{"id":207,"date":"2021-07-28T17:36:53","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yoganandafortheworld.com\/story\/?page_id=207"},"modified":"2021-07-28T17:36:53","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:36:53","slug":"1976-the-forest-fire-and-anandas-inspiring-response","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.yoganandafortheworld.com\/story\/1976-the-forest-fire-and-anandas-inspiring-response\/","title":{"rendered":"1976: The Forest Fire — and Ananda’s Inspiring Response"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The fire gains strength and speed, carried inexorably forward by strong afternoon winds.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the early years of Ananda, Swamiji\u2019s role<\/strong> was anything but clear cut. To begin with, there was confusion about Ananda itself. Were we a community<\/em> where all had an equal voice? That\u2019s how most Farm residents saw it. Or were we an ashram<\/em>, bound to obedience, or at least cooperation, with the spiritual leader? Even those dedicated to the ashram concept\u2014monks and nuns at Ayodhya, and most residents at the Retreat\u2014wondered, \u201cIs Swamiji<\/em> in charge, or is it Master<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Master told Swamiji that he would be more than a teacher; he would have spiritual responsibility for people. Still, he had a profound inner reluctance to assert his authority unless invited to do so. Those of us who did invite him found him unconditionally loving and never ending in his efforts to help us.<\/p>\n

But the role of Guru, Swamiji steadfastly reserved for Master. He initiated people, but as Master\u2019s<\/em> disciples, not his own. Devotees in India, though, thought of Swamiji as the Guru. Even Anandamayi Ma referred to him that way.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the present time,\u201d Swamiji said, \u201cthe idea of \u2018guru\u2019 is not well understood, even in India. Because Daya Mata initiated me as a swami, for example, some people there tried to persuade me that she was my guru. I never had that relationship with her. In India, they relate only to the one who is in the body. Our understanding is deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n

After he was expelled from SRF, and deprived of all contact with his gurubhais<\/em>, Swamiji had to depend entirely on inner attunement. Delusion is subtle. He was determined that whatever following he gathered had to come from Master, not from any effort on his part to draw them. For this reason, too, he hesitated to assert his position.<\/p>\n

In the 1970s in the United States, the alternative youth culture was divided. On the one hand, rebellion against all authority by a generation determined to chart its own course; on the other hand, ashrams and gurus springing up all over. Autobiography of a Yogi <\/em>was a major influence, sending scores of young people to India in search of a guru to take charge of their lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn his Autobiography<\/em>, Master made it seem as if saints could be found on every street corner,\u201d Swamiji said, \u201cwaiting to tap you on the chest and put you into samadhi<\/em>. Master presented himself so humbly, one could easily overlook the role his deep devotion played in drawing those saints to him. First you must develop the attitude<\/em> of a disciple, the humble recognition that someone may be wiser than yourself. Only then will a guru come to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone living at the Farm had come to Ananda with spiritual intentions. Most were eclectic, dabbling in many paths; home and family was their first priority. Even among those who called themselves disciples of Master, almost none were interested in Swamiji. SRF\u2019s well-known disapproval was all the justification they needed to disregard, even to oppose his leadership.<\/p>\n

Swamiji said, \u201cI was invited to a potluck dinner at the Farm. As soon as I walked in, I felt this challenging vibration, as if there was a chip on their collective shoulder, and they were waiting to see if I would dare to knock it off. God knows, I don\u2019t want disciples, or even followers, but I am the founder of this community, and would appreciate cooperation and support.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Swamiji started his weekly satsangs, reading chapters from The Path,<\/em> only half of the community attended. Those who always came mostly lived at Ayodhya and the Retreat. Those who never came, mostly lived at the Farm. Some even dismissed his reading of the chapters as nothing but an ego-trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would have said more years ago about the simple need to be loyal and supportive of the leader as an abstract principle,\u201d Swamiji said, \u201cbut since it concerned me personally, I didn\u2019t feel free to speak up. Now I feel guided by Master to take a strong stand.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite apart from any special qualifications I may have as a leader, the mere fact that I knew Master should make any sincere person interested in learning from me. I would certainly be eager to learn from one who knew Master if I hadn\u2019t known him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt speaks of such an essential lack of humility to disregard my greater experience and think that they don\u2019t have to work with me because they have their own link to Master. If people who live here aren\u2019t interested enough in what we are doing to come to my satsangs, then this isn\u2019t their place. They drag the whole community down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once the master plan was approved, we would face county-imposed population limits. \u201cWe need to be more selective,\u201d Swamiji said. \u201cBut don\u2019t tell people what they need to do to become members. If they know they are being watched, they will act to please you. Rather, observe them; see what they are naturally inclined to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even the core group, though, had questions. We, too, were children of the seventies. We wanted to support Swamiji, unhesitatingly, but not unquestioningly. In a long afternoon discussion, we put our doubts before him.<\/p>\n

