Booklet Version for Printing - The Cross and the Lotus

When I was young I learned about the birth of Jesus; complete with live animals in the street corner manger scene. Even as a child I imagined what it would be like to be with Jesus. However, I never thought that I would actually walk with a modern -day Christ, born on Christmas Day in the form of my beloved Gurudev. What an amazing spiritual adventure God and Guru had in mind for me; to be with a living Christ fulfilled my deepest heart’s desire; the best Christmas gift ever. Yogacharya David Hickenbottom I inaugurated…the spiritual Jesus Christ is an incarnation of celebration of Christmas… infinite Love. He is a beacon light honor Christ in spirit in in the shoals and storms of life. To meditation from morning till be inspired by his Spirit is to evening, absorbed in feeling transmute life into an illumined in one’s own consciousness expression of God. The very the Infinite Christ that was thought of Christ brings peace and born in Jesus. purity to mind. Paramhansa Yogananda Swami Ramdas

The Cross and The Lotus Journal December 2013, Vol. 14 No. 4

Dedicated to the Realization of God and Service to Him in All Forms

Mother Hamilton

The Cross and The Lotus Journal

The Cross and The Lotus Journal is published by The Cross and The Lotus Publishing Mount Vernon, WA, U.S.A. Website: www.crossandlotus.com E-mail: [email protected]

The cross and lotus symbolizes the unity between East and West. The lotus is the sign of illumined consciousness, the thousand petal lotus of the crown chakra. The cross is the symbol of the body surrendered to the will of God. Following the way of the cross results in the resurrection of illumined consciousness. The Cross and the Lotus, symbol of man. East and West blended, join hand in hand. Marching toward the infinite light and life divine. Lift up your eyes and see the star, descending from heaven where e’er you are. Be filled with the peace and ecstasy of God’s almighty love. Aum-Amen. The Reverend Yogacharya Mother Hamilton

St. John the Apostle

[Feast day—December 27th ] St. John is said to be the only apostle who did not die a martyr’s death. He lived on a long time, ending his life in Ephesus. …The story goes that the old saint would be asked every Sunday to give the homily at Mass, but all he would ever say was, “Little children, love one another.” When it was suggested he might vary his message, St. John seemed surprised, explaining gently that mutual love was the Lord’s command, and that, if we keep it, is all we need. This frail, venerable figure reminds us, as it must have done those Ephesian congregations, that the saints do not need to “speak” to us; their very presence tells us something about God. - Sister Wendy’s Book of Saints

Calendar of Events Dec.

Jan. © 2013 The Cross and The Lotus Publishing is dedicated to the publication of materials that promote God-realization. Our spiritual lineage begins with Jesus Christ and Babaji and flows down to us through Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar, Paramhansa Yogananda and Yogacharya Mother Hamilton. The Reverend Yogacharya David Hickenbottom continues this lineage with the help and support of many sincere devotees. We are dedicated to realizing God and serving devotees of every race, color, creed and religion. Mother Hamilton often said she was the product of two fully illumined Masters, her own Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, and Swami Ramdas. We therefore feature articles about Swami Ramdas and Anandashram. We bow to the feet of Saints and realized Masters of all religions.

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Feb. Mar.

Apr.

22 25 27 27 5 31 6 26 5 7 9 20 15 20

Winter Solstice (1:38 p.m. PST) Christmas Day, Mother Hamilton’s Birthday (1904) Swami Ramdas’ Sannyas Day (1922) Hanukkah (sundown)–ends sundown on Jan. 5, 2014 Master’s Birthday (1893) Mother Hamilton’s Mahasamadhi (1991) Mother Krishnabai’s Mahasamadhi (1989) Yogacharya David’s Birthday (1954) Ash Wednesday Paramhansa Yogananda’s Mahasamadhi (1952) Swami Sri Yukteswar’s Mahasamadhi (1936) Spring Equinox (9:57 p.m. PDT) Swami Ramdas’ Birthday (1884) Easter

Journal Editors: Larry & Cate Koler

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From the Master’s Kitchen One of the recipes originally published in Master’s Lessons

Cauliflower Soufflé White Sauce: 1 c. thick, made with milk or cauliflower water Egg Yolks: 4 beaten Cauliflower: 1 cup cooked, cut in tiny pieces Egg Whites: 4 beaten stiff Combine white sauce, egg yolks and cauliflower. Cool and fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into a buttered casserole and bake 20 minutes in hot oven – 400◦ F. Comments from our C&L chef, Angela Victory Thinking of a snow peaked mountain, winter and comfort food—this dish with all its color gone and piled up on my plate, I can relate to its simple appeal. An extra bonus is cauliflower is a favorite vegetable of Aiden’s. I like that the dairy free eater can use cauliflower water; I would suggest organic in that case. This is a semi make-ahead casserole and can be a side dish to meat or rice pasta. Is the body not the temple of the Lord? Why then should I not want to keep it as perfect as possible? But, at the same time, this preoccupation with the body may, and often does, grow into a kind of obsession, even among spiritual aspirants. The body must be kept in health so that it may help the spirit to evolve.… What shall I do with a wonderfully healthy body if my spirit remains maimed? There have been hundreds of instances where aspirants who have neglected their bodies have realised the Lord, but is there a single instance of a man who has attained simply because he has developed a perfect body? - Indira Devi


