Post on 14-Aug-2020
In all matters you should
submit to the will of God. It
is no good grumbling and
feeling worried. The object
of all spiritual practices is to
remain calm by resigning to
the will of God in all cir-
cumstances. Ours is to play
our part well in this life,
with full faith in God. Our
real success lies in living
such a life. Therefore
Ramdas advises you not to
be dispirited. You are entire-
ly in the hands of God.
Those who trust in Him are
never lost.
Swami Ramdas
Can medicine or mind heal the
disease of a dead man? Why
not? Because Life Force is the
only supreme, invariable power
by which any or all methods of
healing can be made effective.
A method of healing is
inferior or superior insofar as
it is capable of rousing or
stimulating the inactive Life
Force in any diseased body
part, thus electrocuting the
disease. Therefore, all
methods of healing are really
indirect ways of rousing the
Life Energy, which is the real
and direct healer of all diseases.
Paramhansa Yogananda
Strive to make each meditation memorable, deeper, and more
profound. Do not limit God-experience in any way, for the In-
finite is indeed just that—infinite! Explode the little box your
mind has placed you in; soar upon waves of Light in the ex-
pansive ocean of Spirit.
Yogacharya David Hickenbottom
September 23 is Mataji’s Jayanti & December 27 is Papa’s Sannyas Day
The Cross and The
Lotus Journal
September 2014, Vol. 15 No. 3
Dedicated to the Realization of God and Service to Him in All Forms
Mother Hamilton and Marge Ranney (1916–2014)
The cross and lotus symbolizes the unity between East and West. The lotus is the sign of
illumined consciousness, the thousand petal lotus of the crown chakra. The cross is the
symbol of the body surrendered to the will of God. Following the way of the cross results in
the resurrection of illumined consciousness.
The Cross and the Lotus, symbol of man. East and West blended, join hand in hand.
Marching toward the infinite light and life divine. Lift up your eyes and see the star,
descending from heaven where e’er you are. Be filled with the peace and ecstasy of God’s almighty love.
Aum-Amen. The Reverend Yogacharya Mother Hamilton
The Cross and The Lotus Journal is published by
The Cross and The Lotus Publishing Mount Vernon, WA, U.S.A.
Website: www.crossandlotus.com
E-mail: contact@crossandlotus.com
© 2014 The Cross and The Lotus Publishing is dedicated to the publication of materials that
promote God-realization. Our spiritual lineage begins with Jesus Christ and Babaji and flows
down to us through Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar, Paramhansa Yogananda and
Yogacharya Mother Hamilton.
The Reverend Yogacharya David Hickenbottom continues this lineage with the help and
support of many sincere devotees. We are dedicated to realizing God and serving devotees of
every race, color, creed and religion.
Mother Hamilton often said she was the product of two fully illumined Masters, her own
Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, and Swami Ramdas. We therefore feature articles about
Swami Ramdas and Anandashram. We bow to the feet of Saints and realized Masters of all
religions.
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 35
Journal Editors: Larry & Cate Koler
Calendar of Events Sept. 22 Fall Equinox (7:29 p.m. PDT)
23 Mother Krishnabai’s Birthday (1903)
24 Rosh Hashanah (sundown)–ends sundown on Sept. 26
26 Lahiri Mahasaya’s Mahasamadhi Day (1895)
30 Lahiri Mahasaya’s Birthday (1828)
Oct. 3 Yom Kippur (sundown)–ends sundown on Oct. 4
12 Swami Satchidananda’s Mahasamadhi Day (2008)
13 Thanksgiving Day (Canada)
Nov. 12 Swami Satchidananda’s Birthday (1919)
27 Thanksgiving Day (U.S.A.)
Dec. 16 Hanukkah (sundown)–ends sundown on Dec. 24, 2014
21 Winter Solstice (3:03 p.m. PST)
25 Christmas Day, Mother Hamilton’s Birthday (1904)
27 Swami Ramdas’ Sannyas Day (1922)
Center News Baptism of Aurelia Rose Jones
We are happy to welcome another little soul to our spiritual
family. Aurelia Rose Jones was born on November 3, 2013. She
was baptized by
Yogacharya David
on June 29, 2014.
Her parents, Briana
& Scott Jones, big
sister, Lillian and
several members of
her family were in
attendance as well
as the Seattle
church group.
L– R: Lillian, Scott,
Aurelia, Briana and
Yogacharya David
Page 34 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
From the Master’s Kitchen One of the recipes originally published in Master’s Lessons
Different Stuffed Celery
Peanut butter: 2 tbsp.
Parsley: 1 tbsp., minced
Tomato pulp: 1 tbsp.
Onion: minced
Mix together 2 table-
spoons peanut butter, 1 ta-
blespoon each of the finely
minced parsley and toma-
to pulp. Add a little minced onion if desired. Mix well and stuff
in tender stalks of celery.
Comments from our C&L chef, Angela Victory
September brings hungry kids home
from school and peanut butter snacks are
popular. This reminded me of a grown-up
version of an old classic. I am going to
play with the recipe a bit more—making it
more like spicy peanut sauce, a little less
thick—with healthy crunchy celery sticks.
A portable snack with all natural ingredi-
ents for clean eating. Think of packing this
up before you leave the house and sitting
down to your lunch break, chanting and
thinking of Master.
O Thou Who art Lord of the harvest,
The Giver Who gladdens our days,
Our hearts are for ever repeating
Thanksgiving and honour and praise. Amen
John White Chadwick, 1840-1904
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 3
Dear friends,
Sickness, old age and ultimately death
are the great mysteries of life. When such
events are ubiquitous, then why call them
mysteries? It is because these difficult
times elicit questions that elude answers.
Ignorance of these answers produces suf-
fering.
We come to know this life has divine
origins, yet suffering in life seems to fly
in the face of a loving Creator; life taken
on the surface appears as a series of
meaningless and unrelated events. However, when examined
deeply, all of life is known to be a divine creation; it is absolute-
ly meaningful and everything is connected. This has been attest-
ed to by saints and spiritual masters around the globe and from
every religion.
To discover this hidden truth one must see past the veil of ob-
scurity that prevents one from discovering the verity of the ages.
Then life, with all of its beguiling and bewildering faces of good
and evil, pleasure and pain, highs and lows can be experienced
with a new degree of wisdom otherwise unknown. This spiritual
wisdom gives a new perspective on all of life, including change
of life circumstances such as going from health to sickness, from
plenty to lack, as well as the approach of death.
From a human standpoint the seeking of pleasure and the
avoidance of pain is a primary driver in life. Even delayed grati-
fication, such as passing down one’s wealth can be pleasurable
through anticipation of future happiness for oneself or others.
