the cross and the lotus journal · 27 swami ramdas’ sannyas day (1922) center news baptism of...

In all matters you should

submit to the will of God. It

is no good grumbling and

feeling worried. The object

of all spiritual practices is to

remain calm by resigning to

the will of God in all cir-

cumstances. Ours is to play

our part well in this life,

with full faith in God. Our

real success lies in living

such a life. Therefore

Ramdas advises you not to

be dispirited. You are entire-

ly in the hands of God.

Those who trust in Him are

never lost.

Swami Ramdas

Can medicine or mind heal the

disease of a dead man? Why

not? Because Life Force is the

only supreme, invariable power

by which any or all methods of

healing can be made effective.

A method of healing is

inferior or superior insofar as

it is capable of rousing or

stimulating the inactive Life

Force in any diseased body

part, thus electrocuting the

disease. Therefore, all

methods of healing are really

indirect ways of rousing the

Life Energy, which is the real

and direct healer of all diseases.

Paramhansa Yogananda

Strive to make each meditation memorable, deeper, and more

profound. Do not limit God-experience in any way, for the In-

finite is indeed just that—infinite! Explode the little box your

mind has placed you in; soar upon waves of Light in the ex-

pansive ocean of Spirit.

Yogacharya David Hickenbottom

September 23 is Mataji’s Jayanti & December 27 is Papa’s Sannyas Day

The Cross and The

Lotus Journal

September 2014, Vol. 15 No. 3

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

Mother Hamilton and Marge Ranney (1916–2014)

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

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]

© 2014 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.

The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 35

Journal Editors: Larry & Cate Koler

Calendar of Events Sept. 22 Fall Equinox (7:29 p.m. PDT)

23 Mother Krishnabai’s Birthday (1903)

24 Rosh Hashanah (sundown)–ends sundown on Sept. 26

26 Lahiri Mahasaya’s Mahasamadhi Day (1895)

30 Lahiri Mahasaya’s Birthday (1828)

Oct. 3 Yom Kippur (sundown)–ends sundown on Oct. 4

12 Swami Satchidananda’s Mahasamadhi Day (2008)

13 Thanksgiving Day (Canada)

Nov. 12 Swami Satchidananda’s Birthday (1919)

27 Thanksgiving Day (U.S.A.)

Dec. 16 Hanukkah (sundown)–ends sundown on Dec. 24, 2014

21 Winter Solstice (3:03 p.m. PST)

25 Christmas Day, Mother Hamilton’s Birthday (1904)

27 Swami Ramdas’ Sannyas Day (1922)

Center News Baptism of Aurelia Rose Jones

We are happy to welcome another little soul to our spiritual

family. Aurelia Rose Jones was born on November 3, 2013. She

was baptized by

Yogacharya David

on June 29, 2014.

Her parents, Briana

& Scott Jones, big

sister, Lillian and

several members of

her family were in

attendance as well

as the Seattle

church group.

L– R: Lillian, Scott,

Aurelia, Briana and

Yogacharya David

4 The Cross and The Lotus Journal

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

Different Stuffed Celery

Peanut butter: 2 tbsp.

Parsley: 1 tbsp., minced

Tomato pulp: 1 tbsp.

Onion: minced

Mix together 2 table-

spoons peanut butter, 1 ta-

blespoon each of the finely

minced parsley and toma-

to pulp. Add a little minced onion if desired. Mix well and stuff

in tender stalks of celery.

Comments from our C&L chef, Angela Victory

September brings hungry kids home

from school and peanut butter snacks are

popular. This reminded me of a grown-up

version of an old classic. I am going to

play with the recipe a bit more—making it

more like spicy peanut sauce, a little less

thick—with healthy crunchy celery sticks.

A portable snack with all natural ingredi-

ents for clean eating. Think of packing this

up before you leave the house and sitting

down to your lunch break, chanting and

thinking of Master.

O Thou Who art Lord of the harvest,

The Giver Who gladdens our days,

Our hearts are for ever repeating

Thanksgiving and honour and praise. Amen

John White Chadwick, 1840-1904


Dear friends,

Sickness, old age and ultimately death

are the great mysteries of life. When such

events are ubiquitous, then why call them

mysteries? It is because these difficult

times elicit questions that elude answers.

Ignorance of these answers produces suf-

fering.

We come to know this life has divine

origins, yet suffering in life seems to fly

in the face of a loving Creator; life taken

on the surface appears as a series of

meaningless and unrelated events. However, when examined

deeply, all of life is known to be a divine creation; it is absolute-

ly meaningful and everything is connected. This has been attest-

ed to by saints and spiritual masters around the globe and from

every religion.

To discover this hidden truth one must see past the veil of ob-

scurity that prevents one from discovering the verity of the ages.

Then life, with all of its beguiling and bewildering faces of good

and evil, pleasure and pain, highs and lows can be experienced

with a new degree of wisdom otherwise unknown. This spiritual

wisdom gives a new perspective on all of life, including change

of life circumstances such as going from health to sickness, from

plenty to lack, as well as the approach of death.

From a human standpoint the seeking of pleasure and the

avoidance of pain is a primary driver in life. Even delayed grati-

fication, such as passing down one’s wealth can be pleasurable

through anticipation of future happiness for oneself or others.

The spiritual seeker also pursues happiness, however it is

pleasure derived neither from the senses nor from this world.

Since the body will become sick, grow old and die, there is noth-

ing in this world that can promise unending bliss—only com-

munion with divine Spirit may fulfill this deep need of the soul.

Therefore the spiritual seeker is considered the wisest of human

beings, the most discriminating and ultimately the most fulfilled.

The worldly have denounced spiritual seeking as escapism, or an

The Cross and The Lotus Journal

unwarranted hatred of human pleasures; however this is not the

case with true seekers.

There have been those practitioners of past and present who

are mentally unbalanced who go beyond dispassion for this

world and violently eschew sensory derived pleasures, even tor-

turing the body; however, in many cases these are not true spir-

itual seekers but unbalanced minds working out their own agen-

da. The discriminating mind recognizes the superior virtues of

spiritual experience and the allure of sensory experience fades in

importance. Now Divine Will is revealed in the stillness of the

body and mind of the seeker and that takes precedence over the

simple desire to satiate the senses.