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Dear friends, Mother Hamilton liked to tell a story about a Methodist minister who was at Anandashram at the same time she was there in 1957. Having heard many of Papa’s stories about his “Ram adventures,” the minister asked Papa if he could accompany him the next time Ram prompted Papa on a journey. One day Papa told the minister that he was being directed by God to go across a field. I can imagine the minister may have had visions of high adventure! What might happen? It would seem that all the world lay open to him, being with Papa that day. Halfway across the field Papa suddenly, and without hesitation, turned around and walked back to the ashram. When the minister asked why they had turned around, Papa said that when they reached the halfway point Ram had directed him back. Now, Papa did not waver when turning back; he did not question why there was a one hundred and eighty degree change; he did not worry about looking foolish in front of the minister; he just turned around. This is a favorite story that I like for its stark simplicity and insight into Papa’s complete surrender to God. Such surrender is what sadhakas strive to have. Carla and I came to such a moment when we were at Anandashram. Our plans had been to stay on at the ashram for another six weeks, followed by a trip north to see our friends, Swami Maitreyi and Gargi. Ram was having us leave immediately despite these well-made plans: some devotees were coming to the ashram, at least in part, to be there when Carla and I were there; our plans to meet friends in the north and have the darshan of a saint; and planned weekly satsangs we had been asked to hold by the ashramites—all of this and more had to be surrendered when we left. Knowing that it was the will of the Infinite that we leave, I knew that those coming to Anandashram would be in God’s ten-

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der care, that everything was working out exactly to His plan. There was disappointment all around, but I also knew without a doubt that I must turn around when we were only halfway across the field. To live a life of perfect surrender is to live in complete freedom; however, it also requires full faith. Faith is more than belief; it is founded upon a direct and intuitional glimpse into the divine. As an aspirant for realization progresses, he experiences three forms of surrender. The first is represented by Moses, the lawgiver (in India it is Manu the law-giver.) As the sincere aspirant seeks attunement with God he initially learns the dos and the don’ts of spiritual principles. For instance: don’t tell lies, always tell the truth; respect life, don’t commit murder; do not steal, but show self-respect and respect others; do not worship false idols, always aspire for the purest form of consciousness, etc. The second form of surrender comes when the intellect is guided by intuition that comes in the form of a feeling or a hunch as to what to do in a certain situation. This intuition is scripturally represented by John the Baptist. John the Baptist intuition comes primarily from the solar plexus or the “gut” as a feeling for right action. When the John the Baptist intuition matures it forms a strong feeling/idea that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and that it is time to “make straight the way of the Lord.” It is then that a dispassion for the world becomes dominant and makes you strive for Self-realization, a time of purification and cleansing. The third type of surrender comes from a higher form of knowing: through purification of the mind one may know what is right through direct perception of Divine Consciousness, or Christ Consciousness. John the Baptist comes in order to prepare the way for the coming of Christ Consciousness. The perfect clarity that comes with this higher Consciousness makes the vast difference between the intuition of John the Baptist and the coming Christ Consciousness perfectly clear. The words of the Baptist, that he

Yoga and Health

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Tree Pose (Vrksasana) By Briana Jones In the spirit of the holiday season, this balancing pose gives an opportunity for one to experience the sparkle and peaceful joy of the Christmas tree on a deeper personal level. The image given by our beautiful Mother of the lights of the inner spinal Christmas tree offers great inspiration for this pose. Props: A hard, even floor surface, yoga mat. Practice: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, spine straight with tail bone reaching down and crown of the head lifting up. Transfer your weight to the right side and let it register there. Imagine deep roots reaching into the earth from the bottom of the right ribs all the way through your right foot. Find a still point in front of you to focus on at eye level. Slowly lift the left foot, rotating the inner thigh outward as you place the sole of your foot against your inner right ankle, (or above the knee at the top of the left thigh). Activate a gentle pressure where the left foot meets the right leg, and equally, where the right leg meets the left foot. Use this leverage to lengthen and energize the whole spine upward. Place your hands together at the heart center and allow your natural breath to flow easily in and out of the belly. Stay for up to a minute and then release the left leg down to equal standing pose. Notice the effects of the pose in stillness. Repeat on the other side. Modifications: Place a finger or hand on the wall or the top of a chair for assistance if needed. Benefits: Strengthens the legs and spinal column, improves posture and energizes the whole body while allowing the inner practice of calm breath and openness in a somewhat challenging situation. Blessings of the season to all. Namaste.

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Loon Lake Retreat

is not worthy of tying the shoes of the Christ, is not just a statement of humility but of fact. Christ Consciousness comes as a direct knowledge that is far beyond the mental concept of right and wrong and also stands high above a feeling or hunch. Christ Consciousness resonates throughout your entire being and illumines your intellect with the light of wisdom. Surrender is a theme that runs throughout the Old and New Testaments and all the great spiritual traditions. In one of the truly great spiritual epics, the Ramayana, Rama is fully expecting to become prince regent, but instead, in order to keep his father’s word, on the day of his crowning he walks penniless into exile for the next fourteen years, not even allowed to enter a town. In his surrender he is actually fulfilling the ultimate purpose for which he was born; we know that purpose as readers, but he is not aware that this moment of surrender is leading to a grand destiny, only that he feels honored to fulfill his father’s reluctant promise. Surrender can range from when you have to choose to do some right action in your daily life when you would rather not, all the way to giving your life for your fellow man in order to fulfill your Heavenly Father’s will; it all requires willingness to submit your will to a higher one. It is through this complete surrender to the highest light you know that your mind is purified and you are prepared for attaining the ultimate attainment of Christ Consciousness. So, we left India earlier than anticipated, but we are happy to be with God wherever He takes us. We miss our friends at Anandashram, but we were able to be with our friends here for important events, even as He willed. The same lesson in surrender comes back again and again in deepening layers: through your instantaneous surrender to God you fulfill the marvelous destiny that God has designed for you from the foundations of this creation, and it is good.

