Tibbetibaba also known as Mahasadhak Tibbetibaba or Paramhamsa Tibbetibaba, alternative spellings Tibbatibaba, Tibbati Baba, Tibbeti Baba, Tibbotibaba or Tibboti Baba ("Tibetan Baba" or the Monk from Tibet, when translated into English.) born Nabin Chattopadhhyaya Bengali: নবীন চট্টোপাধ্যায়;Mahasamadhi or death – 19 November 1930) was a famous Bengali philosopher, saint and yogi. He was one of the few saints in India whose life was an amalgamation of the Advaita Vedanta doctrine of Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhist doctrine. Tibbetibaba was a master of all the eight siddhis and supposedly had remarkable healing powers. Even though he was master of all the siddhis, he was not personally interested in using them.
Biography
The life of Tibbetibaba (d. November 19, 1930) was marked by various incidents and events, some of which were recorded in writing by his devotees and disciples, while others were not. Two views exist concerning these events. The first view is presented in books such as "Bharater Sadhak O Sadhika" and "Bharater Sadhak – Sadhika." The second view, on the other hand, is presented in biographical books like "Tibbatibabar Parichay" and "Paramhamsa Tibbati Babar Smriti Katha," which were written by Tibbetibaba's disciples, including Kunjeshwar Misra and Akhandananda Brahmachari. As these books were published by Tibbati Baba Vedanta Ashram, the second school's perspective is generally considered more authentic.However, the events related to Tibbetibaba's life at Palitpur Ashram in Palitpur village, his spiritual powers, philosophy, teachings, and events in other parts of undivided India and Afghanistan, are believed to be entirely genuine. Thus, the views of the former and latter schools are presented together for a more comprehensive understanding of Tibbetibaba's life.
First view
According to one view, the details of the events and incidents that occurred during Tibbetibaba's life are presented in books such as "Bharater Sadhak O Sadhika" and "Bharater Sadhak – Sadhika."
Early life
Nabin Chandra was born into a Bengali Rarhi Brahmin family in Assam. His father was a Tantra yogi, while his mother was a devotee of Shiva. As a child, Nabin Chandra was fascinated by nature and pondered about the creator of the world. However, his perception of God did not align with his late father's or mother's understanding of divinity. He believed that God must be fundamentally different from the commonly held beliefs of ordinary people. Unfortunately, Nabin Chandra's father passed away when he was very young, and his mother had to endure significant hardships to raise him. He did not remember the precise year, date, or month of his birth.
Sannyasa
As Nabin Chandra grew older, his contemplation of God became even more profound. When he reached his teenage years, he had a disagreement about the nature of divinity on the night of the Shivratri festival. As a result, he left his home in search of being responsible for creating the world.
Ayodhya
Once he left his home, Nabin Chandra encountered a group of pilgrims at an inn. They were headed to Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama. Nabin Chandra had already decided to become a wandering monk in his search for God, and he asked to join the group. They agreed, and thus began his long journey from Assam to Ayodhya.
However, when they arrived in Ayodhya, Nabin Chandra's mind was not captivated by Rama, Shiva or other deities like the rest of the group. His concept of God was of an indeterminate nature. Therefore, he eventually left the group and headed north after crossing the Sarayu River. His journey took him all the way to Nepal.
Nepal
When Nabin Chandra reached Nepal, he met an unknown Hindu monk who lived in a hut near a river. Fascinated by the monk's way of life, Nabin Chandra began to live with him. One winter night, Nabin Chandra expressed his desire to acquire the knowledge of God to the monk. In response, the monk instructed him to take an immediate dip in the river. After doing so, the monk accepted him as his disciple and told him that he would need to make an all-out effort to acquire the knowledge of God. The monk asked Nabin Chandra about his favorite object of love back home. Nabin Chandra replied that he loved his lamb very dearly. Being just a teenager at the time, the monk instructed him to meditate on his beloved lamb. After years of rigorous meditation, Nabin Chandra finally attained samadhi, which is a state of super-concentration. Through his meditation, he acquired knowledge of Brahman in animals, which is present even in animals according to Advaita Vedanta. This knowledge corresponded to the knowledge of Saguna Brahman.
Manasarovar, Tibet
Nabin Chandra, having attained knowledge of Brahman in animals, embarked on a journey to Lake Manasarovar in Tibet. Despite facing numerous obstacles during his journey, he eventually arrived at the lake and chose a cave near it to meditate on God.
Days passed, but he was still unable to achieve his aim of having a vision of Brahman. However, one day he saw a Tibetan Buddhist lama standing at the entrance of his cave. Believing that the lama was sent by God to assist him, Nabin Chandra requested to become his disciple and receive guidance in realizing his goal.