The spiritual seeker also pursues happiness, however it is
pleasure derived neither from the senses nor from this world.
Since the body will become sick, grow old and die, there is noth-
ing in this world that can promise unending bliss—only com-
munion with divine Spirit may fulfill this deep need of the soul.
Therefore the spiritual seeker is considered the wisest of human
beings, the most discriminating and ultimately the most fulfilled.
The worldly have denounced spiritual seeking as escapism, or an
Page 4 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
unwarranted hatred of human pleasures; however this is not the
case with true seekers.
There have been those practitioners of past and present who
are mentally unbalanced who go beyond dispassion for this
world and violently eschew sensory derived pleasures, even tor-
turing the body; however, in many cases these are not true spir-
itual seekers but unbalanced minds working out their own agen-
da. The discriminating mind recognizes the superior virtues of
spiritual experience and the allure of sensory experience fades in
importance. Now Divine Will is revealed in the stillness of the
body and mind of the seeker and that takes precedence over the
simple desire to satiate the senses.
This transformation from human to Divine is usually a gradual
one, with the ardent devotee learning to turn away from the con-
stant demands of the sense-driven mind and attuning itself to the
higher, true guidance of the Divine Mind. There may be a long
period of time in which the sense attractions impinge on the calm
mind, and therefore a struggle for mastery commences. From the
outside materialistic perspective this can seem an unwarranted
struggle. However, when the prize of Self-realization is under-
stood and its benefits fully appreciated, the struggle is consid-
ered little in comparison to what is gained.
With full realization the towering spiritual insight understands
that the body will go through changes, but Soul is forever un-
changed. The senses may experience delights and tortures, but
the realized one may have ever-new joy bubbling from a hidden
spring within—without reference to human happiness or want.
Even death of the body is put into perspective, knowing that ever
-present Soul is not born, nor does it die.
In the Vedas, the ancient spiritual scriptures of India, God is
described as Satchidananda: Sat is eternal existence, Chid is
awakened consciousness, and Ananda is ever-new bliss; and hu-
mankind has those same qualities. For most people this eternal
existence, consciousness and bliss is dormant, but that does not
diminish the fact that all souls are innately endowed with the ca-
pacity to know this true Self.
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 33
ties of the present moment in your center. Work up to one mi-
nute in the pose. To come out, straighten the right leg and relax
your arms. When you are ready, swivel the feet to the left for the
other side. Finish by stepping the right foot forward to Mountain
pose, where you began. Sense any changes in your body, mind,
and soul.
Benefits: Increases stability, strength and balance. Opens the
chest for easier breathing and improves circulation. Alleviates
depression and fatigue, and can slim the waistline! Jai Ram! Na-
maste.
Briana and Lillian in Warrior Pose
Page 32 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
Yoga and Health Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II)
By Briana Jones
Come Arjunas, and bring forth your inner qualities as a warri-
or in this pose of strength, courage and resilience. Amid the out-
er and inner storms of life, Warrior II will help you to
stand your ground with steadiness and ease.
Props: Hard, even, slip free floor surface, yoga mat optional.
Practice: Stand tall in Mountain pose (Tadasana) and take a
deep breath, gathering your full strength and focus.
Step your feet wide, about 3-4 feet apart. Turn out your right
foot and turn in your left foot about 30 degrees. Spread your
arms wide and shift your tail bone directly underneath you. Turn
to gaze out over your right fingertips while keeping your back
arm directly behind. Find a focus point at eye level and take a
deep inhalation. Exhale and allow the shoulders to soften down
as you bend your right knee, aligning it over your second toe.
Adjust your stance to fit your body. Draw your torso back, di-
rectly over the pelvis and press evenly into both feet. Allow your
breath to soften out any rigidity in the pose. Let go of the past
behind you, be fearless in your forward gaze, and feel the quali-
Mountain Pose
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 5
The Buddha, when leaving his palace to start his spiritual
search, found everyone in the kingdom asleep; he slipped the
moorings of the world while others dreamt. There are more and
more souls beginning to awaken to their higher nature, even
when most of humanity continues to sleep. A worldly dreamer
will wonder, “Why are you bothering to awaken, should you not
be satisfied with your dream world?” But for intrepid seekers,
the dream world will just no longer do.
“Arise! Awake!” proclaimed the God-man Krishna to the
awakening Arjuna. Forsake your dream in which you see your-
self as a human actor only. Rise up to the supernal vision of who
I AM, and therefore who you are as well. Awake from your
slumber of spiritual indifference and uncover the mystery of
what you are meant to be! Know in every cell of your being that
the real You does not get sick, grow old or die! The real You is
none other than Satchidananda!
In the company of the Holy, I contemplate the Name of
the Lord, Har, Har. I am in peaceful poise and bliss,
day and night; the seed of my destiny has sprouted. I
have met the True Guru, by great good fortune; He has
no end of limitation. Taking His humble servant by the
hand, He pulls him out of the poisonous world-ocean.
Birth and Death are ended for me, by the Word of the
Guru’s Teachings; I shall no longer pass through the
door of pain and suffering. Nanak holds tight to the
Sanctuary of his Lord and Master; again and again, he
bows in humility and reverence to Him.
- from Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Book
Page 6 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
Letter to a Devotee
Dear _________,
We are wishing you well and hope that it is going smoothly
for you and all there. It is wonderful to hear from you and I want
you to know that you and your family have been in our thoughts
and prayers. Your question about your ongoing relationship with
a beloved one who has recently left the body is an important one
for all those who have lost someone dear. Of course we know
that the soul continues its journey after the death of the body.
There is no doubt that ______’s connection with God means that
he was blessed in this life and his life hereafter. With the great
ones there to escort him into his new life he is assured of happi-
ness and fulfillment, freed now from a physical body that was no
longer working.
For you to think of your dear one with love is natural and
good. So where is the line in which your thought of him can be-
come problematic? The answer has to do with attachment. To
release him to his new life is essential; to be attached to him can
hold you and him back.
Your loved one has been such a big part of your lives, so it is
natural that you would keenly feel his absence. Your first
thought in the morning would be of him, all through the day you
will expect to see him sitting in his chair, thinking about what he
needs. The human brain makes you think of him—even as you
have for so many years.
As time goes by you begin to adjust to his absence, although
there will always be the loss of his physical presence in your
lives. However, if you are not gradually adjusting to his death,
then it is a sign of attachment.
