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ranger20 Registered User (9/19/03 11:44 am) Reply	What writings do you trust I know this has been discussed before, but I'm interested in people's current opinions. Since PY said after he was gone "the teachings" would be the guru, but those teachings are filtered through SRF, which, if any, of the writings do people consider accurate representations of Paramahansa Yogananda's thought? This came to mind recently when I was looking at one of the newer "How To Live Books," about living a successful life. I'd picked it up at a bookstore some time ago, but never was much able to get into it. Recently I took a closer look and it became apparent why not. I found words like "cubicle" and "scenario" in their contemporary usage. I found this sentence, "don't let anyone psychologize you." Other terms that really haven't been in common usage for much more than a decade. A lot of plugs for "the Self-Realization Fellowship teachings." All in all, no basis for trusting that I can get any of Master's original writing or meaning out of it. So what is trustworthy? I tend to think of the following: 1) The red edition of "Whispers" 2) The lessons on the basic techniques. Someone here posted sections from the original Hong Sau lesson that was the same except for some minor grammer changes. 3) I tend to trust "Scientific Healing Affirmations," since the theme of the power of word and thought when they reflect truth seems to permeate the other teachings. 4) The AY, with earlier editions more trustworthy, and the caution to watch SRF plugs in the current edtions. I'm very interested to hear other opinions on this subject
xmonk Registered User (10/1/03 4:44 pm) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust The reason that you cannot extract spirituality and truth from the writings is that there is none there. Virtually everything that has been written, in days gone by, has been rewritten and edited by Mrinalini. That is, and has been, her function. Don't forget that she and Daya were the main components of the "takeover" when Rajarsi passed. Everything is and has been geared to their line of thought. PY sure missed the mark when he said that every successor to him would be God realized. Nothing could be further from the truth.
ranger20 Registered User (10/2/03 12:49 pm) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust *Quote:* PY sure missed the mark when he said that every successor to him would be God realized. Nothing could be further from the truth I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think PY said this. I recall DM making this statement on a tape, and attributing it to Babaji.
thatpilgrim Registered User (10/2/03 3:59 pm) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PY sure missed the mark when he said that every successor to him would be God realized. Nothing could be further from the truth -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've heard that Tara Mata "suddenly" came out with this quote in the 60's. It was never quoted before then, and there is no written record of it ever being said by Yogananda. This is from a good source who was there at the time.
xmonk Registered User (10/3/03 5:11 am) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust You Are correct. I was mistaken about PY making that statement. I apologize for the mistake. Of course, it still doesn't change the fact that the leadership of SRF is bereft of enlightenment (and common sense).
KS Registered User (10/3/03 5:30 am) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust Master was certainly correct in saying he would not recognize the SRF organization in 50 years! I saw a bulletin board setup in a grocery store recently. It had awards for employees who had done things for the community. They had arranged for services for needy people in the community when they came into the store, some cool stuff. It struck me how much more spiritual that grocery store atmosphere was than the Mother Center/SRF atmosphere. That store and their employees were actually practicing spiritual principles and helping people. SRF avoids the public and makes excuses why it can't actually help people! Of course they are still willing to take your money. I challenge SRF and the monastics to list a single thing they are doing for others. A single thing! Can anyone think of something? This does not include distributing Master's teachings as Amazon.com does more of that for less money. Besides, they do more to harm Master's teachings through their example than help.
nagchampa2 Registered User (10/3/03 2:53 pm) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust Dear Ones, How can they spend money doing things for others when they are busy spending it on lawsuits. And now they are asking for money so they can publish their own copy of "The Second Coming of Christ." After giving them money for the Second Coming, you have to then buy it. I would rather buy it through Amrita Foundation, at least I would know that it was not so edited that it was no longer Yogananda's work. Edited by: nagchampa2 at: 10/10/03 7:10 am
xmonk Registered User (10/4/03 5:13 pm) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust Actually, Mrinalini has been chiseling away at "The Second Coming", in the Hermitage at Encinitas, for years now. I would think that she will surely have it ready for release soon. Then what? It'll be the same old thing that she's been churning out since she's been editing PY's work. Have you ever wondered why someone who was God Realized would have to have someone else rewrite his work? Mrinalini has been sabotaging his writings for a long time and I wonder when there will be a realization of that.
KS Registered User (10/4/03 9:28 pm) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust Hey xmonk, at least two of us recognize it.
xmonk Registered User (10/5/03 3:22 pm) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust Right on, brother!