Although the lama was a Mahayana monk and could only teach Mahayana method of spiritual practice, Nabin Chandra explained that the knowledge of Brahman according to Advaita principles was equivalent to nirvana of Buddhism. Thus, the lama agreed to make Nabin his disciple, and he learned the Mahayana method of spiritual practice.
Nabin Chandra found it easier to meditate on Nirguna Brahman (God who is infinite and without attributes) by first meditating on Saguna Brahman (God with attributes). With this change in technique, he was finally able to attain the knowledge of Nirguna Brahman that he had sought for so long.
Wanderings
After attaining the knowledge of Brahman, Nabin Chandra embarked on a journey to spread the message of peace and salvation. Following the ideals of his Mahayana guru, he sought to alleviate the suffering of people and inspire them to walk the path of salvation.
Travelling extensively across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Myanmar, Nabin Chandra marveled at the infinite beauty of Nirguna Brahman, which manifested in all living beings. Inspired by the teachings of Buddha, he advocated love, non-violence, and compassion for all living beings. Additionally, he incorporated the Vedantic Hindu teachings that advocated the presence of Brahman in all beings.
Nabin Chandra's teachings were a harmonious blend of both these philosophies. His message of peace, love, and compassion resonated with people, and he soon acquired a large following. He continued to wander and spread the message of salvation until the end of his life.
Kanpur
During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Kanpur was a crucial centre of resistance, with Nana Sahib being declared as the Peshwa of Kanpur. After a long battle, General Hugh Wheeler was defeated outside the city, but Sir Colin Campbell recaptured Kanpur in December 1857. Nana Sahib and his Lieutenant, Tantiya Tope, escaped, and the British began targeting the innocent people of Kanpur. When Nabin Chandra arrived in Kanpur, he was appalled by the atrocities being committed against the people by the British soldiers and officers. Despite introducing himself as a monk from Tibet and requesting the British officer to stop oppressing the innocent, his plea went unheard. Nabin Chandra then had to use his spiritual power to temporarily weaken the soldiers under the British officer's command, forcing him to comply with his request.
Nabin Chandra also met with a senior officer and voluntarily got himself imprisoned to investigate how the prisoners were being treated. Upon his release, Nabin Chandra received an assurance that innocent people would not be punished by the British military officers and soldiers. The prisoners and people present at the scene hailed him as their saviour and gave him the name Tibbetibaba. His intervention in Kanpur served to alleviate the suffering of innocent people and earned him the respect and admiration of the masses.
Revisit to Nepal
Nabin Chandra was a rare saint in India who was believed to have the ability to temporarily or permanently enter into another human body. According to Hinduism, any living human soul can enter the body of another living or dead human. This is supported by Swami Vivekananda's book "Raj-Yoga or Conquering The Internal Nature". To achieve this, one must meditate on the body they wish to enter. Another well-known saint who achieved this feat was Adi Shankara. He entered the body of a dead king for a month to learn about the practical aspects of love-making when challenged by Ubhaya Bharati, the wife of Mandana Mishra, to have a debate on the "science of sex-love".
Hinduism believes that birth and death are like changing clothes, where the soul enters a new body during birth and discards the body during death. After wandering for many years, Nabin Chandra's body had grown weak, so he decided to enter his soul into the body of a Tibetan Buddhist monk who had just entered into the state of Parinirvana. With his new body, he continued to wander and make disciples.
Second view
According to the biographical accounts written by his disciples such as Kunjeshwar Misra and Akhandananda Brahmachari, this is the viewpoint put forth regarding Tibbetibaba.
Early life
Born in Sylhet (Srihatta), Bangladesh, Tibbetibaba was originally named Nabin. He was the sixth child of his family, and his parents were devout worshippers of Shiva. Unfortunately, his father passed away when he was very young. Nabin received his early education from a village school, but even as a child, he displayed a strong spiritual inclination. At the age of thirteen, he decided to leave home to embark on a spiritual journey in pursuit of the knowledge of God.
Search for a Guru
In his search for a guru, Nabin travelled to various places including Gaya, Ayodhya, and Vrindavan but did not find anyone suitable. He then visited the Amarnath shrine in Kashmir where he met a monk who advised him to go to Tibet to find a guru. The monk also suggested that Nabin could make his journey to Tibet less strenuous by entering through Nepal. However, he would need permission from the king of Nepal to enter Tibet via Nepal. The monk recommended that Nabin first visit the Prime Minister of Nepal, who was familiar with the monk, and seek his assistance in obtaining permission from the king.
