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Lanfranc Unregistered User (1/30/02 9:05 am) Reply	Hilda Charlton meets Yogananda Hilda Charlton Meets Yogananda This is the first in a short series of stories I possess of people who met Master and their experiences with him. (If you like this story and know another like it, please post it here in this section. If you know someone else who knows a story of someone meeting Master, please encourage them to post it here for everyone to enjoy. Thanks! ) * * * * * * * * About twenty years ago I attended, with a small group of devotees, a satsang given by Hilda Charlton. Hilda was a yogi who dedica ted her life to the search for enlightenment. At the time I met her, she was, I believe, around sixty years old. (She passed away in 1988.) She was radiant, with a very bright aura. Hilda had been to India many times to meet the saints and sages there and to meditate with them. She was also a friend (I believe) of Ram Dass (Richard Alpert, author of Be Here Now) and Bhagavan Das (who actually showed up at the tale-end of the satsang to say “hi.”). One of our group had heard that Hilda had had some experiences with our guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, during her early life. (I believe she was in her twenties back then.) He asked her to share those experiences with us and, happily, she agreed. This is her story, as near as I can recollect it: * * * * * * * * H ilda prefaced her tale by telling us how she had, at the time when this story occurred, already been at least once to India. There she had communed with yogis and sages, and had spent time in seclusion, meditating long hours. Afterwards, she returned to America and was continuing her spiritual search while living somewhere near the Pacific coast, north of LA. Hilda had a friend who lived in Santa Barbara who was an artist. (She was actually, Hilda said, the woman who had rendered the drawing of Babaji for Master, under his instructions.) At some point, this artist-friend informed Hilda that the great Swami Yogananda was coming to her house. She encouraged Hilda to come to the event. Hilda’s reaction was unusual. She said that, at that period in time, many masters were visiting her meditations. She wasn’t really all that interested in meeting another one in the flesh. She wanted “ the ocean,” she said, “not a wave on the ocean,” no matter how great that wave might be. Still, she put that thought aside and decided to attend after all. She sat in the midst of a small group of people in her friend’s living room and waited for Yogananda to arrive. He came soon after. He was, Hilda said, very beautiful, with a dynamic and magnetic personality. Master proceeded to give his talk. Hilda said to us: “Do you know how, sometimes, you attend a lecture and it seems as if the speaker is talking just to you? Well, that is what happened here. Except it wasn’t just a vague impression. He literally looked straight at me the whole time he was talking, never breaking eye contact.” Hilda felt deeply inspired by what Master said. Afterwards (either right then at her friend’s house, or during an interview at Mt. Washington, I forget which), Master spoke individually with Hilda, encouraging her to move to Mt. Washington and join the work. He hinted that she might play a role in that work, and Hilda was tempted to come, surrounded and infused as she was by Master’s aura and blessing. But when she asked what her life there would entail, and heard that she would not be able to read the writings of spiritual teachers other than Yogananda and a few others, she balked. “No Vivekananda?” she pleaded. “No Vivekananda,” Master repeated, with a sad shake of his head. Hilda loved that Swami’s works, as well as the writings of many other Hindu sages. She couldn’t just let them go. And so she decided that she wouldn’t join Yogananda’s work. Master accepted Hilda’s refusal very good-naturedly. He encouraged her to visit Mt. Washington as she wished, and also the Encinitas Ashram. With expressions of good will on both sides, they parted. Hilda told us that, after this interview, months passed by and, as she continued her meditations, she reached a plateau. But it was more than a plateau, it was a barrier to her progress. Some delusion had grabbed hold of her that wouldn’t allow her to go deeper into the silence. The problem escalated (as they sometimes do—sound familiar?) until Hilda found herself in a state of profound inner pain. She needed help, and she wasn’t receiving the answer she needed directly from God in her prayers. Then, her artist friend came to her rescue. She mentioned that she was going to take a drive south to Encinitas to visit Yogananda’s retreat there, and invited Hilda to come along. The artist stipulated that Yogananda would be present during her visit. Hilda, recalling the inspiration she had felt at her meeting with Master, just knew