Perhaps authoritarian leadership isn\u2019t suitable for this age.<\/em><\/p>\n

At that time, one of the most successful communities in the United States was Stephen Gaskin\u2019s Farm in Tennessee. \u201cThat group is the epitome of rebellious youth,\u201d Swamiji said. Stephen was the recognized \u201cHippie Guru of San Francisco\u201d before he set out across the country in a caravan of school buses to set up his rural community.\u00a0 \u201cEvery one of Stephen\u2019s followers,\u201d Swamiji said, \u201cis unequivocally committed personally to him as their teacher. He is far more authoritarian than I would ever be!<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people want someone to help them. If they don\u2019t get help from the leader, they think the leader doesn\u2019t care about them.\u201d<\/p>\n

What about the communities movement as a whole? Do we tell people, \u201cGo find a saint and follow him?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo group can succeed without strong leadership,\u201d Swamiji said. \u201cAs far as I can see no community can even get off the ground if it is purely democratic or social. Those who have started that way still don\u2019t have a strong core group because they\u2019ve never had strong leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Only those who are spiritually evolved can accept that kind of leadership. If we insist that strong leadership is necessary, we won\u2019t be able to help very many people.<\/em><\/p>\n

Swamiji reiterated, \u201cEveryone wants to find someone they can trust to guide them.\u201d Then added, \u201cIn any case, the only kind of community we<\/em> can start is a spiritual one. That is the life we have chosen. If we fall out of the mainstream of the communities movement, then we have to take that as God\u2019s will. We\u2019ll just add what we can from the sidelines.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose who are always thinking in terms of their democratic rights have no idea what they would do <\/em>with those rights once they had them! Those who want to accomplish something just go ahead and do it without arguing about their right <\/em>to do so. All those who have helped Ananda to grow have shown a willingness to accept authority. Those who don\u2019t just impede our progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce people accept the idea of leadership, there is much more<\/em> freedom, if the leader is enlightened enough to want people to do as much as possible for themselves. That\u2019s certainly my way. About how <\/em>things are done, I don\u2019t have an opinion. The only time I intervene is when it is a matter of dharma,<\/em> or when an essential direction is threatened.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not asking people fully to embrace my leadership\u2014only to respect, rather than reject it. It is not honest to live at Ananda with the intention of undermining my position. I have asserted my leadership as a service<\/em>, not an imposition. It is up to the individual how far he takes it. When a person asks for help, it must come from the heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne woman asked me to help her by pointing out ways in which she needed to grow. But I never did. She made the request, but her heart wasn\u2019t in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swamiji rarely spoke of his own state of consciousness, but then he added, \u201cI can see right through a person, from just the flick of an eye. I know all about them instantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was obvious that many of those living at Ananda didn\u2019t fit anymore. Most were good people, just on a different wavelength. Some had been there for years, though, and had put everything they had into the community. It wouldn\u2019t be honorable to cast them out. So the issue festered without a clear resolution. It turned out that Divine Mother had Her own plan.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Eventually, the incompetent Planning Director was fired; but at that time, we didn\u2019t know if<\/em> or when<\/em> that would happen. So we had to keep working on our master plan according to her guidelines. The Retreat was the first priority. Plans for the kitchen, dining room, and a large classroom had been reviewed by Swamiji, then submitted to the county. \u201cI saw the plans,\u201d he said later, \u201cbut I was writing The Path<\/em>, and didn\u2019t really put my mind to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In January, the planning group invited Swamiji to walk the Retreat site with them. While others were gathering at the bottom of the hill, Swamiji was already at the top, standing in the meadow, holding a clipboard, making a pencil sketch of how the Retreat should look. The existing plan had all the buildings tucked into the trees at the edge of the meadow; guest cottages would be individual, and isolated. Swamiji put the whole Retreat in the center of the meadow.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be like a Spanish mission,\u201d he said, pointing to his sketch, \u201cwith a garden and fountain in the center, and all the guest rooms opening onto it. The old Retreat is a place of seclusion. Those who want deep meditation can go there. This Retreat is for satsang and instruction. People will come here to learn together. <\/em>Building in this way gives our guests a small community of their own within the greater community of Ananda.\u201d<\/p>\n

