Today we honor the memory of Paramahansa Yogananda, and his mahasamadhi on March 7, 1952. Mahasamadhi is a final, intentional and conscious exit from the body.
by Fredd Dunham • Paramahansa Yogananda was an amazing being, a modern day saint, who was born into this life fully conscious of who he was before, and where he was going in this life. He expressed the frustration as an infant of not being able to communicate, with many languages running around in his head. His parents lived a spiritual lifestyle in harmony with each other on their spiritual path. He became a member of the Swami order and his name was changed from Mukunda to Yogananda, which means bliss through union. On March 7, 1952, for the final time he consciously left his body in an incorruptible state; over the next 30 days it did not decay. This made headlines in the L.A. Times.
Yogananda was an avid traveler as a youth. Throughout India he met and conversed with sages, saints and yogis of all persuasions. In 1920, he was sent by his teacher, Sri Yukteswar, and Babaji to America to teach Kriya yoga meditation in the west. He founded Self-Realization Fellowship upon arrival, and spent 15 years traveling around the U.S. speaking in the largest halls available to sold out crowds. People came to hear this amazing man speak so eloquently about his experiences with God, and how yogic teachings were the same as the teachings of Jesus.
In 1935, tired of traveling, Yogananda concentrated his energy on building S.R.F. as a legal religious organization in California. He attracted souls that were seriously interested in obtaining God realization themselves. In the 1950s, he developed the Los Angeles Lake Shrine Temple and Gardens. A beautiful 5-acre lake is surrounded by a walkway and lush gardens. When built, it was a landmark in L.A. It includes a world peace shrine holding ashes of Mahatma Gandhi, who had been a friend of Yogananda.
Yogananda personally instructed over 100,000 people in the method of Kriya yoga meditation. He was indefatigable in his effort to work for Spirit so that every soul could reach its ultimate goal of illumination while leading an active life. Yogananda touched thousands of people when he was alive, and ultimately millions of people through his book, Autobiography of a Yogi.
My life was first touched by Yogananda in the late sixties when I was living in a small trailer. Yogananda’s student, Sunburst founder Norman Paulsen, had previously started teaching Kriya yoga to interested young people in this very same trailer. I came across Autobiography of a Yogi and started reading. About halfway through the book, I decided I would try to meditate.
I sat down on the bed and closed my eyes, doing my best to meditate without any instructions. A gigantic vortex of light came down into the room and surrounded me, like a whirlwind. I felt the life-changing touch of Divine Spirit, and shortly thereafter met Norman and moved to Sunburst Community where he was continuing the work of Yogananda.
God is for everyone. We can know God through a personal, direct experience of the Creator; it’s for each and every one of us to make that connection and know our destiny.
Oh mighty Spirit, all you elders and saints in the light, be thou with us now.
Touch each one of us; inspire us onward that we might know you,
Oh Christ Spirit come into us, fill us with your divine radiance,
and lead us in this life, closer to you and all the angels. Amen