This transformation from human to Divine is usually a gradual

one, with the ardent devotee learning to turn away from the con-

stant demands of the sense-driven mind and attuning itself to the

higher, true guidance of the Divine Mind. There may be a long

period of time in which the sense attractions impinge on the calm

mind, and therefore a struggle for mastery commences. From the

outside materialistic perspective this can seem an unwarranted

struggle. However, when the prize of Self-realization is under-

stood and its benefits fully appreciated, the struggle is consid-

ered little in comparison to what is gained.

With full realization the towering spiritual insight understands

that the body will go through changes, but Soul is forever un-

changed. The senses may experience delights and tortures, but

the realized one may have ever-new joy bubbling from a hidden

spring within—without reference to human happiness or want.

Even death of the body is put into perspective, knowing that ever

-present Soul is not born, nor does it die.

In the Vedas, the ancient spiritual scriptures of India, God is

described as Satchidananda: Sat is eternal existence, Chid is

awakened consciousness, and Ananda is ever-new bliss; and hu-

mankind has those same qualities. For most people this eternal

existence, consciousness and bliss is dormant, but that does not

diminish the fact that all souls are innately endowed with the ca-

pacity to know this true Self.


ties of the present moment in your center. Work up to one mi-

nute in the pose. To come out, straighten the right leg and relax

your arms. When you are ready, swivel the feet to the left for the

other side. Finish by stepping the right foot forward to Mountain

pose, where you began. Sense any changes in your body, mind,

and soul.

Benefits: Increases stability, strength and balance. Opens the

chest for easier breathing and improves circulation. Alleviates

depression and fatigue, and can slim the waistline! Jai Ram! Na-

maste.

Briana and Lillian in Warrior Pose


Yoga and Health Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II)

By Briana Jones

Come Arjunas, and bring forth your inner qualities as a warri-

or in this pose of strength, courage and resilience. Amid the out-

er and inner storms of life, Warrior II will help you to

stand your ground with steadiness and ease.

Props: Hard, even, slip free floor surface, yoga mat optional.

Practice: Stand tall in Mountain pose (Tadasana) and take a

deep breath, gathering your full strength and focus.

Step your feet wide, about 3-4 feet apart. Turn out your right

foot and turn in your left foot about 30 degrees. Spread your

arms wide and shift your tail bone directly underneath you. Turn

to gaze out over your right fingertips while keeping your back

arm directly behind. Find a focus point at eye level and take a

deep inhalation. Exhale and allow the shoulders to soften down

as you bend your right knee, aligning it over your second toe.

Adjust your stance to fit your body. Draw your torso back, di-

rectly over the pelvis and press evenly into both feet. Allow your

breath to soften out any rigidity in the pose. Let go of the past

behind you, be fearless in your forward gaze, and feel the quali-

Mountain Pose


The Buddha, when leaving his palace to start his spiritual

search, found everyone in the kingdom asleep; he slipped the

moorings of the world while others dreamt. There are more and

more souls beginning to awaken to their higher nature, even

when most of humanity continues to sleep. A worldly dreamer

will wonder, “Why are you bothering to awaken, should you not

be satisfied with your dream world?” But for intrepid seekers,

the dream world will just no longer do.

“Arise! Awake!” proclaimed the God-man Krishna to the

awakening Arjuna. Forsake your dream in which you see your-

self as a human actor only. Rise up to the supernal vision of who

I AM, and therefore who you are as well. Awake from your

slumber of spiritual indifference and uncover the mystery of

what you are meant to be! Know in every cell of your being that

the real You does not get sick, grow old or die! The real You is

none other than Satchidananda!

In the company of the Holy, I contemplate the Name of

the Lord, Har, Har. I am in peaceful poise and bliss,

day and night; the seed of my destiny has sprouted. I

have met the True Guru, by great good fortune; He has

no end of limitation. Taking His humble servant by the

hand, He pulls him out of the poisonous world-ocean.

Birth and Death are ended for me, by the Word of the

Guru’s Teachings; I shall no longer pass through the

door of pain and suffering. Nanak holds tight to the

Sanctuary of his Lord and Master; again and again, he

bows in humility and reverence to Him.

- from Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Book


Letter to a Devotee

Dear _________,

We are wishing you well and hope that it is going smoothly

for you and all there. It is wonderful to hear from you and I want

you to know that you and your family have been in our thoughts

and prayers. Your question about your ongoing relationship with

a beloved one who has recently left the body is an important one

for all those who have lost someone dear. Of course we know

that the soul continues its journey after the death of the body.

There is no doubt that ______’s connection with God means that

he was blessed in this life and his life hereafter. With the great

ones there to escort him into his new life he is assured of happi-

ness and fulfillment, freed now from a physical body that was no

longer working.

For you to think of your dear one with love is natural and

good. So where is the line in which your thought of him can be-

come problematic? The answer has to do with attachment. To

release him to his new life is essential; to be attached to him can

hold you and him back.

Your loved one has been such a big part of your lives, so it is

natural that you would keenly feel his absence. Your first

thought in the morning would be of him, all through the day you

will expect to see him sitting in his chair, thinking about what he

needs. The human brain makes you think of him—even as you

have for so many years.

As time goes by you begin to adjust to his absence, although

there will always be the loss of his physical presence in your

lives. However, if you are not gradually adjusting to his death,

then it is a sign of attachment.

Attachment results from unfulfilled desire, fear, and guilt; it

prolongs sadness, anger and obsessing on your loss. You can

measure your attachment by the amount of time you think of him

during the day. Is your sadness gradually decreasing? On the

positive side, do you feel increasing joy in thinking of God? Can

you, in your heart, lovingly let him go on to his new life? Do you


Memories of Mother From letters Marge Ranney wrote to the group while she was

traveling with Mother

Saturday, Nov. 11, 1967

When I returned for bed, Mother got up to fix Her hair, and a

complete reviewing of all the events of the day. At 3:00 a.m. it

was time to turn off the lights. At 5:00 a.m. She awoke again to

tell me to gargle, as my throat was bothering me—I was sound

asleep—and to tell me God had given Her the answer to Dick’s

question: “What is your answer to the belief in many Gods?”

Answer: Know ye not that ye are Gods? God the Father—

Godhead, and we as individual cells of His body, become Gods,

as in truth we are when we erase our idea of separation and be-

come one with Him.”

January 31, 1967, India

Mother and I have become so much a part of Indian life it is as

if we had been born to it. We feel as if we had always worn sa-

rees and dread the day when we will have to wear anything else.

