The Cross and The Lotus Journal · promote God-realization. Our spiritual lineage begins with Jesus Christ and Babaji and flows down to us through Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar,

Imag

e fr

om

a c

ard M

oth

er s

ent

to H

erlw

yn

May my life be guided and con-trolled by Thee!

Thy Presence be ever with me, in me,

And everywhere around me.

I beg of Thee, I prostrate before Thee,

Hearken to this heartfelt prayer of mine.

And make me Thine and Thine only

For ever and ever!

Swami Ramdas

Every day a mental diary

must be kept. In the evening

find out what you have done

that day. Progress is a con-

stant vigil. In the morning I

start my mental machine

and say to it, “You are go-

ing to behave this way to-

day.” That attitude gives me

supreme happiness.

Paramhansa Yogananda

Your concept of God must be such that He is the one indispen-

sable thing in life. If there is any area you feel is out of bounds

for your spiritual practice then you have artificially created

separation. Pray for a yearning heart that seeks God-experience

more than any other. When the mind is purified you realize

that all desires in your life have really been your longing for

the Supreme Consciousness.

Yogacharya David Hickenbottom

The Cross and The

Lotus Journal

March 2016, Vol. 17 No. 1

Dedicated to the Realization of God and Service to Him in All Forms

Mother Hamilton in India, 1968

The cross and lotus symbolizes the unity between East and West. The lotus is the sign of

illumined consciousness, the thousand petal lotus of the crown chakra. The cross is the

symbol of the body surrendered to the will of God. Following the way of the cross results in

the resurrection of illumined consciousness.

The Cross and the Lotus, symbol of man. East and West blended, join hand in hand.

Marching toward the infinite light and life divine. Lift up your eyes and see the star,

descending from heaven where e’er you are. Be filled with the peace and ecstasy of God’s almighty love.

Aum-Amen. The Reverend Yogacharya Mother Hamilton

The Cross and The Lotus Journal is published by

The Cross and The Lotus Publishing Mount Vernon, WA, U.S.A.

Website: www.crossandlotus.com

E-mail: [email protected]

© 2016 The Cross and The Lotus Publishing is dedicated to the publication of materials that

promote God-realization. Our spiritual lineage begins with Jesus Christ and Babaji and flows

down to us through Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar, Paramhansa Yogananda and

Yogacharya Mother Hamilton.

The Reverend Yogacharya David Hickenbottom continues this lineage with the help and

support of many sincere devotees. We are dedicated to realizing God and serving devotees of

every race, color, creed and religion.

Mother Hamilton often said she was the product of two fully illumined Masters, her own

Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, and Swami Ramdas. We therefore feature articles about

Swami Ramdas and Anandashram. We bow to the feet of Saints and realized Masters of all

religions.

The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 35

Journal Editors: Larry & Cate Koler

Calendar of Events Feb. 26 Yogacharya David’s Birthday (1954)

Mar. 7 Paramhansa Yogananda’s Mahasamadhi (1952)

9 Swami Sri Yukteswar’s Mahasamadhi (1936)

19 Spring Equinox (9:30 p.m. PDT)

25 Good Friday

27 Easter

Apr. 22 Swami Ramdas’ Birthday (1884)

22 Passover

May 8 Mother’s Day

10 Swami Sri Yukteswar’s Birthday (1855)

30 Memorial Day

June 19 Father’s Day

20 Summer Solstice (3:34 p.m. PDT)

Page 34 The Cross and The Lotus Journal

From the Master’s Kitchen One of the recipes originally published in Master’s Lessons

Honey Spiced Cake – A Chocolate Version

Shortening: 1 cup (butter )

Honey: 3/4 cup (agave)

Sugar: 1/3 cup (brown)

Eggs: 2, separated

Salt: 1/2 tsp.

Cardamom, Cloves: 1/2 tsp. each

Cinnamon:1 1/2 tsp.

Nutmeg 1/2 tsp. (fresh grated)

Flour: 3 cups whole wheat pastry

Baking powder: 2 tsp.

Soda: 1/2 tsp.

Nut meats: 1/2 c. (chocolate chips)

Vanilla: 1 tsp.

Milk: 1 cup sour

Cream shortening, add the sugar,

beat in the honey. Add beaten egg

yolks. Sift dry ingredients. Mix 1/2 cup of flour mixture with

nuts and combine the rest alternately with sour milk and shorten-

ing mixture. Fold in beaten egg whites. Stir in nuts and vanilla.