By Yogacharya David Hickenbottom At the retreat we focused on Life as a Pilgrimage. We took this time in retreat to go deeper into the purpose of life, both in reviewing the past and sharpening awareness in the present, to ask, “What was the purpose for my taking an incarnation; what am I here to do?” A powerful tool for understanding this life is to think of it as a writer, to see the narrative of your life, complete with chapters. Good stories will build to some ultimate conclusion, step by step. An author of a book thinks in terms of an overall story narrative, a meta-narrative. It is all too common to get caught in the details of a demanding life, so each person used his or her time in the retreat to focus on the narratives and the meta-narrative of life. It is important to remain dedicated to the essential goals of life’s journey, so each person articulated those themes and evaluated, “Am I on track?” Then taking the work into the future, including meeting each one’s “higher future self.” In addition to this internal work we had outstanding weather which also allowed for canoe rides and walks in the sunlit forests. All in all, a great narrative for a retreat.

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Letter to a Devotee

Memories of Mother

Dear _______, The result of doing our spiritual work is that gradually we are cured of our resistance to God. More and more we realize that we only punish ourselves when we avoid the task at hand. That is why the great ones like Master, Mother and Papa were so clear in their desire to go straight to God. Most of us are made up of mixed motives and it is only when we suffer enough that we come to the great clarity of those exalted souls. How long we will suffer the effects of separation from God is up to each one of us. Some souls will even take their own lives, thinking this is the way to escape their spiritual work. However, those souls who make this mistaken choice sadly find out this is no escape but simply a detour, only to face their original painful situation again, now with the added burden of a tendency to avoid painful situations. If only you realize today that avoidance does no good, that you will always come back to the point at which you diverged from the straight and narrow path to God. It is now or later. God is ever -patient and will meet you more than halfway when you make a sincere effort to seek Him alone, for He is ever-compassionate. May you see clearly, even today: This is your time on the stage of life, and this is your time for spiritual progress, there is no other! Be determined that you will not let anything on earth stand in your way to realize your ultimate Goal! Ever in the Light of Realization,

“Do you believe in the divinity of Christ?” a visitor inquired. The Master replied: …he clearly taught that those who do the will of God become, like himself, one with Him. Wasn’t it the mission of Jesus on earth to remind all men that the Lord is their Heavenly Father, and to show them the way back to Him?” - The Master Said: Sayings of Paramhansa Yogananda

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For my Beloved God-Mother [From a Christmas Card that Bonnie Barnowe sent to Mother]

Today I’d like to share with you this old Sanskrit Proverb, which I’m sure you already know: Look to this day For it is life, The very life of life. In its brief course lies all The realities and verities of existence, The bliss of growth, The splendor of action, The glory of power— For yesterday is but a dream And tomorrow is only a vision. But today, well lived Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness And every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day. I’ve always loved this poem. I try to remember that today we are building our memories to look back on tomorrow. And every little thing that we say or do affects not only our own memories, but the memories of all those who are in contact with us. You have built mountains of glorious memories for me, for which I can never adequately thank you. Have a very merry Christmas, Love, Mother with her dear disciple-friends, Mary Bonnie Barnowe Michelle and Bonnie

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first reaction was sympathy for the family. However, as soon as I told them how Christine had left, that she was completely focused on God, chanting His name in those last moments, they immediately put their hands together and prayed to God that Christine and daughters, Angela & Andrea they too could be exactly like Christine; their prayer was to be able to have their mind on God (at a time when a million other things can come up), knowing what a blessed and rare event this is. Their highest ideal is to have complete focus and attention on God, like Mother Hamilton used to say: “Keep your mind on God.” Christine had done that. So even as far away as South India, Christine’s story will be told over and over again. Christine changed herself and continues to change thousands. We love you so much Christine and thank you for blessing our lives with your Light of God. You are in our hearts! Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram. Christine and George Baldigara


