Bhagavan Das

Bhagavan Das, born Kermit Michael Riggs, began his spiritual journey in the early 1960s after becoming disillusioned with mainstream American life. Leaving the United States as a teenager, he travelled through Europe and North Africa before arriving in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, where he lived for several years as a wandering ascetic. During this period, he received teachings and initiations from numerous saints and spiritual practitioners, deeply absorbing the devotional music, languages, customs, and rhythms of South Asian spiritual life. It was in India that he took the name Bhagavan Das and became a devoted follower of the goddess Kali.

A turning point in his life came through his association with the Hindu saint Neem Karoli Baba. Bhagavan Das alternated between intense spiritual practice and ascetic living, developing a disciplined approach rooted in bhakti yoga. He later introduced Richard Alpert to Neem Karoli Baba, a meeting that transformed Alpert into Ram Dass and influenced the course of modern spiritual thought in the West. Bhagavan Das’s role during this period positioned him as a key, though often understated, bridge between Indian spiritual traditions and Western seekers.

After returning to the United States in the early 1970s, Bhagavan Das continued to express his devotion through kirtan, teaching, and writing. His autobiography, It’s Here Now (Are You?), offers a candid account of his spiritual path. As a musician, he released several albums that blend traditional chanting with contemporary production, including works produced in collaboration with Western artists. Alongside music, he has appeared in documentaries and films exploring spirituality, yoga, and inner transformation.

In recent years, Bhagavan Das has continued to teach and perform devotional music, often alongside his wife, Amulya Maa. His life’s work reflects a sustained commitment to bhakti, lived experience, and the transmission of devotional practice across cultural boundaries.