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bheema ma Registered User (4/16/03 5:20 pm) Reply	Yoga Journal Article Just saw this article from May/June 2003 issue, page 26: It isn't on their website yet (probably because the issue is too new--their website is: www.yogajournal.com), so I'll type it here: Who Owns Yogananda? --Carolyn Edy Two feuding shools of spirituality say that they are ready to relinquish the past and work toward friendship and harmony, thanks in part to a recent court decision. At the end of October 2002, a 12-year legal battle between the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) and the Ananda Church of Self-Realization was brought to a close by the outcome of a final, four-week trial. "We've been saddened by the fact that we've been sued by the organization that our common guru started, and we're very, very happy that it's over," says John Novak, spiritual director for Ananda. Until now the two groups were unable to overcome their differences because of their similarities. Paramahansa Yogananda, a leader in bringing yoga to the U.S., founded SRF in 1920. J. Donald Walters (Kriyananda), a disciple of Yogananda, founded Ananda in 1968, six years after being asked to resign from the SRF board of directors. The dispute started in 1990 when Ananda, who earlier began to publish some of Yogananda's writings and recordings, changed its name to the Ananda Church of Self-Realization. This led to what SRF's board of directors felt was "tremendous confusion" about the identities of the two organizations. SRF acquired a trademark, wrote letters to Ananda, and ultimately filed a lawsuit and two appeals. "We're peace-loving people--for most people who devote themselves to a life of meditation and spiritual practice, the last thing you want to do is get into a conflict or a confrontation," says SRF spokesperson Brother Chidananda. But, Chidananda says, SRF saw the need to establish a "definite degree of clarity between the organization Yogananda created himself and any spin-off organization." Although each group says it has wished for harmony all along, neither could agree on issues in the lawsuit even two weeks before the final court ruling. Both groups also say they are happy with the outcome--even though on the surface, SRF lost most of the lawsuit. The court determined that SRF did not have sole rights to the term "self-realization" nor to the name and likeness of Paramahansa Yogananda. A judge also recommended that Ananda keep "ananda" as part of its name in addition to "Church of Srlf-Realization," to which the group complied. And though some of Yogananda's writings were already of the public domain, the court did recognize SRF's ownership of some of his writings and sound recordings. The court ordered Ananda to pay SRF about $29,000 for its earnings from the distribution of sound recordings ruled to be owned by SRF. But Ananda does not have to pay any damages to SRF, since its use of the printed m aterials was for educational and religious purposes. More important than the court decision, however, is the walk-away agreement to which both organizations committed. "The world needs examples of harmony and cooperation among spiritual groups," says Novak. "It's time for this negativity to end." ------------- I for one, hope that the agreement and the harmony alluded to in the last paragraph become a reality, not an momentary aberration.
Lobo Registered User (4/16/03 10:23 pm) Reply	Re: Yoga Journal Article I too saw the article and was impressed with the objectivity of the reporter who got quotes from spokespersons from each organization. Those spokespersons didn't really shed any new light on the future of the organizations as far as how they will now "get along" post lawsuit. Maybe its just to early to see any significant changes. Both Daya Mata and Kriyananda are getting along in years and both will be gone in the not to distant future. Maybe with their passing the new leaders will figure out someway to not only peacefully coexist but also to acknowledge the other as a legitimate channel for the teachings of the common guru. I am of the opinion, however, that SRF will not do anything which will aide Ananda. They will always, I believe, see their work and organization as being founded by the guru, thereby giving them a legitimacy that Ananda doesn't enjoy-a strong reason for them not to even publicly acknowledge Ananda; unless forced to as in this type of article. Thich Nhat Hanh in his book, Living Buddha, Living Christ makes the following observation, "One hundred years after the passing of the Buddha, the community of his disciples divided into two parts; within four hundred years, there were twenty schools; and since then, there have been many more. Fortunately, these separations have, for the most part, not been too painful, and the garden of Buddhism is now filled with many beautiful flowers, each school representing an attempt to keep the Buddha's teachings alive under new circumstances. Living organisms need to change and grow. By respecting the differences within our own church and seeing how these differences enrich one another, we are more open to appreciating the richness and diversity of other traditions." Both current Yogananda traditions recognize him as an avatar. Maybe, like Buddism,in the next four hundred years many more organizations and offshots will emerge that recognize Yogananda as their guru. At least these recent growing pains are now behind us all, and that's a good thing for those who revere Yogananda.