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Man’s Supreme Quest From the book, The Divine Life by Swami Ramdas Man’s supreme quest lies in his researches into the realm of the soul, spirit, and God. The deeper he dives into the abyss of Truth the more wonderful grows his experience. He finds worlds are involved in worlds and, as he progresses inward, subtler are the planes of existence which he meets. As he passes through them he beholds supernatural visions of Divine forms; hears the sweetest strains of celestial music; senses the intoxicating fragrance of heavenly aroma; is dazzled with the flashes of immortal radiance; experiences an unutterable rapture of pure bliss, and at last reaching the utmost confines of the soul and the inner worlds plunges into the infinite expanse of a static silence and immutable peace wherein everything is naught, wherefrom everything emanates. Further journey ceases here because now the traveller and the destination have resolved into one as the river merges into the ocean. This transcendent experience makes the soul realize not merely an inner unity of all life and existence but also the absolute oneness of all visible and invisible worlds of manifestation. Now he feels both his physical and psychical being, in all its aspects, is utterly Divine as also the vast phenomena of nature before him. The ecstasy and light of the Divine fill every pore of his body, and every atom of his physical frame responds to the thrills of delight originating from his Immortal Spirit which is now one with the cosmic soul, the great basic ultimate Godhead, who is all-inclusive and alltranscendent. Love now blossoms in his heart like a full-blown flower. The world is the playground of his liberated spirit. His bliss and freedom passeth all description. Childlike innocence pervades his entire being. Divine splendour illumines his face. He rolls in ineffable ecstasy. He knows he is immortal.

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The Magnificent Obsession An Excerpt from a Talk Given by The Reverend Mother, Yogacharya M. Hamilton in Seattle on October 23, 1974 [See the previous page for the passage by Swami Ramdas which Mother refers to in this talk.]

Went about his Work Quietly Years ago—and maybe many of you have read it also—I read a book written by Lloyd Douglas, I think it was, called The Magnificent Obsession. And this was a story of a doctor who was constantly helping people. No matter what their need was, he helped them. He helped them in his doctoring, if they needed money. If they needed service of any sort at all, he helped them. And he required but one thing from them, as a payment for his help, and that is that they would never mention anything that he did for them, or gave them, to anyone else. And he made them take a vow with regard to this, because he said that this was his way of storing up the power of God within himself. And he did these things and he didn’t want to dissipate his energy, his gifts—that he was giving in the name of God. This went on for years, and many people were able to have


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was running His universe, she turned to the Light, connected with her beloved Guru, and climbed higher and closer to God. There are so many stories of how she changed so many lives by changing her own life and she continues to Carla and Christine change the lives of thousands. All of you here today have Christine’s love in your heart and that love will change your family, your friends, and all those strangers you meet every day. In 2007, Christine and George were with us at Anandashram. I want to tell you about her willingness to be 100% immersed in that spiritual environment and to be part of that wonderful culture. In the evening time, we had the special privilege of going and spending time with Swami Satchidananda, who was the spiritual head of the ashram. He liked to see ladies in saris, which to a western woman is the polar opposite of what we wear—a very long piece of cloth, wrapped many times around and tucked into a petticoat. Christine had help putting the sari on the first time we went, then in her brilliant and creative way, took safety pins and made it so that she could actually hang it up each evening and wear it without going through the motions of wrapping it all over again. It was ingenious and practical on her part. Everywhere she went she created beauty, and before long, the rooms where we stayed (that were very plain and sparse), had elephant designed pillow case covers taped to the wall—she just couldn’t bear seeing a plain wall without something lovely to look at! David and I have just come from Anandashram. When I was telling the ashram friends that we were leaving because Christine had left the body and David was performing her service, their

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Christine Changed Herself and Continues to Change Thousands

college educations; many were able to pay debts; many were able to have operations or to get medical care that they needed. Many of the hungry people were fed. And this man’s reputation grew, as a doctor and as a man. And still, everyone kept their vow and the real truth of the matter was not known. But such love as this man received, you couldn’t believe. Finally, at the time of his passing, all of this came out and one after another came forth and told his wife and his family, in testimony, of all of the wonderful things that he had done, that he had actually changed the lives of many.

By Carla Hickenbottom [This is the eulogy that Carla wrote and delivered at the Celebration of Life service for Christine Baldigara in Maple Ridge, Canada.]

Like all of you, I have been deeply and profoundly changed because of knowing Christine. Sitting at the kitchen table with the mandatory cup of tea, we all have shared those precious times with her, talking about fashion and decorating, family, friends, the latest comings and goings of her girls and grandsons— Alex, Aiden, Adam, and Aron. Asking about our lives, what we are doing, how we are doing. Yet in the center of these wonderful times, there was always the feeling and talk of God. She would bring Him up in conversation so easily and before you knew it, your heart was opening up, Light was coming in and life felt good! As Master has said, “Change yourself and you will change thousands.” Well, Christine did that. She climbed the spiritual ladder up and up and to our great fortune and benefit, we have all been brought up with her. She made sure that George and her girls were right beside her in that essential upward climb to God. Her dedication, perseverance, loyalty to her teacher and Guru and devotion to God is such an inspiration and shows what a truly great soul she is. In spite of all the physical hardships and challenges of cancer, she remained steadfast in her commitment and her dogged determination to stay focused and to feel God’s love and Light. At times, when there would be so many ways that she could have taken the “dark road” and stayed angry at God for the way He

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Your Magnificent Obsession Now, this was called a “magnificent obsession,” the obsession that if he gave his alms without talking about them in the marketplace, that he went about his work quietly, silently, just doing everything he could in the name of God, that he would be filling up his spiritual storehouse of abundance. And so he did. He became a great man of God and a great man in the eyes of the people.… Everyone here has a magnificent obsession: You have the obsession that you want God-realization. This is a constant thought and a constant prayer and a constant crying-out in the hearts of many. Now, not everyone is willing to make the effort to attain that which they say they desire. As I’ve told you before, the word, gospel, means to me, ‘God’s spell.’ It is a spell that God puts upon His own people, when they at last turn their faces toward Him, and go within and try to seek Him. A Mother’s Love that is Divine It is a wonderful obsession! I am so obsessed with my love for God myself, that there is nothing that He would require of me that I would not do. It doesn’t make any difference what it is. Night and day I think of Him. Night and day I serve Him. There isn’t anyone or anything that I wouldn’t give up for His name’s sake, and I have proven this many times in my life. I’ve even left my own family to go and sit at the feet of a master in a far country, that I might find God-realization. And in doing so, I was told that I had to give up all of the desires—the at-