Attachment results from unfulfilled desire, fear, and guilt; it
prolongs sadness, anger and obsessing on your loss. You can
measure your attachment by the amount of time you think of him
during the day. Is your sadness gradually decreasing? On the
positive side, do you feel increasing joy in thinking of God? Can
you, in your heart, lovingly let him go on to his new life? Do you
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 31
Memories of Mother From letters Marge Ranney wrote to the group while she was
traveling with Mother
Saturday, Nov. 11, 1967
When I returned for bed, Mother got up to fix Her hair, and a
complete reviewing of all the events of the day. At 3:00 a.m. it
was time to turn off the lights. At 5:00 a.m. She awoke again to
tell me to gargle, as my throat was bothering me—I was sound
asleep—and to tell me God had given Her the answer to Dick’s
question: “What is your answer to the belief in many Gods?”
Answer: Know ye not that ye are Gods? God the Father—
Godhead, and we as individual cells of His body, become Gods,
as in truth we are when we erase our idea of separation and be-
come one with Him.”
January 31, 1967, India
Mother and I have become so much a part of Indian life it is as
if we had been born to it. We feel as if we had always worn sa-
rees and dread the day when we will have to wear anything else.
They are so beautiful and so graceful and we each tie them with
ease. Besides they are so comfortable…no girdles…no stock-
ings…no shoes, only chappels. It is truly wonderful. Maybe we
will wear them in America.
August 25, 1967
Expo World’s Fair, Montreal, Quebec
Even though it was raining again, we went to Expo to have
lunch with Renu and Mukta as this was our last day in Montreal.
As Mother turned, she saw my head uncovered and quickly
asked me to pull up my rain cap. In reflex, without thinking, I
dropped my jacket in a mud puddle as I carefully pulled the cap
over my head. We all laughed as I recovered my seer sucker
jacket but suddenly, as I inspected it, I could scarcely believe my
eyes. It was completely dry and had not a single spot of mud.
Such is the protection of the Guru!
Page 30 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
By Connie Meisner:
I only had the pleasure of meeting Marge a few times. The
first time was at the Hornby Island Retreat which was hosted at
Phyllis Victory’s home. I remember the smiling face of Marge
wherever I glimpsed her as she spoke with other devotees attend-
ing.
The next meeting that I recall was when David and Carla got
married. Again, the beautiful smile both was what drew me to
her side wanting to be near the inner light shining forth. I had the
opportunity to talk to Marge on both of those occasions and the
focus both times was of God and the spiritual path home.
*************
By Rebecca Barnowe:
I am sorry that I never had the privilege of meeting with
Marge whom Mother dearly loved and held in high esteem, for
the bright Light in Spirit, which guided her whole existence for
untold years to the very end. It always felt that she was oversee-
ing the generations to come and blessing each with the zeal to
embrace God, no matter what each faced in his life. This is re-
markable, when I think upon it...like best wishes granted from
above for all time…and beyond time.
*************
By Raul Becerra:
First my condolence to the Ranney family. I didn’t know
Marge Ranney but—as with many disciples that I didn’t know—
there is a bond that all Mother’s disciples have, and a common
drive to know the Self, a Love of the Self that Mother instilled in
us all: that universal love and devotion that we all have and had
in those very blessed, special moments with our Guru! I don’t
recall ever meeting Marge but I wish I had. Marge was and is
very blessed that she was able to go to India with Mother. Just
how many of us would like to have taken that trip with her—
Marge, what a blessing you had and have! May you have left this
world on the wings of Love, back to the Self. Rest in Peace &
Love. Om Sri Ram.
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 7
know deep down that God and the masters are seeing to his
needs now? That he has freedom of movement and health, and
that his smile is brighter than ever?
Of course you will think of ______, love him and send him all
your good wishes, but you will do so without attachment and
with no idea of holding him back from his new journey.
May God and the masters ever bless you and lift you into their
sublime, divine consciousness so that you may have deep, abid-
ing peace and the pure bliss of God.
With all love,
Yogacharya David
God is the friend of silence. We need to find God and
He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. See how
nature, the trees, the flowers, the grasses grow in per-
fect silence—see the stars, the moon and the sun, how
they move in silence. The more we receive in silent
prayer, the more we can give in our active life.
- Mother Teresa
In Memoriam Swami Narayanananda Giri left the body after a massive heart
attack on July 30 and was received by Mother Ganges.
Many of us who have visited Anandashram remember Swami
N. as Shenoy, from his pre-Sannyas days, when he attended
Swami Satchidanandaji and was in charge of ashram media. He
always beamed a warm smile on all and was more than happy to
make copies of the ashram music and videos he and others had
produced. I was very happy to see his smiling face during my
last visit this January as he had been spending most of his time
in Rishikesh where he had taken Sannyas. May Swami Naraya-
nandaji rest on Papa’s lotus feet forevermore! - C.K.
Page 8 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
Beyond Religion An Excerpt from a Talk Given by
The Reverend Mother, Yogacharya M. Hamilton
in Seattle on September 27, 1981
[Bible reading: Colossians 1, 1-20]
Making Truth Sterile
My subject this morning is entitled Beyond Religion…. Al-
ways we talk about going within and becoming acquainted with
the real you, which is to say, God through Christ in you. There
are many religious paths and more are coming into existence all
of the time. It seems that everybody wants to be a spiritual teach-
er, a guru, before they have even learned how to be a disciple.
The word guru, as most of you know, is he or she who comes to
lead you out of the darkness, into the Light. And such a one must
have picked up his own cross, which is his body, and followed
the way of the Christ, by whatever name they want to call him,
in order to realize their oneness with God. It cannot be attained
in a moment.
And so, therefore after every great teacher comes, a church, an
organization, a particular teaching is built around them. The
master doesn’t do this, only the disciples who follow afterwards.
And gradually, as time goes on, the disciples feel that they can
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 29
member how easy it was to be with her. Our age difference
seemed to have no impact on our relationship. It was simply a
friendship that was taken up again in a fashion worn comfortably
from many lifetimes in each other’s company. It was a great
privilege to know her this time around and I miss her very much.
***********
By Cate Koler:
I have such fond memories of Marge which span many years.
I first met her a couple of times at David and Lorraine’s when
she was visiting them in Seattle but didn’t get to know her well
until after Larry met her in Calcutta and we began to go and stay
with her in California where she lived for six months of the year.
She was such a wonderful hostess and so generous of her time. I
remember visiting all of the SRF sites with her and several trips
down to Prem & Sheela’s for Thursday night bhajan. (She and
Prem were so fond of each other and it is interesting that they
both left the body in the same year.)
Marge was so enthusiastic about life and so much fun! Alt-
hough she was in her 80s we all had trouble keeping up with her.
I remember particularly the wonderful time we had when David
was with us and another time with Swami Vishwananda. I also
saw Marge a couple of times at Anandashram.
