The following quotes (all taken from older editions of the Autobiography of a Yogi) shed light on several beautiful sides of Yogananda. They show a spirit and a history to be remembered – even to be protected.
Yogananda’s Humanitarian Gold Medal
Once upon a time…did you know this fun piece of history?
Yogananda was not only the inward monk, but was extremely expansive. In this spirit, in early editions of the Autobiography of a Yogi, he encouraged members not “to isolate themselves from the community, but to lead balanced lives of meditation AND constructive outer activities.”
Yogananda much appreciated humanitarian work, also outside his own organization. Thus he created “SRF Gold Medals Awards for Services to Humanity”, which were given annually as rewards to humanitarians in the fields of religion, art, science, and public service. During the opening ceremonies of India House in 1951 he presented eight such Gold Medals. The Gold Medals displayed the symbols of “a Cross, a five-pointed star with the eye of wisdom in the center, and a lotus- its roots in the mire and its crown in the sun, a symbol of ascent from mortality to Godhood.”
A part of the Master and his history not to be lost!
~~~
Yogananda’s Charitable Gift Shops and Welfare Fund
Once upon a time…did you know this fun piece of history?
In the editions 3-5 of the Autobiography of a Yogi (1951-1955) we read about Yogananda’s welfare gift shops: Renunciates sold donations made by members and friends of SRF. The proceeds of this activity were “wholly used for charitable purposes.”
Yogananda even established a “SRF Welfare Fund” to which the renunciates (receiving no salaries) donated “all gratuities”. Food, so one reads, was in this way provided “to children in India and Europe”.
This seems another precious Yogananda-feature to be kept alive.
~~~
Yogananda’s Universal Spirit
Once upon a time…did you know this fun piece of history?
Still taken from older editions of the Autobiography of a Yogi: Yogananda, in his beautiful universal spirit, called all his churches “Church of All Religions”: The “SRF Church of All Religions in Washington, D.C.”, “SRF Hollywood Church of All Religions”, “SRF Church of All Religions in San Diego”, and “another one in Long Beach”. Today only the Hollywood Church retains that historic name.
We also once read about Yogananda’s special feature of “universal benignity” in the Church of All Religions in Hollywood: “A universal benignity flows from small niches with statues of Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar, Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, Moses, St. Francis and a beautiful mother-of-pearl reproduction of Christ at the last supper.”
The same church originally had its two pulpits for a specific reason: Yogananda’s plan was to use one for SRF ministers, the other one for ministers of other religions whom he planned to invite – he had in mind a true “Church of all Religions.”
In the 1946 edition Yogananda expresses his world-spirit in another way: “We shall arrange here (Encinitas) for many conferences and Congresses of Religion, inviting delegates from all lands. Flags of the nations will hang in our halls. Diminutive temples will be built over the grounds, dedicated to the world’s principal religions.”
~~~
Yogananda and Freedom
Once upon a time…did you know this fun piece of history?
It is interesting to read (in Autobiography of a Yogi editions before 1955) that Yogananda referred to Swami Premananda as “the founder of the SRF Church in Washington, D.C.”
In the original 1946 edition Yogananda similarly wrote: “…during a visit to his (Premananda’s) new temple,…” He seemed to have given a good measure of independence to others.
Babaji, concerning Kriya Yoga, similarly seemed to have given some measure of freedom. He left Lahiri Mahasaya the freedom to develop Kriya according to his own discernment: Lahiri, as we read in the Autobiography, “carefully graded Kriya into four progressive initiations,” and “wisely sifted out four steps which he discerned to be those which contained the essential marrow, and which were of the highest value in actual practice.” In other words he developed the Kriya he had received from Babaji.
So did Sri Yukteswar, and also Yogananda who both made slight changes which they deemed appropriate for teaching Kriya to their disciples. The core technique remained the same of course, but unfortunately it started a lot of quarrelling among disciples about which Kriya is the best, purest, and most original.
Yogananda also included in the Kriya procedure his energization exercises, which, as he writes, “I had discovered in 1916”, as well as the Hong Sau-technique. Again, it was not exclusively a “carefully preserved” and “handed down” Kriya tradition.
In this context it is interesting to read Sri Yukteswar’s letter to Yogananda (ch. 37), in which he thanks him for “your methods in chant affirmations, healing vibrations, and divine healing prayers”. Yogananda as we see taught his own methods. He was an enlightened Master, of course, and not many of us would have that same right. At any rate, this letter too give an impression of Kriya Yoga as a breathing spiritual path, inspired from within.
This is a big and important topic. How free should future generations be in interpreting Kriya? Probably they would be wise not to touch what any of the great ones (Babaji, Lahiri, Sri Yukteswar, or Yogananda) have established. Yogananda’s future generation, for example, should definitively teach Hong So, his energization exercises, the AUM-technique, and Kriya Yoga in exactly the same way he taught it, with all its elements.
But in all that our Kriya path should ever remain one of inner joy, freedom, and appropriate individual creativity.
~~~
Yogananda Supporting Other Kriya Lines and Institutions
Once upon a time…did you know this fun piece of history?
