Shiva Bala Yogi Virtual^* Darshan
* (Virtual: non physical, but being such in essence or in having the power or practical effect)

In The West

It was around August 7, 1987, the time of the temple consecration at the Bangalore ashram, that Shivabalayogi gave indications of a shift in his mission. He told some devotees that with the temple completed, his work in India was finished. It was time for him to work in the West. Until that time, there had been no plans for him to visit the West. Within a few months, he was on his way to England at the invitation of devotees there. He stayed in England about three months, then returned again in 1988, and from there he continued to the United States where programs were arranged for him across that country.

Swamiji toured the United States each spring or summer from 1989 to 1991 and initiated thousands of people into meditation in the Northwest, California, the Southwest, the Midwest, New York, New England, and in the North Carolina and Virginia areas. He established a trust in London and trusts in the United States in Oregon and North Carolina. In 1989, Swamiji visited Venice, Italy, at the invitation of devotees who had Swamiji’s darshan in India.

In the West he traveled simply, as he had in India. He was accompanied only by an interpreter and stayed in people’s homes, accepting whatever hospitality was given. He was considerate and deferential to the devotees who invited him to the various cities he visited. From visit to visit, he stayed in the same home unless that devotee wanted other arrangements made. Any decision affecting that city, he made it a point to ask for the advice of his hosts. Shortly after he arrived, he would meet with the local organizers and ask about the preparations they had made. He would approve and make suggestions as appropriate, always inviting the devotees’ participation in decisions.

He did insist on public programs where he gave initiation into meditation and devotees sang bhajans. Programs were arranged often in people’s homes, sometimes in churches, temples, or bookstores. Swamiji preferred public places so more people could attend. Flyers were circulated and some advertisements printed in alternative newspapers with a short description of Shivabalayogi and his mission.

People were drawn to him without regard to background or religion. Some were attracted by the description of his tapas. They wondered who could meditate for twenty-three hours a day for so many years. Many who came did not remember what was written in the advertisements. They were drawn by something in the photograph. Time and time again people admitted that it was his face, or his eyes, or the smile in his photograph that inexplicably attracted them. Swamiji would say that each person who came for his darshan was called. There was a connection between him and each devotee. He once said in the United States, “Half the people in this country have been my devotees in one lifetime or another.”