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RolandP
Registered User
(1/29/03 7:54 am)
Reply
Are the teachings bad? NO NO NO
The teaching are not bad. When a persons soul is ripe the fruit will be bourne.

I met a true yogini in India. She is a French woman who has lived in India for over 30 years. She asks for nothing but is given everything. Many people from all over India will travel just to pay homage to her.

After a lifetime of searching (she spent 15 years as a Sadu) she came across autobigraphy. She sent off for the lessons and her search was over. A year later (and ever since) just like Christ to St Francis, Paramhansa Yogananda manifested before her to personally teach her.

I am not going to try and demonstate her authenticity other than to say I spent a lot of time with her and I believe what I see with my own eyes.

Whether or not any monastics in SRF have attained what she has is another question altogether.

soulcircle
Registered User
(2/8/03 1:40 am)
Reply
Greg, now, Katherine Carol Powell......we miss you
In this thread less than two moths ago, Greg'sbrother wrote:

Quote:
My brother was into SRF heavily for 20 years. He gained much from it, and contributed a lot too. But I think he also felt like all his efforts weren't enough.

He took his own life this year.


Katherine Carol Powell, attended Sunday's meditation, and Tuesday's....

here one minute gone the next

when she was in great pain there was no one

Wednesday,she was dead by suicide

She was at Sundays and Tuesday's meditation, and other weekly meditaions, as a regular attendee for twenty years. She lived close to the chapel at Richmond and walked to it.