crogman1 Registered User (4/28/03 5:34 am) Reply	Re: Yoga Journal Article Keep in mind there are followers of Yogananda's that do not follow Ananda or SRF. The future for spiritual growth based on Master's teachings does not lie with organized organizations for most people. That is my belief. The idea that we have ego based organizations to tell us poor normal people how to live, to tell us how to act, and to setup a higher tier of devotee is a Kali Yuga based ideal. It is done.
Lobo Registered User (4/29/03 9:49 pm) Reply	Re: Yoga Journal Article Crog, I agree with what you are saying about the future of religion and spirituality. The Hindu's are organizational-shy for a good reason, and our founder came from that tradition of course trying to unite yogic spirituality with western church services. While he was here in charge it seemed to work very well, and of course while he had people he could count on such as Dr. Lewis lecturing in the churches each week. But now we have 3rd generation monks leading the services, and they all are doing a fine job-I'm not knocking them per se, but there is a dramatic drop-off in terms of imparting real tangible spiritual power to the members, as PY and Dr. and others did. They are lecturing from written words, memorized and delivered in a pleasing manner. They are also monastics which gives them some heft. But they are also worshipped by the members as being high spiritual beings (else they wouldn't be monastics) who serve a divinely realized president who is infallible in judgment and pronouncements. In the future we then will probably see more meditational services where members are urged to attend regularly to practice the yogic techniques; and less of the lecture-type format, where members are spectators, uninvolved in actual practice of the founders teachings, maybe only seeking some nice words on a Sunday morning and not seeking meditation as a path to Liberation. The guru evaluates seekers before he/she accepts them. They are closely questioned and commitment ascertained, desire for God/Liberation weighed and if found lacking are turned down as unripe for what they, the gurus, have to offer. SRF does away with this, seeking to reach the widest possible audience, accepting those with white-hot zeal for God, and those (like me) who just want to be students without having to give up too much of what is held dear, but who nonetheless are attracted to PY and his teachings. This might change in the future. SRF might then be more discerning of who they accept as students, along the lines (maybe not as severe) as the traditional guru. Then those who do come will want to meditate at Sunday services, seeking less to be entertained with pleasing words. Also Ananda has become, in my view, much like SRF. The have elevated Mr. Walters much the way SRF has done with Daya Mata. They have, much like SRF, set up a hierarchy; with senior members becoming "Lightbearers", picked as so by Mr. Walters. They give kriya initiation to seekers, again after being picked to do by Mr. Walters. Ananda of course has spent the last 10 or more years being very critical of SRF for these same things (and more) whilst all the time (it seems to me) becoming much the same, adopting almost the same structure and organizational framework. They have Lightbearers give the Sunday service, again SRF. They have turned the World Brotherhood Colony model into a church, which in my view solidifies the latter, whilst the former is fluid without the organizational frame. While Ananda of course is proving that Master's World Brotherhood Colonies was/is a very excellent way to live and seek God, they also, like SRF, seek to become bigger with more members in more states and countries. And I imagine that they don't require much, like SRF, in terms of accepting students; like SRF seeking the financial rewards of that type of thing, more members = more money = more expansion. It's a tail-chasing exercise when a spiritual organization sets off down that road. Where does it end? Maybe as you say contraction of member seeking and expansion of member serving; seeking to become what the Guru was (not in power, but in purpose). Just interested if you wanted God and if you were willing to give up everything to get Him/Her. Then they will have the proper focus and can provide members with meditation learned wisdom when called upon for aide to keep walking the yogic path.

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