They are so beautiful and so graceful and we each tie them with

ease. Besides they are so comfortable…no girdles…no stock-

ings…no shoes, only chappels. It is truly wonderful. Maybe we

will wear them in America.

August 25, 1967

Expo World’s Fair, Montreal, Quebec

Even though it was raining again, we went to Expo to have

lunch with Renu and Mukta as this was our last day in Montreal.

As Mother turned, she saw my head uncovered and quickly

asked me to pull up my rain cap. In reflex, without thinking, I

dropped my jacket in a mud puddle as I carefully pulled the cap

over my head. We all laughed as I recovered my seer sucker

jacket but suddenly, as I inspected it, I could scarcely believe my

eyes. It was completely dry and had not a single spot of mud.

Such is the protection of the Guru!


By Connie Meisner:

I only had the pleasure of meeting Marge a few times. The

first time was at the Hornby Island Retreat which was hosted at

Phyllis Victory’s home. I remember the smiling face of Marge

wherever I glimpsed her as she spoke with other devotees attend-

ing.

The next meeting that I recall was when David and Carla got

married. Again, the beautiful smile both was what drew me to

her side wanting to be near the inner light shining forth. I had the

opportunity to talk to Marge on both of those occasions and the

focus both times was of God and the spiritual path home.

*************

By Rebecca Barnowe:

I am sorry that I never had the privilege of meeting with

Marge whom Mother dearly loved and held in high esteem, for

the bright Light in Spirit, which guided her whole existence for

untold years to the very end. It always felt that she was oversee-

ing the generations to come and blessing each with the zeal to

embrace God, no matter what each faced in his life. This is re-

markable, when I think upon it...like best wishes granted from

above for all time…and beyond time.

*************

By Raul Becerra:

First my condolence to the Ranney family. I didn’t know

Marge Ranney but—as with many disciples that I didn’t know—

there is a bond that all Mother’s disciples have, and a common

drive to know the Self, a Love of the Self that Mother instilled in

us all: that universal love and devotion that we all have and had

in those very blessed, special moments with our Guru! I don’t

recall ever meeting Marge but I wish I had. Marge was and is

very blessed that she was able to go to India with Mother. Just

how many of us would like to have taken that trip with her—

Marge, what a blessing you had and have! May you have left this

world on the wings of Love, back to the Self. Rest in Peace &

Love. Om Sri Ram.


know deep down that God and the masters are seeing to his

needs now? That he has freedom of movement and health, and

that his smile is brighter than ever?

Of course you will think of ______, love him and send him all

your good wishes, but you will do so without attachment and

with no idea of holding him back from his new journey.

May God and the masters ever bless you and lift you into their

sublime, divine consciousness so that you may have deep, abid-

ing peace and the pure bliss of God.

With all love,

Yogacharya David

God is the friend of silence. We need to find God and

He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. See how

nature, the trees, the flowers, the grasses grow in per-

fect silence—see the stars, the moon and the sun, how

they move in silence. The more we receive in silent

prayer, the more we can give in our active life.

- Mother Teresa

In Memoriam Swami Narayanananda Giri left the body after a massive heart

attack on July 30 and was received by Mother Ganges.

Many of us who have visited Anandashram remember Swami

N. as Shenoy, from his pre-Sannyas days, when he attended

Swami Satchidanandaji and was in charge of ashram media. He

always beamed a warm smile on all and was more than happy to

make copies of the ashram music and videos he and others had

produced. I was very happy to see his smiling face during my

last visit this January as he had been spending most of his time

in Rishikesh where he had taken Sannyas. May Swami Naraya-

nandaji rest on Papa’s lotus feet forevermore! - C.K.


Beyond Religion An Excerpt from a Talk Given by

The Reverend Mother, Yogacharya M. Hamilton

in Seattle on September 27, 1981

[Bible reading: Colossians 1, 1-20]

Making Truth Sterile

My subject this morning is entitled Beyond Religion…. Al-

ways we talk about going within and becoming acquainted with

the real you, which is to say, God through Christ in you. There

are many religious paths and more are coming into existence all

of the time. It seems that everybody wants to be a spiritual teach-

er, a guru, before they have even learned how to be a disciple.

The word guru, as most of you know, is he or she who comes to

lead you out of the darkness, into the Light. And such a one must

have picked up his own cross, which is his body, and followed

the way of the Christ, by whatever name they want to call him,

in order to realize their oneness with God. It cannot be attained

in a moment.

And so, therefore after every great teacher comes, a church, an

organization, a particular teaching is built around them. The

master doesn’t do this, only the disciples who follow afterwards.

And gradually, as time goes on, the disciples feel that they can


member how easy it was to be with her. Our age difference

seemed to have no impact on our relationship. It was simply a

friendship that was taken up again in a fashion worn comfortably

from many lifetimes in each other’s company. It was a great

privilege to know her this time around and I miss her very much.

***********

By Cate Koler:

I have such fond memories of Marge which span many years.

I first met her a couple of times at David and Lorraine’s when

she was visiting them in Seattle but didn’t get to know her well

until after Larry met her in Calcutta and we began to go and stay

with her in California where she lived for six months of the year.

She was such a wonderful hostess and so generous of her time. I

remember visiting all of the SRF sites with her and several trips

down to Prem & Sheela’s for Thursday night bhajan. (She and

Prem were so fond of each other and it is interesting that they

both left the body in the same year.)

Marge was so enthusiastic about life and so much fun! Alt-

hough she was in her 80s we all had trouble keeping up with her.

I remember particularly the wonderful time we had when David

was with us and another time with Swami Vishwananda. I also

saw Marge a couple of times at Anandashram.

The last time we saw her was a few years back at the nursing

home where she was living. By this time she was well into her

90s and had dementia. She was so glad to see us but couldn’t

remember our names. We tried to bring up subjects or people

she could relate to but mostly we drew a blank except of course

when mentioning her son, David and daughter-in-law Lorraine.

At one point we asked if she remembered Mother. “Oh, yes!”

she said. And then a little later we realized there was something

else she remembered: Om Sri Ram—“it has such a nice tune,”

she said.

Dear Marge, you touched the heart of so many people in the

U.S. and India and gave of yourself wholeheartedly to whomev-

er you met. You never waivered in your quest to know the Truth.

Mother’s and all the saints’ blessings on you forevermore!


