M R Bawa Muhaiyaddeen

Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, known as Bawa, was a Tamil-speaking Sufi mystic and teacher originating from Sri Lanka. He arrived in the United States in 1971, where he founded the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship in Philadelphia and cultivated a diverse following. His teachings, discourses, songs, and artwork formed a significant part of his legacy.

Bawa's public life began in Sri Lanka in the 1940s, where he was known as a spiritual healer. His association with the Qadiri order of Sufism is suggested by his time spent at shrines linked to 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani. He engaged with people from various religious backgrounds, integrating Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions into his teachings. He established vegetarianism as a core practice for his followers, advocating for compassion and non-violence towards all living creatures. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen passed away on December 8, 1986, leaving behind a substantial body of transcribed teachings and a continuing fellowship.

Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen's public spiritual journey commenced in Sri Lanka during the early 1940s, emerging near the Kataragama jungle shrine. He gained recognition by interacting with pilgrims and was reportedly known through mystical dreams preceding physical encounters. His connection to the Qadiri Sufi order is indicated by his association with shrines dedicated to 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani. In the northern town of Jaffna, many of his followers were Hindu, addressing him as 'swami' or 'guru,' and he was known as a healer, reportedly curing demonic possession. He established an ashram and a farm in Jaffna. Later, he was invited to Colombo, where predominantly Muslim students formed the 'Serendib Sufi Study Circle' by 1967. Earlier, in 1955, Bawa had initiated the construction of a mosque in Mankumban, inspired by a spiritual experience involving Mary, mother of Jesus. His teachings were inclusive, drawing from Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions, and were delivered through stories and fables adapted to his audience.

In 1971, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was invited to the United States, settling in Philadelphia and establishing the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship in 1973. His gatherings attracted a diverse following from various religious, social, and ethnic backgrounds. His reputation extended to religious scholars, journalists, and leaders, with Robert Muller, the UN's Assistant Secretary General, seeking his guidance in 1974. During the 1978-1980 Iranian hostage crisis, Bawa wrote to world leaders advocating for peace. He was quoted in Time magazine regarding the release of hostages, and his interviews appeared in publications like Psychology Today and the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. Bawa continued to teach until his passing on December 8, 1986.

The legacy of M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen includes the Mosque of Shaikh M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, completed in 1984 on the Fellowship's Philadelphia property through the efforts of its members. His mausoleum is located on the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship Farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which has become a pilgrimage site for followers. Bawa was also an artist, creating paintings and drawings he called 'heart's work,' symbolizing the connection between humanity and the divine. He released a meditation album titled 'Into the Secret of the Heart' in 1976. From 1971 to 1986, he authored over twenty-five books, compiled from thousands of hours of his discourses and songs. The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship continues to disseminate his teachings, having not appointed a successor. A core tenet of his teaching was vegetarianism, which he established as the norm for his followers based on compassion and the belief in avoiding slaughter.

Throughout his life, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was addressed by various titles, including Guru, Swami, Sheikh, and 'His Holiness,' reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who followed him. He sometimes referred to himself humbly as an 'ant man.' After arriving in the United States, he became widely known as Guru Bawa or simply Bawa. He later discontinued the use of 'guru' to avoid its potential misuse. His name, Muhaiyaddeen, signifies 'the giver of life to true belief,' and students later associated him with the Sufi concept of 'Qutb,' meaning a spiritual axis. Bawa's philosophy emphasized inner transformation, urging followers to find God's grace within their hearts through diligent practice and surrender. He taught that true wealth and liberation come from cultivating divine qualities, love, and wisdom, leading to a profound connection with the divine and freedom from worldly suffering.

“The prayers you perform, the duties you do, the charity and love you give is equal to just one drop. But if you use that one drop, continue to do your duty, and keep digging within, then the spring of God's grace and His qualities will flow in abundance.”

“People with wisdom know that it is important to correct their own mistakes, while people without wisdom find it necessary to point out the mistakes of others. People with strong faith know that it is important to clear their own hearts, while those with unsteady faith seek to find fault in the hearts and prayers of others. This becomes a habit in their lives. But those who pray to God with faith, determination, and certitude know that the most important thing in life is to surrender their hearts to God.”

“The things that change are not our real life. Within us there is another body, another beauty. It belongs to that ray of light which never changes. We must discover how to mingle with it and become one with that unchanging thing. We must realize and understand this treasure of truth. That is why we have come to the world.”

“My love you, my children. Very few people will accept the medicine of wisdom. The mind refuses wisdom. But if you do agree to accept it, you will receive the grace, and when you receive that grace, you will have good qualities. When you acquire good qualities, you will know true love, and when you accept love, you will see the light. When you accept the light, you will see the resplendence, and when you accept that resplendence, the wealth of the three worlds will be complete within you. With this completeness, you will receive the kingdom of God, and you will know your Father. When you see your Father, all your connections to karma, hunger, disease, old age will leave you.”

“My grandchildren, this is the way things really are. We must do everything with love in our hearts. God belongs to everyone. He has given a commonwealth to all His creations, and we must not take it for ourselves. We must not take more than our share. Our hearts must melt with love, we must share everything with others, and we must give lovingly to make others peaceful. Then we will win our true beauty and the liberation of our soul. Please think about this. Prayer, the qualities of God, the actions of God, faith in God, and worship of God are your grace. If you have these, God will be yours and the wealth of the world to come will be yours. My grandchildren, realize this in your lifetime. Consider your life, search for wisdom, search for knowledge, and search for that love of God which is divine knowledge, and search for His qualities, His love, and His actions. That will be good. Amin. Ya Rabbal-'alamin. So be it. O Ruler of the universes. May God grant you this.”