About everyone knew her, she was a friend of mine. and EXAMPLE, and TRUE LADY, remarkable in numerous ways

~~~~~~the circle is broken~~~~~~~

your words, Greg's brother, fit Katherine Carol Powell

some of us pride ourselves on community, yet as one former monk says, "there is no real community anywhere in srf, especially around the temples."

random thoughts

yet more important than anything in here by far, please pray for her soul

these thoughts aren't in order

they are from the pain, anger, grief, love

those in the vicinity may email me, you are invited to my home Sunday at 2PM for prayers for her and to support each other

heypoet@aol.com

some of the following feelings are mine, others are from others

this is pathetic

this is sad

maybe this could be a catalyst for change, although i'm pessimistic given what i know about the mindless folk in srf

it should help people see that there is something wrong in denmark... but change is another matter

this is posted because we need to be aware of these things

now is the time to press for change

some say it was depression that committed the suicide, not Katherine Carol, think of how beautiful it is where she is now....get real someone was just in great pain and there was no one there to help

how many more will have to pay with their lives?

and some like me are the walking dead

hello my name is Dave

i am the walking dead the spiritually homless

Hello I am Dave I am srf-holic

that may be it - a 12 step program for srf aholics

with meetings and support persons

she was there Sunday meditation and Tues meditation......Wed Dead

two blocks from me

i loved her

she liked sports, i "male-bonded" with her over that one

she was probably very depressed

that is what every one says.....NOW

before when she was outta of work, moving, leaving in a hurry after mediataions, maybe the odd person thought "a little karma"..."I hope she's trying some affirmations"

her needs weren't being met

breakdowns on the left
breakdowns on the right
suicides front and behind

what reaction have you gotten about having ongoing support groups there?

did she have many friends ?

the last support group here was the one meeting in '96

she was a friend of mine, although i wasn't in touch with her

all knew her

all felt, she is a friend

all would say as i am saying

a friend

she goes back 20 years

always there

she shared homes with other prominent single lady devotees

post it right away so she gets everyone's prayers

you don't realize how many people loved her

there is more community at richmond temple than other centers

this is nothing but pathetic

she was among us, some of us half our lives

she walked to the chapel she lived so close

there is no real community anywhere in srf, especially around the temples

we aren't in touch

our prayers to you Katherine, there will be changes

our prayers for Greg

the tear icon with this post is a foolish, dangerous and unnecessary tear, a pathetic tear

it defines the feeling of a friend ripped out of hearts

soulcircle is broken







soulcircle
Registered User
(2/8/03 10:32 am)
Reply
following the 11AM service Sunday the 9th / Richmond
p. s. to the post immediately above

The support circle at my home will be immediately following the end of the 11AM service at the chapel
It will be for those who are open minded and supportive of the loss of KAtherine Carol Powell

in addition all concerns will be welcomed about the issues around being srf aholics

username
Registered User
(2/8/03 10:42 am)
Reply
Re: Greg, now, Katherine Carol Powell......we miss you
So sad to hear this. But.... the problem is with SRF ---- why no support for her and for others. How many people does the minister even know? Lay members need to RISE AND DEMAND CHANGE at all the temples!

etzchaim
Registered User
(2/8/03 2:05 pm)
Reply
Re: Greg, now, Katherine Carol Powell......we miss you
SoulCircle, I am very saddened to hear about Katherine. My heart goes out to you and to your community. I pray that all of you, and Katherine, become healed and find peace. I cannot express in words how this has pained me. Seek out your friends and comfort each other. I am sending you an astral hug and as much shanti as I can.

Please take care of each other.

Etz

chuckle chela
Registered User
(2/8/03 5:15 pm)
Reply
Re: Greg, now, Katherine ......we miss you
Soulcircle--Like the others, I am truly saddened to hear this news. I must say I'm of a mixed mind as to whether the individual's name should be posted, but there it is.

I hope that those of you in the Richmond Temple community, as well as the woman's family and friends, can come together in your grieving.

As you know, grieving can bring up a lot of strong emotions. If it seems appropriate, perhaps you in that Temple community might wish to work with a professional grief counselor, particularly if the woman was a well-known member of the congregation, and if you think there may be a number of unresolved issues and emotions that need to be brought to light.

Love and best wishes to you all.

soulcircle
Registered User
(2/8/03 9:39 pm)
Reply
Carol Katherine Powell
Hello.

Carol Katherine is more widely known than just at Richmond, and there are those who know her that aren't attending Richmond, but may be reading this
also i believe it is in the papers as she jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge

