On the Seal of USA, there are 5-pointed stars, with blue background and golden border. That’s the star of Christ consciousness! What is that doing on the seal of USA? Was America made by enlightened masters? Did enlightened masters take the birth of American founding fathers? Why multiple stars?
—Siddharth Kumar, India
Siddharth,
Good observation! I had never noticed the background colors. The 13 stars represent the 13 colonies who banded together to overthrow British rule and establish a new nation.
But as to the outer band of gold, inner field of blue, and the 5-pointed stars: hmmmm, that’s a good catch.
Yogananda thought highly of George Washington and visited Washington’s tomb. To my knowledge, however, he said little else. He certainly had great admiration for Abraham Lincoln, but that’s another topic altogether!
When I asked Swami Kriyananda the same basic question he was non-committal and seemed to indicate that he didn’t think any of the founders of the United States were in our line of gurus. He did say that insofar as Yogananda revealed that in a past life he had been William the Conqueror, that William prepared the “soil” of England’s historical and growing orientation toward independence and personal rights and liberties. This orientation, he said, made it possible for the future birth of America in later centuries. By contrast, the countries of continental Europe remained more or less committed to the monarchical system until the century following the American revolution. Between William’s time (1100 a.d.) and the 13th century, England rebel barons created the Magna Carta which, while popularly viewed as bestowing individual liberties (actually, in fact, it did not do this), it set into motion the concept and legitimacy of their being a declaration of individual rights (in contrast to the king or the government).
When I have studied the lives of those men: Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, etc., I do NOT sense the wisdom and behaviour of a realized soul. Only George Washington seemed to have a sense of personal destiny, dignity, and moral character suggestive of a more advanced soul (versus the intellectuality of Jefferson and the patriot-like passion and legalese of Adams). So while it seems as if there SHOULD be some connection, I have yet to stumble across even a hint to that effect from the teachings of Yogananda or our founder Swami Kriyananda.
I hope this is helpful.
Joy!
Nayaswami Hriman
Seattle WA USA
