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Borg108 Registered User (6/9/03 7:05 am) Reply	New biography of Yoganandaji A translation of Swami Satyananda's biography of Guruji is being serialized at www.yoganiketan.net/yogananda as it is being translated. There are also completed translations on this website of biographies of Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar, and Swami Pranabananda by Swami Satyananda and others, as well as scriptural commentaries by Sri Yukteswar, Lahiri Mahasaya and other saints in our lineage. Swami Satyananda was a boyhood friend and lifelong devoted follower of Guruji. This book (as well as the early unedited writings by Guruji) gives a richer sense of who and what Guruji really was and is. For example, early in his life, Guruji was in the same position with respect to Lahiri Mahasaya as we are with respect to Guruji. He had kriya diksha and a God realized, omnipresent and omnipotent avatar as his family guru already. So, according to SRF logic, Guruji should not have been learning other yogic practices or visiting other spiritual teachers. But Guruji did not follow this at all. He was loyal to his path, but not rigid, dogmatic, narrow minded or exclusionary. Edited by: Borg108 at: 6/9/03 9:07 am
dawnrays Registered User (6/9/03 8:52 am) Reply	Re: New biography of Yoganandaji You have made a very good observation (in your last paragraph). I think fluidity (not rigidity), openess and even (dare I say?) lovingness towards ourselves and others are the key to success and even perhaps keeping your sanity on this path or any path. Indeed, I think that the first two are absolute requirements for the third and most important attribute. It's not so different from the rest of your life, after all. Thank you for this wonderful thought to start my day! Love, dawnrays
dawnrays Registered User (6/9/03 1:46 pm) Reply	Re: New biography of Yoganandaji Isn't it ironic too, that the same promptings as in openess, love and a willingness to experiment (it's not the usual thing in this country, afterall) which bring us to srf, are often are the ones that tell us it's time to leave or at least question? What doesn't break you, makes you stronger! dawnrays
parabastha Registered User (6/10/03 6:08 am) Reply	Re: New biography of Yoganandaji "Througout our childhood I was Mejda's close companion. From his Sanskrit tutor, Shastri Mahasaya, I learned the sacred meditation technique of Kriya Yoga. When I went with Mejda to Serampore, I was also initiated into Kriya by Swami Sri Yukteswar. I practiced it at home. Years later, after the death of our father, and with Mejda away in America, I went to Puri and took initiation in the higher Kriyas from Sri Bhupendra Nath Sanyal, the last living disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya." -- Sananda Lal Ghosh, in "Mejda" - The Family and Early Life of Paramahansa Yogananda, p. 247-8, (c) Self-Realization Fellowship. There it is! Yogananda's own brother receiving the first Kriya from two different acharyas, and then receiving the higher Kriyas personally from a acharya of another lineage, during Master's lifetime! Why didn't he take them from the SRF Lessons, or from a letter by his brother-Avatar? Well, I've corresponded once with "Kashi" (from the yoganiketan site), he himself was personally initiated in all the four traditional Kriyas by a direct disciple of Sri Yukteswar, and Kashi wrote me: "In tradition set up by Lahiri Mahasaya himself-–-when one’s Acharya should pass away before the student has received the full course of Kriya Techniques the student IS ENCOURAGED to go to another Acharya for more Kriya. THIS DOES NOT IN ANY WAY INTERFERE WITH THE ORIGINAL GURU-DISCIPLE RELATIONSHIP. The student remains the disciple of the original guru. The second (or third or fourth teacher is his “elder brother” or “mentor”). There are many, many cases of this in India. It is the correct system, which was set up by Lahiri Mahasaya himself. "Can I tell you something? I know from our conversations together that you have this very strong idea of "Guru-chela" in Kriya. In India, this is not such a big deal--–it is more important to practice Kriya. Many people receive Kriya from several sources such as how Yogananda and Satyananda who had received Kriya from Bhagabati Ghosh, then from Shastri Mahasay, and then from Sri Yukteshvar. This is why there is even confusion about Satyananda-–-whose disciple was he? Some say Kebalananda’s disciple, and some say Sri Yukteshvar’s disciple, and some say he was Yogananda’s disciple. You see, the same is true for Shuddhananda, he had first received from Shastri Mahasay and then from Satyananda, and maybe from other sources as well." (I am afraid SRF will delete that passage of Mejda in its future editions.)
