Vows at Mother Center - www.ezboard.com

SRF Walrus

Mt. Washington, Ca

Open discussions about SRF

SRF Walrus > SRF Mother Center > Vows at Mother Center
Page 1 2	<< Prev Topic \| Next Topic >>

Author	Comment
KS Registered User (3/27/02 7:29 am) Reply	Vows at Mother Center I hear some of the really negative and backward thinking nuns have now been given "sister-hood". This recognition of their value to the work, and ignorance of their damage to Master, is a disturbing sign. The recent announcements about changes with Bro. Vishwananda being put in charge look like just show at this point. I believe Jill and the head of accounting were among those "promoted" and the ceremony was 2 to 3 weeks ago. No further signs of SRFs willingness to change are needed. They are not going to change. Master continues to give us these signs so we can see his true desire for how his message is carried forward! Edited by: KS at: 3/27/02 7:30:51 am
username Registered User (3/27/02 8:59 am) Reply	Re: Vows at Mother Center What is Master's true desire?
KS Registered User (3/28/02 6:10 am) Reply	Re: Vows at Mother Center It appears that Master's wish in this matter be that there is NOT an all powerful central organization that runs things from mount washington with a strong hand. It appears that a God-like president who everyone assumes is self-realized and has total mind numbing control over all the monastics is NOT what is part of the plan. It appears that having a central group of dysfunctional nuns telling the world how to interpret Master’s teachings is NOT part of the plan. I say this based on the fact that the direction laid out by the bad ladies is getting so much resistance. This resistance is in the form of complaints, members and monastics leaving in disgust, and ever larger failures and waste. The bad ladies tell us the resistance is from the dark forces because mount Washington is so good and holy that the devil must resist it. What a hoot. It appears that people developing a direct relationship with Master, and possibly forming smaller informal group to pray and meditate together, is the direction for the future.
kokio Registered User (3/28/02 5:40 pm) Reply	Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray I am very enthused about a comment KS made, 3-28, about possibly the way to go is for devotees to form small, informal meditation groups. I think that would be wonderful! Would anyone like to start such a group, meeting in the San Fernando Valley (LA area), every other week? What I am looking for is a neutral, Yogananda-centered group in which to meditate, conduct healing prayers. I would also hope that members would get to know each other and enjoy fellowship. I miss church friends very much, and have enjoyed fellowship in both Methodist and Unitarian Churches at one time. Now, as a devotee of Master, I have only a few friends on this path. I believe that SRF actively discourages lay people from getting together, and it is easier not to go to Sunday Service, than to go, and be disappointed all the time. Thank you.
Pig Ma Registered User (3/28/02 9:22 pm) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray I am surprised that people feel Mother Center discourages lay members from getting together. My impression is that people who are more social get together more often, at least it seemed that way at San Diego temple. I believe it is more the time pressures from life, not Mother Center, that keep people from getting together as much. I found there was more going on socially than I could participate in and still keep up the homefront, so to speak. But then, I've always been happy finding a few good friends, while also enjoying fellowship with the group. The social interaction at our temple was very satisfying to me. I know that everyone has their own personal experience, which may have been different than mine.
username Registered User (3/29/02 6:39 am) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray I believe mother center discourages people making friends at SRF. If no one knows anyone, no one even says hello to each other , (except the volunteer whose job is to say hello), then no one talks about the issues that need discussion at SRF. And that means, guess what, total control for the leaders of the organization. My guess is that this is the type of situation conquerers use in wartime. All communication MUST go between the individual and mother center, NO communications are allowed between individuals, or between meditation groups that are located in adjacent areas. MOTHER controls all communication and hence all power. And if people do not play by these rules they will be excommunicated. Why aren't center leaders names and phone numbers and meeting location published someplace, or listed on the SRF internet site? There are forcing you to go through mother center so that way, they get your name, address, and phone number so that they can hit you up for donations. What other explanation could there be that people who are long time members do not know about the higher SRF initiations? Wouldn't their SRF "friends" tell them how the organization works? Or is there some sort of "ego" thing going on in SRF among those who have the "higher techniques"