The last time we saw her was a few years back at the nursing
home where she was living. By this time she was well into her
90s and had dementia. She was so glad to see us but couldn’t
remember our names. We tried to bring up subjects or people
she could relate to but mostly we drew a blank except of course
when mentioning her son, David and daughter-in-law Lorraine.
At one point we asked if she remembered Mother. “Oh, yes!”
she said. And then a little later we realized there was something
else she remembered: Om Sri Ram—“it has such a nice tune,”
she said.
Dear Marge, you touched the heart of so many people in the
U.S. and India and gave of yourself wholeheartedly to whomev-
er you met. You never waivered in your quest to know the Truth.
Mother’s and all the saints’ blessings on you forevermore!
Page 28 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
By Reverend Larry Koler:
I first met Marge in February of 1996, during a trip to Calcutta
to visit the holy sites there associated with Master. My first night
in Calcutta was in a hotel after a late flight from Bombay. I in-
tended to meet and stay with Marge by
prior arrangement with her son, David
Ranney. David assured me that his
mother would welcome meeting me
and that she was always anxious to
help devotees in any way she could.
I had planned to meet with Marge at
a doctor’s office (magnet doctor who
was treating her leg) on B.B. Ganguly
Street. I asked the hotel concierge the
best way to get there and he arranged
for my first conveyance experience on
a hand pulled rickshaw. As I left the
hotel grounds, I entered into the ca-
cophony and smells of a great bustling city, filled with all levels
of humanity. It was a beautiful clear day with the streets still wet
from a morning rain.
I will never forget the warmth of the greeting that bubbled out
of Marge that first time. She enthusiastically welcomed me and
started immediately to make plans for my stay. She had a car and
driver and during our trip to her house we talked about every-
thing but especially about Mother Hamilton. Marge had many
stories of her first meeting with Mother. She also told me about
her early life and what it was like growing up in southern Cali-
fornia. She spoke of her family, her husband Kenneth, her son
David and her daughter-in-law, Lorraine.
I stayed in Calcutta about a week and during that time, Marge
loaned me her car for my trips to Serampore (Srirampur) and
Dakshineshwar. The other days, I accompanied her on her vari-
ous trips around town—to shops, friends and a kirtan.
In the following years, I travelled to Garden Grove, CA to visit
her and she came to Seattle several times, also. I distinctly re-
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 9
change what the master said and maybe make it a little more
beautiful, a little better—cut-out a little here, add a little some-
place else. And in doing so, they make it sterile. They strip it
from the real truth. Everything that is in this chapter in Colos-
sians, is the truth of God, and the apostle Paul realized that, be-
cause he had taken the teachings of the Christ, and he had gone
within his own body, and he had found the Christ within himself,
so that he had union with him.
Reconciling God and Man
I am the light, the way and the truth. Nobody can go to the Fa-
ther except through me, said the Christ. And it says here: And he
is the head of the body. This body, which is the church, and as he
said: the temple of the living God, who is the beginning, the first
born from the dead that in all things he might have the preemi-
nence. Now you notice that it also says that he is the first born
from the dead. And this means that man in his human state can-
not realize his oneness with God. He’s too involved with the
things of the senses. He is too involved with all of his desire-
nature: “I want this. I want that. Give me something else. Lord,
please take away this illness. Please take away this trouble.”
Everything in the world you are thinking about is in the sense of
duality, and your full attention is not upon that One who has all
of the answers: all of the help; all of your prosperity; all of your
love; all of your forgiveness; all of everything! And He is to be
found, as the Christ says, only within yourselves. Y e are the
temple of the living God!…
…No man has seen God at any time. So it is only when man
has given up his human-hood, and has gone through the crucifix-
ion on his own cross: when he has gone into the depth of the hell
of his own being (that which he has created), and gone through
the experiences which are necessary, then, after the third day, or
having gone through the experience of having the consciousness
released from the three bodily jars—first the physical (because
that was formed last); then the light body (which controls all of
the energy in your body—the nerves and the what-not); and
then, the ‘first cause’ which is the idea body—the consciousness
must be released from all of it, and you must die, and you must
Page 10 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
descend into hell, and then you must arise from the dead. And it
says: And having made peace through the blood of his cross,
(not on but of) by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by
him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Must Enter the Holy of Holies
So man must go through this tremendous experience. And it is
not an easy experience, but if Christ went through it, then why
not we follow his example! We say how much we love God-the-
Father. We say how much we love Jesus-the-Christ. Yet is any-
one willing to pick up his cross, (which is his body) and follow
him and emulate him in every detail? He was no ‘namby-
pamby,’ no ‘Casper milk-toast’, as he is sometimes pictured. He
was a man who had strength and power beyond anyone’s belief!
Why? Because he had come to serve God in man! He had come
to establish a new order. He had come to show man what he was
like inside, and what must be done. And he showed us the way,
in every way.
And yet it has been misinterpreted! The parables are not un-
derstood: the truth behind the parables. In the beginning man
goes to whatever individual, whatever church, that his conscious-
ness is able to receive. And it is good that he has put his foot up-
on the path, very good, but in order to progress, you must take
the first step from where you are, and you must keep climbing
the ladder, until finally you get your God-realization. So you go
from religion to religion, from church to church, from individual
teacher to individual teacher, until at last you realize that you
have not really found the truth in all that has been given to you,
because it is given to you as being historical. It is not given to
you as the Living Truth, of that which happens within every man
when he is ready to receive it. It is not given you to know that
you must be still, and know that I am God, (as it says in the forty
-sixth Psalm.) That you must go into that holy of holies, that in-
ner sanctuary of your own soul. You must close the doors of the
senses. Forget all of the things of time and space, the word and
the atom; which is [sic] ‘the four beasts before the throne.’ And
fix your full attention upon Him.
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 27
tarian and I learned along side of her. She taught me the basics;
ghee, paneer, yogurt, dal, etc. Eventually, I was able to do all the
cooking myself. As we were doing all this, talk was always of
God. Being in her presence was uplifting and my focus on God
became more intense overall. She was truly a great soul and
lived her life in service to her teachers and all, seeing God in all
situations.
******************
By Carla Hickenbottom:
When I think of my dear friend, Marge, I just have such great
love and a big heartfelt thanks for being who she was and is in
God.
Soon after meeting Marge, we became fast friends and I spent
a lot of time going back and forth to Los Angeles visiting Marge.
I could think of no better way to spend my holidays from work
than a visit with Marge! It was always such an adventure being
with her; she was always coming and going and exploring new
possibilities for health and for finding new ways to love God in
all His various forms and manifestations.