Bake 45-50 minutes in a well greased loaf pan at 350̊ F.

Comments from our C&L chef, Angela Victory

When it’s a Westcoast rainforest down-pour outside, cake bak-

ing is one of the blissful events to warm eve-

ryone’s heart. I have baked this cake before

but felt it was worthy of revisiting with the

twist of adding chocolate chips. Having two

in-house chocolate lovers drooling over the

warm cake as it exits the oven and both

Mike and Aiden with glasses of milk wait-

ing for the call to dive in after it’s been pho-

tographed for the journal, shows it’s a Mas-

ter’s Kitchen favourite. Now we have “little

bits of God” for this week’s lunches.


Dear Friends,

While giving a talk recently,

“Weaving God into the Fabric of

Life,” I read from Master’s gem of a

book, The Science of Religion. I find

the first pages of this book so inspir-

ing; it has stayed with me, resonating

as absolute truth. Sri Yoganandaji

writes:

We are not necessarily seeking

God when we call Him Infinite,

Omnipresent, All-Merciful, and so

forth. These conceptions satisfy

the intellect, but do not soothe the

soul. If respected and cherished in our hearts, they may

broaden us to a certain extent—may make us moral and

resigned toward Him. But they do not make God our

own—they are not intimate enough. They place Him

aloof from everyday concerns of the world....The very

conception of God should stir us to seek Him in the midst

of our daily lives. This is what we mean by a pragmatic

and compelling conception of God.

Having direct God-experience teaches you that God is the

breath of your breath, the thought behind your thought; He is the

Life beating in your own heart. There is not a moment when God

is not creating you, sustaining you, and when the time is right,

withdrawing you back into His Being.

However, what makes God-experience absolutely compelling

is the bliss and wisdom you have when in His Presence. Bliss is

far superior to pleasures of the senses. Bliss lifts you into its own

purity; there is literally no end to it. You are enraptured with its

power and there is nowhere else you ever want to be. Bliss an-

swers the yearning of every human heart for completeness, and it

is found right within you.

The wisdom of God makes ordinary knowledge gained

through reason look like a candle when compared to the sun.


Wisdom is gained spontaneously, and like an activated tuning

fork it vibrates its truth through every cell of your being. God-

wisdom connects you with a higher intelligence that is clear and

unbiased by your past human experience.

Imagine going through life feeling intimately connected with

the bliss and wisdom of God. In good times and bad you feel the

bliss of God that makes you know that all is well. Your thoughts

are guided by a superior wisdom that directs your actions in the

smallest and greatest of ventures, in which you know that what

you are doing is for the highest good of all.

Far from making you arrogant, God-experience humbles you

to dust. Jesus once said, I of myself am nothing; it is my Father

who doeth the works. And this becomes your truth, and you know

with every cell of your being that it is the truth. You do not need

to wear a false mask of humility that covers a secret life of pride,

rather it is a simple truth that frees you from all masks and false

pretenses.

Your conception of God must, then, have these intimate ele-

ments of realization in order for it to fulfill the deep yearning of

your heart and soul; anything less is a “false prophet.” It is a

hallmark step in evolution when you yearn for this all-

encompassing experience that merges your whole sense of self

into your greater divine Self. Just think, the seed of this experi-

ence is already inside of you, it needs only to be watered with

your attention and fertilized by the power of your love. The seed

then awakens, sending out roots deep into the ground of human

experience and branches that reach into the blue sky, the light of

transcendent freedom and expansion. It is all yours to realize

when you have the compelling conception of God.

Lord! How in darkness can I see aright?

Child! All the universe is filled with light;

Be true within, and truth shall cleanse thy sight.

– Charles Gordon Ames


change sides, bring the arms back

down and replace the hands first to the

knee, and then the fingertips to the

floor. Step your right foot back to the

standing kneel.

Re-balance and then move the left

foot forward for the other side. When

you have completed both sides, release

from the standing kneel into child’s

pose by bending the knees all the way

and lowering your forehead to the

floor. Wrap your arms around the sides of your body and release

them against the floor. Become like the quiet seed and rest with

“santosha”—contentment.

Modification for chair yoga: For more ease, try this similar

posture by sitting in a firm, upright

chair and moving towards the edge of

the seat. Plant your feet firmly against

the floor, hips width apart. On an inha-

lation, open your arms wide and slowly

lift them above your head, lightly

pressing the palms together. Open your

heart and gaze upward into a very gen-

tle arch. Breathe comfortably and re-

lease the arms back down when you

are ready. For a counterpose, place

your hands on your thighs and gently

fold the torso forward over your thighs

to your own comfort level, letting your

head hang down. Feel any tension

simply slide off your spine.