dawnrays Registered User (6/10/03 8:45 am) Reply	Re: New biography of Yoganandaji Dear P. I am very fine with the "kriya being the guru". I think that's what it essentially comes down to, you and your kriya. However, don't you think it's a bit of opening up a Pandora's box to send people off in search of a "living guru", given the current shortage? It seems to me that's what srf has done (by implication, strong implication of course, with daya and the matas). It's very confusing for some people, desiring so much the darshan of a saint, forgetting in the meantime the wonder and beauty of their own being and the power of thier own kriya. You see how easily a person (even one who is not particularly magnetic, in my opinion) can do such damage (as in coming between you and you kriya, the true guru) simply by the implication that they are a "saint". I have noticed (particularly when I frequented the temples) such a disrespect, lack of love and lack of healthy self-love of devotees towards one another and towards themselves. I wonder if we don't all go a little over board sometimes in search of saints, forgetting that we are all saints, potential saints and fallen angels. dawnrays
dawnrays Registered User (6/10/03 9:39 am) Reply	Re: New biography of Yoganandaji Also, I don't believe that any two people have the same take on the guru-chela relationship. As long as they don't try to impose thiers (as daya has done) on other people. Many people in srf are following hers, whether they know it or not. I also believe this is the source underlying difficulties many people there are having with their kriya (as I did). My husband (also a kriyaban) and I have very different takes on our Master and the path. So much so that the casual observer would not guess that our guru was one and the same! There is no correct or incorrect approach or relationship, we are all so individual. dawnrays
ranger20 Registered User (6/10/03 12:55 pm) Reply	Re: New biography of Yoganandaji *Quote:* (I am afraid SRF will delete that passage of Mejda in its future editions.) I certainly hope not, but I can think of other passages that portray the guru/chela relationship as something individual and complex. How about Master's letter to Rajarsi during his India trip, in which he says "Lahiri Mahayasa is my astral guru, as Sri Yuketeswar is my earthly guru. Few people know this." (most recent editions of "Rajarsi Janakananda, a great western yogi.") Right there seems a contradiction of the idea that one has one and only one guru on all planes of existence, forever. The statement is more akin to whats written on the back of my Kriya card, "In my search for God, I accept you as my gurus" [plural], then a listing of all six gurus. In the same book, just a few pages from the quoted letter, is another, in which Master tells Rajarsi how to tune in with one of the masters not present (concentrate on the image at the spiritual eye, then try to feel key characteristics at the heart). Master gives examples of the characteristics of several of the SRF gurus, as well as at least one non-SRF master (Swami Shankara - I can't remember if there are others). He then tells Rajarsi to practice that mode of communication until he has it down. So it really does appear that the western mind has overlaid some rigidity over the way the guru-chela relationship was conceived and lived in it's country of origin.
parabastha Registered User (6/11/03 4:09 am) Reply	Re: New biography of Yoganandaji Also, in the Sri Durga Mata's book, "A Paramhansa Yogananda's Trilogy of Divine Love," Master talks about his Arjuna incarnation, and adds, "Krishna was my guru and Babaji, being Krishna, is still my guru, Sri Yukteswarji was my guru by proxy for Babaji." Many food for thought.
Amidala of Coruscant Registered User (6/27/03 9:33 am) Reply	Re: New biography of Yoganandaji This is an amazing discussion. Read my thread in the "Other Websites and information" section. Read the one entitled something like "planetary shift" as I discussed some issues on a devotee having another teacher named Kuthumi while being initiated by Master. Tell me what you think and if you have any stories about devotees of Master here in this country along that line.

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