siddhidata

Siddhidata is the spiritual gift of Lord Ganesha. I assumed the use of this name through His Grace and as a direct result of one of the most unlikely spiritual journeys. From humble beginnings in the South of England, through a long voyage that finds me, essentially, without a base, a traveling mendicant if you will, I have been kown as Peter, Bhakta Peter, Garuda Dasa, Sid, Sidhi and now Siddhidata (siddhi) as well as some more colorful names that have included asshole, and many more.

My parents enrolled me in The Church of England (like Catholicism but without the guilt emphasis) but my natural inclination was to research Eastern religions and philosphies, and from the earliest age I was drawn to the culture of the Sikhs and Hindus that were immigrating to London.

I studied the techniques of Maharshi Mahesh Yogi’s Transcendental Meditation system and then became a member of The International Society for Krsna Consciousness (ISKCON) where I met my Guru Jayatirtha Maharajah Tirthapada. This was at a critical time in his journey, and a fundamental turning point in mine.

His Grace guided me to study the teachings of Adi Da Samraj, of Osho and the treasure trove of wisdom being published on the exciting new medium of the internet and through the rising population of (previously Eastern) souls taking birth in the West who were publishing and commenting on texts previously unknown in the West. The name given me by Jayartitha, Garuda Dasa, began to seem inappropriate, so (for reasons that will be outlined in other articles) I adopted Sidhi, but soon, that too needed changing. In a process of deep meditation the name Siddhidata appeared.

It felt like a perfect fit, as my realizations became more aligned with the understanding of Zen.

My journey is over, it has only just begun.