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True Enuf
Registered User
(5/18/03 7:20 pm)
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Treatment of Master's Relatives
I recall Joan Wight stating on her website that when it comes to certain controversies, SRF says just enough to make themselves look good. Here are two examples of how SRF spins its rather shabby treatment of two of Master’s close relatives.

Meera Ghosh was hand-picked by Master to be the bride of Ramakrishna Ghosh, the only son of his eldest (and deceased) brother Ananta. Master arranged for her to have a house to live in and receive a stipend of 70 rupees daily also for life. When she was an elderly widow, SRF demanded that she leave the house because monks needed it, and she was forced to live in a crummy garage. The monks left the house after a time, and then SRF rented it out. Meanwhile, Meera continued to live in the fetid garage. She asked Daya Mata for more money, as the rupee had declined so much in value (70 rupees now equaling about $2) that she found it impossible to live on and to get needed medical care. Always the answer was no. Fortunately others came to her rescue.

SRF stated that Meera had lived rent free in the house for many years, but they don’t say which years they were, they don’t mention the garage years, nor the fact that there was never to be any question about this, because they cannot say unequivocally that Meera has lived in this specific house from day one until now.

So which story would appear to be the truth? Meera appears in a picture with Walters and other ex-SRF direct disciples, but not in any SRF photos. Meera writes a little booklet about her remembrances of Master, published by a certain group, not SRF, and no mention of SRF in it. Hmmm…

Sananda Ghosh, the author of ‘Mejda’ and the artist who painted the life-size picture of Master hanging in the main room of Mt Washington, was also Master’s brother. When he became quite ill, SRF says it cabled him to arrange medical care and wrote letters to him but received no reply. Cabled!? Wrote letters!? Who cables in this day and age or writes letters from America in an urgent medical situation. YSS is right there in India with branches all over- they could have sent someone immediately to assist. How about pick up the phone? How couldn’t they know about this right from the get-go. How about just helping immediately? This isn’t some third cousin twice removed, it’s Sananda, for God’s sake!

Now it’s been said that SRF demanded the deed to 4 Gurpar Road, Master’s boyhood home, which SRF denies, as a condition before Sananda, the deedholder, could receive any assistance from SRF. I don’t know, I wasn’t there. Hare Krishna Ghosh, Sananda’s son, wrote that Master wanted Sananda to maintain the house, which he did, and that duty then fell to Hare Krishna Ghosh and his son in 1979 when Sananda passed on. He wrote about this in a little pamphlet of reminiscences of Master, published by a certain group, not SRF. He makes no mention of SRF in it at all, no thanks whatsoever to SRF for any assistance in helping maintain the shrine. Hmmmm…

SRF’s responses are guarded, more telling for what they do not say than what they do in their carefully worded manner. Their philosophy seems to be guided by the ‘what have you done for us lately’ principle, but to me, their actions in the above instances can only be called despicable.

crogman1
Registered User
(5/18/03 8:15 pm)
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Re: Treatment of Master's Relatives
What would the loyal SRF members think if these things were generally known? They would probably believe that the "saintly" Daya had no knowledge! They don't want to know the truth. The believe that SRF and Master are one and the same is too important for most people to give up.

In reality it would mean that they needed to take responsibility for their own spiritual progress, their own beliefs, their own relationship with Master. It is easier to believe that the Mother Center will take care of them.

I have heard these stories before but I never heard them from a good source. Where can the general Walrus reader find out more information? In books? Are they on Amazon.com?

Edited by: crogman1 at: 5/18/03 8:17:00 pm
True Enuf
Registered User
(5/18/03 8:55 pm)
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Re: Treatment of Master's Relatives
The other organization- or their publishing arm, Crystal Clarity, has these little booklets by Meera Ghosh and Hare Krishna Ghosh, two more direct disciples of Master. Another good book is 'Shaped by Saints' by Devi Mukherjee, for the inside scoop on YSS and the infamous Shyamananda who completely ruined it.

You can find SRF's hollow, weaseling out responses on that Friends of SRF webiste, in their first letter replying to you-know-who. Read between the lines and you too can get sick to your stomach, as I did.

mangomoy
Registered User
(5/18/03 11:32 pm)
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Re: Treatment of Master's Relatives
True Enuf:

You mention, "I recall Joan Wight stating on her website that .."

Joan Wight doesn't have a web site. She doesn't have a computer. No web site, no computer, no e-mail. Your attribution isn't right. You must be remembering some different source.

Just thought I'd toss that in to help keep the Walrus record straight.

Edited by: mangomoy at: 5/19/03 12:14:32 am
crogman1
Registered User
(5/19/03 6:54 am)
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Re: Treatment of Master's Relatives
What a weird letter!
www.friendsofsrf.com/srf_letter1.html
The include it as a scanned image and not a PDF file. No one ever accused them of being experts at publishing did they? OK, I guess some did.