that that great soul would be able to help her in her current crisis. All during the ride south she thought of Yogananda as her salvation. She couldn’t wait to see him again, with his kind eyes and sweet smile. After they arrived at the ashram, Hilda left her room at the earliest possible moment, ho ping to spot Yogananda. She had no success, and so she staked out the dining room as a likely place to run into him. And she was sitting there waiting, when suddenly, Master walked into the room. And, Hilda said, as soon as he did, the great delusion that had plagued her, the dense cloud that had engulfed her for so long simply vanished, banished by the light of his presence. Hilda felt profoundly relieved and deeply grateful. The last part of Hilda’s story also took place during this Encinitas visit. The beginning of it is a little fuzzy in my memory, but I think Hilda was in her room when she heard a knock on the door and saw Master standing there. “I’d like to show you something,” he told her, “would you please come with me?” Hilda’s mind was awhirl. “What,” she asked herself, “does this great master want to show me?” She imagined him taking her to a shrine-like room where he would touch her on th e forehead and open her spiritual eye to exalted illuminations and subtle realizations. Would he grant her a samadhi? Hilda quickened her pace. Master had brought her to the kitchen. When he saw that he had her complete attention, Yogananda reached over and flicked a switch. The sound of a motor running filled the small room, along with a hint of running water. “Look at this marvelous new invention!” Master exulted. It was a garbage disposal unit! As Hilda witnessed Yogananda’s glee, his shining eyes and ready laughter—and the joy he obtained from everything, even household appliances—she thought of Christ’s words: “Blessed are the little children, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” * * * * * * * * We thanked Hilda for sharing her stories with us.
Ringbearer Unregistered User (1/30/02 9:27 pm) Reply	Re: Hilda Charlton meets Yogananda Thank you very much for posting this story but there seems to be some parts missing. Could you please edit you message so that we can enjoy the entire story without the missing pieces? Thank you!
Lobo Registered User (1/30/02 10:10 pm) Reply	Re: Hilda Charlton meets Yogananda A similar account was published in the SRF Magazine (1993 Anniversary year I believe). It was an excerpt from her autobiography, a chapter that dealt with her interactions with Yoganandaji.
Lanfranc Unregistered User (1/31/02 7:28 am) Reply	Hmmm. . . Ringbearer, You know, it's strange, but when I access this site from one terminal, I see a bunch of holes in the story I posted, but when I access it from another, it all looks fine. Well, I'll try again, adding it onto this one, hoping it helps. (Didn't Master say: "I will post again and again, if need be, a trillion times. . . ?" ) Lobo, thanks for the info. I missed that one. I'll go check it out, curious as to how she wrote it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hilda Charlton Meets Yogananda This is the first in a short series of stories I possess of people who met Master and their experiences with him. (If you like this story and know another like it, please post it here. If you know someone else who knows a story of someone meeting Master, please encourage them to post it here for everyone to enjoy. Thanks! ) * * * * * * * * About twenty years ago I attended, with a small group of devotees, a satsang given by Hilda Charlton. Hilda was a yogi who dedica ted her life to the search for enlightenment. At the time I met her, she was, I believe, around sixty years old. (She passed away in 1988.) She was radiant, with a very bright aura. Hilda had been to India many times to meet the saints and sages there and to meditate with them. She was also a friend (I believe) of Ram Dass (Richard Alpert, author of Be Here Now) and Bhagavan Das (who actually showed up at the tale-end of the satsang to say “hi.”). One of our group had heard that Hilda had had some experiences with our guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, during her early life. (I believe she was in her twenties back then.) He asked her to share those experiences with us and, happily, she agreed. This is her story, as near as I can recollect it: * * * * * * * * H ilda prefaced her tale by telling us how she had, at the time when this story occurred, already been at least once to India. There she had communed with yogis and sages, and had spent time in seclusion, meditating long hours. Afterwards, she returned to America and was continuing her spiritual search while living somewhere near the Pacific coast, north of LA. Hilda had a friend who lived in Santa Barbara who was an artist. (She was actually, Hilda said, the woman who had rendered the drawing of Babaji for Master, under his instructions.) At