Pig Ma Registered User (3/29/02 9:30 am) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray Shamila, That sounds more like what I saw happening. There were efforts at making people feel more welcome. I truly think that many people in SRF lead such busy lifes that there isn't much left over for a lot of social time. I didn't know that everyone seemed to know the Ananda issues and pass original stuff around at Encinitas. Often when I mentioned Ananda or the changes that SRF made to the original writings at San Diego temple, I notice some people got uncomfortable. It got to be that I would do what I called "the dance" to see if this was an area that the person I was talking to felt comfortable discussing. There were some who were receptive, and others who made it very clear that the topic was unwelcome or forbidden with them. When I was asked to no longer serve in Youth Retreat, I wanted my friends and those I had served with to know why, instead of just disappearing. Most of them were not at San Diego temple, so I had to figure a way of communicating with them. I had some email addresses, and I sent out a letter of explaination, sharing the letters I had sent to Mother Center. Some people were shocked that I would "use" the email addresses in this way. I got back a very limited response, mostly from those I had served closest with, and mostly supportive of me as a person, but not supportive of the position I had taken. (I'm an advocate against the lawsuit, which I believe harms SRF in many, many ways, not to mention what is does to our fellow kriyabans from Ananda.) Those who serve at Girl's Youth Retreat are a great group of people, and I will miss seeing them and serving with them. I love email, and how it has increased my ability to communicate with friends. But perhaps that is why SRF is hesitant to share stuff- because then it is used to communicate information that don't want being passed out. And to be honest, many of the people expressed to me they were not interested in knowing more about this, either by getting back to me or by not acknowledging at all that they had received my communications.
Pig Ma Registered User (3/29/02 2:23 pm) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray Oh Shamila- Yes, we can find gratitude in what we experienced! What I experienced during my counseling session with Tom Kelly helped me to clear up where I am at this point. I, too, have no need to disparage SRF and wish to express positive things, while at the same time being real. I don't know if you would call my current course of conduct "leaving". I feel no need to label it. I know that Kriya yoga is my path, for better or for worse, and that Christ and Paramhansa Yogananda have been my gurus this life, and I accept the others in the line of gurus as well as honoring the saints and sages of all religions. I know I feel no desire to attend services at SRF for now, but that doesn't mean I won't pop in now and then if it seems right. I know that they will receive no money from me at this time, and that I need to change my will and take SRF out of it. I will not have any part of squelching other truth seeking souls who wish to follow Master's teachings outside the confines of SRF. But I want to say this with love in my heart and with only truth pouring out of my lips. I am so glad to hear that you are not turned off from God or from the spiritual path because of your experiences. I truly wish you the best in discovering your sacred spiritual treasure within.
shamila Registered User (3/29/02 3:00 pm) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray Dear Pig Ma, Thank you so much for your uplifting posting. That is really nice that you had a counseling session with Tom Kelly. I didn't know that he was doing that. How did you even find him? I thought that he was long gone from here. Does he charge for the sessions? I can understand what you mean about maybe showing up at SRF once in a while. I did that a year after leaving, and everyone wondered where I went. I may even do it again, but it doesn't feel like my home anymore, and I guess it really never did from day one. I quit giving them money long ago. And after leaving I asked to be taken off their mailing list. They wrote and asked me why I left, but I didn't want to go through it all over again. I felt that I had asked so many questions over the years, and that they probably kept records, and I really just didn't want tell them all that I felt again. They mentioned my letter from Daya Mata and how I felt in it, and I thought to myself that that letter was supposed to have been personal. That is when I realized that everything I wrote to them is all in the computer. I am still working very hard on my spirituality. Aren't we all? The biggest damper in my life right now is not knowing how I feel about Yogananda and this DNA issue. I keep asking myself if it is true or not, and if it is, what then? I even wonder if it will ever be resolved. SRF claims that they can't bring his relatives over due to conditions in India, whatever that means. I am not sure if I trust that reason. All I keep saying to myself is, if he did those things, then remember that God loves and forgave him, so why can't I?
Pig Ma Registered User (3/29/02 4:11 pm) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray Yes, he does charge for his sessions, and I found it worth a lot more than I bargained for. We were done in one hour, and I imagine that would be the average length of a session. What I found was a professionally trained counselor who also had the background and soul connection that made it an especially powerful session for me personally. I believe Tom Kelly offers a variety of services, but what probably keeps him busiest is the yoga classes he offers. I plan to attend one soon, but since it is an hour drive it won't be a place I'll be able to practice yoga at all the time. Still, I am very interested in seeing what he has to share in this venue. It's funny, but when I was in his yoga room that is connected to his house (even though it has a separate entrance) I had the distinct feeling/thought of Lahari Mahasaya. Maybe it is because Lahiri used to receive his disciples in his parlor. Our actual counseling session took place out in the garden beneath some beautiful trees. The DNA issue seems like a non issue to me. I guess because I read the propaganda against it first, that I felt there was no validity in it. Then I read the original article that started the main bruhaha, and I realized how convincing it might sound to one who started with reading that. I don't know why it doesn't trouble me, but it doesn't. I think because my gut thinks it isn't true, but it's possible I am wrong. I think it would be wise of SRF to put it to rest in a public way that satisfies those who want independent people conducting the tests, etc. Let the truth be known! But sometimes surprising decisions comes from the SRF organization, and there isn't much an "outsider" (as if any child of God should label themselves an outsider to anyone!) can do. Edited by: Pig Ma at: 3/29/02 9:05:40 pm