No one else had even considered changing the basic concept. We were designing the new Retreat to be pretty much like the old one.<\/p>\n

With great enthusiasm, Swamiji guided us around the site, describing the function of each building, where it would be placed, what the view would be out the windows. Overlooking the lake, he suggested building a villa of twelve rooms, each decorated with handicrafts from a different country.<\/p>\n

A lot of time and money had gone into the existing plans. If we adopted Swamiji\u2019s design, it would all have to be redone, and would give the county one more way to block our progress. When Swamiji saw how reluctant some people were to embrace his design, his energy shifted completely. He put the pencil in his pocket, tucked the clipboard under his arm, and said quietly, \u201cIt is just an idea. I don\u2019t want to impose it, if there is a better way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later, Swamiji said, \u201cA leader has to sense what people are feeling and then lead them from there\u2014if possible. If they don\u2019t share his vision, it could be apathy or unwillingness. Or there is a gap either in consciousness or communication. The real measure of a leader is his ability to change people\u2019s consciousness.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think a leader has far more freedom than he does. Many times I\u2019ve wanted to do something that others were not ready to do. So I didn\u2019t do it. Their reality must also be respected. If you ask more of people than they are ready to give, they just get discouraged.\u201d<\/p>\n

After much discussion of the pros and cons of different designs, those working on the master plan decided it was too expensive, and too risky, to change the plans now.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Swamiji spent the first half of the year mostly in seclusion, working on The Path<\/em>. On May 19, his fiftieth birthday, he finished the first draft. He had been sending out chapters as he completed them to raise money for the Retreat, and so people wouldn\u2019t have to wait so long to read the book.<\/p>\n

Swamiji never hid his activities from SRF; we sent our mailings to all the SRF leaders. Mrinalini Mata, now vice-president, saw some chapters of The Path<\/em>. She wrote to Swamiji, condemning the book as inaccurate and badly written, and him for being so presumptuous as to write about Master at all.<\/p>\n

Soon after, Sister Bhavani, the SRF nun in charge of legal matters, called Pubble about Stories of Mukunda. <\/em>Swamiji returned her call at a pre-arranged time on June 18. After the briefest of greetings, Bhavani said, \u201cIt has come to our attention that you have published Stories of Mukunda<\/em>. I don\u2019t know how you have been able to do that since you don\u2019t own the copyright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI simply ignored it and decided to wait and see what would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat has happened is that we have turned it over to our lawyers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my book. I never gave you the right to publish it. It was my gift to the monks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe copyrighted it in 1953 and again in 1958. It isn\u2019t your book. It belongs to SRF.\u201d She then started talking about \u201cother materials you are using taken from Master\u2019s lectures.\u201d The real purpose of her call was The Path<\/em>. That was also Swamiji\u2019s concern: Stories of Mukunda <\/em>was a trial balloon he had sent up to see how SRF would respond.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe watch you do these things,\u201d Sister Bhavani said. \u201cWe have for a long time. Daya Mata met with you, hoping you would see the light, but you just continue to do these wrong things. We are tired of it and are going to take action. You will be hearing from our lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Swamiji said.\u00a0 And the conversation ended.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Friends offered Swamiji the use of their condominium on the Kona Coast of Hawaii. It was the ideal place to do the final editing on The Path<\/em>. A few days after Sister Bhavani\u2019s call, he left for Hawaii.<\/p>\n

On June 28, a fire started a few miles from the Farm. With the wind behind it, the fire raced up the hill toward Ananda through vegetation that was bone-dry from seven years of drought. Over the next few hours, the fire followed an eccentric course through the Farm, sparing the public buildings, but burning to the ground almost every dwelling. Fifty people were left homeless; 450\u00a0acres of land were destroyed. Five neighbors also lost their homes. The fire went right to the edge of Ayodhya, but didn\u2019t cross the road. The Retreat was too far away to be affected.<\/p>\n

