Donna Karan once promoted IYI within Vanity Fair magazine, without apparently doing much of a background check. Historically, many Indian gurus and swamis sensed this and moved to the United States. But despite such observations Westerners often suppose smugly that they are somehow less susceptible to spiritual hucksters, than say people in Calcutta. SRFs policies, if carried to their logical and ridiculous extreme, would dictate that disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda who were forced to live under similar circumstances could never be recognized as disciples, since they would be unable to receive his teachings from SRF. Instead readers are regaled with how happy the little boy is at his new school, which teaches from text originated by L. Ron Hubbard, Scientologys founder. He described how he had entered the room and, instantly perceiving Swami Ramdass advanced, God-realized stature, how he had fallen at the saints feet in a torrent of tears. Ananda was required to deliver every scrap of printed matter that it had ever produced, so that SRF could sift it for proof that we had passed ourselves off as them, or that we had somehow misrepresented our Gurus teachings. Does America need a crack down? In this decision the California Supreme Court held that the First Amendment does not bar civil causes of action for fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress and restitution when a cult uses deception, which subsequently leads to an unsuspecting individuals exposure to thought reform techniques that cause suffering and damages. Most of what they have they are paying for on the installment plan. I dont think Divine Mother even notices our faults, is how Seva Wiberg, a senior Ananda member, once put it to me. For 39 years, Nayaswami Asha faithfully recorded the life of a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. Those of us who lived at Ananda found it incredible that SRF would stick to the same old, patently absurd claimsthat Swami Kriyananda touted himself as a guru, that Ananda was trying to pass itself off as part of SRF, etc.when we all knew them to be untrue. Swami Ramdas told him that he would find his guru later; and so it proved. According to official records this credit union has more than $4 million dollars in assets, with two employees on salary to manage its funds. I now live in the Ananda community in Mountain View, California, which is located in a complex of seventy-two apartments. American law does not look kindly on religious monopolies. I hope to visit Ananda 1 day although I not done Kryananda or lessons but am drawn all the same. I had just moved to Ananda Village and had begun working at Pubble, the communitys publishing house. In such puffery reporters largely let the cult tell the story, without asking anything really tough, or follow-up questions. Even these people, however, may be interested to note that, of persons reputed to have prophetic vision, every single one has predicted terrible sufferings for humanity in the years to come. Perhaps even proselytizing for a certain group and/or belief system. Members of the Ananda community operate the Living Wisdom School in Palo Alto, where children are taught values from an early age, in harmony with the guidelines that Paramhansa Yogananda recommended. One or the other trend will eventually define the organization. Some of the pictures I took during those walks remain among my most treasured. I would go so far as to say that every disciple has a duty to serve as a channel for his gurus grace to others, to the extent that he or she is able. Test Paper Controversy: '' , ', . I found the book deeply, unexpectedly inspiring. Learn more, Dates: Apply now. Thats exactly what it is!. For twenty-five years, I have observed hundreds of devoted disciples at Ananda, toiling happily to spread his message of inner communion to a world in desperate need. I realized that it would be madness to reject their help, because of any personal peccadilloes that stood between them and final liberation. These benefits are priceless, especially when I compare them with the circumstances in which most devotees of our path must live, isolated from others who share their beliefs, and forced to work among people who are at best indifferent to their spiritual aspirations. There is one other ray of light at the end of the tunnel for Bertolucci: she is hoping to get back together with the husband she left in 1992 to join Ananda. It has helped me as I have family in SRF who question why. In terms of actual techniques do they vary much? And what did SRF discover? We invite you on an extraordinary pilgrimage experience at Ananda Village in California. Numerous yoga studios have opened up almost everywhere, from major metropolitan areas to large towns. Have a Question about Meditation Retreat Programs? The stories of SRFs behavior were legion. They expose wrongdoing and the