some point, this artist-friend informed Hilda that the great Swami Yogananda was coming to her house. She encouraged Hilda to come to the event. Hilda’s reaction was unusual. She said that, at that period in time, many masters were visiting her meditations. She wasn’t really all that interested in meeting another one in the flesh. She wanted “ the ocean,” she said, “not a wave on the ocean,” no matter how great that wave might be. Still, she put that thought aside and decided to attend after all. She sat in the midst of a small group of people in her friend’s living room and waited for Yogananda to arrive. He came soon after. He was, Hilda said, very beautiful, with a dynamic and magnetic personality. Master proceeded to give his talk. Hilda said to us: “Do you know how, sometimes, you attend a lecture and it seems as if the speaker is talking just to you? Well, that is what happened here. Except it wasn’t just a vague impression. He literally looked straight at me the whole time he was talking, never breaking eye contact.” Hilda felt deeply inspired by what Master said. Afterwards (either right then at her friend’s house, or during an interview at Mt. Washington, I forget which), Master spoke individually with Hilda, encouraging her to move to Mt. Washington and join the work. He hinted that she might play a role in that work, and Hilda was tempted to come, surrounded and infused as she was by Master’s aura and blessing. But when she asked what her life there would entail, and heard that she would not be able to read the writings of spiritual teachers other than Yogananda and a few others, she balked. “No Vivekananda?” she pleaded. “No Vivekananda,” Master repeated, with a sad shake of his head. Hilda loved that Swami’s works, as well as the writings of many other Hindu sages. She couldn’t just let them go. And so she decided that she wouldn’t join Yogananda’s work. Master accepted Hilda’s refusal very good-naturedly. He encouraged her to visit Mt. Washington as she wished, and also the Encinitas Ashram. With expressions of good will on both sides, they parted. Hilda told us that, after this interview, months passed by and, as she continued her meditations, she reached a plateau. But it was more than a plateau, it was a barrier to her progress. Some delusion had grabbed hold of her that wouldn’t allow her to go deeper into the silence. The problem escalated (as they sometimes do—sound familiar?) until Hilda found herself in a state of profound inner pain. She needed help, and she wasn’t receiving the answer she needed directly from God in her prayers. Then, her artist friend came to her rescue. She mentioned that she was going to take a drive south to Encinitas to visit Yogananda’s retreat there, and invited Hilda to come along. The artist stipulated that Yogananda would be present during her visit. Hilda, recalling the inspiration she had felt at her meeting with Master, just knew that that great soul would be able to help her in her current crisis. All during the ride south she thought of Yogananda as her salvation. She couldn’t wait to see him again, with his kind eyes and sweet smile. After they arrived at the ashram, Hilda left her room at the earliest possible moment, ho ping to spot Yogananda. She had no success, and so she staked out the dining room as a likely place to run into him. And she was sitting there waiting, when suddenly, Master walked into the room. And, Hilda said, as soon as he did, the great delusion that had plagued her, the dense cloud that had engulfed her for so long simply vanished, banished by the light of his presence. Hilda felt profoundly relieved and deeply grateful. The last part of Hilda’s story also took place during this Encinitas visit. The beginning of it is a little fuzzy in my memory, but I think Hilda was in her room when she heard a knock on the door and saw Master standing there. “I’d like to show you something,” he told her, “would you please come with me?” Hilda’s mind was awhirl. “What,” she asked herself, “does this great master want to show me?” She imagined him taking her to a shrine-like room where he would touch her on th e forehead and open her spiritual eye to exalted illuminations and subtle realizations. Would he grant her a samadhi? Hilda quickened her pace. Master had brought her to the kitchen. When he saw that he had her complete attention, Yogananda reached over and flicked a switch. The sound of a motor running filled the small room, along with a hint of running water. “Look at this marvelous new invention!” Master exulted. It was a garbage disposal unit! As Hilda witnessed Yogananda’s glee, his shining eyes and ready laughter—and the joy he obtained from everything, even household appliances—she thought of Christ’s words: “Blessed are the little children, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” * * * * * * * * We thanked Hilda for sharing her stories with us.
