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Hariwansh Lal Poonja (/ ˈ p ʊ n dʒ ə /; born 13 October 1910 (or later) in Punjab, British India – 6 September 1997 in Lucknow, India) was an Indian sage. Poonja was called "Poonjaji" or "Papaji" / ˈ p ɑː p ɑː dʒ i / by devotees. He was a key figure in the Neo-Advaita movement.
His original name was Hariwansh Lal Poonja, and he appears in Day by Day with Bhagavan as Mr. Poonja from the Punjab. Papaji had many disciples whom he called Ambassadors. During Satsang, he told his devotees to go home and share their experiences and teachings with friends.
One of the major Indian gurus of the twentieth century, Sri H.W.L. Poonja, or Poonjaji, or affectionately called Papaji, was not affiliated with any formal Indian tradition or lineage.
Sri Harilal W. Poonja, or Papaji, as he is affectionately known, was born in the Western Punjab in 1910. His mother was the sister of Swami Rama Tirta, a well known sage and poet. Poonjaji was eight years old when he first experienced the unstoppable bliss of his own infinite nature.
- Biography
- Teaching Through Silence
- Bibliography
- External Links
Early life
H. W. L. Poonja was born in Gujranwalla, in western Punjab, now in Pakistan, in a family of Saraswat Brahmins. His mother was the sister of Swami Rama Tirtha. At the age of eight, he claimed he had experienced an unusual state of consciousness: As an adult he led a normal life: he married, raised two children and joined the British army, having alleged visions of Krishna.
Meeting Ramana Maharshi
After all his attempts had failed he returned to his family in Lyallpur. A sadhu appeared at the door soon after and Poonja asked him the question he had asked swamis throughout the country: "Can you show me God? If not, do you know of anyone who can?" The sadhu told him that there was a person, Ramana Maharshi, who could show him God and explained how to find Ramana Maharshi at Tiruvannamalai in southern India. At the earliest opportunity, Poonjaji travelled to Tiruvannamalai to meet the sag...
Transformation
He found that he could no longer bring his mind to think of God, do japa or any other spiritual practice. He asked Ramana for help and was told that this was not a problem, that all his practice had carried him to this moment and it could be left behind now because it had served its purpose. When telling Ramana about the story of his search of the Self; Poonja recognised this as the same state he experienced when he was eight years old, but this time it was permanent.[web 3]
His teaching emphasises that words can only point to ultimate truth, but never are ultimate truth, and that intellectual understanding without directly realising the truth through one's own investigation is not enough. Like Sri Ramana he stressed that teaching through silence was more important than teaching through words. Once, when a French seeke...
Satsangs
1. Wake Up and Roar: Satsang With H. W. L. Poonja(two volumes), edited by Eli Jaxon-Bear 2. The Fire of Freedom: Satsang with Papajiby David Godman, published by Avadhuta Foundation 3. The Simplest Way by Madhukar, Editions India, 2nd edition, USA & India 2006 (contains Interview with H. W. L. Poonja)
Overview of teachings
1. This: Prose and Poetry of Dancing Emptiness(the essence of Papaji's teachings) Edited by Prashanti, published by VidyaSagar Publications and Weiserbooks.com 2. The Truth Is(the essence of Papaji's teachings with dialogues) Edited by Prashanti, published by VidyaSagar Publications and Weiserbooks.com
Interviews
1. Papaji: Interviews(A collection of Interviews with Poonja) by David Godman, published 1993 by Avadhuta Foundation 2. Papaji Interviews & Reflections(earlier Indian edition, essentially a different book), published 1992 by Pragati
The sadhu told him that there was a person, Ramana Maharshi, who could show him God and explained how to find Ramana Maharshi at Tiruvannamalai in southern India. At the earliest opportunity, Poonjaji travelled to Tiruvannamalai to meet the sage Ramana Maharshi at Ramanashramam at Arunachala.
Hari Wench Lal Poonja was born into an upper-class Brahmin family on October 13, 1910 in Gujrunwala in western Punjab, a part of India that is now in Pakistan, and raised in nearby Lyalpur, now called Faisalabad.