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tachments—that were entailed in all the possessions and the people that I had left behind. And with everything I had, I tried to throw these things in the ocean of God. Now when I came out of this, I found that I had an even greater love for my children; I had lost my attachment to the world, but I had an even greater love for my children than I had before. And so, having listened to Swami Ramdas speak many times about how he had given up his wife and his child and that he had no feeling except that they were filled with God, and he saw them as one with himself—but I mean there was no personal attachment—I was quite concerned about this, so I went to Papa. And I told him all about this. “Ah, yes!” he said. “I see you have this tremendous motherlove within you. Well,” he said, “if you cannot detach yourself from that love, then you must learn to see them all as God.” Well, this I could do very easily, as long as I didn’t have to give up the feeling of love that I had for them. Now, through the years I can’t say that I don’t have attachment to my children, but I have attachment to all of my children, of which all of you are included, one not more than the other. It is a personal thing, and yet it is an impersonal thing in the Divine. It is the love of a mother for her child; and yet strangely enough, most of the time, I feel only like your child and your servant, regardless of seeming appearances.

Christine Baldigara

Helpless in God I feel helpless, you see, in the midst of all of this which God has put me into. I really do. You wouldn’t think this when you listen to me get up and speak, but it is really true. And I know that I of myself am nothing, and that it is only by turning myself over in every single detail, of letting God use this form which He made, of letting Him think through it, speak through it, act through it, that what He wills for all of you is going to come forth from this form.… …The only thing that is important is that we gather together here, in God’s name, that we are lifted up in His spirit, that we seek to make ourselves ever purer, in order that we may realize

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November 28, 1947 ‒ October 24, 2013

[An excerpt of an email sent from Anandashram on Oct. 24th]

My dear friends, It is with sorrow that I am informing you that Christine Baldigara left the body late Thursday morning. Christine has been an ardent Kriyaban and devotee of God for many years and she has been an inspiration to so many people and is deeply loved. I want to say a few words about the way that she passed, because it is a deep reflection of who Christine is and it is so rare for a soul to leave the body in this way. When her daughters, Angela and Andrea came this morning to see her, Christine was chanting Sri Ram. Andrea put some ice to Christine’s lips and she started chanting Aum, Aum, Aum. Then she started a breathing pattern that the nurse identified as the last breaths before leaving the body; Angela said it reminded her of a Kriya breath. This conscious leaving of the body with the mind fully focused on God is a wonderful and great occurrence. There can be such a mixture of emotions when a soul leaves the body: sadness at the loss of a dear friend, wife, mother, sister. Also one feels such a deep feeling of gratitude for knowing such a wonderful soul—joy and inspiration for the way that she lived her life and how she left the body. All these emotions can be present at once or can come at various times. The overwhelming feeling I have now is of love for Christine. Please keep the family and loved ones in your prayers. In the Light of God and Gurus,

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asked him if he wanted to prosecute this individual, he said no he didn’t want to. He went on and he did good for people, and he worked for God day and night, day and night. I can testify to this because many times when I was down there—I wasn’t down there many times, but of the times I was down there—many of those times—I had the room directly below his study, and the windows were opened because it was always warm down there, when I went down—and I could wake up at any time of the night, and Master was interviewing somebody. Sometimes he was interviewing some of the disciples that lived in Mt. Washington, and they didn’t like the interview very well because he was really letting them have it because they weren’t living up to what he thought they should be, as disciples.

our oneness with Him, that we may really get into this magnificent obsession, to the point where it absorbs every particle of our lives, every particle of our beings, until there exists for us nothing but God everywhere! Experience Expands Consciousness …Do you not realize what you keep yourselves from? Will you fail to do the things that are necessary to take God into your life, to make Him an integral part of every part of it? You would have the Master who would guide you, who would lead you, who directs you in everything that you would do.… He would walk before you and He would light your way, and He would make all of the crooked paths straight. But how many really go to work at that? How many would rather think about what they don’t have and what they want, in a worldly sense, rather than think of the limitless joys of the kingdom of heaven, of the spirit, of God Himself? Know ye not that ye are Gods! When are we going to awaken and live up to this wonderful reality, which is our real selves? This little self that is constantly thinking only of itself—what it can accumulate, what it can draw to itself, how it can get this one or this job or whatever, in the way of attachments or possessions—how many times do we spend our time thinking of those things, rather than with a pure thought of God in our heart, in our consciousness, on our lips, giving praise for all of the great blessings that He gives us? Do we not realize that as we give, so shall we receive? And so if we give thanks for everything that comes to us, regardless of its seeming appearance, whether it be pain or suffering or socalled evil, or anything that opposes us, as well as for all of the tremendous, wonderful, bounteous things of life—if we gave praise for those things—that we would multiply our good a thousand times. And we would see in all of the adversities that come within our jurisdiction, that God was being so good to us because He was giving us the experiences necessary to help us to grow into the consciousness of our oneness with Him; that every tough thing we had to meet and face and overcome, was a testing point. It was something that would help us to gain power and

