His Holiness Badari Narayan Tripathi Ji

When tracing the history of any spiritual organization there is always an enlightened individual acting as the initial cornerstone of its foundation. For International Association for Scientific Spiritualism that individual was His Holiness Pt. Badri Narayan Tripathiji (Tripathiji).

Since his early childhood Tripathiji loved solitude and the beauties of nature. Early in his adolescence he did not believe in God and used to think, “If a man is destined to reap the fruits of his good or bad deeds, then God’s role in life has no significance.”

However, this changed in the year of 1925 when he was in his twelfth class in Allahabad. At that time he had great command of Pranayam and was able to do all the exercises including sitting in meditation without breathing and without his heart beating. However, on one occasion during this exercise, his lungs and heart were injured. After careful examination the doctors informed him that the damage to both his heart and lungs was incurable and that death was soon at hand.

While out walking one evening after receiving such distressing news he sat down under a Peepal tree on the campus of Allahabad University. He then cried out to God, “Up to now I have been a non-believer, but if you are there God and can help me, I will surrender my life to you.” God hearing his cry bestowed his grace upon him and shortly thereafter, Tripathiji, being raised in a family of Hindus, experienced a vision and saw a glittering throne descending from the sky on which Lord Ram and mother Seeta were seated and smiling. The throne came right above Tripathiji and the toe of mother Seeta touched his forehead. He fell into a deep trance, which lasted 7 hours until dawn. In the morning when he came out of the trance, there was no trace of disease in his body. In addition, by God’s grace, he was granted exemption from all past karmas and was told his life would be extended by twenty years.

Instead of going home, he immediately went to Ayodhya where another miracle took place. Lord Shiv appeared before him in the form of a Brahman priest. For a week’s time, the priest gave him the true interpretation of the Sri Ramcharitmanas and the philosophy of Tap-Seva-Sumiran for living a balanced life. In addition, Lord Shiv (disguised as the priest) told him that from this time forward he was to pay 10% of whatever he earned to God.

After the philosophy of the Sri Ramcharitmanas was fully revealed to him by Lord Shiv he began teaching to those whom he came in contact that all the sufferings of mankind on the five planes of human existence could be wiped out by manifesting the Sat-Chit-Anand aspect of divinity that lies dormant within all individuals. In addition, he taught that past sins are pardonable and karmic destiny changeable at the time when human consciousness enters the field of God’s grace.

He was that rare soul whose level of enlightenment and illumination were such that he had actual glimpses of Lord Ram, Krishna, Shiv and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Later, Tripathiji received a full scholarship to attend Allahabad University. Remembering what Lord Shiv, disguised as a Brahman priest, told him in Ayodhya, he wrote a money order in the amount of 10% of the value of the scholarship payable to the priest and sent it immediately to the address where he had stayed in Ayodhya. The letter was returned stating that there was never such an address and no such person. God truly works in mysterious ways.

Tripathiji received his Master’s degree in philosophy in 1929 from Allahabad University with merit, breaking all previous records. His father and other well wishers had great expectations of some prestigious post for him, but having received enlightenment directly from God, worldly status was meaningless to him.

It is interesting to see how the Lord brought both Tripathiji and His Divine Grace Yogiji (Yogiji) together. It was in the year of 1927 when Tripathiji joined Allahabad University for studies that he met Yogiji who was also a student. By a divine magnetic force, Yogiji recognized Tripathiji as a spiritual mentor and became his disciple. Thus the master and his disciple ended up living together and in between their studies, they always talked about spiritual matters.

Tripathiji in 1929 predicted the exact date and time of his death to Yogiji. He also told Yogiji that it would be his responsibility to take the message of service around the world for the benefit of mankind. At that time Yogiji did not understand. An important note of interest is that Tripathiji shared the information about the exact date and time of his early death to just two people, his wife and Yogiji.

Tripathiji lived a family life and being completely surrendered to God always depended upon Him for their growth and well being. He had a wife, two sons and three daughters. One child is deceased and the rest are well placed.

Before leaving his body at the age of 40 on October 16, 1944, Tripathiji again reminded Yogiji that it was his responsibility to teach the principles found within the Sri Ramcharitmanas to the entire world.