Wednesday, January 10, 2007

What was Ram Chandra's (Babuji) Real Name

What was Ram Chandra's (Babuji) real name?

Hi all...

This is from a message from Madeleine on the French Blog of Elodie. Madeleine is a 20 year abhyasi who just quit the SRCM(tm) and is speaking out. I translated with Babelfish...

This is a part of her comment:

"On this subject, I highly recommend to those who read English, to read the book by Thomas Dahnhardt, university researcher from the Centre for Islamic Studies of Oxford University, and professor of Urdu litterature and Islamic Civilization in India, at the University of Venice. This book is titled: "Change and continuity in Indian Sufism".

According to Dahnhardt, another little detail that escaped us (if his information is correct) :Babuji was not called Ram Chandra but Madhe Mohan Lal and later took the name of his Master Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh."

"They hid many things from us!"

Fraternal Salutations to all..

Madeleine

This statement is attributed to research from Christian on Elodie's blog in her article titled: Lalaji et ses multiples successeurs dated Jan 26, 2007, and is quoted from "The autobiography of Ram Chandra", vol I, 1899-1932, SRCM Shahjahanpur, oct. 1980, 2nd edition

http://pourquevivelesahajmarg.blogspot.com/

"The autobiography of Ram Chandra", vol I, 1899-1932, SRCM Shahjahanpur, oct. 1980, 2nd edition

page 1

"My father was Rai Bahadur Sri Badri Prasad, Honorary Special Magistrate I Class."

Christian: I don't know if it helps for determining if Babuji changed his name.

Babuji meets his master Lalaji on the 3rd June 1922 for the first time. He adds:

page 13

"After coming back from my Master, I continued the practice, but not so deeply as I had to appear in the Matric and SSLC examination."

He had to pass this examination before starting to work. He got hired at the Court of Shahjahanpur on the 12th January 1925, therefore after meeting his Master.

So, the precision that was given to me by the ISRC preceptor is wrong (my previous message on Elodie's blog, stating that Babuji met his master after starting his work at the Court, implying that he could not have changed his name for administrative reasons due to his work for the government).

page 14

(I) "retired as Record Keeper in 1956. My Master, who served in the Collectorate of Fatehgarh, also retired as Record Keeper."

Babuji seems to emphasize the similitudes between him and his master as something important. A cause for his choice of this job? A cause for changing his name?

PS...Does anyone know of the accuracy of this statement by Madeleine from the Thomas Dahnhardt book? (They (SRCM(tm) would not lie about their names, their lineage, and their status as Master, would they??)

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