authorities often follow-up through criminal prosecution or some other enforcement action. Genuflect, genuflect, genuflect. Some yoga students say these common types are simply cults.. by | Dec 17, 2021 | termination letter to employee due to business closure | national board for health and wellness coaching | Dec 17, 2021 | termination letter to employee due to business closure | national board for health and wellness coaching About ten years ago, I visited him to observe his Siddha powers from the point of view of a scientist.. His words were more than advice; they were prophetic. The prominent lawyer litigated and won the landmark appellate court decision, Molko v. Holy Spirit Association (1988) 46 Cal.3d 1092. Im not sure he succeeded, since where my brain had initially been bowed with the weight of awe, it was now splattered all over the ceiling. Far from leaving me bereft, the realization that even saints can make mistakes, eventually inspired me. Therefore, the discussion or mention of a group, organization or person on this page, is not necessarily meant pejoratively. Money will not be worth the paper it is printed on. The gurus property holdings alone are worth millions. When I was first learning to lecture, he writes in his autobiography, The Path, Master gave me the following words of advice: Before lecturing, meditate deeply. Defame? American showman P.T. SRF claims that Ananda is not a legitimate branch of the Masters work, that Kriyananda is an interloper, that the Kriya Yoga initiation offered by Ananda is not legitimate, and that Ananda is just a bunch of hippies living in primitive conditions, and that the whole thing is destined to fail. A group with a hidden agenda can use meditation to download its program. In the Ananda communities, children are never more than five minutes from an Ananda member who is well acquainted with the child and knows its parents as fellow devotees. (He now serves with his wife, Maria, as the spiritual director of the Ananda community in Sacramento, California.) Monists and dualists, those of all faiths or of no established faith, were impartially received and instructed by the universal guru. Menu. After the verdict was handed down in her favor on Thursday, Bertolucci told the Weekly that she has been afraid to go to her local coffee shop recently because of all the publicity surrounding the. Swami Kriyananda discusses this in his book, A Place Called Ananda: Master had informed me that he hadnt organized the lessons himself. I moved to northern California in 1970. Presumably, then, the organization exists solely for the propagation of the methods of inner communion, Yet the instances of Daya Matas service to disciples as a direct channel for her Gurus blessings are too well known among SRFs own members even to require mentioning. They consider themselves freer for their possessions, and dont see how their possessions in turn have possessed them!. Many Westerners are enthralled with the practice and hope that yoga will help them to shed pounds and firm up. Sai Babas supposed Siddha powers seem to have consumed him. Based at Ananda Villages Expanding Light Retreat, this program brings a balance between spiritual seeking and daily activities. And eventually that cannot be ignored, even in Ithaca, Kingston or Sydney. The newspaper article in the Hindu[stan] Times was planted by a devotee who had no idea as to my intentions in my trip. While Ananda has been forced to defend itself against SRFs lawsuit, I have sensed an underlying respect at Ananda for SRFs leaders as fellow disciples of our Guru. Some say it may also lead to a sense of inner calm and tranquility. Anandas founder J. Donald Walters was found guilty of sexual misconduct and plaintiffs were awarded a staggering multi-million dollar judgment. Discover Yogananda Through His Out-of-Print Works. although he was supposed to be celibate. Moreover, countless SRF disciples have experienced the Masters guidance and grace from other SRF monastics. OLeary sent the following statement to CultNews via email: I am in India now, with absolutely no intention to visit Sai Baba. Ananda has never been exclusively concerned with its own self-preservation, for even if SRF succeeded in destroying us, we would rise again like the green grass in spring. These writings were deeply inspiringfar more so than most of the pallid, church-sanctioned tracts that are common in the West, where official religious instruction is freely available. While he was still in SRF, Swami Kriyananda had rearranged the lessons, placing meditation instruction closer to the start, but the revised version had been rejected for reasons of organizational convenience. Later, I learned that the lessons hadnt been compiled by Yogananda. Reading some of the unsealed papers in the case, I was amazed by the underhanded tricks to which SRF supporters had resorted. If you cant find what youre looking for, or