Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

i read that but is he a mayavadi or what?

His guru is Vivekananda whose guru is Ramakrishna. Their monism is somehow different from Adi Sankaras but I cant help with details, sorry.

Prabhupadas Lectures Srimad-Bhagavatam 1970 701213SB.IND
God can display Himself, manifest Himself, just exactly like ordinary human.
Just like when He was displaying Himself as a child, a perfect child to mother
Yasoda, He would break everything if mother Yasoda would not supply makhana,
you see, as if He is in need of makhana. But these Mayavadis, they said, "Oh,
here is... How He can be God?" Brahma became bewildered: "How this boy can be
the Supreme Lord? Let me test." So... Indra became bewildered. Muhyanti yat
surayah, the Bhagavatam says. Even big, big demigods, they become bewildered
to understand. So when Krsna was present, Indra, he wanted to test Him, and
Brahma wanted to test Him, whether He is actually God. So that is
intelligence. If anyone declares... People are... Sometimes a so-called
incarnations are, they are declaring that, "I am God." Then one should test
whether actually God. That is intelligence. Simply by declaring, if somebody
declares falsely that "I am God..." Just like this Ramakrishna.

Room Conversation Paris, August 2, 1976 760802R3.PAR
Hari-sauri: Hes following the line of Vivekananda.
Prabhupada: Just see how rascal they are. My Guru Maharaja every step
condemned this Ramakrishna Mission and Vivekananda. He said frankly that if
there are any impediments for our movement, that is this Gandhi and
Vivekananda. He said frankly. Hodge-podge. Gandhis also hodge-podge. He was a
politician, and in politics he mixed some spiritual ideas, hodge-podge. And
this Vivekananda was also politician.

>I went to the Vivekananda Vedanta Society Temple which is close to campus
>(the ISKCON Temple here is far for me to go to) and it seemed that they were
>almost Mayavedist. The central picture in the temple of Ramakrishna,
>surrounded by pictures of his wife, student, and then on one side Jesus
>Christ and the other Buddha. There are Om symbols everywhere along with
>crosses, and the crescent moon and star. There is a colored window with
>Krishna, and one of Ram, Lakshman, Sita and Hanumanji but the temple is
>revolved around Ramakrishna. I dont remember ever hearing anything about
>him at the temple, nor any of the devotees mentioning him or even
>Ramakrishna being like Sri Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

This mixing is a symptom of Mayavada - worshiping everyone, not believing in
anyone. Ramakrishna himself was originally a Shakta. RK Mission propagates
advaita philosophy and material welfare work as religious:

Discussion Boston, December 23, 1969 691223DC.BOS

Guest (4) (Indian man): You said the approach to spiritual goal, through this
way, Hare Krsna Hare Rama. Okay. Now there is another philosophy which has
been preached by Ramakrishna and Vivekananda: "The service of man is the
service of God."
Prabhupada: And why not service of God service of man?
Guest (4): No...
Prabhupada: First of all answer this. If service of man is service of God, why
not service of God, service of man?
Guest (4): Okay. It is one and the same thing because within man is within the
soul, which is...
Guest (4): No, no, no, no. No.
Prabhupada: Then how we can serve the whole by serving the part?
Guest (4): Well, because it is a problem today, and right now, we country...
Prabhupada: Your argument is that service of man is service of God. That is
your point. I say that if service of man is service of God, then service of
God is service of man. First of all you yes or no, you say it.
Guest (4): It is one and the same but because I dont know God...
Prabhupada: Then we serve God. You serve men. Thats all.
Guest (4): I dont know God. Thats why... Which is present and which is a
philosophy. Thats why...
Prabhupada: Now, philosophy,... Your argument is service of man is service of
God.
Guest (4): It is not my argument. It is argument of Ramakrishna and
Vivekananda.
Prabhupada: Now you are representing Ramakrishna. You are representing
Ramakrishna. Thats all.

Veda: I think this is wrong. Why are you mixing up Yogananda with Ramakrishna/Vivekananda? Yogananda is a devotee, may not be a pure devotee, but he was preaching some sort of mixed devotion. He is referred to in this letter of Shrila Prabhupada:Letter to: Kris,Los Angeles, 13 November, 1968. You can read it where Srila Prabhupada heavily blasts Yogananda. Still he is not in the Mayavadi line of Ramakrishna/Vivekananda. He was more of a paramatma bhakta. I read his book "Autobiography of a Yogi" before I came to KC and I still think it is amazing.

We should be careful not to lump everyone into the "nonsense" category if they are not ISKCON devotees. I guess Prabhupada could do it.

Paramahansa Yogananda was born Mukunda Lal Ghosh on January 5, 1893, in Gorakhpur, India, into a devout and well-to-do Bengali family. From his earliest years, it was evident to those around him that the depth of his awareness and experience of the spiritual was far beyond the ordinary. In his youth he sought out many of Indias sages and saints, hoping to find an illumined teacher to guide him in his spiritual quest.

It was in 1910, at the age of 17, that he met and became a disciple of the revered Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri.