Yogananda wrote in early editions of the Autobiography of a Yogi: “The Arya Mission Institution (of Panchanon Battacharya) undertook the publication of many of the guru’s (Lahiri’s) scriptural commentaries.” Panchanon’s institution was just one of several efforts to spread the new Kriya message.
Yogananda was friends with Tinkuri and Dukouri Lahiri, sons of Lahiri Mahasaya, who of course taught Kriya Yoga (and their family line continues today). Yogananda harmoniously shared with them the spreading of Kriya. Yogananda also visited Swami Keshabananda, who with his disciples spread Kriya Yoga (they still have active ashrams today). Did or would Yogananda object? Why should he? Or would he tell disciples of Ram Gopal Muzumdar to stop teaching Kriya?
Babaji, we read in the Autobiography, chose Yogananda “to spread the message and technique of Kriya Yoga in the West.” Babaji’s words “in the West” certainly imply an important mission, but don’t seem to imply a worldwide monopoly.
Today Swami Shankarananda and others are doing a wonderful work of spreading the Kriya message in East and West. Yogananda, according to the early Autobiography of a Yogi would not object: “Kriya should be learned from a kriyaban.”
~~~
Yogananda’s Spirit Toward Other Great Teachers
Once upon a time…did you know this fun piece of history?
A memorable example of Yogananda’s universal spirit can be discovered in a footnote in his Autobiography, in the first few pages of the original 1946 edition, where he recommends the Bhagavad Gita-commentaries of another great Master. His words are: “One of the best translations with detailed commentary is Sri Aurobindo’s Message of the Gita (Jupiter Press, 16 Semudoss St., Madras, India, $3.50).”
A generous spirit to be remembered!
~~~
Yogananda’s Openness to the Public
Once upon a time…did you know this fun piece of history?
Yogananda was expansive, with a heart reaching out to the world, keeping the doors open to all, and being a dear friend to people everywhere. This too is a piece of history which will hopefully never be lost. (Quotes again taken from the Autobiography during Yogananda’s lifetime).
There was a SRF Encinitas Hotel “for the accommodation of SRF members and the public”. In later editions it became a SRF retreat for members.
In Yogananda’s times in Dakshineshwar “suitable accommodations are available for Western guests, and particularly for those seekers who are intensely dedicating their lives to spiritual realization.” Modern versions don’t offer these accommodations.
The same in Ranchi: “A guest house is hospitably open for Western visitors.” Today we don’t find Yogananda’s hospitability anymore.
At the Hollywood church once “stone seats on the lawn are an invitation to passers-by on busy Sunset Boulevard to enter and enjoy a few meditative moments.” Today Yogananda’s public invitation is not offered.
“The SRF Lake Shrine is open to the public.” This sentence is now missing from the main text in the Autobiography of a Yogi, but we still find it under the Lake-Shrine photo.
We read in an early Autobiography (during Yogananda’s life, in 1951) about three public SRF cafes which Yogananda operated: one at Lake Shrine (in the courtyard garden of the Dutch Windmill house), one in Hollywood (SRF India Cafe), and one in Encinitas. They are now history.
The “Cultural India House” is seen on a photo in 1951, invitingly facing Sunset Boulevard, showing a fence-less (maybe those days were less dangerous?) Hollywood Church. It was originally described by Yogananda as “a meeting place for East and West”. In it, there used to be a Reading Room, as one reads. It also offered a Gandhi-Memorial-Library. All these inviting public features today are history.
There is, in early editions, a sweet and touching testimonial for the Autobiography of a Yogi, by Prof. Piper (parts are still being used today). He wrote that after earnestly reading Master’s book that “one has the happy feeling of being the lasting friend of a rare genius.” His words seem most appropriate for who Yogananda was and is.
May Yogananda ever be remembered that way: a lasting friend to all, easily accessible from heart to heart, ever open to the public, to everyone.
~~~
Disciples Writing About Their Guru
Once upon a time…did you know this fun piece of history?
In early editions of his Autobiography Yogananda wrote: “Like Jesus and other great prophets, Lahiri Mahasaya himself wrote no books, but his penetrating interpretations were recorded and arranged by various disciples. Some of these voluntary amanuenses were more discerning than others in correctly conveying the profound insight of the guru; yet, on the whole, their efforts were successful. Through their zeal, the world possesses unparalleled commentaries by Lahiri Mahasaya on twenty-six ancient scriptures.”
“Various disciples” of Yogananda have followed their example, and wrote about Yogananda and his teachings as they understood them:
- Durga Mata: Triology of Divine Love
- Dr. Lewis: Treasures against Time
- Swami Kriyananda: The New Path
- Kamala Silva: The Flawless Mirror
- Meera Gosh: My Reminiscences of Paramhansa Yogananda
- Roy Eugene Davis: My Life with Paramahansa Yogananda
- Sananda Gosh: Mejda
- Hare Krishna Gosh: Experiences With My Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda
- Swami Satyananda: Yogananda Sangha
- Peggy Deitz: Thank You, Master
Again, “on the whole, their efforts were successful”.
May we keep these features of Yogananda alive, his legacy of love and openness!