About Sripad Baba by a Bhakt

Sri Sri Pada Baba is a saint, an educationist and philosopher all rolled into one. His close associates do not know much about his past life or age. They told me that he eats and sleeps very little. Baba heads Vraja Academy, which was inaugurated in 1978. The Academy's frequent symposia on Indological, academic and ecological subjects have attracted a large number of Western and Asian scholars. Baba says, "The message of the saints of Braj is that you must empty yourself and get immersed in the lilas (pastimes) of Radha and Krishna. If we are lost in some other thought, then we cannot immerse ourselves in the consciousness of Braj, in which there is a constant flow of bliss. If one transcends the boundaries of space and time, one can certainly experience the invisible Radha-Krishna lilas taking place in Braj. If you talk to a saint or even an ordinary man of this area, he will tell you that the lilas are taking place right now--at this very moment. The real life of Braj lies beyond the distinctions of woman and man. The saints of Braj are living this very life. When Radhashtami is celebrated at Radha's birthplace, Barsana, the emotions are so powerful that compassion and love are flowing in the air. This can be felt at all the festivals in Braj, which has a strong tradition of temple worship and festivals. In South India, devotion is governed by rules and laws. But in Braj, God is taken in a different way. In Braj He is treated as sakha, friend, or even mother or beloved. The devotion of love is a gift of Braj, as it was born here. "The message of Upanishads is that the individual and God are one. The moment one is able to recognize and understand this fact, at that very point Hinduism is established, and not before that. There is a need to eliminate the enmity which has been created due to fundamentalism. We have to bring into our fold the entirety of humanity. The great men of our culture have always advocated breaking through the limitations of the world to awaken the eternal values behind these limitations of country, time, seeing oneself as separate from others and good and evil forces. That awakening must first take place at the individual level. This will then bring awakening in society."