Benefits: Opens and stretches the hip

flexors, stabilizes the pelvis, and

strengthens the thigh muscles. Opens the heart, lungs, rib cage

and shoulders. Creates a positive current of upliftment and confi-

dence, balanced with grounded-ness and strength. May the bless-

ings of the inner and outer light be upon all. Namaste.


Yoga and Health Anjaneyasana (Low lunge pose)

By Briana Jones

Props: Even, firm floor , yoga mat

Practice: Begin in a standing kneel, with your hips aligned

over your knees. Take a moment to ground yourself with a few

deep breaths. On an exhalation, step your right foot forward to a

low lunge, using your hands lightly against the floor on either

side of your right foot for balance. Check to see that your right

knee is directly over your right ankle. If you feel steady, lift your

torso up and place your hands on your right thigh. Breathe here,

again feeling a sense of grounding in the lower body. Imagine a

center line running through your body and engage your inner

thigh muscles towards this center line, allowing this subtle

movement to create a lift in the torso, and a downward tilt in the

tailbone. Keep your pelvis level to protect your lower back. With

a sense of lightening, allow the heart center to lift gently up-

wards, looking up if this feels alright. You may remain here, al-

lowing soft and steady breath and flowering your being upwards.

If you would like to move into the final variation of the pose,

open your arms wide on an inhalation and lift them overhead,

bringing the hands

together in a pray-

er mudra. Allow

the heart to lift

even more, mov-

ing you into a

slight back-

bend with the gaze

upward towards

the heavens.

Breath and enjoy

the bliss of this

creative and uplift-

ing posture. When

you are ready to


Letter to a Devotee Dear ____________,

Oftentimes I do not think we acknowledge what a powerful

thing food is in our lives.

For many of us these past couple of thousand years has been

rough; deprivation and starvation has not been unusual. Whether

unresolved issues of food have been passed down to us through

our own previous experience, through intergenerational family

ties, or the influence of generalized world consciousness, we are

all the recipients of what has gone on before and the world into

which we have been born. And now, it is our duty to change un-

healthy patterns to positive ones that produce perfect health.

Rather than try to hide out of control eating in a closet of se-

crecy, we should bring it into the light and acknowledge eating

patterns as part of our sadhana, our journey of self-mastery. Eve-

ry soul has their field of battle, and with many that includes the

mealtime skirmishes of the fork and plate.

Pray deeply to God to help you find balance in your eating,

giving sincere thanks for every meal. It has been written that the

yogi ends his meal with his stomach half full of food, one quarter

full of liquid and one quarter full of air. You then get up from the

dinner table feeling light but satiated. Make a clear declaration

that you are master over food and appetite, not the other way

around!

One other note, as Hippocrates (460-370 B.C. and known as

the “Father of Western Medicine”) said so many thousands of

years ago: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Eat those foods in quantities that are known for producing good

health, and avoid those foods that produce illness and discom-

fort. It is a simple statement, but if followed more rigorously

many, many lives would be vastly improved.

May you be graced in your journey of self-mastery through

your relationship to food and eating!


The Ascension An Excerpt from a Talk Given by

The Reverend Mother, Yogacharya M. Hamilton

in Seattle on April 22, 1981

[Bible reading is Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 1-16]

The Mystical Crucifixion and Resurrection

I want to talk to you evening about “The Ascension.” On Sun-

day, we talked about the subject “He is Arisen.” Jesus had been

through the tremendous spiritual experience where, all of a sud-

den, the ego was being put to death, and he had descended into

the hell or the subconsciousness of his own being. He had been

made to go through every experience of life and face all of the

things that had happened as he had been Jesus, the son of man,

even as each and every one of us must do. There must be the

confession of sins, the repentance for sins, the paying for sins—

the sin of separation from God because we have not thought of

Him as being one with us, being ourselves. And that we are eve-

ry moment of our lives. This idea of separation must go.

Having risen on the third day, or after the third experience

which he had gone through—where the consciousness is ready

to be released from the third bodily jar—then it is said that he


Memories of Mother

This is a prayer of Mother’s which she encouraged us to use

when we had problems. She gave me this handwritten copy one

time when I was dealing with a lot of family concerns. – Cate


“Oh, please come in,” Master said trying to suppress his

laughter. I clambered into his room. Turning to the window, I

found that the man behind me had run away. “Fine fellow,” I

grumbled.