have any questions about courses, please phone them at 800-346-53501 or email [emailprotected]. She idolized its leaders, he said, which made it all the more difficult when things began to go wrong. Standing in line at the local Wal-Mart recently, I overheard a conversation between the check-out clerk and a young woman who was also waiting in line. In an effort to establish meaningful criteria for judging yoga teachers the California Yoga Teachers Association has established a Code of Ethics. If only they would send one of their directors here for a week, I thought, they would see what Ananda is really like. Surely, if they would exert the simple integrity to study us before they judged us, then all might be well. Does ISKCON and its Child Protection Office effectively protect Krishna kids? This time the group is the Twelve Tribes, a racist anti-Semitic cult led by Elbert Eugene Spriggs, a former carnival barker. But the doctors column really raises more questions than it answers. I also occasionally attended services at the Richmond and Los Gatos SRF centers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. What a shame, I felt, that generations of disciples would be deprived of knowing Yoganandas teachings in all their original power and earthiness, simply because the organization over-valued its image. He would have to study the Bible in secret, and meet clandestinely with like-minded friends. That is, unless you are a witch doctor.. Why dont they even bother to visit us? we wondered, amazed by SRFs lack of concern for the truth of their claims. But the background history of some YA board members is rather disturbing. It is based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and was founded by his direct disciple Swami Kriyananda in 1968. Not Hindus only, but Moslems and Christians were among his foremost disciples. Doin the Vatican Rag! It existed one hundred percent on the planeof spiritual aspiration. But where the church impinged upon my devotional life, I was increasingly uncomfortable. Amazingly, they were divided into factions that were so opposed in their beliefs that they were incapable of uniting in mutual aid against the terrible threat that confronted them from the Roman government. Isnt this a bit like the foxes guarding the hen house? Are you affiliated with them?, Despite twenty years of clear evidence to the contrary, SRF was still trying to prove the old myth that Ananda was trading on its good name. Ironically, what had once inspired me about SRF was what now inspired me about Ananda: the devotion that I saw in its members, and the way they gave their lives cheerfully to serving God. I would come to understand that saints who havent yet fully realized God are like spiritual elder brothers and sisters, holding a light to guide our way. On the weekends, I regularly spent the entire day walking in nature and praying to Yogananda while I pursued my hobby of photography. I say this in indignant refutation of SRFs claims to the contrary. Health and diet guru Dr. Dean Ornish says he has found evidence that yoga can help fight cardiovascular disease and this may be true. Sister Savitri, Daya Matas secretary for 20 years, reveals the increasingly rigid spirit of intolerance and sectarianism within the SRF leadership. Many of the fundamentalists declared their beliefs openly, in hopes of achieving liberation through martyrdom. Work on the project is expected to begin this summer and to be completed in the . Each movement of his hands, each phrase, each look suggested divinity. Ive been on the path for 35 years. At the time, there was a small new-age bookstore in Palo Alto that was run by a Sufi group. Ananda is a worldwide movement to help you realize the joy of your own higher Self. I am not for a moment suggesting that the SRF monks never roll up their sleevesonly that SRF seems fussily concerned with its image. Browsing there on a Saturday evening in 1974, I picked up a copy of Swami Kriyanandas book, Cooperative CommunitiesHow to Start Them, and Why. Amazingly, the community tolerated this behavior, primarily because of the gentle urging of Swami Kriyananda. But how can a hopeful student find a reputable studio with a good teacher? On each of these occasions, the giving of help was done as naturally as breathing. The spirit of his great book, Autobiography of a Yogi, argues resoundingly against it. I was deeply aware that great masters do share their teachings as much through their vibrations as in theliteral meaning of their words. How an SRF monastic had criticized Kriyananda scathingly to a group of visiting Ananda members at SRFs guest retreat in Encinitas. And if they fall, they can be assured that, far from judging them, I will hold them up to Gods light, and pray that He help and bless them. "I've had my character absolutely assassinated and that's been very difficult.". 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