I so fondly remember just sitting at her dining room table in
her condominium in Los Angeles and she had piles of papers
with different projects she was working on, her phone next to
her and chatting away with all kinds of amusing and interesting
stories. This is after having the most amazing Indian food she
cooked, along with her homemade yogurt, which was so deli-
cious, it was almost “otherworldly.” As I sat there one day, she
got a call from Rishi, her beloved friend and soul mate, aged 3
asking what sari she was wearing that day! Marge was wearing a
Punjabi and he was taking her to task for not wearing a sari! We
both got such a good laugh from it!
Reading over letters I got from Marge were always uplifting
and I felt the power of God through her so strongly. She will al-
ways be a very important fellow traveler on this Path back to
God and I treasure all the times we spent together.
******************
Page 26 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
play tennis will appreciate this but she played in a tournament
and played one point for 17 minutes. That means that the ball
went back and forth without anybody missing it for that time.
Pretty amazing.
Another tennis story was when my mom and I were playing
mixed doubles just for fun and, as some of you may know my
attitude was horrible when I was young, and my mom got really
mad at me for something or other and when I was standing at the
net with my back to her and she was serving I saw that the balls
were flying all over the place. The balls are supposed to be go-
ing to only one side and instead they were flying all over. Over
my head, at my feet, bouncing before the ball got to the net and
on both sides of my body. They were just going everywhere. Af-
ter a couple serves like that I asked her what was going on and
she said that she was so angry with me she was trying to hit me
with her serve. I guess being angry didn’t help her be very accu-
rate because she couldn’t come anywhere close.
One of the other things that I remember about mom is espe-
cially when I was younger was she would always give Terry and
me lectures about how we needed to behave etc. and the thing
was that I never resented these lectures and as I got older I en-
joyed them. Mom and I used to have a lot of good conversations,
mostly about spiritual things and that was one of the things I
missed these last few years.
And as you know she was a very special person and did a lot
of things for a lot of people.
******************
By Lorraine Bourcier:
Although I am Marge’s daughter in law, it took years to get to
know her. She lived in Calcutta and would come to the States
once a year to renew her Indian visa. She would take a day to
come up to Seattle to visit us and would go back on the same
day because of obligations in Garden Grove. Many years later,
as her situation changed she was able to come stay with us for
longer periods and these were interesting times to say the least.
At first she would take over the cooking as she was a strict vege-
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 11
If you will do that, all of your troubles will disappear. You
will not be gravitating between, “Shall I do this? Shall I do that?
Shall I do something else?” And your ego is at play, because
what you’re doing is to find out what is the best thing to enhance
what, you, the human self wants to do, the human ego. And
you’re not looking inside to find out what God, through Christ,
wants you to do. You have to listen. You have to go into the
stillness of your own being, and you have to listen! I keep em-
phasizing this: listen for God!
Becoming a Master
There is a great deal of difference between prayer and contem-
plation, because we’re always praying to God for something, and
very seldom, if ever, for the realization of our Oneness with
Him. But when you are meditating, through contemplating God
alone, then He listens to you. He lifts you up into His arms, and
He tells you, He whispers in your ear the wonderful truths. He
gives you revelations of the truth behind the parables. He puts
you through what is necessary. He is sorry that you have to suf-
fer, because He is a God of love, but you have brought that suf-
fering upon yourself! And just as you go through pain when you
give birth to a child, so also you go through pain when you give
birth to the Christ child within yourself! And the transformation
takes place, from the human to the divine. So then you too can
become an heir with Christ. You too can become a master. You
do not supersede, or supplant anyone else. It means that you
have become master of yourself!
I call the great spiritual teacher that I studied with ‘Master.’
He was not my personal possession, my master in that sense. But
I called him ‘Master,’ because he had gone through what was
necessary, to find his union with God. And from this great man
in India I heard the truth of the Christ, as I had never heard it in
any orthodox church at all. For the first time I knew that heaven,
hell, and purgatory were not something outside of myself, but
they were inside of myself, inside: that God was inside, that
Christ was inside; that I didn’t have to wait until I died a physi-
cal death in order to find him, to go to heaven, hell, or purgatory.
Very few would go to heaven in the first place; some might
Page 12 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
reach purgatory (if they were particularly angelic); but most of
us would be in the hot place. And that is totally what we have to
look forward from the dogmatic teachings that are given to us!
We make our own heaven and hell, because if heaven is within
us, so also is hell, or the place of darkness.…
…But I listened to the injunction of this great master. And I
went within myself, and he taught me how to do it. He taught me
the true meanings, the meaning of the parables. And my love for
God in this man was so great, because he had finally taken me
out of the darkness into the light, that I was willing to do what-
ever he asked me to, whatever was necessary, in order to attain
that tremendous goal, which he had set before me: union with
God-the-Father! Remember that the Christ said: I of myself am
nothing. It is my Father who doeth the works. So he came to lead
us, not to himself, but through the example of truth, which he set
before us to the Infinite Father, who is the Father of us all!
Beyond “Churchanity”
Our religious differences must cease. We must stop putting
new names to an organization which we have created in his
name, because every time we do, we make a new division in
Christ, and Christ is One! It says so in this book which we say
contains the truth. Christ is One! He is everywhere, equally pre-
sent. And so we must know that! We must stop this division. We
must learn that each man is entitled to worship God in the way
that God directs him. And he is speaking of the same Father-
God, regardless of what language, what religion he belongs to,
because there’s only one. Would God be so discriminating? How
dare we be so egotistical, to think that we as Christians, are the
only ones who have the truth. How dare we? I have seen souls of
other religions that were so beautiful, so dedicated to God, that
their whole body shone with His light; where there was nothing
for them but God! And the power of God was within them so
greatly that that they could raise the dead, heal the sick, walk on
water. They had the power of bi-location. You name it. They had
it.
I had the privilege of sitting and smelling the perfume of the
presence of God within them. I had the very great privilege of
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 25
David, Lorraine, Car-
la and I spread
Marge’s ashes over
Puget Sound. Swami
Vivekananda trans-
lated the Gayatri
prayer, one of the
most famous prayers
in India, to mean:
“We meditate on
the glory of that Be-
ing who has pro-
duced this universe,
may He enlighten our
minds.”
**************
By David Ranney:
In writing about
my mom I first must
mention my brother,
Gil, who looked after my mother’s finances and anything else
she couldn’t do herself, and his wife, Diane, who as a nurse,
looked after my mom’s health—both going above and beyond
the call of duty. Their daughters, Jill and Gina also played a part
in caring for her.
I know that each of you had some connection with my mom
and have your own stories but I wanted to share with you just a
few stories about my mom that come to mind.