By Reverend Larry Koler:

I first met Marge in February of 1996, during a trip to Calcutta

to visit the holy sites there associated with Master. My first night

in Calcutta was in a hotel after a late flight from Bombay. I in-

tended to meet and stay with Marge by

prior arrangement with her son, David

Ranney. David assured me that his

mother would welcome meeting me

and that she was always anxious to

help devotees in any way she could.

I had planned to meet with Marge at

a doctor’s office (magnet doctor who

was treating her leg) on B.B. Ganguly

Street. I asked the hotel concierge the

best way to get there and he arranged

for my first conveyance experience on

a hand pulled rickshaw. As I left the

hotel grounds, I entered into the ca-

cophony and smells of a great bustling city, filled with all levels

of humanity. It was a beautiful clear day with the streets still wet

from a morning rain.

I will never forget the warmth of the greeting that bubbled out

of Marge that first time. She enthusiastically welcomed me and

started immediately to make plans for my stay. She had a car and

driver and during our trip to her house we talked about every-

thing but especially about Mother Hamilton. Marge had many

stories of her first meeting with Mother. She also told me about

her early life and what it was like growing up in southern Cali-

fornia. She spoke of her family, her husband Kenneth, her son

David and her daughter-in-law, Lorraine.

I stayed in Calcutta about a week and during that time, Marge

loaned me her car for my trips to Serampore (Srirampur) and

Dakshineshwar. The other days, I accompanied her on her vari-

ous trips around town—to shops, friends and a kirtan.

In the following years, I travelled to Garden Grove, CA to visit

her and she came to Seattle several times, also. I distinctly re-


change what the master said and maybe make it a little more

beautiful, a little better—cut-out a little here, add a little some-

place else. And in doing so, they make it sterile. They strip it

from the real truth. Everything that is in this chapter in Colos-

sians, is the truth of God, and the apostle Paul realized that, be-

cause he had taken the teachings of the Christ, and he had gone

within his own body, and he had found the Christ within himself,

so that he had union with him.

Reconciling God and Man

I am the light, the way and the truth. Nobody can go to the Fa-

ther except through me, said the Christ. And it says here: And he

is the head of the body. This body, which is the church, and as he

said: the temple of the living God, who is the beginning, the first

born from the dead that in all things he might have the preemi-

nence. Now you notice that it also says that he is the first born

from the dead. And this means that man in his human state can-

not realize his oneness with God. He’s too involved with the

things of the senses. He is too involved with all of his desire-

nature: “I want this. I want that. Give me something else. Lord,

please take away this illness. Please take away this trouble.”

Everything in the world you are thinking about is in the sense of

duality, and your full attention is not upon that One who has all

of the answers: all of the help; all of your prosperity; all of your

love; all of your forgiveness; all of everything! And He is to be

found, as the Christ says, only within yourselves. Y e are the

temple of the living God!…

…No man has seen God at any time. So it is only when man

has given up his human-hood, and has gone through the crucifix-

ion on his own cross: when he has gone into the depth of the hell

of his own being (that which he has created), and gone through

the experiences which are necessary, then, after the third day, or

having gone through the experience of having the consciousness

released from the three bodily jars—first the physical (because

that was formed last); then the light body (which controls all of

the energy in your body—the nerves and the what-not); and

then, the ‘first cause’ which is the idea body—the consciousness

must be released from all of it, and you must die, and you must


descend into hell, and then you must arise from the dead. And it

says: And having made peace through the blood of his cross,

(not on but of) by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by

him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Must Enter the Holy of Holies

So man must go through this tremendous experience. And it is

not an easy experience, but if Christ went through it, then why

not we follow his example! We say how much we love God-the-

Father. We say how much we love Jesus-the-Christ. Yet is any-

one willing to pick up his cross, (which is his body) and follow

him and emulate him in every detail? He was no ‘namby-

pamby,’ no ‘Casper milk-toast’, as he is sometimes pictured. He

was a man who had strength and power beyond anyone’s belief!

Why? Because he had come to serve God in man! He had come

to establish a new order. He had come to show man what he was

like inside, and what must be done. And he showed us the way,

in every way.

And yet it has been misinterpreted! The parables are not un-

derstood: the truth behind the parables. In the beginning man

goes to whatever individual, whatever church, that his conscious-

ness is able to receive. And it is good that he has put his foot up-

on the path, very good, but in order to progress, you must take

the first step from where you are, and you must keep climbing

the ladder, until finally you get your God-realization. So you go

from religion to religion, from church to church, from individual

teacher to individual teacher, until at last you realize that you

have not really found the truth in all that has been given to you,

because it is given to you as being historical. It is not given to

you as the Living Truth, of that which happens within every man

when he is ready to receive it. It is not given you to know that

you must be still, and know that I am God, (as it says in the forty

-sixth Psalm.) That you must go into that holy of holies, that in-

ner sanctuary of your own soul. You must close the doors of the

senses. Forget all of the things of time and space, the word and

the atom; which is [sic] ‘the four beasts before the throne.’ And

fix your full attention upon Him.


tarian and I learned along side of her. She taught me the basics;

ghee, paneer, yogurt, dal, etc. Eventually, I was able to do all the

cooking myself. As we were doing all this, talk was always of

God. Being in her presence was uplifting and my focus on God

became more intense overall. She was truly a great soul and

lived her life in service to her teachers and all, seeing God in all

situations.

******************

By Carla Hickenbottom:

When I think of my dear friend, Marge, I just have such great

love and a big heartfelt thanks for being who she was and is in

God.

Soon after meeting Marge, we became fast friends and I spent

a lot of time going back and forth to Los Angeles visiting Marge.

I could think of no better way to spend my holidays from work

than a visit with Marge! It was always such an adventure being

with her; she was always coming and going and exploring new

possibilities for health and for finding new ways to love God in

all His various forms and manifestations.

I so fondly remember just sitting at her dining room table in

her condominium in Los Angeles and she had piles of papers

with different projects she was working on, her phone next to

her and chatting away with all kinds of amusing and interesting

stories. This is after having the most amazing Indian food she

cooked, along with her homemade yogurt, which was so deli-

cious, it was almost “otherworldly.” As I sat there one day, she

got a call from Rishi, her beloved friend and soul mate, aged 3

asking what sari she was wearing that day! Marge was wearing a

Punjabi and he was taking her to task for not wearing a sari! We

both got such a good laugh from it!

Reading over letters I got from Marge were always uplifting

and I felt the power of God through her so strongly. She will al-

ways be a very important fellow traveler on this Path back to

God and I treasure all the times we spent together.

