"When the disciple is ready, the Guru will appear." This was on a postcard that Giridhara, then known as Tom Barefoot, received in early 1970 from a college friend who was returning from India. She was bringing the first wholetimer to the United States, and Giridhara received initiation on April 3rd of that year. He was blessed to have his first darshan with Baba at the end of the following year.
For the next 52 years, Giridhara dedicated his life first and foremost to serving Baba’s Mission.
Giridhara lived his life with conscious intention. A quiet man, he was thoughtful in the words he used, listening intently and speaking only when there was something to be said.
Giridhara was involved with building the organization in NY Sector over many years. At different times he was actively involved in AMURT, RU, Prout, and Dharma Pracar. He helped run the LFT training center in Los Altos Hills, CA, and later set up the training center in Philadelphia. He helped publish the much-loved books Baba’s Grace, Great Universe, and Teaching Asanas: An Ananda Marga Manual for Teachers. along with the Mind Show.
A number of musicians remember recording kiirtan albums at the dome in Vermont, where Giridhara set up a recording studio, and worked to support artists and to make kiirtan available to more and more people.
Giridhara was instrumental in starting The Electronic Edition of the Works of P.R. Sarkar, a compilation of all of Baba’s books printed in English that can be easily accessed by computer or smartphone with convenient search engines.
When Baba left his body in 1990, Giridhara realized that we are the keepers of Baba’s words, and he dedicated the next three decades to preserving them and making them available. From his first days in Ananda Marga, Giridhara had collected newsletters, books, recordings and videos - anything that preserved the history of Baba and His work. These things later became the foundation for the PR Sarkar Archives, something he would dedicate his life to building. Realizing his health was becoming compromised, Giridhara brought on younger margiis to take over much of the work of the Archives, that it might continue preserving the history of Baba’s Mission for future generations. Later in life, he was pivotal in making the archival materials available for Baba’s Centenary celebration.
In so many ways Giridhara was an ideal margii. He had a deep love for all animals and plants and really all creation, and was non-compromising in living a dharmic life. He was also a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and was dearly loved by his family and all his many brothers and sisters in Ananda Marga around the world. Until the end, he lived his life as an example of Baba’s teachings.
There will be a Shraddha Ceremony online on Sunday morning (Eastern Daylight Time), April 24, 2022. The time and Zoom details will be announced soon.
Donations can be made to the PR Sarkar Archives, where his heart and mind were these many years.
Contact: Chandrashekar craigrunde@gmail.com
If you would like to share something about Giridhara’s life, you may do so here.
I first met Giridhara in Philadelphia in the late 70's at the "Castle" where he was the trainer. At that time he guided me in visualizations from the Italian psychiatrist, Assagioli, that became an integral part of my personal work and visualizations I used with clients at the Medical University of South Carolina and later at the Prama Institute. This was the beginning of a friendship with a brother who was always there for me personally and in our shared mission work. He was a rare blend of sweetness and intelligence.
ReplyDeleteGiridhara and Cirasmita were a powerful team for the mission with support for projects and pracar that you could count on. We shared AMURT and AMURTEl work for many years and support of Ananda Marga publicatons. We all benefited from the electronic editions of Baba's transcribed lectures that he played a central role in supporting through translations and published work. He played the key role in creating Baba's archives and seeing that the achival materials were preserved by different elements of our organization globally. He was always cooperative in making these achival materials available to everyone. Most recently his cooperation with Dada Gunamukananda in making use of archival material in creating the beautiful Centennial Celebration film of Baba's life and mission work was a boon to all devotees.
Among all of his vital contributions to Baba's mission his steady presence and willingness to support everyone in our shared mission stands out. His loving and thoughtful counsel will be greatly missed. His example of a devotee's life well lived remains with us all. In Baba's lap he surely remains.
Baba's Grace,
Ac. Vishvamitra
I also met Giridhara in 1970 following my initiation. He was one pointed from the beginning in his devotion to Baba and his dedication to the mission. It is a great tribute to our brother, how much he accomplished in many different spheres over the years. All he did was an expression of his love, brilliance and devotion. The world is better for his being here. I am better for having known him. In HIS GRACE, Hanuman
ReplyDeleteGiridhara was a truly remarkable and memorable figure in the formative years of NY Sector. I first met him in the Los Altos Hills Jagrti in the summer of 1973 when we was working on the books, "Baba's Grace" and "The Great Universe" with Madhuri (Didi Ananda Mitra). He was as Baba would say a "silent worker". He always let his actions speak louder than his words and for that he will reman a great spiritual example for family Margiis in NY Sector and around the world. And obviously Baba was so pleased with his demeanor and adherence to 16 Points, that He took maximum work from him in the field of Publications, AMURT/AMURTEL, geodesic design and in the all-important Archive Department. A man of extreme self-control, balance and introversion, I can't ever remember hearing any negative comments or gossip about anyone, such was his control over all of his Indriyas.
ReplyDeleteHe is deservedly with Baba now and likely eager to resume His work wherever and whenever He deems it fit.
Giridhara
ReplyDeleteSteady in his thoughts and words,
Consistent, and of a firm consistency,
An immovable match for his mountainous work.
I shared some of those goals,
And each wished to know
That other who shared.
It lit both of us up
When one wise kid
Asked "How does it feel?,"
Bestowing reality, not mercy,
Then spewed it with harmonica,
And darkened it all with some organ.
We both were Proutists,
But what did Prout mean?
When collisions impended,
We swerved out of that lane.
What we shared was enough,
And let some things go by.
Preserving what's perfect,
Being part of God's plan
For all those years with an ideal man.
While toward the end we both slowed,
I put my hand to work still,
But his would not.
From there it was the lame goading the half-lame,
To get his work done.
For doing no work was no option.
I miss that phase too.
25 April 2022
Gridhara was my LFT trainer in the "castle" in Philadelphia in 1974 when I came over from Europe to attend the LFT training. He was very welcoming and patient and always supportive. Those were very memorable three months in my development. He remained always a great support in my LFT work and later in my first posting in NY Sector..
ReplyDelete