I found the Master searching for something. “I hope you don’t

mind. But I’m a little busy,” he said sweetly. “Are you looking

for something? Can I help you?” I asked eagerly. “Yes, if you

like. I’m looking for a book. It isn’t on this rack, perhaps it’s

over there,” he said pointing to a book-rack near me.

He told me the name of the book and elated at this opportunity

to do some Guru-seva, I started to search. Hardly had I read the

names of the first three to four books, when I realised that I’d

forgotten the name of the book that I was supposed to look for.

“Found it?” asked the Master when I looked towards him. “No.

Could you tell me the name again?” I asked him and he repeated

the name saying that it was probably in the first two shelves.

Going back to the rack I was startled to find that the same

thing happened again. “It isn’t there? Well don’t bother. I’ll find

it,” Master said coming towards the rack.

“Oh no! Please let me find it,” I said hastily and asked him for

the name yet again. This time I kept chanting it mentally like a

mantra so that I would not forget it (it was a simple name really.)

But to my bewilderment I found that my mind soon went

blank—even before I reached the shelf. When I turned to look at

the Master helplessly, I found that he was looking at me keenly

from the corner of his eyes with a mischievous smile on his face.

Seeing my helplessness he then turned to look at me with his

eyes overflowing with compassion as I realised with a start that

he was the one who was responsible for my sudden bouts of am-

nesia. I’d had the egoistic feeling that I could be of service to

him. He made me realise that as long as the egoistic feeling that I

could or could not do something persisted, I could never do any

Guru-seva. In order for me to be used as His instrument, the feel-

ing of ‘I’, the ego had to leave so that He could take over. With

that the dream ended and that wonderful, wonderful face was

forever imprinted in my heart. Hari Om!


rose from the dead, that he met his disciples, the sepulcher

(which is the heart center) was opened and he came forth and

they knew him not, because he was filled with light, with radi-

ance, with glory. They met him on the road and they knew him

not. But finally he convinced that indeed it was he, and he even

said to Thomas, who doubted, he asked him to see his hands and

his feet where the nails had been in, the place where he had been

pierced in the side. All of this is symbolic, because he had also

worn a crown of thorns on his head, you will remember, that

pierced him.

The Kundalini Force

All of you who have begun to go through this spiritual experi-

ence have had the experience of having the Kundalini force rise

in the spine. You know that it causes a great deal of heat. Some-

times it is like a burning fire inside of you. Then there is a prick-

ly sensation in the brain; the brain is constantly expanding to re-

ceive the increased consciousness of God. All of these things

you have done. You have been nailed to your own cross by the

two thieves, the forces of good and evil within yourself. Finally,

you have arisen wherein you have given up the ghost; now you

begin to be filled with the power of the Holy Ghost. You give

this power to your 12 disciples, or 11 which are left because Ju-

das betrayed the Christ. You give this power of the Holy Ghost

to all these powers within yourself, because indeed that is the

true meaning of it. The whole world exists inside of yourself.

It is said that Jesus supped with them, he drank with them, he

gave them his blessings, he told them to go out and preach the

Gospel, or put God’s spell upon the people, and then he gradual-

ly ascended into the heaven to sit at the right hand of God. Now,

the ascension, just like the descension into hell, does not occur in

one day. He is just newly risen, newly born as the Christ, and he

must go through three more experiences that are vital, but

they’re very, very subtle because they have to do with the

memory of those things which the senses enjoyed while it was in

the state of human consciousness. And they are so subtle some-

times that you have difficulty in dealing with them, but go

through them you must.


Not Yet Fully Risen

So there is a gradual ascent into the heaven of your own being.

You must realize that you are not yet risen all the way to God,

yet. You have not yet experienced the kingdom of heaven, and

that’s quite a journey, too. Until you go over the top, go through

that sixth center into the seventh day, then you cannot have the

fullness of God within yourself. You cannot rise above all duali-

ty into that which is the nothingness and the everythingness of

God. You have a great deal of difficulty returning back to earth

or into the conscious field of being, after you have been through

this crucifixion and have arisen from the dead. It is a very diffi-

cult thing to do. The tendency, you see, is to stay in that high

state, to maintain the bliss which has come to you. You have

been taken out of this world into a totally different world and

now you’re going to have to descend down into this world of

matter again, working with people (and particularly with your-

self in the beginning) that are still engrossed in the kingdom of

the five senses. You have paid the full price under the law; you

have risen above it. And yet you are not totally risen. Jesus

makes that remark. He said, “Touch me not for I am not yet fully

risen.” Remember that.