Now Known All over the World But he went on to serve God, and he gave of himself and everything he had. And when he passed on, I saw the copy of his will myself: all he had was one wristwatch, a money clip, and one other little thing—I’ve forgotten what it was—those were his sole possessions in this whole universe. Everything was under the name of the organization, to be used for God—every tiny thing. And yet God gave him everything he needed. And because he had given himself totally to God—this great man who loved God more than he loved himself, who gave up the idea of marriage, of having any personal life of his own, any personal possessions, in order that he might serve God in other people— today his name and his work is known all over the world. And there are not only hundreds, but there are thousands and thousands and thousands, in every country in this universe, that know of him, know of his teachings. And many are following those teachings, and meditating and going to God in accordance with those teachings. A talent for truth is real property. If a man loves truth better than things, people like to be around where he is. - Lloyd C. Douglas, The Robe

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strength within ourselves, so that we would be better equipped to meet the next obstacle on the path. And do we not realize that every experience, no matter what it is that comes to us, makes our consciousness expand, that we learn something new and we grow a little each time we learn? We even learn from the things that are not good—especially do we learn from those things, not when everything is all comfortable and happy and cozy, but it is the tough experiences from which we truly learn.

But,” he said, “I want to tell you, you may be a great movie star, and you may think you’re very great inside. But I have something that I could give you which is much greater than anything you have, or anything you will ever have.” And the man looked at him. He said, “What could you give me?” He said, “I can give you God.” And the man looked at him. He said, “You have to be mad!” He said, “Yes, I am. I’m mad with God! Wouldn’t you like to join me?”

Thankful for Unanswered Prayers I was thinking the other day—and thanking God greatly—that He had not answered every prayer in my life. That seems a strange thing to thank God for, but it is true. I thank Him for the refusal to answer all of the prayers that I send up, because some of them, as I went along this human path, were certainly things that it would have burnt me, through the fires of my own desires. Looking back at that now, I see that that is true. I see that it is true. But then I didn’t see it. And I wondered why God didn’t answer my prayer, and I thought to myself, “What is the use of praying, if prayers are not answered?” But, you see, deep in my heart—whether it be subconsciously, unconsciously, whatever— was the greater prayer of wanting perfection in all things, of wanting peace, of wanting happiness, of wanting fulfillment, of wanting contentment. He heard that greater prayer, rather than the human prayer that would have given me something that wouldn’t have lasted, or would have been bad for me. He heard that greater prayer and He answered in His own way: He answered by refusing me; He answered by giving me something, sometimes, that I didn’t want; something that I had to do that I didn’t want to do. And He made it just as difficult for me as He could possibly make it. And then He poured it on some more. And I thank Him for everything that He has done for me in that connection. It is like the master said that for every psychological blow that his guru had given his ego, he was eternally grateful. And that is exactly the way I feel about the things that I have gone through.

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Master was Human & Divine He told these stories of himself years ago. And I remember another time that he was walking down the street; he was taking some of the boys to some movie that he thought it was alright that they could see, because he realized the advantage, and the necessity, for a balanced way of life. He wasn’t just one way; they have tried, since his passing, to make him in the image of the Christ, so to speak, to take all of the human-ness out, in many ways, and just make you see the divine. And he was divine! Make no mistake about that. The fact that I am here, living, able to speak to you, certainly is definite proof of that because, as I’ve told you, he saved my life not once, but many times. He’s performed miracles upon miracles, and not only for me, but many others that I have seen. But anyway, he was walking down the street with this group of boys, and Bing Crosby was walking in the opposite direction. And here was Master, with his robe and his turban on, and Bing came along and he looked at him, and he says, “Hi Dad.” So he told this story about himself too. He Worked for God Day & Night It’s a strange thing, you know, all of the things that a man of God, particularly a man from the Far East, had to go through in those days. But he went on. He was put in jail; he was accused falsely, and when the person who had committed the crime confessed finally that Master had not been the one, and they had

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Mother talks about Master

You see, my Guru was so easy-going with me. Why? I’ll never know. He was only disturbed with me once, and that was when he wanted me to start a center. And I had been paralyzed, and I thought I had every single reason not to start this center up here, even though he had requested that of me. And so I was in bad shape physically, being paralyzed, naturally—I worked out of it gradually. But he had saved my life, you see, and here I was, dragging my feet, not doing what he had asked me to do. So I happened to go down to Hollywood and I came before him. He didn’t say one single word to me—he didn’t have to; I was so tuned in with him that I got the full vibration of his displeasure with me. And I started stuttering all over the place, and explaining to him why I hadn’t started the center. He said not one word in answer. I want to tell you that the first day I got back to Seattle I took the ways and means of getting the center started. And it wasn’t long before I could write to him and tell him that this work was started up here. And then my conscience was relieved and I was back in his good graces again.