Pig Ma Registered User (2/3/02 7:22 am) Reply	Re: Hmmm. . . What a great story. I find it very interesting that Master didn't want her to read the works of other teachers. I've read that he gave that instruction to other disciples, but I'm not sure if he gave it to some of them, most or all of them, or just a few of them. I know my favorite books have been his and the ones written by direct disciples, many which of were not published by SRF. Also, I love how the warmth between them was still there even though she decided not to join his work. No judgement, just love and then help when she was having a crisis. lt is a beautiful, beautiful story.
Lanfranc Unregistered User (2/3/02 1:00 pm) Reply	Response to Pig Ma Dear Pig Ma, I think that Master encouraged all those who were moving up to Mt. Washington—all those, in other words, who were accepting him as their guru—to read only his writings for a time in order to help them to tune in to his spiritual wavelength without the confusion that can come from the different take that other teachers often have on the same subjects. After someone had deeply dived into his teachings and vibration I believe he relaxed the restriction, although I don't know for sure. We see for instance though, that Gyanamata read many different sources without it affecting the deep inner bond that she had with Master. In fact, her studies only encouraged her to cement that bond more firmly. Once that bond is set in place, the disciple may read other writings or visit other saints without worrying about getting derailed from their path. Anyway, I think that's how that works. I'm glad you enjoyed the story. That part that you mentioned about Master accepting Hilda's rejection so lightly also struck me as I was remembering it. And it occurred to me how these stories told outside the SRF editing department can help us to see Master, not only how he really was, but how we might expect him to be after reading his books. Loving, kindly, always having your own highest good in mind. Patient, with good humor, and all the rest. So unlike the harsh, uncaring, organization-at-all-costs, often changing his mind about important things, image that one tends to get when listening to the SRF ministers speak of him. Anyway, I hope you like the next story, although it's a little bit different. And I hope also that if you know a good story of Master, or someone who knows one, that you'll post it or encourage it to be posted on this subject board that Walrus has provided for us. Best wishes, Lanfranc
JadeDragon Registered User (2/4/02 3:41 pm) Reply	Re: Hmmm. . . What an absolutely splendid accounting, Lanfranc. Thank you so much for sharing these stories with us. How many times have my eyes stared in wonder at that drawing of Babaji, my well worn copy of "Autobiography of a Yogi" the center of my own search for universal understanding. The mental journey bringing me closer to the wonderful lives of great Gurudevas than this physical chariot has ever come. Now that my path has brought me to LA again, I find myself hoping to walk the grounds that Yoganandaji trodded and blesses with his presence. If only to sit under a tree and read for a while. How strange I have always thought it to be wearing a Western body, strikingly aware intuitively that in past incarnations I was more comfortable in my own apparently Hindu skin. Fellow Americans hear a middle aged white man talk about reincarnation with one eyebrow raised. In my own pursuits, I have tried to illustrate the unique one-ness at the center of all religions and myths, having a particular fondness for the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. At whose core lies the answers I have always been seeking and meditating upon. The self as the subjective reflection of the One. It's nice to find this place. Now if only I could locate the Public Shrine at the Lake, I would feel like I had come home again. Is there a place where I can find directions? Many Thanks----JadeDragon
Lobo Registered User (2/4/02 5:22 pm) Reply	Re: Hmmm. . . Directions? Why I just typed directions for you in the Lake Shrine portion just beneath your other post. Please look there. I think you can find both the Lake Shrine and Hollywood Temple with the directions I provided. If you need some further clarification just post and I'll answer as I read this board everyday. Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram Om
JadeDragon Registered User (2/5/02 12:49 am) Reply	Re: Hmmm. . . You have my many thanks, friend Lobo. It's funny how I find myself in the company of wolves often. If you follow links from my profile, you will find me embroiled in a fairly large on-line exchange about Hinduism and how it relates to all other religions in another online community ("Comicbook Resources" Community Board of all places) with another wolf, Fenris. There are easy to follow links along the path. Feel free to join in on the discussion there. It would be neat to hear from another chela of Yoganandaji. Again, your directory assistance is MUCHLY appreciated! I look forward to walking the walk as I talk the talk. I am certain I will see you around.---JadeDragon

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