Jyotish and Devi\u2019s first-born child was eleven days old when the fire struck. Lakshmi Selbie had taken mother and child to town for a well-baby check-up. Driving home, they saw billowing smoke; then, three miles from Ananda, a roadblock. Lakshmi told the policeman, \u201cMy family, my home, and all my friends are there. I am going through.\u201d Wisely, he stepped aside and let her pass. They didn\u2019t know it, but both their homes were already gone.<\/p>\n

When Devi arrived at the Farm, Jyotish was there to greet her. She was holding the baby and he lovingly embraced both of them. Then said, \u201cYou know the terrible problem we were having with leaks in the roof? Well, we don\u2019t have that problem anymore!\u201d<\/p>\n

Repeated over and over in the following days, Jyotish\u2019s remark perfectly expressed the spirit of the whole community.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll that afternoon,\u201d Swamiji said later, \u201cI had a heaviness in my heart. I knew something was wrong.\u201d About 5:00 p.m., Hawaii time, when someone called and told him about the fire, \u201cI was relieved. I knew it was something we could handle.\u201d<\/p>\n

He flew back the next day. Driving through the burned-out community, he was greeted everywhere by smiling, enthusiastic, optimistic people, already at work cleaning up after the fire. Seeing their wonderful spirit, he knew we would be fine.<\/p>\n

At the community meeting, he was affirmative, but also realistic. \u201cIt is a trauma. Everything you have, gone in a moment. When you meditate, you see it as a divine play. You can take it with a smile. But it is still a trauma. This is a test, not just for those who lost their homes, but for all of Ananda. Replacing the houses is a responsibility we all share.\u201d He encouraged us to clean up the debris as quickly as possible, \u201cbefore the image of destruction is imprinted too strongly on your memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stayed just long enough to attend the meeting, have a few planning sessions, and sing at a fund-raiser hastily arranged in town for Ananda and its neighbors. \u201cIf I am needed, I\u2019ll return immediately.\u201d Otherwise, he felt his best contribution would be to finish The Path.<\/em><\/p>\n

The fire had been caused by a faulty spark arrester on a county vehicle. Our neighbors were jubilant\u2014we could all sue and collect millions of dollars. Our loss was so great, we could easily have gone bankrupt\u2014but we decided not to sue.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur policy has always been to treat Nevada County as our home,\u201d Swamiji wrote to the Board of Supervisors, informing them of our decision, \u201cto help in every way possible, and never to use it for our own selfish advantage. This is our policy in the present case; we want to impose no hardships on our fellow taxpayers. Our losses are our hard luck, not theirs. We are willing to bear the burden of that hard luck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most people in the county couldn\u2019t understand our decision; many assumed we traded a lawsuit for concessions on our master plan, but that wasn\u2019t true. For us, it was simple: Where there is dharma, there is victory.<\/em><\/p>\n

Those for whom Ananda was a beautiful place to live, now had nothing. By the end of the summer, thirty people had left. When the first donations came in to help us rebuild, we gave the money to those who were leaving. \u201cWe have each other,\u201d we reasoned. \u201cThey are all on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of Ananda\u2019s most dedicated members also lost their homes. To them, Ananda was an ideal<\/em>, and only secondarily, a place to live. Their homes had burned, but their commitment was untouched.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt happened to them,\u201d Swamiji said, \u201cbecause they could take it the best. They set an example that will live through Ananda history.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Swamiji\u2019s goal for the summer was to do the final editing on Part I\u2014his life up to meeting Master and being initiated as a disciple. Alone in seclusion, he did nothing but work. He barely ate, and left the apartment only when necessary. He was right on the beach, but hadn\u2019t set foot on the sand. The intensity was wearing him out. He needed help\u2014other minds to consider the writing; friends to take him out occasionally for a walk or a swim; help with cooking, shopping, and retyping the manuscript. At the end of July, he asked Kalyani to come to Hawaii; soon after, he invited me to join them.<\/p>\n

Swamiji thought I had a future as a writer, and set out to train me, showing me, above all, how much concentrated energy it takes to write well. He described the process of writing as four stages.<\/p>\n