Nepal
After traveling through various temples and other locations, Nabin eventually arrived in Nepal and met with the Prime Minister. Nabin conveyed his spiritual quest and the message from the monk he had met at Amarnath. The Prime Minister was impressed and took Nabin to meet the King of Nepal. The King was surprised by the spiritual enthusiasm of such a young boy and granted him permission to travel through Nepal and enter Tibet. Additionally, the King gave Nabin a letter to be presented to a Lama known to him.
Tibet
Nabin, accompanied by a group of Tibetan businessmen, entered Tibet and quickly found the Lama recommended by the King of Nepal. The Lama agreed to make him his disciple and instructed him to meditate on the image of his buffalo. After a year of intense meditation, Nabin attained Nirvikalpa samadhi of Saguna Brahman.
The Lama then introduced Nabin to Paramananda Thakkar, a renowned lama who had reached the pinnacle of Advaita Vedanta, tantra, and Mahayana Buddhism. Paramananda agreed to shelter Nabin but did not immediately make him his disciple. Instead, Nabin had to prove his worth by selflessly serving his new master for several years. Eventually, Paramananda was pleased with Nabin's service and made him his disciple.
For the next six years, Nabin rigorously followed the principles of yoga, tantra, Advaita Vedanta, and Mahayana Buddhism under Paramananda's guidance, and finally attained Nirvikalpa samadhi of Nirguna Brahman. After this, his guru advised him to visit other places in Tibet to further develop his spiritual knowledge.
During his travels, Nabin gained fame and respect throughout Tibet as a spiritually accomplished person. He stayed in Tibet for forty years, during which he learned many healing techniques from various lamas and old Tibetan medical texts.
Wanderings
After spending a considerable amount of time in Tibet, Nabin decided to travel to other parts of the world. His journey began in the Changtang region of Tibet and took him to countries like China, Mongolia, Russia (specifically the Siberian region), and Myanmar. Nabin was highly respected everywhere he went, known for his healing abilities and spiritual knowledge. He even learned the languages of the countries he visited, including English, Mandarin, Tibetan, Russian, Mongolian, and Burmese.
When Nabin arrived in India, Buddhist monks from Myanmar, who had heard of his accomplishments in Tibet, gave him the name Tibbetibaba. On his second visit to Myanmar, with the permission of the King and Queen, who were his devoted followers, Nabin transmigrated his soul into the body of a deceased prince of Myanmar. He did this because his own body had grown weak and feeble due to old age.
Devotee of Buddha
Tibbetibaba was a devout follower of Gautam Buddha and his teachings. He deeply believed in practicing love, compassion, and non-violence towards all living beings, which he integrated into his daily life. Tibbetibaba passed away in Palitpur village in Burdwan, India while sitting in front of an idol of Buddha, symbolizing his devotion and reverence towards the enlightened one
Ashrams
Tibbetibaba established two ashrams, one in the Dalal Pukur area of Santragachi in Howrah city, India and another in Palitpur village located in the Burdwan district of India.
Howrah ashram
Tibbetibaba established an ashram in Santragachhi, Howrah, India in November 1929 (2nd Agrahayana of Bengali calendar 1336). The land for the ashram was purchased by Bishnupada Chattopadhyaya, who later became known as Bhooan Swami. Tibbetibaba himself laid the first brick for the ashram, and more land was later acquired from a man in Entally, Kolkata. The ashram was named Tibbetibaba Vedanta Ashram by his disciples and devotees, but it is commonly referred to as Tibbetibaba Ashram by the local people of the Dalal Pukur area. Tibbetibaba Lane, located beside the large pond of the same name, is named after the saint.
Palitpur ashram
The Pragya Mandir ashram, also known as Tibbetibaba's Palitpur ashram, is situated in Palitpur village of Burdwan district, West Bengal, India. The land for the ashram was donated by Bhootnath Ta, and with the help of Dharma Das and his friends, the ashram was constructed. The Samadhi (tomb) of Tibbetibaba was built at this ashram after his death on 19 November 1930 (2nd Ogrohayon, 1337 of Bengali calendar), at midnight. The ashram also houses the Samadhi of Soham Swami, who was Tibbetibaba's disciple.
Healing powers
Tibbetibaba was renowned for his extraordinary ability to heal people. He had an extensive knowledge of various herbs and animal products, which he combined with his healing powers to cure numerous diseases and physical ailments.
Initially, he learned the art of healing from Dindayal Upadhyaya, an Ayurvedic practitioner from Gaya. Later, he expanded his knowledge and techniques of healing by studying under the guidance of the Lamas and Buddhist Tantrics in Tibet.