Like Lahiri Mahasaya and Sri Yukteswar,did Paramahansa Yogananda appeared to any of the disciples after he left his body?? (resurrected).
Thank you in advance for even cosidering this question
—John Edwards, Panama Republic of Panama
Dear John,
Thank you for your question. The short answer is “Yes!”
Of course, that brings on the next and obvious question, which is when, where, and to whom? This is a little trickier to answer because it moves into the domain of people’s personal experiences. Yogananda told his disciples not the share their spiritual experiences, because in doing so, the blessing of experience would be diminished. So when people have something happen to them, like Yogananda or another of our Gurus appearing to them either in a vision, a dream, or in the flesh, they tend to keep it to themselves.
However, several of Yogananda’s most advanced disciples have reported these things, probably having been given permission to do so directly from him.
I have a photocopy of a handwritten letter by Durga Mata, one of Yogananda’s long-time direct disciples, in which she relates that Rajarshi Janakananda told the disciples at Mt. Washington of his experience in seeing and being with Master not long after Master’s Mahasamadhi. It is an amazing and very beautiful account. If I can dig it out of my old files at home and if you’d really like to read it, I’ll be glad to send a copy along to you.
In her autobiography, The Flawless Mirror, Kamala Silva, another of Master’s beloved direct disciples, tells of the many times that Master appeared to her, gave her instructions, and blessed her – all this being after he had resurrected. Very inspiring indeed! If you have not read it yet, be sure to do so.
And it is not just to direct disciples, or later disciples that Yogananda has appeared. At Ananda Village we have a very reliable report of Yogananda appearing twice to the mother of one of our members. This lovely lady is a devout Catholic and at first didn’t even know that it was Yogananda she had seen.
I’m absolutely sure these reports are just the tip of the iceberg. But it is very important to remember Master’s words to one of his disciples who was concerned about being without him or alone in the world with no other disciples or devotees to be with. He said quietly: “Am I not always with you?”
And another time he said, when asked if he would be with us after he had left this world: “To those who think me near, I will be near!” My own personal experiences as Paramhansa Yogananda’s disciple for more than 35 years back this up 100%.
In friendship,
Savitri
