Greetings from Los Angeles, Part 3

Dear Friends,

So many things are happening in this early phase of Swami Kriyananda being in Los Angeles that it’s hard even to find time to write. But we really want to keep the communication coming regularly, so we got up at 5:00 am this morning to share the news with you.

Last week we electronically launched Rescuing Yogananda through our website, ananda.org, email, and Facebook. If you haven’t yet had a chance to read it, we urge you to do so. You can read it online or download the file. (The printed version will be available in a few weeks.)

It’s a powerful book that, we hope, will produce a much-needed shift in how Master is presented by some of his disciples now, and on into posterity. Swamiji has said, “This book is a bombshell!”, because it presents a needed course correction for Master’s mission — one based on unconditional love, freedom, kindness, and joy.

For long hours into the night, a team of us here and at Ananda Village helped Swamiji with typing, proofing, formatting, and creating a new website. We were amazed by the divine energy and power that sustained us as we helped bring the book to completion. Quite honestly, we felt how pleased Master was with Swamiji’s courage and clarity in bringing this book to the public.

Rescuing Yogananda has already evoked a wave of responses — the great majority filled with appreciation, some with honest questions, and a few with criticism. You can see the comments on the website, rescuingyogananda.org, but the wonderful thing is the book has opened up an honest dialogue among Master’s disciples everywhere. Master, after all, came for the entire world and belongs to everyone and no one.

So read Swamiji’s cover letter and Rescuing Yogananda, check out the comments, and if you’re inspired to do so, sign the online petition.

In the midst of all this, last Sunday, September 12th, we celebrated the 62nd anniversary of Swamiji’s meeting Master and taking discipleship.

That historic event occurred more than six decades ago at the SRF Hollywood Church, not far from where we held last Sunday’s celebration. Our day-long program was attended by nearly 100 people and included two talks by Kriyananda, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. There was also music by our newly formed Ananda Los Angeles choir, and a performance of Swamiji’s piano sonata by Todd Billingsley, who flew down from Palo Alto that morning. (To hear a recording of this sonata, see the sidebar.)

After lunch we had a panel of speakers — Jyotish, Durga, Vidura, Asha, and Devi — who spoke about Master’s mission through Swamiji and Ananda. Finally the day closed with a beautiful flower ceremony in which Swamiji blessed everyone present.

This Sunday, September 19th, we’ll begin the first of Swamiji’s weekly Sunday Satsangs. He’ll focus them on different themes from several of his books: Living Wisely, Living Well; Conversations with Yogananda; and The Essence of Self-Realization. We’ll let you know next time how things go. We will be doing a live broadcast of these weekly satsangs, assuming the gods of technology cooperate. Click here for more details, or visit the Ananda LA website to learn how to attend in person.

Finally, next week we (Jyotish and Devi) will start teaching two six-week Raja Yoga courses, one in Santa Monica and one in Torrance. And behind the scenes, Sean and Brook and a host of other Ananda members are making all this happen. It’s a joy to be here, and to share all this with you.

In Master’s love and joy,
Jyotish and Devi