******************


play tennis will appreciate this but she played in a tournament

and played one point for 17 minutes. That means that the ball

went back and forth without anybody missing it for that time.

Pretty amazing.

Another tennis story was when my mom and I were playing

mixed doubles just for fun and, as some of you may know my

attitude was horrible when I was young, and my mom got really

mad at me for something or other and when I was standing at the

net with my back to her and she was serving I saw that the balls

were flying all over the place. The balls are supposed to be go-

ing to only one side and instead they were flying all over. Over

my head, at my feet, bouncing before the ball got to the net and

on both sides of my body. They were just going everywhere. Af-

ter a couple serves like that I asked her what was going on and

she said that she was so angry with me she was trying to hit me

with her serve. I guess being angry didn’t help her be very accu-

rate because she couldn’t come anywhere close.

One of the other things that I remember about mom is espe-

cially when I was younger was she would always give Terry and

me lectures about how we needed to behave etc. and the thing

was that I never resented these lectures and as I got older I en-

joyed them. Mom and I used to have a lot of good conversations,

mostly about spiritual things and that was one of the things I

missed these last few years.

And as you know she was a very special person and did a lot

of things for a lot of people.

******************

By Lorraine Bourcier:

Although I am Marge’s daughter in law, it took years to get to

know her. She lived in Calcutta and would come to the States

once a year to renew her Indian visa. She would take a day to

come up to Seattle to visit us and would go back on the same

day because of obligations in Garden Grove. Many years later,

as her situation changed she was able to come stay with us for

longer periods and these were interesting times to say the least.

At first she would take over the cooking as she was a strict vege-


If you will do that, all of your troubles will disappear. You

will not be gravitating between, “Shall I do this? Shall I do that?

Shall I do something else?” And your ego is at play, because

what you’re doing is to find out what is the best thing to enhance

what, you, the human self wants to do, the human ego. And

you’re not looking inside to find out what God, through Christ,

wants you to do. You have to listen. You have to go into the

stillness of your own being, and you have to listen! I keep em-

phasizing this: listen for God!

Becoming a Master

There is a great deal of difference between prayer and contem-

plation, because we’re always praying to God for something, and

very seldom, if ever, for the realization of our Oneness with

Him. But when you are meditating, through contemplating God

alone, then He listens to you. He lifts you up into His arms, and

He tells you, He whispers in your ear the wonderful truths. He

gives you revelations of the truth behind the parables. He puts

you through what is necessary. He is sorry that you have to suf-

fer, because He is a God of love, but you have brought that suf-

fering upon yourself! And just as you go through pain when you

give birth to a child, so also you go through pain when you give

birth to the Christ child within yourself! And the transformation

takes place, from the human to the divine. So then you too can

become an heir with Christ. You too can become a master. You

do not supersede, or supplant anyone else. It means that you

have become master of yourself!

I call the great spiritual teacher that I studied with ‘Master.’

He was not my personal possession, my master in that sense. But

I called him ‘Master,’ because he had gone through what was

necessary, to find his union with God. And from this great man

in India I heard the truth of the Christ, as I had never heard it in

any orthodox church at all. For the first time I knew that heaven,

hell, and purgatory were not something outside of myself, but

they were inside of myself, inside: that God was inside, that

Christ was inside; that I didn’t have to wait until I died a physi-

cal death in order to find him, to go to heaven, hell, or purgatory.

Very few would go to heaven in the first place; some might


reach purgatory (if they were particularly angelic); but most of

us would be in the hot place. And that is totally what we have to

look forward from the dogmatic teachings that are given to us!

We make our own heaven and hell, because if heaven is within

us, so also is hell, or the place of darkness.…

…But I listened to the injunction of this great master. And I

went within myself, and he taught me how to do it. He taught me

the true meanings, the meaning of the parables. And my love for

God in this man was so great, because he had finally taken me

out of the darkness into the light, that I was willing to do what-

ever he asked me to, whatever was necessary, in order to attain

that tremendous goal, which he had set before me: union with

God-the-Father! Remember that the Christ said: I of myself am

nothing. It is my Father who doeth the works. So he came to lead

us, not to himself, but through the example of truth, which he set

before us to the Infinite Father, who is the Father of us all!

Beyond “Churchanity”

Our religious differences must cease. We must stop putting

new names to an organization which we have created in his

name, because every time we do, we make a new division in

Christ, and Christ is One! It says so in this book which we say

contains the truth. Christ is One! He is everywhere, equally pre-

sent. And so we must know that! We must stop this division. We

must learn that each man is entitled to worship God in the way

that God directs him. And he is speaking of the same Father-

God, regardless of what language, what religion he belongs to,

because there’s only one. Would God be so discriminating? How

dare we be so egotistical, to think that we as Christians, are the

only ones who have the truth. How dare we? I have seen souls of

other religions that were so beautiful, so dedicated to God, that

their whole body shone with His light; where there was nothing

for them but God! And the power of God was within them so

greatly that that they could raise the dead, heal the sick, walk on

water. They had the power of bi-location. You name it. They had

it.

I had the privilege of sitting and smelling the perfume of the

presence of God within them. I had the very great privilege of


David, Lorraine, Car-

la and I spread

Marge’s ashes over

Puget Sound. Swami

Vivekananda trans-

lated the Gayatri

prayer, one of the

most famous prayers

in India, to mean:

“We meditate on

the glory of that Be-

ing who has pro-

duced this universe,

may He enlighten our

minds.”

**************

By David Ranney:

In writing about

my mom I first must

mention my brother,

Gil, who looked after my mother’s finances and anything else

she couldn’t do herself, and his wife, Diane, who as a nurse,

looked after my mom’s health—both going above and beyond

the call of duty. Their daughters, Jill and Gina also played a part

in caring for her.

I know that each of you had some connection with my mom

and have your own stories but I wanted to share with you just a

few stories about my mom that come to mind.

I always got a kick out of my mom when she got flustered

with my brother Terry and me and would get our names con-

fused and say, “derry tavid, derry tavid” as she was trying to tell

us to stop doing something we were doing wrong. Needless to

say, she had to say our names many times as we were growing

up as we were always doing something that we shouldn’t have.

My mom was a very good tennis player and those of you that

Marge in 1997


In Memoriam

Marge Ranney (Nov. 30, 1916—July 13, 2014)

We have received memorial writings by a number of people who

wish to honor and celebrate our dear friend, Marge. -editors

******************

Introduction by Yogacharya David Hickenbottom

Marge had a long history with Mother Hamilton and many of

us disciples. Even well into her 80s Marge was vital, inquisitive,

self-directed and open to new thought and opportunities for

learning about this mysterious creation.

