood, supported in attending university, following their dreams, and becoming contributing members of society.
Babaji left his body on Tuesday, September 25, 2018. His passing was peaceful, and he was surrounded by loving care and attention in the final stage of his life. While students and devotees deeply miss his physical presence, his wisdom, service, and inspiration continue through the institutions he helped shape, his writings, and all those whose lives he touched. Many still feel his presence, encouragement, grace, and teachings, and remain forever grateful for his compassionate example and purpose.