due to my headache and stomach upset, the support group will not meet at my home the 9th

your prayers are a treasure to all of us

without them the loss would be unbearable

you exhibit such a warmth, thanks for being cool

believe me Carol Katherine was cool, and her spirit will always remain so

beyond the debate whether any particular behavior is srf related.....maybe Carol Katherine has little appropiateness being here in these discussions, God knows

I posted "In The News" of on earlier [over ten years ago] suicide here among the devotees at Richmond
the memory of this other lively man in his early twenties, a friend, was suppressed enough that the memory only surfaced in the last hour

a millions most tender thanks for your prayers

circle healing in your prayers, love and understanding

username
Registered User
(2/9/03 9:23 am)
Reply
Re: Greg, now, Katherine ......we miss you
how old was she? Was she married? If not, was this because of SRF influence? If she spent at lot of time at SRF did she have supportive friends there, like one would find at any other organization that you get involved with?

soulcircle
Registered User
(2/9/03 2:14 pm)
Reply
in response to username
username,

she was about 50, she was single, some singles find it hard to find spouses within the self-realization [lack of] fellowship
i am aware of one or two friends who were in touch with her from srf........pathetic
there was a non-srf friend who received one of the two notes/letters she left

circle

Edited by: soulcircle at: 2/9/03 5:53:05 pm
soulcircle
Registered User
(2/10/03 3:06 am)
Reply
i won't keep it from you
The organization / the leadership has failed another

are the teachings bad?

Carol Katherine Powell, you will want to know was a long-time executive secretary.

She lived in pleasant settings, was beautiful and dressed in lovely style and taste.

She lived near the Richmond Temple, was well-known and walked to the Temple

She even allowed herself activities that were relaxing and wholesome

She lost her job.
Time went by and she was unable to find employment.
She turned to Mother Center asking about a position as either an employee or as a nun. She never heard back from the organization that she had followed, served and supported, fully and faithfully for twenty years.
She went outside of her spiritual family seeking a job from the vedanta society.
She took heavy medication for a deepening depression.
When in Spring '02, she attempted suicide, some devotees were aware of it
She was borrowing money from friends, and found this too much to bear.
Wednesday night, 02/12/03 or early Thursday morn, she left her body, committing suicide as she plunged off the Golden Gate Bridge

circle

Edited by: soulcircle at: 2/10/03 3:11:11 am
username
Registered User
(2/11/03 4:11 pm)
Reply
Lack of support
In the US culture, a husband offers more than a sexual partner, but a source of emotional and financial support.

I question whether this woman was single because SRF recommended/strongly suggested this lifestyle.

Since SRF says
1) do not be sexually active
2) do not eat meat
3) be alone more
4) do not drink
5) do not dance unless with your spouse
6) do not spend time in gossiping with friends

This cuts off the devotee to 95% of the social activities that are available in the United States. It prevents the devotee from having a spouse, or even a group of supportive friends (ie. Cheers ) or something that can help when things are not going well.

AND SRF OFFERS NOTHING IN THE WAY OF SUPPORT, SOCIAL ACTIVITIES, JOB HUNTING SUPPORT GROUPS, DANCES, etc that are provided by mainstream churches. So they just leave their members in pain..... SHAME ON SRF!

(and DON'T TELL me that it is just this woman's karma!)

djali123
Registered User
(2/11/03 6:09 pm)
Reply
Re: Lack of support
"I question whether this woman was single because SRF recommended/strongly suggested this lifestyle."

Maybe soulcircle knows.

"Since SRF says
1) do not be sexually active
2) do not eat meat
3) be alone more
4) do not drink
5) do not dance unless with your spouse
6) do not spend time in gossiping with friends

This cuts off the devotee to 95% of the social activities that are available in the United States."

1) True for singles, moderately for marriage.
2) true, at least give up pork
3) this is true, but this doesn't mean giving up everything else and go into a cave (some beginners have little common sense and would think of giving up every activity, but if they keep on reading SRF literature it'll become clearer)
4) 1 or 2 glasses of wine won't kill you but more may be addictive and unhealthy
5) hmm I believe the meaning of this is to not get into situations so as to cheat on your spouse, but I can't remember reading this
6) yep gossiping focuses your attention on others' faults instead of your own improvement, I don't think this means not talking with your friends

Maybe it's 95 % of the activities which most people usually do but not 95% of all activities.

"It prevents the devotee from having a spouse, or even a group of supportive friends (ie. Cheers ) or something that can help when things are not going well."

It's true that it's hard to find a spouse or friends when your moral bars are set higher, but which is better "evil" friends or no friends?

"AND SRF OFFERS NOTHING IN THE WAY OF SUPPORT, SOCIAL ACTIVITIES, JOB HUNTING SUPPORT GROUPS, DANCES, etc that are provided by mainstream churches. So they just leave their members in pain..... SHAME ON SRF!"