Mother Experienced the State of Death

And so it is that you go through all of these experiences—the

ascension—until in truth you open the gate to heaven within

your own being and become one with your Father. It takes perse-

verance, it takes prayer, it takes meditation. You gradually come

to realize that you have experienced the state of death. I have

told you how that came to me as a tremendous shock that sent

the cold chills up and down my back when, all of a sudden, I re-

alized one day that this body had actually died, been through the

state of death, and had arisen. That’s why people were shying

away from me because they could feel this death state. People

always shy away from a corpse, it seems. Even though I was

able to still move and breathe and have my being, this aura of

death was still around me, and I had to work out of that. There

was total paralysis of the nervous system which was the rigor

mortis that set in later.


me was that I should be more humble, receptive and not be

judgemental. Point noted, Mother but I need your blessings for

this too!!

A Dream of Yogananda

I had this vivid dream of Swami Yogananda (whom I’ll refer

to as ‘Master’ like you all do.) Some years ago I was sitting in a

hall on the ground floor, along with some others who were all

sitting on the floor—some were meditating and the rest were

simply waiting when a voice announced that the Master was

busy and so was unable to come and that they would play a talk

of his instead. I was not interested in listening to a recording

when the real person was around and so I thought I could try my

luck by hanging around in the courtyard—maybe I could catch a

glimpse of Master as he went about his work. I headed towards

the building behind the hall and looked at the window (I think it

was the 2nd floor), which was his study room. I found that the

window had no glass in it and there was a big ladder which end-

ed just there. “The person who is going to change that glass is

surely luckier than me since he can have Master’s darshan,” I

thought wistfully.

Aren’t you going up?” asked a man who suddenly appeared

beside me. “Certainly not. It isn’t allowed,” I said. “But why

not?” he asked. “I’ll get into trouble and moreover, Master may

also get angry with me,” I replied. “Nothing of the sort. He

won’t be angry. I have done this quite often. Go ahead,” he

urged me. Looking at the tall ladder, I was a little nervous.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you. Go ahead and climb,” he

said.

I climbed up and peeped into the room timidly. Master was

sitting at his table. “Go on, climb in,” the man behind me said.

By then, the Master noticed me and walked up to the window.

He had a look of surprise and amusement on his face (as if to say

‘Oh, if I lock the door, I have ladies climbing in through the win-

dow. What next!’)


Dreams of the Masters These beautiful and instructive super-conscious dreams were related to me

by an Anandashram devotee and later written down for me. I received per-

mission to publish them but the devotee wished to remain anonymous. – C.K.

A Dream of Mother

This is a vivid dream of Mother [Hamilton] which occurred

some years ago. I was standing on the veranda of Swamiji’s

[Satchidananda] room along with a couple of other devotees.

The door and windows were all open and we could see what was

going on inside his room. Swamiji was seated on his wheelchair

facing the Centenary Hall and standing in front of him, facing

him was this lady with light hair and western clothes. She was

bending over him and talking to him as he was a little hard of

hearing. They had a short conversation which ended with Swa-

miji folding his hands in pranaam.

What happened next took me by surprise. She placed her right

hand in blessing over Swamiji’s head! I was completely shocked

and wondered, “Oh my God! Who does she think she is to bless

Swamiji!” I mistook her for a blundering westerner. In the

meantime, she straightened up and turned towards me as she

headed for the door. It was then that I realised she was Mother

Hamilton! I was totally confused and stared at her in stunned

disbelief—how and from where did she come? I was told that

she had dropped the body years ago and here she was looking so

radiant, vibrant and healthy.

As I stood staring at her in utter disbelief, she emerged from

the room and approached me. While the other two persons next

to me folded their hands in pranaam with bent heads, I contin-

ued to gape at her in astonishment. “Will she put her hand on

my head and bless me like she did to Swamiji?” I wondered

wistfully. Giving me an exasperated look of a much harassed

mother of a naughty child, she scolded me. “How can I bless

you if you won’t bend?” In a hurried attempt to bend my head

and do pranaam I woke up.

When I pondered over her statement I realised that she wasn’t

asking me to bend my head physically. What she wanted from


It’s a very, very difficult state to go into, to come out of, and

gradually to rise, but you can do it. You can do it through love of

God because through the experiences which you have had, you

have attained such a love for God that He fills your whole being,

every part of you, and you feel the bliss of His Infinite Presence.

