Self-Realization Fellowship

[PatrickMB]

Namaste. I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place for this thread; I apologize if I'm in error.

I am farily new to studying Hinduism. I have been reading books by Paramahansa Yogananda, the founder of the Self-Realization Society. Yoganananda was born in India but lived much of his life and died lecturing and touring the U.S. I find his works spritually inspirational. I wonder what other people in this group my think about him and his occasional references to the Christ? Was he being truly ecumenical or gearing his writing to a predominantly Christian culture? I would love to know what other think of him and the Self-Realization Society.

[Sahasranama]

His teachings about Christ or Christianity are purely imaginairy. He is seeing things that are not there, because he is looking at it from the frame of mind of post modern Hinduism. Christians who are knowledgeable about their own scripture will dispute the interpretations of Yogananda. Others will use it as an excuse to remain Christian in name while assimilating the wisdom and practices of Hinduism. If you are serious about Hinduism, you should forget about Jesus and the Bible. My grandmother always says, you cannot sail on two boats. Actually Christianity is a boat that is defect and needs to attach to Hinduism in order to pull itself through the water, but the boat of Hinduism is big enough so there's no need for Christianity. It's just unnecessary baggage, throw it out and you'll go much faster.

[Kismet]

Namaste. I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place for this thread; I apologize if I'm in error.

I am farily new to studying Hinduism. I have been reading books by Paramahansa Yogananda, the founder of the Self-Realization Society. Yoganananda was born in India but lived much of his life and died lecturing and touring the U.S. I find his works spritually inspirational. I wonder what other people in this group my think about him and his occasional references to the Christ? Was he being truly ecumenical or gearing his writing to a predominantly Christian culture? I would love to know what other think of him and the Self-Realization Society.

I have to say that I am more inclined to the view, as stated above me, that you shouldn't mix different traditions. Yes, Yogananda's works, though inspirational, are a strange syncrenization of Hindu and Christian beliefs, and this may do more to confuse spiritual aspirants than liberate them.

[devotee]

Namaste Patrick,

Namaste. I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place for this thread; I apologize if I'm in error.

I am farily new to studying Hinduism. I have been reading books by Paramahansa Yogananda, the founder of the Self-Realization Society. Yoganananda was born in India but lived much of his life and died lecturing and touring the U.S. I find his works spritually inspirational. I wonder what other people in this group my think about him and his occasional references to the Christ? Was he being truly ecumenical or gearing his writing to a predominantly Christian culture? I would love to know what other think of him and the Self-Realization Society.

I believe Paramhansa Yogananda's works are simply amazing. I have read most of his books. By reading his works, you are able to appreciate how much scientific and logical spirituality is.

What one get from his works depends upon one's own attitude. Some go to the sea and come back with pearls and some come back with dead shells and pebbles. His references to Christ are logical and based on the Bible. Some may argue on existence of Christ etc. ... but arguments are just that ... i.e. arguments. My advice is to stay from such arguments.

Let me record here for people who are interested .... Jesus was realised during Samadhi not only was Paramhansa Yogananda but also Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa. ... and they are not the only two. I know some people who are not so well known and they too have realised Jesus through meditation. Jesus did come into the influence of Vedantic teachings when he came to India and attained enlightenment under some Guru. This again may be a cause of dispute for some members here ... but if we see what he taught ... it was certainly something very different from what the Abrahmic religions did ... he committed an unpardonable sin by declaring .... "I and my father are One. He who has seen me has seen my Father". Is this statement different from "Aham Brahmasmi" ? It was simply like Al-mansoor Hallaz who declared, " I am the Truth (Analhaque)". Both were killed by the fanatics. But remember how they were able to bear their pains without having any sense of anger towards their enemies. How peaceful were they when dying such painful deaths. Who can bear such a pain ... unless he is enlightened and he is Self-realised ?

My idea is not to eulogise Jesus or Hallaz here. Satay may please forgive me as it is against the policy of this forum to discuss such things here. However, I just wanted to say that we should first look at our own own highly limited knowledge and then criticise great saints as Paramhansa Yogananda and the likes. Yogananda's vedantic teachings are not only theory ... it is an invitation to realise the Truth yourself. Do it & see if what he says & offers is right or wrong. Yogananda was given a task to spread the light of Vedanta to the spiritually thirsty people in Christianity. So, how to talk to people who don't know your language ... you must speak the language they understand and that is what he did. Let us not forget that before Yogananda taught these things and gave references of Christ ... his own Guru Sriyukteswar expressed similar views in his book, "Science of religion".