I always got a kick out of my mom when she got flustered
with my brother Terry and me and would get our names con-
fused and say, “derry tavid, derry tavid” as she was trying to tell
us to stop doing something we were doing wrong. Needless to
say, she had to say our names many times as we were growing
up as we were always doing something that we shouldn’t have.
My mom was a very good tennis player and those of you that
Marge in 1997
Page 24 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
In Memoriam
Marge Ranney (Nov. 30, 1916—July 13, 2014)
We have received memorial writings by a number of people who
wish to honor and celebrate our dear friend, Marge. -editors
******************
Introduction by Yogacharya David Hickenbottom
Marge had a long history with Mother Hamilton and many of
us disciples. Even well into her 80s Marge was vital, inquisitive,
self-directed and open to new thought and opportunities for
learning about this mysterious creation.
There were many of us who just simply loved Marge; or as
she might say, had “love-ness” for her. In the mid-1960s Mother
and Marge travelled to India together. Marge was to find a great
attraction to mother-India, and would eventually spend about
half of each year there. She took on the name Gayatri but was
still known to most of us as Marge.
Despite physical problems she was energetic and always for-
ward moving. We traveled on several occasions to see Prem, Pa-
pa’s grandson, and his wife Sheela, for their Thursday night
Bhajan. She had great love for Prem and all the family, and
loved to be there for the singing and food; she was especially
fond of pakoras.
Last time I saw Marge in India she was saying increasingly
that she was forgetting so many things; it was the beginnings of
her dementia. An interesting thing though, the more she forgot
about things of the world the more she was focused on total de-
pendence on “Papa,” complete surrender to God.
Marge was a Light to many, and she will be deeply missed by
all who knew her. May Papa Ramdas and Mother Hamilton ush-
er Marge into her new life and for “love-ness” and “all-ness” to
fill her soul to overflowing as she continues to explore the great-
est mystery in all creation, God.
In a very moving ceremony I played the Gayatri Prayer and
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 13
sitting at their feet and listening as truth poured forth from them.
Not any dogma, not in forms of parables, but truth; they had had
the courage to do what was necessary to experience [it] within
themselves! And they were holy men, make no mistake about it.
They were very holy. Their whole lives were dedicated to God.
They lived Him. They breathed Him. They spoke His name or
they remained in silence, to help the suffering world. But they
gave of themselves freely in every way. They went beyond
‘Churchanity.’
As I told you before, and you know well, we have no organi-
zation; we have no name because only God’s name is important.
Only the way of the Christ is important, by whatever name you
call him. And I never want an organization formed around the
things that I have taught you. I have paid the price for knowing
the truth which I have taught you. But I do not want an organiza-
tion formed around it. Rather let’s go out, and through what
you’ve become yourself in God, attract others like a magnet. Be
a candle, a light on a hilltop to serve God, to light the way for
others. But do not ask them to join an organization. And never
charge them anything for the service which you render them. But
rather do it for the love of God; because if you will do this—if
you will give yourself and everything you have to Him—you
will have no wants, no needs. You will be wondering how you
can give away of the tremendous bounty that comes to you, so
that you can help and raise the suffering world. We have to get
our minds off of our little selves. We have to forget
‘Churchanity!’…
…You have to go beyond religion—as we know it—because
God made man, and man made religion. Remember that! God
made man and man made religion! And he has made it his god,
instead of going beyond religion, to the Source of everything
there is! You have to do that. You have to be steadfast. You have
to gather your strength from the four corners of the world, that
you have dissipated in your attachment to all the things, and
withdraw it into yourself. You have to cultivate loyalty, honesty.
You have to become pure in thought, word, and deed. You can-
not do otherwise and expect to attain your goal.…
Page 14 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
Lifting Up the World
…If you would go beyond religion and fix your mind upon
God alone through Christ, you will find that you are free. And
you don’t need to think or care what the world thinks, as long as
you are one with your Father God. As long as you are listening
and following His voice of direction alone, you don’t need to
care if the whole world is against you; if it rises up and tells you
that you are so awful because of what you have thought, said,
and done, that it wants to kill you. You need not care because,
remember, it says: that ten thousand shall fall by your side in
such a case, but not one hair of your head shall be touched. Not
one hair.
I have walked into the fire. I have dealt with things that are
beyond human conception. I have fought with entities. I have
gone through the mystical crucifixion, and gone into the depth of
hell, within my own being; and fought all of the demons that
were there, of my own making. I have risen from the dead, and I
have ascended, and been given tremendous revelations. And still
I of myself am nothing, and yet conversely I am that I AM! Be-
cause I have paid the price for knowing. And when you pay that
price for knowing, and you know that you know. But when man
says that he knows, and he has not paid that price, then he is just
giving lip service, and it will never work. Think of it. Jesus said,
And I, if I be lifted up, shall draw all men unto myself.
Look at the world today. And if you want to take it from the
orthodox stand point, he didn’t make it, because the world has
not been lifted up. It has never been in such a shape as in all of
the history of the world, as it is today. It’s brutal. It’s terrible. It’s
so filled with the sin of separation from God that it is unbelieva-
ble. We aren’t safe in our homes, on the street, in the parks, at
our business! No place are we safe—except within the sanctuary
of our own soul.
So it means that when you have lifted up the son of man with-
in yourself; when you have had the courage and the love of God
sufficiently, to give up your humanness, you do not really give it
up forever, because God is both human and divine. But you be-
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 23
dra was among the staunchest of Sri Ra-
makrishna’s householder devotees. But
like many others among them, he did not
at first think very highly of the Holy
Mother’s spiritual greatness. Some years
after Sri Ramakrishna’s passing away, he
went on a visit to Jayrambati along with
some of the monastic disciples of the
Master. That was the first occasion Gi-
rish was taken to the Holy Mother’s
presence. After prostrating himself before her, he looked at her
once, and immediately withdrew from there and sat in the out-
house in a very serious and introspective mood. His companions
were astonished at this transformation of Girish. At last Swami
Niranjanananda approached him and asked him the reason of it.
Girish thereupon wanted him to inquire of the Holy Mother
whether she was not the person who had appeared to him in
dream in his nineteenth year. In reply the Holy Mother sent him
the information that she was.
