BABAJI'S WORDS

I first encountered these words in my early twenties, not long after I started practicing yoga. It was a tumultuous time of my life, and yoga was rapidly transforming me from the inside. I clung to it with all my might. I not only practiced asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), and meditation every day—I also started to change my diet. I became vegetarian at a time when this way of eating wasn't widely known in Japan, and places that supported it were still rare. 

That's why, coming across this hole in the wall restaurant in my neighborhood was such a gem. 

This tiny, mom-and-pop diner became my little place of solace. My go-to after a long week or a rough day. The warm, hearty meal would always feel like a reward for my weary soul. 

The toilet was just as compact as the restaurant itself. So confined that the knees felt too close to the wall. As I used the mini-sink by the door to wash my hands, these words, posted on the restroom wall, landed in me with a boom. 

“Babaji’s Words,” the title read, and although I had no idea who Mahavatar Babaji was at the time, my connection to yoga was deep enough that anything Indian would spark my curiosity. 

I felt impressed by the words—as though fingerprinted by Babaji's grace that traveled through time and landing directly in meaning. I immediately asked the owner if I could have a copy.

She smiled and said, “It's beautiful, isn't it? We only have this one, so I can’t give it away, but you’re welcome to take pen and paper and write it down yourself.”

So I went back into the little cubicle and carefully copied the words by hand.

This is the English version of the same words, most widely shared today. 
I hope they remain with you, in the same way that they have stayed with me, throughout the years and with a lingering sweetness to their scent. 

Love and serve all humanity.

Help people.

Be cheerful, be compassionate.

Be a generator of joy that cannot be contained.

See God and goodness in every face.

There is no saint without a past,

and no sinner without a future.

Praise everyone.

And if you cannot praise someone,

let them pass freely out of your life.

Be original. Be inventive.

Be courageous—again and again.

Stop imitating. Be strong.

Be positive. Stop depending on others.

Think with your own mind. Be yourself.

All perfection and divine virtue already dwell within you.

Reveal them to the world.

All wisdom is already within you—let it shine.

May divine grace grant you freedom.

Let your life be like a rose…

In silence, the rose speaks through its fragrance.

— Mahavatar Babaji