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username
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(8/16/02 5:41 am)
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SRF of Yogananda's time
anil nerode posts on kriya yoga discussion board


The picture is authentic, since it was taken without my permission from my website at the time I had it up. I have the original photo, which was retouched slightly, so this is indeed a copy. I also have the press clippings for many lecturtes that Yogananda, Sri Nerode, and Bey gave, together and in pairs. Bey's granddaughter's are in the LA area. His Coptic Fellowship of America makes all his writings available through their website. I remember him quite well as a family friend.

I have never retracted anything I wrote, although I was certainlly subjected to a year of baseless legal threats.

I no longer regard the web as an appropriate place to post contraversial material. Parts are selectively lifted and placedelsewhere, despite copyright claims, and often used
entirely out of context to make a case.

I now only supply factual material where knowledge is lacking, since I knew the people and have both unique source material and source material that otherwise has disappeared or been deliberately supressed or altered


Here are some historical details to mull over. I am not trying to change anyone's opinion on anything, but you may like some more information if you do not already have it. I am doing this from memory, someone may have to correct something.

A large portion of the Yogoda membership, the predecessor of SRF, left Yogananda, siding with Dhirananda in 1929, and did not return. Many were among the main financial contributors. The same thing happened in 1940 when Sri Nerode left.


Of those in the following notice from East West issue 5-4, 1933, only Edith Bisset (Gynamata) and Florina Darling (Ma Durga) stayed for life. All the others were important to the organization, but all the rest eventually left.
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
Ministers
Bramachari Jotin
Sradha Devi
Ranendra Kumar Das
Upadeshak Punditji
Sister Gyanamata
Sister Bhakti
Salome E. Marckwardt
Mary Broomell
F. Darling
Yogi F. Sevaka

Of these, Jotin finally set up his on church of absolute monism, still existing in the Washington DC area. Sri Nerode set up his Science of Divine Power foundation, no longer in existence, and taught Yoga till his death in 1983, in Chicago after 1950. Hamid Bey set uo his Coptic Fellowship of America, still in existence. Das ran the Indianapolis Center for a few more years.

There were similar losses in 1952 and 1955.

This is just to say that you looked at an unrepresentative sample.

Of course the Householders who lived elsewhere, Lewis and Black, are not there, but they never lived with Yogananda, they had independent secular lives. There was also Kamala (Mary Isobel Buchanan), who was assistant pastor of the 17th street SRF Church under Sri Nerode, a very early disciple, who also went her own way.

After being upset by Yogananda's personal life in New York, and after leaving Yogoda, Dhirananda started a suit in 1929 for payment of his part as author of Yogoda material and some of the works usually attributed to Yogananda. He did not have funds to pursue the suit to a conclusion then, He but sued and won in 1935. I have a copy of the court records. After he left in early 1929, he never spoke publically again ABOUT Yogananda, and according to reliable sources never spoke TO Yogananda again. Sri Nerode, after he left SRF in 1940, also never saw or spoke to Yogananda again. Both were disappointed and put him out of their minds and went on with their lives. So no, neither was present in the 1952 meeting you refer to. At that time one had not spoken to him for 23 years, the other for 12 years. There were never any reconciliations of any kind.

Jotin, who stayed on good terms with Yogananda, was nevertheless careful to keep the ownership and incorporation of his church entirely outside of SRF.

He also remained on good terms with Sri Nerode. Jotin was a product of the Ranchi School in Bengal which Yogananda and Dhirananda secured the funds for and taught in before coming over. He was personally very sweet and became proudly a 32 degree mason!

Sri Nerode and Dhirananda knew each other from at least 1926 when Nerode set up the Detroit Center, and remained friends after Dhirananda left in 1929 and while Nerode headed Mt Washington in 1929-1931 and for the rest of their lives. In 1930 their future wives were college chums, Srimata Nerode met Sri Nerode through the future Mrs Bagchi in 1930. Kamala, like Ma Durga, remained a faithful disciple, but taught Yoga independently elsewhere like Jotin for many years. I know nothing about the person you say was mentioned by Kriyananda. If I have a detail wrong, someone will correct me.



History does consist of filling in your own dotted lines between bare facts, I am afraid



soulcircle
Registered User
(8/16/02 9:35 am)
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Thank you

Also, I received your email through ezboard and the link "to reply," was used by me, and came back unsucessfully...not reaching you.

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