ranger20 Registered User (10/6/03 8:31 am) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust *Quote:* Have you ever wondered why someone who was God Realized would have to have someone else rewrite his work? Mrinalini has been sabotaging his writings for a long time and I wonder when there will be a realization of that. I guess since I came upon the Walrus, I've been increasingly attentive to how SRF uses language. Lately I've been trying to note specifics, looking back over some of the recent magazines to see, for instance, why it was that when this or that particular mag came I just felt bummed out and did not go back to it. On inspection, many specific instances become obvious. I have the notion that there's been a real acceleration of several trends over the past several years, and it roughly correponds to the change in the magazine format. A) I think I see a trend to promote the worship of Paramahansa Yogananda. Not just friendship, respect, love, loyalty, or other responses that would seem appropriate to one's spiritual preceptor, but out and out worship. Very different from the description in the AY of Lahiri's relationship to disciples, which was one of the big draws for my original entrance into SRF. (When, exactly, did the centers and temples start putting a large image of the "Last Smile" down in front of the altar, tending to dwarf the other pictures? A similar trend in published Convo talks from about 2000 on.) (When, exactly, were previous initiates barred from going to the altar during Kriya ceremonies, even when the ostensible reason of crowding was plainly not in play? Sometime after 1997. Several posts here suggest the real reason is to align Kriya with the rite of baptism - a one time event) B) I think there is an increase in the use of language that has the effect of promoting guilt and shame for one's shortcomings. Example: in a talk by one of the Mata's published in 2000, the statement, "Master is with us when our attitude is right." (emphasis added) Very different from the assurance given by Sri Yukteswar ("I'll be your friend whether you're on the highest or the lowest plane...") Very different from Jesus' explanation of his penchant for "sinners" (the healthy don't need a physician). I think that statement, repeated in may forms, many times, is a perversion of a key message of "original Christianity," and, as I understand it, Yogananda's "original" teaching, that one does not "earn" grace, one accept's it. C) During the last few years, either my patience has run thin, or the dialog among members is increasingly made up of "SRF speak," a clumsy attempt to express onself in the language of the magazines and talks. Reminds me of some of the original Star Trek episodes dealing with group-think ("Greetings friend, are you of the Body?"). People with a healthy self regard would not talk like that. As a wise friend said to me many years ago, "The quickest way to make yourself crazy is to compare your insides to other people's outsides.?" So yes, I'm very concerned about the language used in the "edits" of PY's work and elsewhere. Not just "bland-ifying" the vibrations of a realized master's words, but causing outright harm for trusting spiritual aspirants. Edited by: ranger20 at: 10/6/03 8:35 am
chela2020 Registered User (10/6/03 12:26 pm) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust Ranger 20 I trust the Second Coming of Christ as published by Amrita Foundation, and the Autobiography as published by Walters. As far as The SRF Gita, it has far more material in it than what was written in the East-West magazines. I trust the red Whispers book and the Affirmation book. I trust the lessons since I have seen the original by Amrita. The changes are that SRF took out the recipes that were once in the lessons, and they edited the poems as they did for the Whispers book, and they took out some of the stories. But the body of the lessons are still the same. I also think that the lectures in his book are the same because I compared them with his tape recordings, and what I found was, they edited out the beginning of his lectures, and yet I found very important things in the very beginning of his lectures and so wish they had not edited them out of the written lectures that are printed in The Divine Romance, The Journey book, and Man's Eternal Quest. I agree with you that Yogananda did not want to be worshipped. He always pointed to God, not to himself. And I also agree with you, Master is with us no matter what we do. It doesn't have anything to do with our attitude. According to Hindu belief, the guru/disciple relationship cannot be severed, and if the devotee leaves, the guru has to continue to help that person.
KS Registered User (10/8/03 6:55 pm) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust [posted message in the wrong thread] Edited by: KS at: 10/8/03 6:58 pm
ranger20 Registered User (10/9/03 7:47 am) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust Lately I've been reading some of the early posts on the Walrus. A wealth of information from those who first began to air the dirty laundry. A very pertinent discussion of the "punitive" tone of most of the current writing in the Core Issues -> Ma's Writing thread (second of two of that title. pub78.ezboard.com/fsrfwalrusfrm23.showMessage?topicID=45.topic Edited by: ranger20 at: 10/9/03 7:48 am
ranger20 Registered User (10/13/03 12:15 pm) Reply	Re: What writings do you trust Over the weekend I received an earlier edition of the AY I ordered from one of the used book sellers on Amazon, the eighth edition, 1958. The language and tone is closer to the first ed. than the current edition (example: the Tiger Swami's description of the nature of tigers is still rated R for violence, rather than the current PG). It is, of course, "complete," having the final chapter through 1951. Several things I found very interesting on first inspection: - Encinitas is still referred to as a "world brotherhood colony," and the establishment of world brotherhood colonies is still in the aims and ideals. - The "temples" (Hollywood, SD) are called "Churches of all Religions." - There's a really nice picture of Master and Rajasi sitting in the full lotus at Encinitas, and captioned, "A great Hindu yogi and a great Christian yogi." (!!!!!!) - The final picture of Master, 6mo before his mahasamadi, in the gardens at Lake Shrine, says in part of the caption, "Paramahansaji is wearing one of his favorite symbols, a Christian cross. (!!!!!) I'm really glad to have this copy, it feels lot more authentic. FYI, it seems to have been a fairly large printing, because there were several copies on Amazon and Half.com available. What is really distressing to contemplate though, is that in another generation or two this earlier work just won't be known or available, and the revisionist history will be the only history. The implication of even a quick scan of this copy is, that if Master decided he wasn't interested in colonies, that he didn't really like the cross, and that he wanted to build the church of the new age, he must have telegraphed it from the astral some time after 1958.

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