shamila Registered User (3/29/02 6:12 pm) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray Dear Pig Ma, Where did you find the propagana against the Ben article? Thank you for your post. How do I get in touch with Tom Kelly?
Carbohydramoy Registered User (3/29/02 9:15 pm) Reply	Tom Kelly You can get Tom through his website: www.soulofyoga.com
Pig Ma Registered User (3/29/02 10:32 pm) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray Hi Shamila! I am enjoying the discussion, and I appreciate your kind words. Carbohydramoy has given you the website of Tom Kelly, which is how I got in contact with him. There are two places that tell the SRF side and the Ananda side as to why they feel the New Times article was baseless. For SRF, it's available on www.friendsofsrf.com/ What you will find is a long letter from their lawyer Mr. Flynn that makes it sound like they are going to sue them and make their life miserable for printing a story that they feel is baseless. But it also tells their side of how they feel the DNA issue has been proven, and that Master was not the father of Ben Erskine. Ananda was accused by Mr. Flynn as being in support of the article. That is not true according to them, and they tell their side on the website: www.yoganandaRediscovered.com It's under the current news and events section, under a rebuttal to the new times article. A more direct link would be: www.yoganandaRediscovered...l#NewTimes This is written in a much more readable style, and it is not a "tepid response" that Mr. Flynn accused Swami Kriyananda of making. It tells why he thinks there is no truth to the story, and how he feels that the author of the article was using yellow journalism in this case. I hope you find this helpful. These were the two things I had read before reading the New Times article, and I was surprised that people were so concerned about this issue. When I finally read the New Times article, I could understand the concern a lot more. The article was written in a very convincing way, but since I believe they got many of their "facts" through rumor, etc., it held less impact for me personally. I hope you find this helpful. Edited by: Pig Ma at: 3/29/02 10:35:30 pm
shamila Registered User (3/30/02 5:44 am) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray Dear Pig Ma, I am enjoying our discussion too. I read the articles. I feel that Swami Kriyananda's article was just what he felt to be true about Yogananda. I guess I need more facts than that. I don't know why I am so stubborn. I think it is because there is a photo of Ben going around Encinitas at the moment, and he is a young man and looks like the photo of Yogananda that is next to it. It is a very old photo and so not dupped that I can tell. That is one thing. Another thing is just not trusting SRF or even Flynn. If SRF had the test done on the 10th of September like they said they were going to do, that would have helped, and now their saying that it is too dangerous to bring Yogananda's family here makes it sound like another delay--an effort to sweep it under the rug. Maybe something is going on in India that I don't know about. If I knew for sure that Yogananda was in Kansas at the time of conception, I would still wonder where Ben's mother was at the time. Maybe it doesn't help too that so many other gurus have been accused of this and have been proven to have done these very things. Such as Muktananda, who finally admitted it, which I feel is commendable of him, and then Sai Baba, etc. Are there any facts that you saw or anything else that you could point out that convinced you otherwise? I see that you were a court reporter, which I feel helps in this matter. I found it interesting when you said that your gut feeling said that he was not the father, because my gut feeling says otherwise, which says to me that gut feelings are not always right. Ha. So it rather nullified my gut feelings.
Pig Ma Registered User (3/30/02 8:25 am) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray Gut feelings- some of mine have been correct, and some have been wrong- and I've sure you've experienced the same thing! So knowing they are not 100% reliable makes them somewhat unhelpful in this case. I haven't seen the photo comparison. Is it really going around at Encinitas? My oh my. And it would be so easy, it appears, to put this thing to rest, and it hasn't been done. The fact that someone looks like someone, as you know, does not immediately mean they are related by blood. I can't begin to tell you how many times people have said I look just like their Aunt Martha, etc. I guess I have a generic face! By the way, I was a bailiff, not a court reporter. I'm sorry, since I have no other facts to report. We are talking about something that happened years ago, and no one has come forward with eye witness or circumstanstial evidence of the actual impregnation. Ben's mother never even said it was Paramhansa Yogananda, apparently Ben felt it was implied. Plus, her saying it does not make it so, for we have no idea of the veracity of her character. As a prosecuter says in a criminal case, they do not need to prove their case beyond a shadow of a doubt- the burden of proof for conviction of a crime is beyond a reasonable doubt. Here, when there is no lawsuit pending, people have their own standards of what they feel will convince them. I applaud you for your high standards, and wish you the best of luck as you weather out this issue.