There were many of us who just simply loved Marge; or as

she might say, had “love-ness” for her. In the mid-1960s Mother

and Marge travelled to India together. Marge was to find a great

attraction to mother-India, and would eventually spend about

half of each year there. She took on the name Gayatri but was

still known to most of us as Marge.

Despite physical problems she was energetic and always for-

ward moving. We traveled on several occasions to see Prem, Pa-

pa’s grandson, and his wife Sheela, for their Thursday night

Bhajan. She had great love for Prem and all the family, and

loved to be there for the singing and food; she was especially

fond of pakoras.

Last time I saw Marge in India she was saying increasingly

that she was forgetting so many things; it was the beginnings of

her dementia. An interesting thing though, the more she forgot

about things of the world the more she was focused on total de-

pendence on “Papa,” complete surrender to God.

Marge was a Light to many, and she will be deeply missed by

all who knew her. May Papa Ramdas and Mother Hamilton ush-

er Marge into her new life and for “love-ness” and “all-ness” to

fill her soul to overflowing as she continues to explore the great-

est mystery in all creation, God.

In a very moving ceremony I played the Gayatri Prayer and


sitting at their feet and listening as truth poured forth from them.

Not any dogma, not in forms of parables, but truth; they had had

the courage to do what was necessary to experience [it] within

themselves! And they were holy men, make no mistake about it.

They were very holy. Their whole lives were dedicated to God.

They lived Him. They breathed Him. They spoke His name or

they remained in silence, to help the suffering world. But they

gave of themselves freely in every way. They went beyond

‘Churchanity.’

As I told you before, and you know well, we have no organi-

zation; we have no name because only God’s name is important.

Only the way of the Christ is important, by whatever name you

call him. And I never want an organization formed around the

things that I have taught you. I have paid the price for knowing

the truth which I have taught you. But I do not want an organiza-

tion formed around it. Rather let’s go out, and through what

you’ve become yourself in God, attract others like a magnet. Be

a candle, a light on a hilltop to serve God, to light the way for

others. But do not ask them to join an organization. And never

charge them anything for the service which you render them. But

rather do it for the love of God; because if you will do this—if

you will give yourself and everything you have to Him—you

will have no wants, no needs. You will be wondering how you

can give away of the tremendous bounty that comes to you, so

that you can help and raise the suffering world. We have to get

our minds off of our little selves. We have to forget

‘Churchanity!’…

…You have to go beyond religion—as we know it—because

God made man, and man made religion. Remember that! God

made man and man made religion! And he has made it his god,

instead of going beyond religion, to the Source of everything

there is! You have to do that. You have to be steadfast. You have

to gather your strength from the four corners of the world, that

you have dissipated in your attachment to all the things, and

withdraw it into yourself. You have to cultivate loyalty, honesty.

You have to become pure in thought, word, and deed. You can-

not do otherwise and expect to attain your goal.…


Lifting Up the World

…If you would go beyond religion and fix your mind upon

God alone through Christ, you will find that you are free. And

you don’t need to think or care what the world thinks, as long as

you are one with your Father God. As long as you are listening

and following His voice of direction alone, you don’t need to

care if the whole world is against you; if it rises up and tells you

that you are so awful because of what you have thought, said,

and done, that it wants to kill you. You need not care because,

remember, it says: that ten thousand shall fall by your side in

such a case, but not one hair of your head shall be touched. Not

one hair.

I have walked into the fire. I have dealt with things that are

beyond human conception. I have fought with entities. I have

gone through the mystical crucifixion, and gone into the depth of

hell, within my own being; and fought all of the demons that

were there, of my own making. I have risen from the dead, and I

have ascended, and been given tremendous revelations. And still

I of myself am nothing, and yet conversely I am that I AM! Be-

cause I have paid the price for knowing. And when you pay that

price for knowing, and you know that you know. But when man

says that he knows, and he has not paid that price, then he is just

giving lip service, and it will never work. Think of it. Jesus said,

And I, if I be lifted up, shall draw all men unto myself.

Look at the world today. And if you want to take it from the

orthodox stand point, he didn’t make it, because the world has

not been lifted up. It has never been in such a shape as in all of

the history of the world, as it is today. It’s brutal. It’s terrible. It’s

so filled with the sin of separation from God that it is unbelieva-

ble. We aren’t safe in our homes, on the street, in the parks, at

our business! No place are we safe—except within the sanctuary

of our own soul.

So it means that when you have lifted up the son of man with-

in yourself; when you have had the courage and the love of God

sufficiently, to give up your humanness, you do not really give it

up forever, because God is both human and divine. But you be-


dra was among the staunchest of Sri Ra-

makrishna’s householder devotees. But

like many others among them, he did not

at first think very highly of the Holy

Mother’s spiritual greatness. Some years

after Sri Ramakrishna’s passing away, he

went on a visit to Jayrambati along with

some of the monastic disciples of the

Master. That was the first occasion Gi-

rish was taken to the Holy Mother’s

presence. After prostrating himself before her, he looked at her

once, and immediately withdrew from there and sat in the out-

house in a very serious and introspective mood. His companions

were astonished at this transformation of Girish. At last Swami

Niranjanananda approached him and asked him the reason of it.

Girish thereupon wanted him to inquire of the Holy Mother

whether she was not the person who had appeared to him in

dream in his nineteenth year. In reply the Holy Mother sent him

the information that she was.

Then Girish gave out the story to his fellow-disciples. At the

age of nineteen he was suffering from a severe illness. The doc-

tors had given him up for lost. In that condition he dreamt one

night that the whole sky was lit with a celestial effulgence. It

gradually proceeded towards him and assumed the form of a

Goddess. Girish, it must be remembered, was in those days a

rank atheist. The Goddess approached him and said, “Well, my

child, you are suffering terribly. Aren’t you?” Then she put

something into his mouth, resembling the consecrated food of

the Puri temple, and vanished. After that Girish gradually recov-

ered from his illness. He had often tried to make out who that

figure might have been, but could get no definite clue. So he had

surmised that it must have been the figure of his mother whom

he had lost in his early childhood. But the day on which he saw

the Holy Mother, he was surprised to notice the likeness of that

Goddess in her. Thenceforth he looked upon the Holy Mother

with great reverence, and used to say that through the grace of

Swami Niranjanananda he had recovered his ‘mother.’


the reply with a smile, “Don’t you see? But for her, who would

have prepared my food in just the way that suits my health?”

