Teacher, Minister, Kriyacharya for Yogananda
Sri Ranendra Kumar Das, often simply called “Sri Das”, was an Indian whom the SRF magazine (see above) describes as “a philosophy professor who joined for a few years the roster of early Self-Realization teachers”. Yogananda had called him to the West from Calcutta to teach on his behalf, maybe in the early 1930s.
Sri Das was the “founder” (to use Yogananda’s word) of the SRF center in Indianapolis and was the leader of the SRF center in Cincinnati. At the same time he was a very active traveling teacher in the East of the USA.
He is mentioned as one of the SRF ministers in the East-West magazine, 1933:
NOTICE
Hereby it is announced that the following are ordained ministers of The Self
Realization Fellowship (Yogoda Sat Sanga Society) of America.
Honorary Vice Presidents
Yogi Hamid Bey; Bramachari Nerode; Bramachari Jotin [Swami Premananda]
Ministers
Sradha Devi; Ranendra Kumar Das; Upadeshak Punditji; Sister Gyanamata; Sister Bhakti; Salome E. Marckwardt; Mary Broomell; F. Darling [Durga Mata]; Yogi F. Sevaka [Daya Mata].
Sri Das was also authorized to give the Kriya initiation. A photo of one such initiation in Minneapolis is included here.
In addition, he was a prolific writer: SRF sold eleven books authored by him. He must have written one book per year.
The Inner Culture magazine of March 1937 describes his notable impact as a teacher: “Sri Das has also converted many thousands to the path of Yogoda.”
During the “Yogoda Convocation Banquet” on January 3, 1937, shortly after Yogananda had returned from India, Sri Das gave a passionate address to honor his Guru. His discourse shows his utter devotion and reverence for Yogananda:
“There is only one parallel that can be given to the life of Swami Yogananda. As nineteen hundred years ago in the streets of Galilee Jesus used to walk, his long robe flowing, his benign countenance lightened with the consciousness and realization of God, his mouth uttering the divine message to bring the wayward souls back to God, so similarly Swamiji goes on unselfishly, pursuing the ideal of service to all the children of God. Night and day, night and day, he is striving in every possible way to enlighten people and to bestow on them the priceless technique of Self-Realization. Darkness is still on those who have not recognized his divine message yet; eternal joy and peace on those who have understood him.”
HERE is his full speech.
Yogananda expressed great praise for Sri Das, as we read in his Inner Culture magazine (April 1942):
“I was amazed and delighted to see how well Sri Das has kept many of our Eastern S.R.F. Centers alive, besides founding the dynamic one in Indianapolis in the heart of the city, with very able assistant leaders, Mrs. Charles Hoffman and Miss M. Eckhardt. I was lavishly entertained in every way at Indianapolis.
I was most happy to see Sri Das having big campaigns in Boston, with hundreds attending his lectures and classes. He has indeed taken my place as a traveling teacher who spreads the unadulterated S.R.F. teachings.
That is why I invited Sri Das to come to Los Angeles and organize the Headquarters offices, where he has now added many valuable improvements. This fine teacher from India has given me soulful cooperation, reverentially and lovingly forgetting self.”
Durga Mata in her book Trilogy of Divine Love tells us how Sey with SRF ended. The ego, alas, emerged, as it so easily does:
“In 1941, Master brought R. K. Das from back East with him, and put him in charge of the office. He was an ambitious person for the work and did very well. He made many wonderful and good changes in the office. Master was very pleased with him.
In 1944, during the India famine, Master created an India Famine Fund, and wanted hundreds of letters mailed for donations for that purpose. Sri Das had the letters mailed for a while. When he saw the money pouring in for India, he wanted to keep that money for the office and not send it to India, nor did he want to continue the mailing. Master, who always had a soft spot for his beloved India, was displeased with Sri Das for making such a statement.
Master knew my heart was for India. He called me in from Encinitas, saying, ‘I want you to take over that department for India, and mail all the letters you can.’ I worked from morning until evenings, just mailing these appeal letters, hundreds a day, for I was a fast worker. Master was more than pleased with my work and the results it accomplished, but Sri Das was not so pleased, and did not like my sharp eyes in the office either. He complained to Master that I did nothing else but send those letters, and I should do other work instead. Master answered him, ‘That is the reason I placed her in that department to do my wishes, since you don’t want to do it.’
Sri Das got on his high horse and tried to frighten Master by saying, ‘All right then, put her in charge of the office, I am leaving.’ Master immediately took him up on that, and Sri Das answered, ‘All right, I will.’”
That was the end for him at SRF.
Why did Yogananda take Sri Das away from his precious teaching role in the East of the USA and from his centers? Why did he so readily accept his resignation and his offer to leave? The reason may be found in a great weakness of Sri Das, the knowledge of which Yogananda shared with Swami Kriyananda (Conversations With Yogananda):
“Sri Das, a man from India, was commissioned by the Master to teach on his behalf. Sri Das had a weakness, however: He was inordinately fond of women. The Master often scolded him for this shortcoming.
Sri Das was bald, and very sensitive on the point: He wanted the ladies to think him handsome. Master played on this sensitivity with a view to curing him of it. It wasn’t the baldness itself the Master made fun of. Saint Lynn, for example, was also quite bald, and the Master never even alluded to the fact. He teased Sri Das, however, relentlessly.
He also worked, much more seriously, to help him overcome his tendency to view women as all that different from men, when the difference was only biological.
In telling me (Walter) about Sri Das, the Master said, ‘I said to him very frankly, what you find attractive are only the grossly physical differences. You demean not only them, but yourself, when you view women in that way. Learn to see everybody as a soul. No one is his or her mere body!’”
Possibly this weakness was the reason why Yogananda took Sri Das away from his important teaching role, why he put him in the office of Mt. Washington, and why he let him go: to avoid him getting into various affairs with women. Durga Mata (above) writes that he “did not like my sharp eyes in the office”. One wonders what her sharp eyes observed.
At any rate, as the SRF magazine states (see above): Sri Das “was a faithful lifetime follower of Paramhansaji.” In fact, he remained his faithful and devoted disciple, throughout his life.