First, get the ideas down.<\/em> \u201cWhen I edit, my writing gets longer. I tend to be terse at the beginning, then expand when I edit so the reader can understand the meaning. When I first started writing, it took great will power to make logical connections across subtle chasms of thought. It still takes energy, but the flow now is more intuitive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Second, make the ideas clear.<\/em> \u201cI\u2019ve tried to write like Master\u2014not the way he wrote, but the way he was<\/em>: clear, simple, not making a mystery of anything. You have to take into account all the ways a person can misunderstand\u2014although it is better to take a risk than spend pages hammering down every nuance! I prefer to write in a seminal way, giving the reader the opportunity also to meditate and go deeper into what I\u2019ve said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Third, make your writing interesting and enjoyable to read.<\/em> \u201cTo express these teachings takes more than being a good writer. You have to write from the heart\u2014but without being gushy. It is more than just making every word count. A good lawyer can do that. You have to put your whole self into every word. Make every phrase alive with discovery. I want the writing to wear well. When you read something repeatedly, that is when you notice if it\u2019s a real pleasure to read.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fourth, put your vibrations into your writing. <\/em>\u201cVibration in writing is conveyed through melody and rhythm, the color of the words, the way the vowels and consonants fit together, whether you end a sentence with a strong word or a soft one. If you replace a single word, sometimes it changes the whole rhythm and you have to change other words as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another reason Swamiji invited us to come at that time was that he wanted to hear the book read aloud. \u201cYou notice things\u2014especially rhythm and melody\u2014that you may miss when it is only mental. It is more easily understood, too, if it reads easily, like speech.\u201d<\/p>\n

He would alternate between sitting in a comfortable chair or stretching out on the couch, eyes closed, listening intently while Kalyani and I took turns reading. Sometimes a whole page would go by without a pause, but more often he interrupted several times. Silently he would contemplate a word or a phrase, before suggesting an alternative, or letting it stand. Occasionally he went to the typewriter and reworked a whole section.<\/p>\n

Sometimes we made suggestions. He listened attentively, but never allowed himself to be swayed by our opinions unless they also resonated with his intuition.<\/p>\n

Kalyani had been an English teacher and was a talented writer. She felt a certain section could be improved. When she showed her revisions to Swamiji, he said, \u201cThere are probably a thousand ways an idea could be presented. What you have written is perfectly valid, but it has your <\/em>vibration. This book needs to be my vibration, so I\u2019ll leave it as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every word received his complete attention. Swamiji told us, \u201cMaster said, \u2018Divine Mother disciplined me in writing the Autobiography of a Yogi.<\/em>\u2019 That is how it is for me with this book. She won\u2019t let me rest until it is the way She wants it to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once, after questioning but then leaving a particular phrase as it was, he smiled and said, \u201cThis isn\u2019t the libretto for an opera! I don\u2019t have to sing<\/em> it!\u201d Later, though he amended that. \u201cIt may never be sung, but it should read as if it could be.\u201d<\/p>\n

He often had trouble sleeping. \u201cThere is so much energy in my brain, I can\u2019t get into subconsciousness.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a small apartment; Swamiji had the only bedroom. I typed at the kitchen table, which was open to the living room. Kalyani slept on the couch, so at night Swamiji took the typewriter into his bedroom. He often spent much of the night writing. I slept on the balcony, reveling in the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks.<\/p>\n

The beauty of the surroundings, though, paled into insignificance compared to the power and presence of Swamiji. Sometimes, after retiring to his room to meditate at night, a new idea would occur to him, and he would come back into the living room to talk with us about it. He wore white silk pajamas\u2014a gift from someone in India. His eyes were pale blue, his skin was fair, his beard and hair streaked with white. He seemed more vibration than substance, an astral being rather than a physical person.<\/p>\n

One evening, after a particularly intense, and very fruitful day of editing, we decided to go for a swim. But the sunset was so glorious, we just sat on the beach and watched Divine Mother\u2019s show. We all wore glasses, but had left them upstairs, anticipating a swim. Our myopia added to the astral quality of the light, blurring the details into broad sweeps of color. We felt Divine Mother was celebrating with Swamiji the great work he was doing\u2014and Kalyani and I were privileged to witness.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Most nights, after dinner, we strolled around the garden, talking of the book, Ananda, life in the astral world, and the joy of living for God. In Part II, Swamiji describes being with Master at his desert Retreat when he was writing his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. In the evenings, Swamiji would walk with Master, just as we were doing now with him.<\/p>\n