I found this on the web site posted above

Post 1 of 2

Kriya Yoga is what his Master, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri., practiced. This from Wikipedia:

is a very specific system of Yoga that was revived in modern times by Lahiri Mahasaya, c 1861. Paramahansa Yogananda brought it into widespread public awareness through his book Autobiography of a Yogi. The system consists of a number of yogic techniques that are believed to hasten the practitioners spiritual development and to help to bring about a profound state of tranquility and God-communion.

Yogananda writes that, "The Kriya Yogi mentally directs his life energy to revolve, upward and downward, around the six spinal centers (medullary, cervical, dorsal, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal plexuses) which correspond to the twelve astral signs of the zodiac, the symbolic Cosmic Man. One-half minute of revolution of energy around the sensitive spinal cord of man effects subtle progress in his evolution; that half-minute of Kriya equals one year of natural spiritual unfoldment."

This is from the Aussie Yatra of the Mission:

The sincere spiritual seeker who follows the path of Kriya Yoga with desire for spiritual growth, love, and devotion can attain Self-realization '97 even within one lifetime. This powerful yoga stems from many yogas described in the Bhagavad Gita; perience of spiritual knowledge that gives freedom and inner detachment from the fruits of actions

Kriya Yoga is non-sectarian. Its simplified techniques cause no hardships or austerities and were developed for aspiring householders as well as for monks. From Karma Yoga, Kriya Yoga teaches any action, '91kri'92, is done by '91ya'92, the indwelling soul; work is worship. Constant awareness of the power of the indwelling soul inhaling leads to mind control and liberation.

The Kriya technique highlights the relationship between breath and mind. Breath influences mind and vice-versa. Their mutual relationship has revealed the mystery of how to control the mind. Breath control is self-control. Breath mastery is self mastery. Breathlessness stage is deathlessness stage that brings the state of samadhi, the realization of the Absolute.

Kriya Yoga is a golden opportunity to reach higher states of consciousness and change your life, gaining all-round development of body, mind, and soul. It is a quick and easy path. Kriya Yoga techniques are passed down from guru to disciple, master to aspirant, teacher to student.

There is no written record of when the ancient tradition of Kriya Yoga began. It is a spiritual technique which has been practiced by saints, seers, and sages from time immemorial. The rishis (seers) of the Upanishads, Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, Maharshi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, and many other masters of yoga, practiced and taught this scientific method through the ages. Kriya Yoga is not a religion; it is a powerful tool to be used by those of all religions in order to hasten their own spiritual development. Adi Shankara in the Viveka Chudamani wrote three things are very rare in the world: to get a human birth, to have desire for liberation, and to get the company of a great soul and realized master.

In modern times, an elusive and mysterious master, Mahavatar Babaji, in 1861 brought the Kriya technique to the general public through his able disciple, Shri Shyamacharan Lahiri, a pious householder. Lahiri Mahasaya, as he was popularly known, had many realized disciples. Foremost among them were Swami Shriyukteshwar, who was well versed in the scriptures of both the East and West and attained the highest stage of realization, and Shrimat Bhupendranath Sanyal Mahasaya, a householder yogi most noted for his metaphorical interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita in the light of Kriya Yoga. Among the many disciples of Shriyukteshwar were Paramahamsa Yogananda, author of '93Autobiography of a Yogi'94, and Swami Satyananda Giri, who until 1971 was the president of Karar Ashram founded by Shriyukteshwar in 1903. Paramahamsa Hariharananda, who became the head of the Kriya Yoga Institute USA as well as the international organizations, was also a direct disciple of Swami Shriyukteshwar. Both Paramahamsa Yogananda and Paramahamsa Hariharananda were not only Self-realized, but became instrumental in spreading the teachings of Kriya Yoga around the world.

Until the time of his mortal transition into spirit, December 3, 2002, at the age of 95 (1907-2002), Paramahamsa Hariharananda '97 lovingly called '91Baba'92 by his thousands of disciples and students around the world '97 oversaw each one'92s spiritual development. His divine love and compassion remain unparalleled.

Its hard to tell but I reckon they dont worship the person of God it seems to me to be the energy of God.

post 2 of 2

Sorry, wrong guru. He was preceded by V. (in America) only: http://www.self-realization.com/articles/sages/paramahansa_yogananda.htm

Here is more on their relationship:
http://p219.ezboard.com/fsrfwalrusfrm33.showMessage?topicID=18.topic

The Supreme God is Sri Krishna...and Srila Prabhupada:His last Prophet!
Hare Krishna!

George was under his influence as its known he used to give out his autobiography.

"We were never close friends, but even people who barely knew him noted his natural humility. '93None of us is God, really,'94 he'92d say, '93just God'92s servants.'94 To cultivate his deep devotion to Krishna (the Sanskrit name for God in human form), he woke up early and performed yoga postures for half an hour or so. Then he'92d sit quietly with prayer beads before an altar that he kept on the mantle over a large fireplace in his home Friar Park, a few miles west of London. The altar contained small images of various deities and pictures of spiritual teachers whom he admired including Swami Vivekananda, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. For someone who lived at the apex of superstardom, his humility before more advanced souls was stunning. "

http://herecomesthesunbook.blogspot.com/