Then Girish gave out the story to his fellow-disciples. At the
age of nineteen he was suffering from a severe illness. The doc-
tors had given him up for lost. In that condition he dreamt one
night that the whole sky was lit with a celestial effulgence. It
gradually proceeded towards him and assumed the form of a
Goddess. Girish, it must be remembered, was in those days a
rank atheist. The Goddess approached him and said, “Well, my
child, you are suffering terribly. Aren’t you?” Then she put
something into his mouth, resembling the consecrated food of
the Puri temple, and vanished. After that Girish gradually recov-
ered from his illness. He had often tried to make out who that
figure might have been, but could get no definite clue. So he had
surmised that it must have been the figure of his mother whom
he had lost in his early childhood. But the day on which he saw
the Holy Mother, he was surprised to notice the likeness of that
Goddess in her. Thenceforth he looked upon the Holy Mother
with great reverence, and used to say that through the grace of
Swami Niranjanananda he had recovered his ‘mother.’
Page 22 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
the reply with a smile, “Don’t you see? But for her, who would
have prepared my food in just the way that suits my health?”
*************
In the latter part of her life…[Sarada Devi] is seen surrounded
by two distinct types of people—her relatives on the one hand
and her disciples on the other. Both these groups approached her
with quite different motives, the first to gain whatever material
advantages they could from her, and the second to serve her and
benefit spiritually by her contact.…It is, however, pertinent to
inquire how she could fulfill both these apparently incongruous
duties without detriment to either.…
…In our review of her domestic life, we have shown how the
impelling force behind even her worldly attachments was her
sense of motherhood, a form of love that only gives but never
thinks of any return, nay, gives even when any return takes the
shape of ingratitude and persecutions—and how for this reason
even her worldly love occupied a position on the borderland of
pure spirituality. In her role as a spiritual teacher, too, it is the
very same principle of motherhood that is illustrated, perhaps
through a medium that reveals the true quality of it with greater
directness.
******************
There are many devotees of the Holy Mother who claim to
have had experiences of a highly mystical type in the course of
their relationship with her. Some had seen her in a dream as a
Goddess in human form, though they never had occasion to see
even a picture of hers before. Others had received either full or
partial Mantra and spiritual instruction from her in dream, and at
the time of their initiation were astonished to find that the Man-
tra she gave them in the waking state tallied exactly with what
they had got in dream. Still others claim that they were rescued
from great dangers during critical situations in their lives by the
help she rendered them either in dream or in a waking state.…
…One example of such mystic experience…relates to Girish
Chandra Ghosh, who was a first rate genius and ranks among the
greatest dramatists of India and of the world. Now Girish Chan-
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 15
come, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, male
and female—totally balanced— the male and female part of eve-
ry person: the soft part, the love part and the part that is gov-
erned by reasoning. And then also, you are still human and di-
vine, because you’re still living in a human body. And as long as
you’re on this earth teaching, speaking the truth, you will be liv-
ing in a human body; you will have to use your five senses.
But the difference is that you are not controlled by them. You
are not the slave; you are the master. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to
think, if each one of the people here in this congregation would
pick up their crosses (which is the body) and follow the Christ,
and emulate him in every single detail, until they became one
with God through Christ. And that they could go forth and
spread that Light throughout the world, and change this world.
How is it going to change, if we don’t change ourselves first?
The Baptisms of Fire, Blood and Spirit
So all that is spoken of in here happens within yourself. The
virgin birth happens—when that which is within you is given the
power of the Holy Ghost and that Christ seed, that bread and
blood or the body and blood of Christ, actually comes down
from the sacred clostrum under your brain, goes the journey and
returns to Galilee, and passes up through what we call the Christ-
center here, and then comes into your throat. And this is the
body and the blood of Christ. This is what was imbibed at the
Last Supper of the humanness within us, of the humanness with-
in us.
Then we are given the second birth. We are given the second
baptism and it is the baptism of the spirit. Not of the water. Not
of flesh. But it is through the baptism of fire, through the bap-
tism of blood, that we attain this final baptism of the spirit. And
we are lifted up, and we become instead of just the sons of man,
the Sons of God! We respect our fathers, our mothers, because
they gave us the blessed privilege of having this human birth.
But our full attention, the all-ness, the wholeness of our being, is
on God-the-Father. And we are absorbed in Him, His beloved
child, forevermore!
Page 16 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
November 5, 1999
Lord of the universe Papa
Beloved Mother:
“Shake off the body notion. Be aware that you are the immor-
tal spirit ever united with God.”…Swami Ramdas
Your last visit to the Ashram and stay here is still fresh in our
mind. It will remain always fresh as all of you remain ever close
to us. Distance is no bar. Yet it will be an added joy to meet you
here when you plan to come by the end of next year…
…We heard from Yogacharya David a couple of months ago,
but we do hear about him from other friends regularly and we
are informed about his whereabouts. May Yogacharya David be
blessed with the privilege of guiding the earnest seekers to the
supreme goal of human life and thus liberate them.…
…May the Lord always keep you and Larry in His ceaseless
remembrance and lift you to heights of ecstasy. Remembering
Him and living for Him is more important than anything else.
Anything we think of, talk of and do must help us to commune
with Him and live in Him. Blessed, blessed are those who live,
move and have their being in God. Your reference to Meher Ba-
ba reminds me of Kunti Devi, the mother of the Pandavas, who
prayed to Lord Krishna to bless her with more and more difficul-
ties, as difficulties alone made her think of Him and pray to
Him.
You must be enjoying proof-reading some of the writings of
Paramhansa Yogananda to help Yogacharya David who is put-
Letters from Swamiji Back in December 2008, just a little while after Swami
Satchidanandaji’s Mahasamadhi, we published excerpts from some
letters I had received from him. Here is another one. I haven’t includ-
ed some paragraphs that are pertaining to personal matters. I believe
readers will enjoy the following passages which allow a glimpse into
Swamiji’s personality for those who didn’t have the privilege of meet-
ing him. Swamiji’s Mahasamadi anniversary is celebrated on October
12th and his birthday on November 12th – Cate Koler
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 21
Sri Sarada Devi, The Holy Mother Introduction by Yogacharya David
When I was at Belur Math, the Samadhi Temple of Rama-
krishna near Calcutta, there was also a Samadhi Temple for
Sarada Devi. There were several ladies on the Temple steps,
some meditating, some placing flowers at her gravesite. I knew
the direct disciples of Ramakrishna had great respect for the Ho-
ly Mother and that respect continues down to today. Ramakrish-
na himself called Sarada Devi Sri Ma, Holy Mother, and looked
upon her as the Divine Mother. I wondered at the time who she
was beyond being the master’s wife, and so when I saw the book
I was drawn to its contents. Reading this biography has been a
lovely and interesting journey, adding insight not only to the
wife of Ramakrishna, but also about the spiritual master himself.
Her life was not easy, and she was totally dedicated to service
to her husband, his mother, and all the disciples. She rose at 3
a.m., took a bath in the river, chanted until daybreak, and then
was busy cooking and caring for the master and all. Ramakrish-
na taught her to initiate others and asked her to continue his
work after he was gone. At once she was deceptively simple, and
highly realized. It is fitting that she should be remembered as the
Holy Mother.