At one point, seismic activity on the other side of the ocean meant we might be hit by a tsunami. Our apartment could be washed away. This was before computers and before inexpensive copy machines. One paper manuscript was all we had. Whenever we left the apartment, we carried it with us. Of course, if we<\/em> were caught in the tsunami there would be no way to save the manuscript, but at least we could die trying.<\/p>\n

One evening, I was retyping the last chapters of Part I. Swamiji reads Autobiography of a Yogi, <\/em>goes immediately to Master, is accepted as a disciple, and receives from his Guru a declaration of unconditional love. \u201cI don\u2019t think Master said that to very many, even of his disciples, and especially not at their first meeting,\u201d Swamiji said.<\/p>\n

I worked at the Retreat, and had heard many stories of how people came onto the path. \u201cAlmost no one has such instantaneous recognition,\u201d I said to Swamiji. \u201cIt takes time for intuition to awaken, or to work through doubts and fears. Your story is meant to help others, but in a way it is misleading. People may feel that if they don\u2019t have the kind of experience you had, then this isn\u2019t their path.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swamiji was thoughtful, then said, \u201cI know, but that is the way it happened. It is a remarkable story of a remarkable search. The only way to make it less so is not to tell it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he returned from Hawaii, Swamiji continued in seclusion, working on The Path. <\/em>One evening, when only Seva and I were present, he said, \u201cI\u2019ve always felt Ananda would be built around this book. It will make Master known and will link our work to him. I think it could launch a spiritual revolution. It isn\u2019t that I want <\/em>it to happen that way. I\u2019ve done what I felt Divine Mother asked of me. If nothing comes of it, I\u2019ll be quite happy living quietly here.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was thrilling to think Divine Mother would bring many souls to God through Swamiji. If it happened as he said, though, everything would change. The life we had was precious beyond words.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps I could burn the manuscript?\u201d I suggested. Swamiji looked shocked, then amused, then serious.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand,\u201d he said gently, \u201cbut it is out of our hands. The book belongs to Divine Mother now. It is Hers to do with as She wishes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of the time he was working on The Path<\/em>, Swamiji said, \u201cI felt Master\u2019s blessing. But after I finished the first draft, that feeling went away, and didn\u2019t return for several months. During that time, I was eaten up with doubts. Sometimes God tests us in this way. He takes away the feeling, and throws us back on our own discrimination to know what is right. He was testing me also with SRF\u2019s threats and Mrinalini\u2019s disapproval.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you accept a test in the right way it becomes a blessing. Far from weakening my resolve, in the end I felt a profound blessing from Master.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

On December 6, Sister Bhavani called again. Seva took the call. It had taken us most of the year to gather the funds to publish Stories of Mukunda. <\/em>Apparently SRF had been keeping track. Bhavani said, \u201cI told Kriyananda last June that we are planning to republish that book ourselves. We thought you were not going ahead with it. What stage is it in now?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was due back from the printer that very day, but Seva said only, \u201cIt is in the works.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to bring this matter to a reasonable conclusion,\u201d Bhavani said, which she defined as our withdrawing publication. Otherwise, SRF would seek legal recourse.<\/p>\n

Swamiji responded with a letter. He had detailed notes of her call in June, he said, and there was no mention of SRF\u2019s plans to print the book. All recent inquires received the same answer: permanently out of print. As for a lawsuit, he said, \u201cI doubt you have a case, but if you want to try, by all means do.\u201d<\/p>\n

He ended by saying, \u201cWhy are you so anxious to suppress these dozen or so stories about Master, when my new book will have over four hundred stories about him?\u201d<\/p>\n

This time the response came quickly: a \u201ccease and desist\u201d letter from their lawyers. Stop publication of Stories of Mukunda<\/em> and destroy all existing copies.<\/p>\n

