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SRF Walrus > SRF Teachings and Ideals > Ananda Mata, Alzheimer's, and Kriya Yoga
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Cant Understand It Unregistered User (2/24/02 3:48 pm) Reply	Ananda Mata, Alzheimer's, and Kriya Yoga I heard Ananda Mata was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Whenever I hear news like that I am always very confused. Ananda Mata is presumably a very advanced yogi (came with Master from many past lives, spent lives meditating in the Himalayas, etc). Why then is it that advanced yogis, gurus, and others who one would expect to be either self-realized or close to it succumb to diseases? Yogi is supposed to confer you immortality and immunity from death, diseases, and old age. Then why this? How do you explain it? And why bother to practice yoga if at your hour of most need you will fall prey to diseases and death like any common mortal?
Seabreeze Unregistered User (2/24/02 5:16 pm) Reply	Alzheimers I hope that this can help you. Most yogis do not use their powers to cure themselves. The main purpose of meditating is to know God, to experience God.
Lula Unregistered User (2/24/02 5:31 pm) Reply	Alzheimers *Quote:* I hope that this can help you. Most yogis do not use their powers to cure themselves. The main purpose of meditating is to know God, to experience God. Um...really? If the main purpose of meditating is to know and experience God, wouldn't it make more sense to cure yourself so you can continue meditating on God?
Lobo Registered User (2/24/02 8:30 pm) Reply	Re: Ananda Mata, Alzheimer's, and Kriya Yoga My guess is karma. If we accept that hoary 'law' as a truth then everything that occurs in our lives must flow from that. Why then someone so spiritually advanced suffering in such a debilitating, humilitating fashion at the very end of their life when all previous actions of this life seem to have been golden, and spent wholly in spiritual pursuits? It is truly a mystery and the only thing that comes to mind is the fact that maybe she wasn't a jivanmukta, or someone who is supremely free while living. It's my understanding that the soul can be almost free but still retain vestiges of karma. Maybe she is burning all of those last remaining vestiges by suffering so deeply, at this the end of her incarnation, so that she (read the Soul) won't have to take a human birth anymore. Just a guess
username Registered User (2/24/02 8:39 pm) Reply	Re: Ananda Mata, Alzheimer's, and Kriya Yoga Alzeheimers There are holistic mds in town that have solutions and good results from their approach to alzheimers disease. Dr David Allen MD 310-966-9194 2211 Corinth Ave Suite 204 LA , CA 90064
karma chameleon Unregistered User (2/24/02 9:20 pm) Reply	Re: Ananda Mata, Alzheimer's, and Kriya Yoga *Quote:* My guess is karma. Maybe she's paying for all of SRF's sins the way Jesus paid for all the sins of the world.
NewBoy Unregistered User (2/25/02 6:27 am) Reply	Advanced Yogis and Alzheimer Regardless of one's spiritual state, the body needs a reason to go. Wasn't Sri Gyanamata advanced? Yet she experienced great physical suffering. Advanced disciples like Tara Mata and Kamala Silva suffered a series of debilitating strokes and died from them. What about Rajarsi and his brain cancer? Ramana Maharshi and Ramakrishna endured bad cancer towards the end of their lives. When asked, Ramana Maharshi just said, "The body needs a reason to go." Why interfere with the "karmic law" beyond normal medical treatment? Ananda Mata may be spiritually advanced, but she's also advanced in years! I believe she must be around 85 or 86? No yoga text I've read claimed that all Kriyabans or yogis in general will die in perfect health! Our best hope is to die conscious and centered like Gyanamata, Dr. Lewis, and J. Oliver Black among others.
Lobo Registered User (2/25/02 3:45 pm) Reply	Re: Advanced Yogis and Alzheimer Well put and the examples you've used are excellent. That was what I was trying to convey. Sri Ramakrishna died of throat cancer, so did St. Teresa of Avila, and I've heard that that particular form of cancer is dreadful, worse than most others. In her book, A Testimony of Love and Devotion, Master's disciple Mary Peck Stockton published a letter her mother wrote while spending a little time with Master at Mt. Washington near the last part of his life, early in 1951. Her mother notes that she went upstairs to the 3rd floor to see Master and describes Master as sitting in a wheelchair being pushed by Florina/Durga Ma and Mrs. Lewis. When I read that it just really struck me. I have heard the stories concerning Master taking on the negative karma of some of his disciples and having trouble with his legs, but I'd never heard that he used a wheelchair. And it is just this type of hiding the truth, of the attempt by SRF under Daya and this BOD, to manipulate history; to paint a deliberate limited picture of him which, in the main, denies his humanity. I am just saddened that this is going on for I sometimes myself use a wheelchair to get around and knowing that my guru did too made it much easier to endure the stares that I've noticed come one's way when one is different. While that is a personal thing, I just wish that SRF would stop this cover-up, allow Master to be human, and provide the knowledge that people get sick and that is just the way things are in this world. It doesn't have a whole heck of alot to do with spiritual advancement as your examples prove. It's just reality.