There is plenty of fodder for some good Walrus discussions!

Here is the specific page with the references to the discussion here:
www.friendsofsrf.com/srf_letter7.html

Concerning who might have more facts, SRF or those claiming their treatment of Yogananda's family is suspect, I would have to look at the evidence provided by things THEY DO and not things they say. They treat monastics, employees, and members poorly. SRF is focused on what is good for the leadership, not the individual. Where can we see this compassion they claim to have? Would it suddenly pop out for a few way out in India but be hidden for those living at Mother Center? I don't think you turn compassion on and off if it is real.

Edited by: crogman1 at: 5/19/03 7:14:24 am
True Enuf
Registered User
(5/19/03 9:14 am)
Reply
Re: Treatment of Master's Relatives
You're right. I got the yogananda-dif website, which among other things, discusses the case of Ma Durga, jumbled with Joan Wight who worked with Durgaji. Sorry for the confusion.

KS
Registered User
(5/20/03 6:41 am)
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Re: Treatment of Master's Relatives
Too bad for SRF that someone invented the Internet (Al Gore I think). They could bury these stories forever and sue and threaten enough to keep most stories out of the usual print media. I guess this Yuga finally caught up with them. The tools of this new age will help to crush the remains of the last age.

stermejo
Registered User
(8/30/03 2:28 pm)
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Re: Treatment of Master's
Speaking of treatment. Rereading chapter 28 of AY, Kashi Reborn, I came to the part where Master's coach crosses the bridge and he finds Kashi's funeral procession. Young Swami Yogananda jumps from his transport and confronts the (grieving) father, "Mr Murderer, you have killed my boy!"

For the first time, I was shocked at the bizarre insensitivity of berating the deceased boy's father as Mr Murderer! Yes, pain on both sides but this incident shows that Master was far from a perfect human being. Perhaps, the "bad ladies" are only following an example.

Then again, it seems *something greater* than Master may have protected him from a drubbing at that rebuke. We just have to remember, it's to that *something greater* he was trying to direct our attention.

Edited by: stermejo at: 8/31/03 11:02 am
moyma
Registered User
(8/15/05 8:44 pm)
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Re: Treatment of Master's Relatives
Hari Krishna Gosh has died , a great soul always Keeping Masters boyhood home open to everyone, All you had to do was call and at times just show up.He recieved a great blessing from Master for driving Anandamoyma around the country when she visited the ranchi school. He was truly a great light and he will be missed....My blessngs to his family who on my trip to masters home treated everone like kings !
Yogananda would have been proud !

Paramadas
Registered User
(8/15/05 10:52 pm)
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Re: Treatment of Master's Relatives
Given the above discussion and controversy, I wonder what will now become of the 4 Gurpar Road home? Did the Ghosh family leave it to YSS? If anybody knows, PLEASE post the info here!

moyma
Registered User
(8/17/05 7:02 am)
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Re: Treatment of Master's Relatives
I think it is a family home and that hari krishna son will inherit it . Hari was no fool , I think it was his wish to keep the house open for all...I'm not sure his son is as devoted to yogananda as hari was but he took me around the house and showed me stuff and he is trying to keep the place up to the original condition. I'm sure hari has made his wishes known to him.
yss has the garage at the boses house right behind 4 gopar.
It was master's first ashram but they are there only a day or two a week and from my experence do not like uninvited guests when they are not "OPEN" . I found YSS to be obnoxious in that regard.
We shall see, I think SRF will be in the shadows...
whitch doesn't bother me except they will turn it into a museum and limit your stay etc...just like mt washington.
I meditated at 4 gopar 7 hours when hari was there..
NO WAY could you do that if SRF got that place, 5 min of meditation then out the door !

Paramadas
Registered User
(8/17/05 11:12 am)
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Re: Treatment of Master's Relatives
I think the problem is that SRF/YSS tries to be "businesslike", and that approach doesn't feel right to people who think with their hearts. I'll leave it to your fertile imaginations to decide with which part of their bodies business people think, but it clearly isn't their hearts. The idea of discouraging anyone who doesn't show up during business hours sounds so typical of those who consider themselves Yogananda's heirs. There are wonderful stories about Master receiving guests who arrived late at night to Mt. Washington due to some logistical mishap. Did the Guru turn them away? "Sorry we're closed." Hell no, he received them graciously. Remember too a similar story in AY when Sri Yukteswar got up late at night to prepare food for guests who arrived unannounced. THIS is the example we should follow. Seems to me that the monks and nuns read Master's works, but they don't apply his example to their lives.

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