*************

In the latter part of her life…[Sarada Devi] is seen surrounded

by two distinct types of people—her relatives on the one hand

and her disciples on the other. Both these groups approached her

with quite different motives, the first to gain whatever material

advantages they could from her, and the second to serve her and

benefit spiritually by her contact.…It is, however, pertinent to

inquire how she could fulfill both these apparently incongruous

duties without detriment to either.…

…In our review of her domestic life, we have shown how the

impelling force behind even her worldly attachments was her

sense of motherhood, a form of love that only gives but never

thinks of any return, nay, gives even when any return takes the

shape of ingratitude and persecutions—and how for this reason

even her worldly love occupied a position on the borderland of

pure spirituality. In her role as a spiritual teacher, too, it is the

very same principle of motherhood that is illustrated, perhaps

through a medium that reveals the true quality of it with greater

directness.

******************

There are many devotees of the Holy Mother who claim to

have had experiences of a highly mystical type in the course of

their relationship with her. Some had seen her in a dream as a

Goddess in human form, though they never had occasion to see

even a picture of hers before. Others had received either full or

partial Mantra and spiritual instruction from her in dream, and at

the time of their initiation were astonished to find that the Man-

tra she gave them in the waking state tallied exactly with what

they had got in dream. Still others claim that they were rescued

from great dangers during critical situations in their lives by the

help she rendered them either in dream or in a waking state.…

…One example of such mystic experience…relates to Girish

Chandra Ghosh, who was a first rate genius and ranks among the

greatest dramatists of India and of the world. Now Girish Chan-


come, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, male

and female—totally balanced— the male and female part of eve-

ry person: the soft part, the love part and the part that is gov-

erned by reasoning. And then also, you are still human and di-

vine, because you’re still living in a human body. And as long as

you’re on this earth teaching, speaking the truth, you will be liv-

ing in a human body; you will have to use your five senses.

But the difference is that you are not controlled by them. You

are not the slave; you are the master. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to

think, if each one of the people here in this congregation would

pick up their crosses (which is the body) and follow the Christ,

and emulate him in every single detail, until they became one

with God through Christ. And that they could go forth and

spread that Light throughout the world, and change this world.

How is it going to change, if we don’t change ourselves first?

The Baptisms of Fire, Blood and Spirit

So all that is spoken of in here happens within yourself. The

virgin birth happens—when that which is within you is given the

power of the Holy Ghost and that Christ seed, that bread and

blood or the body and blood of Christ, actually comes down

from the sacred clostrum under your brain, goes the journey and

returns to Galilee, and passes up through what we call the Christ-

center here, and then comes into your throat. And this is the

body and the blood of Christ. This is what was imbibed at the

Last Supper of the humanness within us, of the humanness with-

in us.

Then we are given the second birth. We are given the second

baptism and it is the baptism of the spirit. Not of the water. Not

of flesh. But it is through the baptism of fire, through the bap-

tism of blood, that we attain this final baptism of the spirit. And

we are lifted up, and we become instead of just the sons of man,

the Sons of God! We respect our fathers, our mothers, because

they gave us the blessed privilege of having this human birth.

But our full attention, the all-ness, the wholeness of our being, is

on God-the-Father. And we are absorbed in Him, His beloved

child, forevermore!


November 5, 1999

Lord of the universe Papa

Beloved Mother:

“Shake off the body notion. Be aware that you are the immor-

tal spirit ever united with God.”…Swami Ramdas

Your last visit to the Ashram and stay here is still fresh in our

mind. It will remain always fresh as all of you remain ever close

to us. Distance is no bar. Yet it will be an added joy to meet you

here when you plan to come by the end of next year…

…We heard from Yogacharya David a couple of months ago,

but we do hear about him from other friends regularly and we

are informed about his whereabouts. May Yogacharya David be

blessed with the privilege of guiding the earnest seekers to the

supreme goal of human life and thus liberate them.…

…May the Lord always keep you and Larry in His ceaseless

remembrance and lift you to heights of ecstasy. Remembering

Him and living for Him is more important than anything else.

Anything we think of, talk of and do must help us to commune

with Him and live in Him. Blessed, blessed are those who live,

move and have their being in God. Your reference to Meher Ba-

ba reminds me of Kunti Devi, the mother of the Pandavas, who

prayed to Lord Krishna to bless her with more and more difficul-

ties, as difficulties alone made her think of Him and pray to

Him.

You must be enjoying proof-reading some of the writings of

Paramhansa Yogananda to help Yogacharya David who is put-

Letters from Swamiji Back in December 2008, just a little while after Swami

Satchidanandaji’s Mahasamadhi, we published excerpts from some

letters I had received from him. Here is another one. I haven’t includ-

ed some paragraphs that are pertaining to personal matters. I believe

readers will enjoy the following passages which allow a glimpse into

Swamiji’s personality for those who didn’t have the privilege of meet-

ing him. Swamiji’s Mahasamadi anniversary is celebrated on October

12th and his birthday on November 12th – Cate Koler


Sri Sarada Devi, The Holy Mother Introduction by Yogacharya David

When I was at Belur Math, the Samadhi Temple of Rama-

krishna near Calcutta, there was also a Samadhi Temple for

Sarada Devi. There were several ladies on the Temple steps,

some meditating, some placing flowers at her gravesite. I knew

the direct disciples of Ramakrishna had great respect for the Ho-

ly Mother and that respect continues down to today. Ramakrish-

na himself called Sarada Devi Sri Ma, Holy Mother, and looked

upon her as the Divine Mother. I wondered at the time who she

was beyond being the master’s wife, and so when I saw the book

I was drawn to its contents. Reading this biography has been a

lovely and interesting journey, adding insight not only to the

wife of Ramakrishna, but also about the spiritual master himself.

Her life was not easy, and she was totally dedicated to service

to her husband, his mother, and all the disciples. She rose at 3

a.m., took a bath in the river, chanted until daybreak, and then

was busy cooking and caring for the master and all. Ramakrish-

na taught her to initiate others and asked her to continue his

work after he was gone. At once she was deceptively simple, and

highly realized. It is fitting that she should be remembered as the

Holy Mother.

