Within a week of completing Soylent Green in 1972, I was on a plane to India. I took little with me and traveled coach by choice. I thought it would be more in the spirit of surrender to my adventure. Peter Sellers had given me a letter of introduction to his teacher. It was a Swami who had a small ashram on the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. I decided to leave so spontaneously I did not write ahead. I simply arrived in a battered old cab at his ashram and gave him the letter of introduction. His name was Swami Venketesananda and he welcomed me warmly. I stayed two weeks, and then with Swamigi’s advice, I decided to travel on to India and to Rishikesh. Rishiskesh is high in the Himalayas and is a spiritual center for India. I was going to the Sivananda Ashram , now with a letter of introduction from Swami Venketesananda.
After any number of adventures, I arrived at the Sivananda Ashram and stayed for two months. I had incredible and wonderful experiences during my stay. I was very happy. However, the physical conditions were rough. I slept on a board in a cement cell, and the food was not resonant with either my genetics or my tastes! I didn’t care at all. I was so content to be in a place where the pursuit of knowing God was the entire focus. Every day was filled with various disciplines: chanting, meditation, prayer and contemplation. The focus was Hindu, but I only saw it as a path to know God. India, of course, was especially familiar to me because of my grandfather.
There were 200 Swamis in training there. All of them were men. I was one of four women studying there as a guest. One of these Swamis was recommended to me to became my private tutor in Advaita Vedanta, a very esoteric form of Hindu study. His name was Swami Tejomayananda. Every morning at 3:30 am I would go to his “cell” and he would teach me. He was very kind and simple with me, and I was so eager to learn. After several months, I knew I had to return home. I had a small son. He had been staying very happily with his grandparents. He was all that called me home.
I was sad to leave, and somewhat afraid. How was I going to “weave” these experiences into my career and life in Los Angeles. On my return from India, my son and I moved into the Château Marmont. It was a perfect transition. It was a residence filled mostly with artists. You could almost call it an ashram for artists, but a wild one. It was the early Seventies. It was actually humorous. I was wearing white robes, drinking carrot juice, meditating and mothering amongst rock n’ rollers, actors and writers. It was a colorful place to be. I did establish some relationships at that time with Phoebe Snow and Dave Mason. They are my dear friends today.
Someone told me that a certain Swami Muktananda was coming from India, and would be having a gathering for people to meet him. They said he was very powerful spiritually, and with but a “look” an individual could have an important spiritual awakening. This was exciting news to me, and I planned immediately to go. The night before this meeting, I went to the Self Realization Fellowship, meditated all night, and prayed that this might be my Guru. I wanted a teacher! I had been around a primarily Hindu path. In that context, it was natural to want a Guru. The word Guru itself means “dispeller of darkness”. I wanted more light in my life. My grandfather had passed away, and no one in my life at the time, reflected back to me what interested me most, which was the desire to be closer to God, and to know God intimately.
When the door opened the next morning, who stood there but Swami Tejomayananda, my tutor in India. He had since left the Sivananda Ashram, chosen Muktananda as his Guru and was now travelling with Muktananda throughout America. We stood there, stunned, seeing each other once again but in Santa Monica, California. We hugged (not usual for a Swami to do) and he excitedly pulled me in and threw me in front of Swami Muktananda, or “Baba”. Baba smiled sweetly at me and in Hindi said: “please come to the retreat”. It was beginning the next day for one week. I was there.
For the next two years, I was as close to Baba as I could be. I traveled to many retreats, or “intensives”. His translator at that time, was a gorgeous and humble Indian girl named Malti. Today she is Gurumayi, the direct inheritor of his spiritual legacy. Baba was a great master. He named me Mirabai, and lovingly nurtured and accelerated my growth. I would often speak to Baba about leaving my career behind, he would take me aside and say no, what you do is not a concern, who you are is the point. He would ask me to introduce him at many events. This was funny, because I was trying so hard to be unknown. He would gently but firmly thrust me back into the world. He remains in my heart as my beloved Baba.
Learn More About Baba Muktananda
Aliens from Spaceship Earth Documentary
Aliens From Spaceship Earth, a documentary directed by Don Como and narrated by Donovan, is a treasure trove of 70’s spiritual counterculture. The documentary features LTY sharing about her experience with Baba Muktananda. Watch the video below to hear LTY talk about Baba and see some incredible archival footage.