NewBoy Unregistered User (2/25/02 6:11 pm) Reply	Advanced Yogis and Alzheimer's Lobo, Thank you for your touching reply. Thanks also for mentioning the book by Mary Peck Stockton. I have recently filled out the order form for it, and plan to mail this week! so your mentioning it was timely. Like you, I find the more human accounts of Master revealing and reassuring. Quite often I go back to the writings of Durga Ma, Kamala, and the Brenda Lewis Rosser book in order to connect with his human side. I also enjoy the letters of Sri Gyanamata in God Alone. I don't think the mundane memories and anecdotes shared in these books take away from Master's state of Cosmic Consciousness. Master himself exposed so much of his humanity in his own autobiography. Since you mentioned the incident of Master being in a wheelchair, may I share a similar story from a book that I don't wholeheartedly recommend? The book I refer to is by Norman Paulsen and entitled, "SunBurst: Return of the Ancients." It's probably out of print, and it's kind of whacko in parts, but his stories of Master are sincere, and the photographs are priceless. Because Norman was so huge and strong, Master had him do lots of manual labor while at MW. One time, towards the end of Master's life, Master discovered the basement elevator wasn't working at MW, and he couldn't get to his rooms because of the problems with his legs. He turned to Paulsen, and said "Will you carry me up those three flights of stairs?" Norman, of course, complied. Hoisting Master on his back (piggyback style), up they went! Master only did this after being certain that no one was around to witness this scene! When I read that story tears welled up in my eyes because it was so endearing and personal. The closest stories I've heard like this from SRF are found in Mrinilini Mata's new audio tape, "If You Would Know the Guru." Maybe the BOD is ready to show this side of him again. I certainly would welcome it. Jai Guru.
AumBoy Registered User (2/25/02 7:18 pm) Reply	Brother Bimalananda Newboy, if you ever get to stay at HV, see if you can catch Bimalananda when he gives an impromptu, informal satsang. He doesn't do it often but does sometimes relate stories of Master.
username Registered User (2/25/02 7:30 pm) Reply	Re: Brother Bimalananda where is the book you mentioned available, cost etc. Thanks
Newboy Unregistered User (2/26/02 6:57 am) Reply	Sunburst: Return of the Ancients The book is out of print, but a new version is available. I don't know the exact title, but it has the phrase "Christ Consciousness" in it. Peruse the Yoga Journal and other New Age type journals for advertisements from Norman Paulsen. He advertises his new book on Kriya Yoga a lot. You can also do a web search and contact his organization directly. Just type in Norman Paulsen or, maybe, Sunburst AND Yoga.
joyjoyjoy Unregistered User (2/26/02 12:07 pm) Reply	Advanced Yogis and Alzheimers I met Kamala in the last years of her life, while she was 'suffering' from Alzheimers, or something like it. I put 'suffering' in quotes because she was always in a state of grace and joy when I saw her. Even though she might ask you your name three or four times in ten minutes, her memory of Yogananda was very strong, and her soul joy was obvious. Somebody asked K-riyananda the same question being asked here- how can an advanced yogi lose their mental abilities like that? His response was enlightening, to me. He said something to the effect of 'It's just her mind!', kind of like saying, 'It's just her leg (or body, etc.)'. It raises the interesting issue of soul joy, and how we feel/perceive soul joy. After spending time with Kamala, it was clear that one doesn't need a perfect brain to feel and experience the joy of the soul. I spoke with someone who spent time with Kamala after she left Ananda, and was in a nursing home. Kamala spoke lovingly of the beautiful garden view through her window. The visitor looked out the window and saw a parking lot, or some similar mundane view! She was living in a state of grace where she only saw God, Guru, and beauty. It really made me have less fear about losing my mental clarity when getting older, and made me commit yet again to developing soul joy.
NewBoy Unregistered User (2/26/02 2:14 pm) Reply	Wonderful Memory Thanks for sharing that wonderful memory of this wonderful disciple. Those are the stories that inspire and motivate me to continue using the techniques, etc. Of course one always grows hungry for more stories. Would you consider sharing them on the thread of Stories of Yogananda?

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