[Excerpted from the talk, The Magnificent Obsession]

Yoganandaji Endured So Much I was reading one of the transcripts of things that had happened many years ago with my own Guru, when he came to America. He really had a rough time because he used to wear this ochre-colored robe, just as he had done in India, and at that time he wore a turban around his head also. ...This was 50 years ago and believe me, the teachings of the East weren’t accepted then, as they are today. People threw eggs at him; they threw rotten tomatoes at him. They talked about him; they reviled him; they persecuted him; they spit upon him. One day he was walking along the street and there were some women walking behind him and they were making fun of him. And he knew this, so he turned right around and he faced them, and he said, “You know, I am very sorry to hear you speak of me in this manner because I am a stranger to your country and your customs. I had always been told the people of the West were a very generous-hearted and good people.” He said, “I had hoped that that’s what I would find when I came to this country.” That was all he said. And the women hung their heads in shame. I Have Something Greater to Give to You He had so many things to combat that we today, who are on this path, don’t have to combat—so many different things. There’s story after story that is told. I remember one time that he sat opposite a movie star—he was on a train—and the movie star was very upset because this man in this ochre-colored robe and turban was sitting across from him. And Master said that he could read his every thought, and he thought to himself, Well, here am I, a great movie star, and I have to sit across the across the way from somebody like that so Master said, “I’m very sorry that you feel the way that you do.” And the man looked at him. “What do you mean?” He said, “You don’t want me to sit here.” He said, “I annoy you. You don’t think I’m good enough to sit across from you.

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Clay in the Hands of the Sculptor We ask and ask and ask of God—we ask of the Christ; we ask of the Guru—but what do we give in return? We must ask ourselves that. And do you know God, Christ and the Guru are satisfied with nothing less than everything you have to give! That seems a big demand, doesn’t it? But it’s the truth because when they say that—when they think that, when they demand that of you—they are demanding the utmost in human surrender, in the lack of human attachment, in the lack of your attachment to possessions, to people, to things. Why? Not to punish you, not to take you away from your family or from your friends, but to take you away from this little tiny self that has no basis in truth, that thinks of itself as separate from God, and to make you realize who and what you are in God. And the truth is that you and your Father are one, this moment. It cannot be otherwise, when God is all there is. And everything in this creation, and the worlds beyond, all emanate from Him—

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live in Him, continue in Him—and there is no stopping it, no dying in it, because He is Infinite and Eternal. And in taking everything, in demanding everything from you—they want you to be as a piece of clay, so that they as a sculptor may mold you in the image and likeness, not of themselves, but of the God—the Indwelling Presence—within you, so that you may become that radiant Self, so that you too, like this article, may be lifted up and that you may feel this bliss and hear this celestial music, and smell the fragrance of the Infinite. Gathering Jewels or Junk? All of these things are a part of the spiritual experience. And we settle for perfumes that we buy out of a bottle; we settle for music that we pick up anyplace, that somebody else has gotten out of the ether. And believe me, not all of it is good. Whatever we do with the gifts that God has given us, we must make sure that we express them in the utmost in the spiritual sense—that by hearing them, by seeing them, by listening to them, by reading them—that man’s mind will be uplifted! I once wrote an article and I entitled it, “Are We Gathering Jewels or Junk?” because there is so much in the world today— so much garbage—that is being written, that is being given forth in music, in art, in every type of existence, that it is high time we took a good look at the things which attract us, the things that we hug to our bosom, the things that we spend our time and concentrate our minds and our attention upon, and use our energy with. What is it buying us? Is it buying us the things that will not rust, that will not disappear—the eternal things of the Spirit, the only things we can take with us when we go? Or is it keeping us earth -bound? Are we becoming degenerate, in many cases, because of the things that we put into our minds and our bodies, the things that we use our lives for, or misuse them?… Service to All We serve our little selves; we do not always serve those others around us. And I would like to see more of that in the group. I would like to see a ‘getting to know each other,’ not in the human sense but in the divine sense. I would like to see you come


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• “God resides in our own heart.” This is the cardinal teaching of the great saints. Our sadhana is to get over of our opinion that God is far away from us and that He is out of our reach, and realise His presence within us. • All efforts made like reading of scriptures, staying at spiritual institutions is to experience God within us as Love which flows spontaneously and unconditionally. • When this experience is attained, we surpass all differences and dualities and selfless love spontaneously wells up towards all and compassion is felt towards all. • Overall God-experience necessarily includes the Impersonal which is direct and springs as unconditional Love as reflected in the lives of saints who have realised the Truth. • Seekers of Truth need to practice patience and try to see the Divine everywhere. • Constant chanting of God’s Name should not just become a discipline. The chanting must cause a positive addiction to the joy and peace that it radiates in the chanter. • The chanting can be practiced silently in the background of our day-to-day activities and routines like walking, driving etc.