Excerpts from the book: Sri Sarada Devi, The Holy Mother
Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Madras, 1949
The Holy Mother’s chief duty at Dakshineswar was cooking.
Sri Ramakrishna had a very delicate stomach which easily got
upset by any irregularity in food. The preparation of his food,
therefore, had to be done with scrupulous care and attention, and
it was found that only the Holy Mother could do it in just the
way that suited the requirements of his health. Whenever she
was away from Dakshineswar, the Master used to suffer, and he
would sometimes send word to her, asking her to come back
soon. Referring to his utter dependence on her in this respect, he
once humorously remarked to somebody, “Well, what does a
‘wife’ signify in the case of one like me?” And he himself gave
Page 20 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
be your own always.” And so I followed his advice. I never
missed in my practice of Kriya Yoga. Gradually the light of God
came in. What I received, I received from the Master. He lifted
me from the uncertainty of delusion into the light of Reality.
When that experience comes it changes the heart. Then we feel
the real brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God.
*************
On April 7, 1960 Dr. Lewis’s physician ordered him to
Scripps Memorial Hospital for a rest and medical tests. On the
11th he said he felt greatly improved and the following day felt
well enough to go home. But on April 13, 1960, his daughter re-
ported that her father appeared distant and withdrawn. The ac-
count of his wife, Mildred Lewis, on that day follows:
I went immediately to the hospital and found Doctor resting
comfortably. That day we had such a pleasant time together! Af-
ter his supper, which he enjoyed, he sat in a chair for thirteen
minutes and then returned to bed. At seven p.m. he said he
would take a nap. He slept very peacefully until seven-thirty,
when he awakened and told me, “I want to sit up straight.” I ar-
ranged the pillows at his back as he assumed the lotus pose for
his usual evening meditation. His hands were upturned, his eyes
closed. I sat beside the bed, thinking that I too would meditate.
I was aroused in two or three minutes by a tremendous sound.
It resembled the suction sound of a huge pump, or the breath
sound of a giant Kriya. With the sound came a great flash of
spiritual white light, whose brilliance might be compared to that
given forth by a million electric-light bulbs.
Doctor’s blue eyes opened; piercing flashes of blue light came
from them. Then they were locked at the Christ center in the
forehead. His head lowered somewhat, but his body remained
erect. For an instant, the face of Swami Sir Yukteswarji ap-
peared, enveloping Doctor’s face. Then all was over.
How many times have I thanked God, the Great Ones, and be-
loved Master that I was privileged to witness such a glorious
passing!
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 17
ting them into booklets for
his library. You are both
doing the Master’s job. The
Master has His own ways to
deal with things and spread-
ing His message.
When we are doing the
Master’s work, it will be
easy for us to feel we are
only instruments and to
make it possible to maintain
the same attitude while do-
ing any other work, remem-
bering Lord Krishna’s ad-
vice: “Yours is to work,
leaving the results to Me.”
Please know that your
and Larry’s LOVE is more
precious to me than any material gift.
Though I did not want a celebration of the birthday and many
friends from different parts of India have already written that
they would be here for that occasion, we will have a happy get-
together. Friends here have already planned various preparations
for the day including the inauguration of an OLD AGE HOME,
an OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL a little away from the Ashram
and a new building to house the Nature Cure Centre in the Swa-
mi Ramdas Charitable Medical Mission, besides other devotion-
al programmes in the Ashram.
We pray for Beloved Papa/Mataji/Mother’s blessings on you,
Larry, (family members mentioned), Yogacharya David and all
other friends there for eternal happiness.
Deepest love and best wishes,
Page 18 The Cross and The Lotus Journal
A Lifetime of Dedication From Dr. M. W. Lewis: The Life Story, Compiled by Chad
Hickenbottom
On Christmas Eve in 1920 he [Dr. Minott Lewis] said to
Paramhansaji:
“The Bible tells us: ‘The light of the body is the eye: if there-
fore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of
light.’ (Matthew 6:22) Can you show me this?”
“I think so,” the Guru replied.
Doctor was still doubtful. “I have asked many persons,” he
said, “but no one seems to know the meaning.”
“Can the blind lead the blind?” Paramhansaji responded.
“Both would fall into the same ditch of error.”
“Can you show me these things?”
“I think so,” the Master reiterated.
“Then, for Heaven’s sake, please show me!”
Paramhansaji then showed Doctor the light of the spiritual eye
and of the thousand-petaled lotus in the brain. Looking directly
into the Doctor’s eyes, Paramhansaji asked:
“Will you always love me as I love you?”
Doctor replied in the affirmative.
Then the Guru said, “Your sins are forgiven and I take charge
of your life.” He added, “I want you to promise that you will
never avoid me.” Doctor promised.…
…After showing Dr. Lewis how to see the light of the spiritual
eye and giving him other spiritual instruction, Paramhansaji
asked him if he thought other Americans would be interested in
these teachings.
“Yes I do,” Doctor replied.
*************
In December 1937 Dr. Lewis was called upon to speak to the
Second Convocation of Self-Realization teachers and students.
I chose the subject, ‘My Guru,’ because that theme is nearest
The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 19
and dearest to me. All spiritual
realization that I have or hope to
have I owe to him, my guru,
Paramhansa Yogananda. When I
first sat at his feet, back in 1920,
my heart was filled with honest
doubt. But when he taught me
and I saw the compassion in his
eyes, I was overwhelmed. Some-
thing sprang up within me that
had been sleeping, something
that I had forgotten; and it has
been present with me ever since.
Ordinary human ties and friend-
ships pale in the light of that di-
vine relationship between master
and disciple.
*************
For an article in the Inner Culture Dr. Lewis wrote the follow-
ing about his guru:
As we sat together on the tiger skin rug enjoying God’s pres-
ence, and I looked into his face, I saw no show of consciousness
of superior ability. He might well have expressed it; for to be
able, by such great calmness and realization, to help another to
feel the Divine Consciousness is no mean accomplishment. But
instead there was present an expression of humbleness, love, and
supreme satisfaction that another of God’s children was able,
like himself, to enjoy the presence and bliss of the Lord, our
common Father. Such humility has been and always will be a
deep inspiration to me. To my mind, it is a characteristic of true
greatness.
*************
Dr. Lewis was master of ceremonies at the Self-Realization
Fellowship Convocation in Los Angeles in August 1951.
Paramhansaji showed me the great light of God, and told me:
“If you cling to this path and regularly meditate, this vision will
Dr. Lewis in 1948