runbei

In 1990, Self-Realization Fellowship sued Ananda. For two years, from 1996 to 1998, I served in Ananda’s legal office in the Mountain View Ananda community. I won’t attempt to tell the legal side of the story. That saga is entertainingly told in a book by Jon Parsons, the irrepressibly good-natured attorney who led our defense. … Read more

A man in the community was about to make a serious mistake. His judgment was clouded by desire and he could no longer tell what was spiritually right for him. When Swamiji heard about it, he called the man on the phone. “Please don’t do anything until we have a chance to talk,” Swamiji said. … Read more

I’ve mentioned several occasions when Swamiji’s guidance was strict and uncompromising. It could be difficult to bear. It was as if a mighty spiritual force was prying my tightly clenched fingers from my ego. I don’t want to give the wrong impression. Watching Swamiji for thirty-nine years, I found that he fulfilled Yogananda’s definition of … Read more

“I’m not making the spiritual progress I hoped for,” an over-intellectual devotee said to Swamiji. “I think I need to improve my powers of analysis.” “No!” Swamiji said, forcefully, as if to remove from the devotee’s mind—and even from the air between them—every trace of that word. Then again, more quietly, he said, “No. Analysis … Read more

In the early days, Ananda was fairly crammed with Leos and Capricorns – the Leo leaders and their Capricorn implementers. In their company I always felt at sea – the plodding village idiot among the witty partygoers. Swamiji encouraged me to accept my nature – to be comfortable with it, and to understand that I, … Read more

When the formal interview was done, Steven, the journalist, began to ask Swamiji some personal questions of his own. “I am a Gemini,” Steven said, “and am curious about everything. It’s hard for me to stick to just one spiritual path. I feel like I might be missing something, so I keep jumping from one … Read more

I parked beneath an oak tree on the Stanford University campus at 6 a.m. and set out for a run. Six miles from Stanford, I turned onto a trail by a creek that flowed under shimmering leaves in the early morning sun. After a long climb to the ridge top, I turned north and jogged … Read more

(Told by Gyandev) I was one of fifty people from Ananda on a pilgrimage with Swamiji to Israel in 1985. One day we went to Nazareth and, after visiting the holy sites, we were moving through the lively street scene. Swamiji was enjoying the passing show when suddenly a young Arab man, apparently a Christian, … Read more

The Crystal Hermitage grounds are a delight. In the summer months, Swamiji would often invite the community members to the hermitage for a “garden party.” There’s a lovely, curved swimming pool that follows the contours of a grassy terrace. It has a blue-tinted bottom that gives the water a cool, refreshing look. At a garden … Read more

1. Age Difference Swamiji is 21 years older than I. When I became his secretary, I was just 25. Despite my youth and inexperience, I held strong views on many subjects and didn’t easily give in, even if it was Swamiji who disagreed with me. Decades later, when I began to work with strong-minded young … Read more