Quote:

---

SRFLONGAGO: 9/26/02
Look at Yogananda's early original writings. Do not pay attention to the interpretations of others with later vested interests. Yogananda regarded his authority as stemming from his training under Sri Yukteswar and others of the Kriya school. He espoused Kriya Yoga. He had the stated mission of bringing Kriya to the West. To succeed in this he made inessential modifications of preliminary Kriya technique to accomodate to the Western mind and body. He held the traditional Kriya view that concentration on or worship of a personality, be it of a person or of an organization, is part of the world of illusion and a distraction from pursuing a true path to self-realization. He held the traditional Kriya view that the path to self realization is through giving up all desire for the fruits of action as a necessary condition for unity of self with universal consciousness.

Main disciples of Catholic or Mormon or other western backgrounds have added their own glosses. They have imposed ideas from these religions. Also some have added in beliefs of Indian religion not part of Kriya such as the notion of a living Avatar or of an actual perfectly attained human without faults. This is a worship of personality, part of the world of illusion.

I do not ascribe any of these glosses to Yogananda. I would remind everyone that human beings get immense satisfaction from the world of illusion. They will fight to the death to hold on to illusions. Illusions have a role for the soul similar to the role refined sugar has for the body. Swallowing illusions creates a craving for more. Pursuit of illusion becomes the principle according to which the addict judges all actions.The goal of transcending the world of illusion is lost.

---