OM

[saidevo]

namaste.

shrI Yukteshvar, Yogananda's guru, sent him to the US, with specific instructions teach Hindu spirituality to the people there who were turning more and more materialistic. To 'do as in Romans do in Rome', he simply extrapolated Christianity with the Hindu teachings, but then with a view to introduce the universal nature of spirituality to the American Christians. After his time, today, the SRF/Yogoda satsangh people are seen in places like Chennai in book fairs, and one has a feeling that they consider themselves as a clan apart.

Hindu institutions such as SRF/YSS, ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission, and so on, try to be distinct by treating their gurus as more than gods, and in this respect, they are not traditional Hindu institutions. While we as Hindus might appreciate their views, we don't need to subscribe to their views of modern Hinduism. To me the Hindu Trinity and the gurus who speak about our shAstras more, are more inspirational than such modern gurus. As for Jesus, as the Christians have not adopted Yogananda's teachings, why should we Hindus care about it?

A guru is in Hindu tradition is considered to be an aMsha--share, even an avatar, of God, but it is not the other way.

[PatrickMB]

Thank you to everyone who reacting to my original post. I hope that more will offer their views as well. Perhaps I am on the wrong track. Can people recommend the writings of other saints and sages, such as Vivekananda or Sri Ramakrishna? Those are two names with which I am familiar.

Many sincere thanks.

Patrick

[Sahasranama]

Thank you to everyone who reacting to my original post. I hope that more will offer their views as well. Perhaps I am on the wrong track. Can people recommend the writings of other saints and sages, such as Vivekananda or Sri Ramakrishna? Those are two names with which I am familiar.

Many sincere thanks.

Patrick

If you are interested in the writings of neo-Hindus like Vivekananda and Ramakrishna, you'd probably also like to read Ananda Coomaraswamy, Varadachari and Aurobindo. I don't think they are all bad, but one should be careful to notice that what they say isn't always correct. For someone who is new to Hinduism, I don't think that it is the right place to start, because one will get too many misconceptions about Hinduism. It will be difficult to get rid of them later on. Many people find a renewed interest in Christianity after reading from neo-Hindu authors, even if they never were Christian to begin with. Often also they develop and aversion to the religion of Hinduism as something "superstitious." Personally, I think you are best of to start reading the Ramayana or the Mahabharata. You'll learn a lot about Hinduism this way. There are different Ramayana's. Some of the more well known ones are the Valmiki Ramayana, Adhyatma Ramayana, Yoga Vasishta Ramayana, Rama Charita Manasa, Adbhuta Ramayana. Also try to avoid getting entangled in dvaita-advaita polemics.

[TatTvamAsi]

Thank you to everyone who reacting to my original post. I hope that more will offer their views as well. Perhaps I am on the wrong track. Can people recommend the writings of other saints and sages, such as Vivekananda or Sri Ramakrishna? Those are two names with which I am familiar.

Many sincere thanks.

Patrick

Perhaps not a "sage", but do read C. Rajaji's Ramayana and Mahabharata; some of the best English translations on the philosophy.

As Sahasranama stated, if you are tepid in your interest towards Hinduism, reading works of universalists might only rekindle attraction towards garbage, I mean, Christianity/Judaism/Islam.

[PatrickMB]

I appreciate the suggestions of the last two posters and will follow their advice. My interest in Hinduism is genuine. There are questions I have about the meaning of life, of suffering and the nature of the soul which Christianity simply does not answer. I have no desire to criticize Christians, but I want to learn more about the genuine Eternal Religion.

Om hare om.

[PatrickMB]

[quote=Sahasranama;66778]If you are interested in the writings of neo-Hindus like Vivekananda and Ramakrishna, you'd probably also like to read Ananda Coomaraswamy, Varadachari and Aurobindo. .....

What is neo-Hinduism? I have several pen pals in India who love the writings of Ramakrishna very much. Is he also a neo-Hindu? I'm not familiar with this term. Thank you.