Swamiji now consulted a lawyer about SRF\u2019s claim to own the contents of Master\u2019s lectures, a far more serious concern. In The Path<\/em>, Swamiji quotes extensively from Master\u2014private conversations and public talks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am his disciple,\u201d Swamiji said. \u201cI write and speak from direct experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lawyer considered for a moment, then replied, \u201cThe leader of a religious work trained you to spread his message. Naturally you have to quote him. A public person speaks words for public consumption. How could one organization copyright his spoken words? Self-Realization Fellowship has a lot to prove.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then they discussed Stories of Mukunda. <\/em>\u201cIf you have proof,\u201d the lawyer said, \u201cthat they abandoned it, and didn\u2019t warn you of their plans to republish, the door was opened for you to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Swamiji asked about photographs of Master he wanted to use in The Path. <\/em>\u201cFor a public person,\u201d the lawyer said, \u201conly unusual photographs can be copyrighted. I wouldn\u2019t be concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Swamiji knew he was spiritually correct; it was reassuring to hear that the law was also on his side. He wrote to Daya Mata saying he preferred \u201can amicable resolution in a spirit of love,\u201d but if that proved impossible, he was not dismayed at the thought of a lawsuit.<\/p>\n

SRF again responded quickly. When Sister Janaki, Daya Mata\u2019s secretary called, it was routed to me. Swamiji expected a call, and had sent me a memo:<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/em>If anyone phones me from SRF, tell them:<\/p>\n

\u201c1. Swamiji asks you to put everything in writing.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Use your discrimination as to how much of the following you say.)<\/p>\n

\u201c2. As regards their hopes of settling out of court, he says, Don\u2019t be ridiculous. Do you take him for a coward?<\/p>\n

\u201c3. The harsh tone of your lawyer\u2019s letter to Swamiji has only steeled him for battle. He plans to subpoena half the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked forward to discussing points two and three, but I never got past \u201cput it in writing.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few days later, on December 29, Janaki sent a letter inviting Swamiji to meet Daya Mata at Mount Washington. There were several possible dates listed, all within the next ten days. Since being expelled, Swamiji had not set foot on any SRF property. His rare meetings with Daya Mata had been on neutral ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaya has no wish to discuss the matter,\u201d Swamiji said to me. \u201cShe intends to use her spiritual authority to force me to go along with her. That\u2019s why she wants to meet at Mount Washington. I see no reason to subject myself to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the reasons Swamiji waited so long to write The Path<\/em>, was that he didn\u2019t know how to present his separation from SRF in a way that was both truthful, and loyal to the organization Master had founded. On the day he planned to write that part of the story, when I arrived at his house in the late afternoon, instead of the usual stack of pages to be retyped, there was nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent the whole day staring at the wall,\u201d he said, \u201cthinking through, from the beginning, everything <\/em>I did that led to my dismissal. If I was wrong, I would go to Daya Mata, beg her forgiveness and give up all that I have done. But no matter how I look at it, I can\u2019t see that I could have acted differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the past, Swamiji had been willing to drop everything when Daya Mata summoned. Now he instructed me to answer on his behalf, \u201cAs it happens it is not possible for Swami Kriyananda to come to Los Angeles this week.\u201d It was still the holiday season\u2014New Year\u2019s Eve, Master\u2019s birthday. He was willing to meet, though, at some mutually convenient time but wanted to know beforehand what the points under discussion would be so he could decide if the meeting would be of mutual benefit.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, a meeting would be more fruitful if Daya Mata first visited Ananda. No official representative\u2014no monk, nun, or member of the Board\u2014had ever come to Ananda. All their information was second-hand. \u201cIt would be an inspiration for all the devotees here to meet you,\u201d I wrote, repeating the words Swamiji gave me to say.<\/p>\n

Daya Mata never answered. There was no meeting, no visit, and no lawsuit\u2014over Stories of Mukunda.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the early years of Ananda, Swamiji\u2019s role was anything but clear cut. To begin with, there was confusion about Ananda itself. Were we a community where all had an equal voice? That\u2019s how most Farm residents saw it. Or were we an ashram, bound to obedience, or at least cooperation, with the spiritual leader? … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-207","page","type-page","status-publish"],"yoast_head":"\n1976: The Forest Fire — and Ananda’s Inspiring Response - Swami Kriyananda: Lightbearer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A 51-year disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda recalls a very challenging year in Ananda's history.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yoganandafortheworld.com\/story\/1976-the-forest-fire-and-anandas-inspiring-response\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"1976: The Forest Fire — and Ananda’s Inspiring Response - 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