shamila Registered User (3/30/02 12:46 pm) Reply	Re: Forming small, informal groups to meditate and pray Dear Pig Ma, Yes, often my gut feelings are wrong too. I think the photo will eventually become published in some newspaper or magazine. I don't think many have seen it. I know what you mean when you say that many people look alike, and yet I think, but in this case Ben's mother was a devotee, and Ben looks half Indian besides. Sometimes I wonder about my high standards or even my lack of trust in Yogananda. I would rather be one of those type of devotees who would just say, "It isn't true. I don't care what they say." I would rather find that since I lack this trust, that I at least could find it easy to forgive if it were true. In time I am sure I will be able to do that if need be. But yes, if it were true, it would change how I feel, but I would still want to forgive. I also don't believe, if it were true that this behavior lasted very long. And that is why I think later devotees found him to be spotless. And I realize that even a paramahansa can fall, but once you have reached the highest states you can't fall. So I don't know much more than that. But it won't do any good to continue on the subject. I think I just need time. Thank you though, because I really appreciate it.
chuckle chela Registered User (3/30/02 3:37 pm) Reply	Reply to shamila I can appreciate how you are feeling about this. There is one thing you can do, however, that might be helpful. If you go to the site where Flynn's letter is posted, you'll see the documents from the genetics testing lab. The name of the lab is there. Do a google search and you'll find the lab has a website. You can email or otherwise contact them if you wish and ask them directly about the tests that were done. Now, they probably will wish to maintain some degree of confidentiality about this, but I'll bet they'll either confirm or deny the stuff that's been posted by Flynn (you can give the lab the URL). While you're at it, ask them to discuss the protocols for such testing--whether these types of tests are trustworthy, and whether the results of this specific test are trustworthy. Have I done any of this? No. Why? Because I trust the lab. I don't need to trust SRF or anyone else. Genetics testing labs can't afford to screw around with these tests, since they are often involved in court cases (and you can be doubly sure their insurers won't let them screw around, either). And Flynn would be very stupid indeed, if he went and posted false information about these tests in a public forum, such as the web. Having said all this, I don't think SRF has handled this well at all. They give the impression that if they keep quiet, everyone will just forget about the whole matter. We can see that ain't happening. You'd think they would have issued a press release with the data from the lab, if for no other reason than to alleviate the fears and doubts of their own members, let alone anyone else. This posting by Flynn on the anandainfo website is kind of cheesy, not the best in public relations tactics.
shamila Registered User (3/31/02 5:36 am) Reply	Re: Reply to shamila Dear Chuckle Chela, Thank you for your posting. I just thought maybe the Swami who handled the blood samples could have switched them somehow, but perhaps they are labeled and sealed. I will check out with the lab. I would trust the results, what I haven't trusted is the handling of the samples.
shamila Registered User (3/31/02 7:25 pm) Reply	THANKS, YOGANANDA IS INNOCENT Dear Pig Ma and Chuckle Chela, Thank you both so much! Looks like Yogananda is working through you both. What a wonderful gift from God, from him and from you both on this Easter! I printed out all of the material on the DNA test and Mike Flynn's letter. This time I sat down and read it very carefully. (I have a hard time sitting at a computer and reading, so that is why I finally printed it out.) Anyway, I now see that it is impossible for Yogananda to be the father. One thing that really struck me what that even Mr. Reed, Erskine's attorney, "confirmed that the blood procurement process was legitimate." A few days ago someone told me that I was listening to the wrong people in regards to Yogananda and the DNA testing issues. He was right! I am glad that I came to the right place this time.
willy1080 Registered User (4/1/02 3:59 am) Reply	Re: THANKS, YOGANANDA IS INNOCENT Just a idea.. has anyone here seen a picture of Dhirananda , from those days ? Some one could post a link to it here .. Edited by: willy1080 at: 4/1/02 4:00:53 am
willy1080 Registered User (4/1/02 6:51 am) Reply	Re: THANKS, YOGANANDA IS INNOCENT Shamila , The link which you have given is a different Dhirananda He is living and a disciple of Hariharananda . And you are right , there were other indians who had come to work for yogananda . I think in Sansrit classics,some books brought out by satyeswar, he mentions about some disciple of yogananda who had come to US around the same time.

Page 1 2

<< Prev Topic | Next Topic >>

Email This To a Friend
Topic Control Image

Topic Commands

Click to receive email notification of replies

Click to stop receiving email notification of replies

jump to: