Baba Muktananda

When our work with Claudio Naranjo ended in 1974 our group moved in different directions. Several became followers of Swami Muktananda and invited Grace and me to check him out. I became the 1974 tour photographer and Grace and I traveled with him to Hawaii and Colorado, participating in introductory evenings and retreats. I spent a month in the tour ashram in Pasadena.

GraceBaba

Baba leading chantingBaba was a traditional Indian guru, holding darshan twice daily and teaching a powerful mix of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism. The latter was very world affirming, almost pantheistic in its call to see God in everything and everyone. Baba led Sanscrit chants several times a day and circle dances in which we chanted devotion to God while dancing for hours.

Grace felt the scene was like a Baptist church and finally chose Tibetan Buddhism as her path, feeling it was more like her childhood Catholic church (without the guilt). I followed her.