Founding Member Feature: Ramanand Chlopan
I grew up in a family of nine – my parents and six kids, 4 girls, two boys. I was third in the lineup. We were raised in a Roman Catholic family (although my father was Eastern Orthodox and had…
Founding Member Feature: Shankar
Was there a spiritual side to your life before meeting Babaji? I was raised in England in an Irish Catholic family, and in my early teens began to immerse myself in various devotional practices of that tradition. However, after three…
Founding Member Feature: Chandra
I met Babaji in 1974, in the attic room of Spruce Street House in Vancouver where so many of us assembled. As soon as I entered the room and saw him I knew that life would never be the same…
Founding Member Feature: Mahesh and Abha (Roy and Raye)
By Mahesh, dedicated to Abha I was born in Vancouver in 1934. As a child, I stuttered and was very shy. I grew up in Vancouver, Westminster and Squamish, living with my grandparents. My grandmother taught me a lot about…
Founding Member Feature: Girija
I was born into a very loving family, in Montreal, Quebec. It was my parents’ influence that gave me the inspiration to explore life. In that atmosphere, and from a very young age, I met quite a few spiritual teachers,…
Founding Member Feature: Kishori Hutchings
Before meeting Babaji Prior to meeting Babaji, I was a wild child: I owned a motorcycle, I skydived, and I did lots of illicit drugs – but I was looking for something else. When I was around 20 or 21,…
Founding Member Feature – Sanatan
I was already a seeker looking for a living master when I heard about Babaji in Ram Dass’ book, Be Here Now. Then The Yellow Book by Babaji showed up in my hands, and I was inspired. Around that time,…
Founding Member Feature: Janaki Polden
Yoga on the Road In London, while working as a nurse, I started taking yoga classes in 1973 with my boyfriend Rod. In the spring, we set out ‘across the pond’ on our travels – the World Tour. Lots of…
Founding Member Feature: Sri Nivas
I first met Babaji in 1974 at the ‘Spruce Street House’ in Vancouver where a number of Babaji’s students were living. Ma Renu, the woman who had sponsored Babaji to come to North America, had brought him to Vancouver and…
Founding Member Feature: Lakshmi McPhee
Continuing with our Founding Member Feature series which began last month with words from Sharada, this month we hear from Lakshmi McPhee. Our hope is that these stories will help to illuminate part of the Centre’s rich history. Life Before…