SRF Lake Shrine 50th Anniversary Celebration: Stories of Paramahansa Yogananda by Direct Disciples
Brother Bhaktanandawas born in Pittsburgh in 1914, and was invited by Paramahansa Yogananda to join the monastic order of Self-Realization Fellowship in 1939. He was one of a small group of monastics who received extensive personal training by Yogananda. His simple, devotional approach to the spiritual life endeared him to thousands during his sixty years as a minister, until his passing in 2005. Brother Bhaktananda - whose name means attaining God through devotion - also served on the Board of Directors of SRF, and was minister-in-charge at SRF's Hollywood Temple from 1974 to 2005.Brother Bimalandanda:A direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, Brother Bimalananda was born and raised in Rochester, New York. It was while first readingAutobiography of a Yogiin 1947 that he realized he wanted to become a monk, and soon thereafter entered the monastic order. He has served for many years as lecturer, minister, and counselor at ashrams in India, Mexico, and California. He currently resides at the SRF Hidden Valley Ashram Center in Escondido, California. Brother Bimalanada whose name means attaining God through purity brings to his international audiences the timeless teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and his unique perspective as a direct disciple of this great world teacher.Brother Anandamoy:Born in Baden, Switzerland, Brother Anandamoy came to the United States in 1948 to study architecture under Frank Lloyd Wright. The following year, impressed by his reading ofAutobiography of a Yogi,he traveled to Los Angeles to seek out its author. It was not long after his first meeting with Paramahansa Yogananda that he became a monk of the Self-Realization Fellowship order. As part of a small nucleus of close disciples, Brother Anandamoy was privileged to receive Yogananda s personal guidance and spiritual discipline. Widely regarded today as a leading authority on the science and philosophy of Yoga, Brother Anandamoy has for many years lectured extensively on Paramahansa Yogananda's teachings throughout the United States, Europe, and India. His name, from the Sanskrit, means permeated with divine joy.Mukti Mata, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, entered the Self-Realization Fellowship monastic community in 1946. Until her passing in 2008 she served at the society's international headquarters in Los Angeles in many capacities, including ministerial duties such as providing spiritual counsel and speaking on Yogananda's universal teachings. Mukti Mata--whose name indicates liberation of the soul-- endeared herself to spiritual seekers throughout the world for her warmth and wisdom, as well as for her many delightful stories of her experiences with Paramahansa Yogananda.Uma Mata: Born in North Dakota, Uma Mata grew up in San Diego, California where she met Paramahansa Yogananda as a young girl. In 1947 she entered the Self-Realization Fellowship monastic community as part of a group of key disciples who were trained by Yogananda in the years just before his passing. A member of the SRF/Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) Board of Directors (SRF's branch in India), Uma Mata has significant administrative responsibilities within the society. Uma Mata has also served for many years as a close associate and assistant to Sri Daya Mata, president of Self-Realization Fellowship.Sister Parvati: a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, joined the Self-Realization Fellowship monastic community in 1946 in Encinitas, California, while still in her teens, and received training from Yogananda during the last years of his life. In her many years as an SRF nun, she has served the work in many ways, frequently lecturing on the universal teachings of Yogananda and, as an SRF minister, conducting services at temples.