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Reverend Yogacharya David Hickenbottom’s Visit:

together and meditate together, even when I’m not around, to speak of God and to sit in silent meditation, to chant, and when somebody has something wrong with them or if they need help, to always be there, ready to help. This is what the Christ taught us to do: He, who would be greatest among you, let that one be the servant of all. Now, all of you are willing to serve me. Many a time, many, many of you have offered. And you have given me great service. But don’t forget that you must serve others as you serve me because they too are my Self, even as you are. Are we all not one in God?…

By Swami Muktananda [This article appears in the 2013 December edition of The Vision magazine, published by Anandashram.]

with Swamis Chandrananda and Muktananda

Reverend Yogacharya David Hickenbottom of Seattle, USA, visited the Ashram for a couple of weeks in October along with his wife Carlaji. He is the spiritual successor of Yogacharya Mother Mildred Hamilton who had started a spiritual movement called The Cross and The Lotus based on the ideal, “Dedication to the realisation of God and service to Him in all forms”. Mother Hamilton and her husband Rev. Ralph had close contact with Beloved Papa since the 1950s. Rev. David and devotees have been visiting Ashram since the late 1990s and were greatly inspired by Pujya Swami Satchidanandaji. The spiritual flowering in Rev. David is expressive in the form of his loving, caring, humble and Sattwic nature. This has endeared him to one and all. Everyone in the Ashram enjoyed the company of Rev. David and Carlaji. During his various informal get together and in the Satsang he shared the following thoughts.

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I Have Done All that I Can Do This is the truth. And when we realize this, when we make the effort, when we go within our secret temple and shut all the doors—close them very tight—and commune with the blessed Lord who dwells within, we find peace and joy and happiness and all knowledge within ourselves, to a degree that in the human sense we just would not and could not believe. But you’ve got to make the effort; you’ve got to do it. I have begged you; I have pleaded with you. I have loved you. I have spanked you occasionally. I have done everything but stand on my head, and I’m a little old to do that now. But anyway, if I could I would. But I do it mentally, trying to help you to help yourselves! That’s all I can do—that’s all I can do. Like Wings of a Bird I want you so filled with this magnificent obsession that there is nothing else in this life for you but God, and that everywhere you look, every form that you see, every voice that you hear, every sound, every movement—is of Him. And the time will come when your hearts will be lifted up, like the wings of a bird, and you will soar into the heaven of your Heavenly Father. And you will be with Him, in His eternal blissful state forevermore. This doesn’t mean that you will die, that you will disappear; it means that for the first time you will know what life is. You will be THAT. I and my Father are one. Blessed Spirit I am He.

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Swami Shriyukteshwar

Pilgrimage and the Universal Experience

Incarnation of Wisdom By Paramahamsa Prajnanananda The youngest disciple of Swami Shriyukteshwar was Rabindranath who is now world renowned as Paramahansa Hariharandanda. They used to meet regularly at Serampore Ashram. Shriyukteshwar requested this young man several times to take charge of Puri Ashram, but young Rabindranath did not accept this proposal as he was not mentally ready for it. In the beginning of June 1938 Rabindranath came to Puri. Before coming to Puri he sent one of his friends to arrange for a rented house close to the ashram where he could live independently meditating and also spend time in the ashram. The friend asked the help of the ashram in this matter and a house next to the ashram was secured as a rental. Rabindranath moved to Puri and started living in that house. On a hot summer evening Rabindranath and his friend were relaxing on the second floor balcony of the house enjoying the cool breeze of the sea and watching the sky. Suddenly Rabindranath thought he saw Shriyukteshwar walking from Karar Ashram premises towards the house they were in and he saw him passing them several times. At this Rabindranath cried out with great surprise and joy, “Look, look my beloved master Shriyukteshwar is coming.” His friend looked in that direction and became pale as if he had seen a ghost because he knew of the mahasamadhi of Shriyukteshwar. When he recovered from the shock he informed Rabindranath that it was the same person whom he had met at the ashram when he was looking for the house to rent. This was an extraordinary event when Rabindranath could see his master in his physical form after his demise. After a few months getting clear indication from Shriyukteshwar to join the Ashram and practice meditation there Rabindranath joined Karar Ashram and was known as Brahmachari Rabinanarayan. Thus the desire of Shriyukteshwar was at last fulfilled.

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By Yogacharya David Hickenbottom We set off on pilgrimage to India with a skeletal plan for destinations: Haridwar and Lahiri Mahasaya’s Samadhi Temple, Master’s boyhood home in Kolkata, Dakshineswar Temple— home of Ramakrishna, Sri Yukteswar’s Samadhi Temple at Puri, Swami Vishwananda in Bangalore, and our blessed Anandashram. There were some wonderful surprises: when we stayed at Anandamayi Ma’s Samadhi Temple we felt her invisible continuous presence and care. For great spiritual beings death of the body is no barrier to ongoing blessings emanating from their grace. For the finely tuned soul such emanations are easily perceived, but the power of such grace may even penetrate the deluded soul, temporarily lifting him into realms divine. We felt this grace from the moment we came to Haridwar as a loving presence that looked after every need. We also had the darshan of Rani Ma, a saint over a hundred years old, and the blessings of a dear saint at Ma’s Ashram, reputed to be almost 200 years old. India is a place of marvelous occurrences. [Read more at yogacharyadavid.com.] There were many wonderful blessings that came to us; however there was one overarching theme that stands out about this pilgrimage: the profound awareness that the same divine presence in America is also in Haridwar and Puri, and that same grace manifests through the forms of Ma, Ramakrishna, Rani Ma, and through all saints. At Anandashram it was Papa who manifested the universal divine vision as God in all people and places. This message came as realized experience directly from the eternal Lord: God is all-pervasive, within and without. It is a message that our Heavenly Father has been broadcasting from the foundation of creation and it is an ever-new message that is freshly revealed to the waiting soul in increasingly greater measure, in the true fashion of a life’s pilgrimage.