Excerpts from the book: Sri Sarada Devi, The Holy Mother

Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Madras, 1949

The Holy Mother’s chief duty at Dakshineswar was cooking.

Sri Ramakrishna had a very delicate stomach which easily got

upset by any irregularity in food. The preparation of his food,

therefore, had to be done with scrupulous care and attention, and

it was found that only the Holy Mother could do it in just the

way that suited the requirements of his health. Whenever she

was away from Dakshineswar, the Master used to suffer, and he

would sometimes send word to her, asking her to come back

soon. Referring to his utter dependence on her in this respect, he

once humorously remarked to somebody, “Well, what does a

‘wife’ signify in the case of one like me?” And he himself gave


be your own always.” And so I followed his advice. I never

missed in my practice of Kriya Yoga. Gradually the light of God

came in. What I received, I received from the Master. He lifted

me from the uncertainty of delusion into the light of Reality.

When that experience comes it changes the heart. Then we feel

the real brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God.

*************

On April 7, 1960 Dr. Lewis’s physician ordered him to

Scripps Memorial Hospital for a rest and medical tests. On the

11th he said he felt greatly improved and the following day felt

well enough to go home. But on April 13, 1960, his daughter re-

ported that her father appeared distant and withdrawn. The ac-

count of his wife, Mildred Lewis, on that day follows:

I went immediately to the hospital and found Doctor resting

comfortably. That day we had such a pleasant time together! Af-

ter his supper, which he enjoyed, he sat in a chair for thirteen

minutes and then returned to bed. At seven p.m. he said he

would take a nap. He slept very peacefully until seven-thirty,

when he awakened and told me, “I want to sit up straight.” I ar-

ranged the pillows at his back as he assumed the lotus pose for

his usual evening meditation. His hands were upturned, his eyes

closed. I sat beside the bed, thinking that I too would meditate.

I was aroused in two or three minutes by a tremendous sound.

It resembled the suction sound of a huge pump, or the breath

sound of a giant Kriya. With the sound came a great flash of

spiritual white light, whose brilliance might be compared to that

given forth by a million electric-light bulbs.

Doctor’s blue eyes opened; piercing flashes of blue light came

from them. Then they were locked at the Christ center in the

forehead. His head lowered somewhat, but his body remained

erect. For an instant, the face of Swami Sir Yukteswarji ap-

peared, enveloping Doctor’s face. Then all was over.

How many times have I thanked God, the Great Ones, and be-

loved Master that I was privileged to witness such a glorious

passing!


ting them into booklets for

his library. You are both

doing the Master’s job. The

Master has His own ways to

deal with things and spread-

ing His message.

When we are doing the

Master’s work, it will be

easy for us to feel we are

only instruments and to

make it possible to maintain

the same attitude while do-

ing any other work, remem-

bering Lord Krishna’s ad-

vice: “Yours is to work,

leaving the results to Me.”

Please know that your

and Larry’s LOVE is more

precious to me than any material gift.

Though I did not want a celebration of the birthday and many

friends from different parts of India have already written that

they would be here for that occasion, we will have a happy get-

together. Friends here have already planned various preparations

for the day including the inauguration of an OLD AGE HOME,

an OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL a little away from the Ashram

and a new building to house the Nature Cure Centre in the Swa-

mi Ramdas Charitable Medical Mission, besides other devotion-

al programmes in the Ashram.

We pray for Beloved Papa/Mataji/Mother’s blessings on you,

Larry, (family members mentioned), Yogacharya David and all

other friends there for eternal happiness.

Deepest love and best wishes,


A Lifetime of Dedication From Dr. M. W. Lewis: The Life Story, Compiled by Chad

Hickenbottom

On Christmas Eve in 1920 he [Dr. Minott Lewis] said to

Paramhansaji:

“The Bible tells us: ‘The light of the body is the eye: if there-

fore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of

light.’ (Matthew 6:22) Can you show me this?”

“I think so,” the Guru replied.

Doctor was still doubtful. “I have asked many persons,” he

said, “but no one seems to know the meaning.”

“Can the blind lead the blind?” Paramhansaji responded.

“Both would fall into the same ditch of error.”

“Can you show me these things?”

“I think so,” the Master reiterated.

“Then, for Heaven’s sake, please show me!”

Paramhansaji then showed Doctor the light of the spiritual eye

and of the thousand-petaled lotus in the brain. Looking directly

into the Doctor’s eyes, Paramhansaji asked:

“Will you always love me as I love you?”

Doctor replied in the affirmative.

Then the Guru said, “Your sins are forgiven and I take charge

of your life.” He added, “I want you to promise that you will

never avoid me.” Doctor promised.…

…After showing Dr. Lewis how to see the light of the spiritual

eye and giving him other spiritual instruction, Paramhansaji

asked him if he thought other Americans would be interested in

these teachings.

“Yes I do,” Doctor replied.

*************

In December 1937 Dr. Lewis was called upon to speak to the

Second Convocation of Self-Realization teachers and students.

I chose the subject, ‘My Guru,’ because that theme is nearest


and dearest to me. All spiritual

realization that I have or hope to

have I owe to him, my guru,

Paramhansa Yogananda. When I

first sat at his feet, back in 1920,

my heart was filled with honest

doubt. But when he taught me

and I saw the compassion in his

eyes, I was overwhelmed. Some-

thing sprang up within me that

had been sleeping, something

that I had forgotten; and it has

been present with me ever since.

Ordinary human ties and friend-

ships pale in the light of that di-

vine relationship between master

and disciple.

*************

For an article in the Inner Culture Dr. Lewis wrote the follow-

ing about his guru:

As we sat together on the tiger skin rug enjoying God’s pres-

ence, and I looked into his face, I saw no show of consciousness

of superior ability. He might well have expressed it; for to be

able, by such great calmness and realization, to help another to

feel the Divine Consciousness is no mean accomplishment. But

instead there was present an expression of humbleness, love, and

supreme satisfaction that another of God’s children was able,

like himself, to enjoy the presence and bliss of the Lord, our

common Father. Such humility has been and always will be a

deep inspiration to me. To my mind, it is a characteristic of true

greatness.

*************

Dr. Lewis was master of ceremonies at the Self-Realization

Fellowship Convocation in Los Angeles in August 1951.

Paramhansaji showed me the great light of God, and told me:

“If you cling to this path and regularly meditate, this vision will

Dr. Lewis in 1948

the cross and the lotus journal · 27 swami ramdas’ sannyas day (1922) center news baptism of...

Documents