You're right they could improve, but if they go too much in that direction they may become like the Mormon church.

GregsBrother
Registered User
(2/15/03 9:53 pm)
Reply
to SoulCircle, a message of love
SOULCIRCLE

Please accept my sincere and heart-felt condolences on the loss of your friend.

If a hug can be given over the internet, consider yourself "hugged" by an understanding friend. Please.



....damnit i am just going to type and not edit so here goes...

(I just lost 2 hours of typing by somehow erasing what I typed....so understand that I must be blunt in my remarks, as I am in the 3rd hour of working on this one post.)

You know I have recent experience in this area of losing someone to suicide.

And I know that you dont need the opinions of some distant unknowing person, but here they are anyway.

Ms. Powell is not suffering anymore. But she is aware of your suffering and those she left Behind. I believe she wants you to know that she is OK, and that you shouldn't feel like you or anyone else failed to "be there" as a friend.
My guess is that she would indentify you as a person she found strength and hope in.

From my experiences, I know our deceased loved ones are trying to reach out to us and let us know they are OK. They want to console us.

Since my brothers passing 14 months ago, I have been visited by him in dreams. Around 8 or 9 times. I am "lucid" in these dreams; that is, I know I am dreaming as it is happening.

These dreams have a certain "quality" that is beyond even the typical lucid dream. Most people dont even have regular lucid dreams, so I know I am sounding insane to probably everyone reading this..... ( a google search will educate the reader on lucid dreams, if anyone cares).

The first dream was around 2 months after he passed. The most recent dreams were a month or 2 ago. In each dream I see him, and realize he is "gone" so I go hug him or stare into his eyes and do "ESP" with him.

In the very first dream after he passed, we sat across from each other, and stared into each others eyes.
I told him "its ok Greg, I understand you. I love you. I am not mad at you. Go forward. I don't want to hold you back."

More recently I dreamed that I was in an open forest, and Greg was there once again. I hugged him and held both his hands, and we walked through the forest (yes, it is hard to walk while you are holding both of a persons hands, but when your loved one visits from beyond you want to hold that person close).

I asked him questions, and he answered.
We then sat down across from each other and prayed together.
I will share with you the mantra that Greg and I shared, it was "Om Peace Love Amen."

As we prayed/meditated together in the dream, I "cheated" and opened my eyes. I wanted to see his face again before the "dream" ended.

In the next dream, I hugged and held him in much the same way. But this time, after a little while, he said he had to go.

I think he has reincarnated now.

Others have consulted "mediums" and astrologers about my brother.
I feel fortunate that for whatever
reason, I have not needed or sought out such intermediaries.


You have to feel the hell of your loss. It cant be avoided really.
But find room in your grieving heart for a pure message of love and support to your friend. Your message will be recieved.



Om Peace Love Amen

GregsBrother

(I wont have internet access for a while, so consider this is my last post for now. :) )

GregsBrother
Registered User
(2/15/03 11:10 pm)
Reply
to Djali123
Pork?

soulcircle
Registered User
(2/16/03 12:59 am)
Reply
Thank you much....Greg and GregsBrother
GregsBrother,

We will share this beautiful post among us here and [if I go] at convocation.

What a gift from your experience, understanding and affectionate love!!

WOW!!!

hugs back bro, you make me feel as if Greg has another brother in my heart's response to your sharing.....

when you are back online i hope you find this thread again and receive your thanks....

circle

chela2020
Registered User
(2/16/03 4:32 am)
Reply
Re: to Djali123
(This message was left blank)

Edited by: chela2020 at: 7/1/03 4:58 pm
chela2020
Registered User
(2/16/03 4:35 am)
Reply
Re:
(This message was left blank)

Edited by: chela2020 at: 7/1/03 4:59 pm
etzchaim
Registered User
(2/16/03 12:06 pm)
Reply
Re: to SoulCircle, a message of love
Gregsbrother,

Thank you for writing your message, and I also don't think you are crazy for having lucid dreams. I have had these as well. There's a different feeling to them than in regular dreams - and not just the fact that you are aware of being in a dream.

On the subject of pork: I've been taught by my Guru that pork has the lowest vibration of all the meats. The order goes like this, from lowest to highest:

Pork, rodent meats (rabbit, etc.)

Cow/Bull (todays Steer are castrated bulls)

Foul

Fish

Fruit has the highest level of prana in it, followed by vegetables and then the grains and legumes.

I'm not sure where dairy, like yogurt, fits in.

Etx

GregsBrother
Registered User
(2/28/03 5:30 pm)
Reply
Back Back Back
I am finally back online (A pc without internet access is like a door that wont open; it is not very useful to me!)

Thanks for your responses to my post. And thank you for recieving it in the spirit it was intended.


I hope you are all doing well.


And thanks for the clarification on pork.


Re: Are the teachings Bad?

I wonder how long the lives of those SRF people who chose suicide would have been if they had not known SRF at all.

In the case of my brother, I believe his life was lengthend by his experiences with the teachings.

So I conclude that the teachings are good, if applied correctly and with discrimination, to weed out the areas that are not central to the basic teachings, the things that have been added or changed by SRF after Yogananda's passing.

I say that as a way of connecting my various ramblings to the subject of this thread.

regards

me


soulcircle
Registered User
(10/27/03 10:24 pm)
Reply
perhaps you will return to this board srflongago
from four pages and the first post on page 5

******* until 1/22/02 a discussion raged*****

chela2020 did as she said and hounded srflongago whose last post in this thread is

******1/08/02

there is a story in the autobiography of a friend who as a boy, Paramhansa Yogananda secreted in his family's attic and on the sly took food to him
..when Yogananda's dad found him taking food to the attic they took the boy into the family
..this boy became Dirananda who: received higher academic degrees that Yogananda, who taught at "Yogananda's" school,
who wrote "Yogananda's: the science of religion [i have in my possession an early copy of "Yogananda's" book with dhirananda's name under PY's at least admitting he, the true author, was co-author, who came to U.S. and ran mount washington in it's earliest years for quite awhile and had other major parts in the work, who was one of the swamis [self-realization fellowship...the fellowship originally referred to fellowship of swamis], who left when yogananda's shortcoming limited dhirananda expression of value and right livlihood, who won a substancial lawsuit against his childhood friend, who led a highly distinguished career in ann arbor, whose two books are available from amrita

following Dhirananda, Sri Nerode and his wife ran mount washington for numerous years
between Dhirananda and Sri Nerode centers began and many duties were met

among experiences in Sri Nerode and his wife lives', a child was raised in his youthful years in mount washington, none other than srflongago, at about three Anil Nerode was given kriya yogi (seventy years ago) and Yogananda was enchanted by the character exhibited at quite a young age in this son Anil, Sri Nerode's wife cooked meat and vegan dishes,her husband ate vegetarian, Yogananda loved and regularly ate her meat dishes.

after leaving mount washington again as Dhirananda had because yogananda's personal morals limited Sri Nerode's and his wife's ideal, they lived full lives, his wife taught yoga and lived yoga until passing very recently, teaching yoga into her 90th year,
from amrita there are two books available of Sri Nerode's

in the four/five page discussion above chela2020 did what she could to hush what didn't suit her to hear and she gained some support in her hounding of allowing yogananda his humanity and fobiles
srflongago found Yogananda to be a great teacher with a great mission

in the four/five pages chela2020 (before deciding to delete it all leaving most everyone and the flow of the thread canabalized) was relentless

[except for the first post on page 5....... the 5th page is a distinct subject when a richmond chapel devotee took her life, in what wasn't her first attempt]

...that's just how it is

today 10/27/2003 chela2020 has written a post, you may also see it in the menu item Not In The Mian Stream topic srflongago
below is the entire post

"I argued with him in hope he would leave Walrus and stop putting down Yogananda, but others did the same. He left because we didn't want to hear things about Yogananda. I was mistaken. He was right in everything he said. To tell you the truth, after all my digging, I no longer think very much of Yogananda. It had been a very confusing time for me, first being upset over SRF, and then hearing things that I didn't wish to hear about Yogananda. "

i don't agree he was putting Yogananda down, his glasses may not have been rose colored, in the final analysis srflongago always remarked that Yogananda the great teacher was a gift in his life, an early teacher among the teachers in his life.

chela2020 may not think much of yogananda
it would surprise me beyond belief if srflongago would ever say that
i love people warts and all, and breathlessness, [i hear more closely of it from kamala's friends about kamala], breathlessness and loving compassion of Yogananda's is a gift for all time to the world from Yogananda

i was none the worse for the wear to realize that the top two floors of mount washington witnessed intimacy between a swami py and young women
my love and admiration intact

i even feel the presence of many of you...
and yogananda...
and the sweetly human and sacred divine mother within

in these moments of your reading what i wrote and back when i wrote this....i feel many of you present

**our arms are open and await you srflongago**

and wish you well in the footsteps of your bilogical mother, who also was to you the mother not unlike the biological mother yogananda wrote poetry about with her dark eyes
the mother manifesting love
unconditional beyond understanding
and in your father's footsteps
and in the course you set out for yourself

and we share in your recent loss
in your grief, feel our nearness....feel.....

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