You gradually feel the light which is coming into you, the uplift-

ment, the purity. But it takes a long time—three separate days or

three separate periods of time again, before you come to that fi-

nal conclusion where you can truly say, “I and my Father are

one. Blessed Spirit, I am He.”

Temptation Can Still Come

We are still prone to be drawn back down, and it has been said

by the masters of the East that until we reach that final state and

have gone over the top that there is always the chance of falling,

of being tempted. The reason that you are tempted is because

you still have a remembrance of the things that you enjoyed in

the senses. You may even fall once or twice, but Master told of a

great saint who had been tempted and who had fallen, but he said

God was all merciful and the man repented and again he was lift-

ed up and finally he attained his complete God-realization, his

realization of God within himself. This didn’t make him differ-

ent in any way in outer appearance, and the fact that he still had

to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, to feel. It didn’t make any dif-

ference that he still had to wear clothes and go about the world

and to eat and to take his place in life. Rather, it made him a spe-

cial person, master over himself.…

Three Separate “Days” to Ascend to the Father

…Gradually, as you ascend into the kingdom of heaven within

your own being, as you go through this crucifixion experience,

as you are interred in the sepulcher of your own heart, as you

rise from the dead, and then the graves open inside of yourself

and all those that were killed with the Christ rise up, all of these

that have been dead with the savior who has been killed on your

own cross, arise from the dead and then you start the ascension

into heaven. Just as it has taken three days, or three separate pe-

riods of time, in order to take care of this, then also it takes three


days or three separate periods of time to ascend into the heaven

of your own being. When you make the effort to do that, if you

will only use the techniques that have been taught to you; if you

will only put God first and foremost in your life and in your

mind, and in your heart, and do everything to serve Him, not

yourself, then you will find that many of your troubles vanish

and you will never be the same again.

Becoming the Master of Yourself

This world is a world of duality, and you will never have uto-

pia here, on the outside. There will always be things to face.

There will be problems to overcome. There will be dissension on

the outside, but the important part is that you have got yourself

together in one piece, that you have faced yourself and that you

are willing to admit your own weaknesses, your own failings and

not to blame them on somebody else. That must be done if you

are to rise out of the dead into the great light of God within your-

self. Until you realize that finally, at long last, you have become

the master, not of other people, but of yourself. And that is why

people call many people “masters.” Of course, in the Christian

world, the Christians believe only in one master. But the Christ

himself didn’t say that. He said no disciple can become greater

than the master, but the disciple, if he measures up, can become

as great as the master. As we have said many times, quoting him,

“All of these works that I do ye may do also, and even greater

works than these that I do ye may do.…”

Liberation—It is Worth It

…This is what we are beginning and every single soul here

and all that we can gather to us is needed in order to accomplish

this great purpose. I can work myself to death, but I can’t do it

all alone. I’m only one person, and it is through God’s grace that

I am able to do whatever I do, even as it is His grace that you do

whatever you are able to do. But every moment my heart is with

Him. Every moment I am listening inside, “What do you want

me to do next, Lord? What shall I think? What shall I say? How

shall I handle this?” And sometimes I don’t even need to stop

and think because this body, this mind, this soul belongs so com-


incarnated for you alone.” The thought of that love overwhelmed

me and I wept tears of gratitude for Mother.

I also began to become more and more aware of Papa’s

Purushottama aspect—“Lord of the Universe Papa.” Whether it

was gazing into the eyes of Papa’s picture in his room in the

Bhajan Hall, thinking of Mataji as I did pradakshina in the Sa-

madhi Mandir, precious meditation times in Swamij’s room,

pronamming to Mother’s picture in the canteen, or writing to and

speaking about Davidji, the immensity of their Beings expanded

my heart. I also felt so thankful for this amazing ashram, this

place where people from all over the world come and are in-

spired, where Mother underwent her spiritual experiences, and

where we have received so very much. Om Sri Ram Jai Ram.

Ashram inmate Mukta, and Sw. Maitreyi & Gargi from Brindaban.

Papa, Mataji and Mother at Anandashram in 1957


Our Beloved Anandashram By Cate Koler

One can look forward to a pilgrimage but one never knows

what it will be like, what the focus will be. For years I went to

Anandashram mostly to see Swami Satchidananda; subsequent

visits I mourned his absence. What would this one be like?

Initially there was the wonderful homecoming, as always, the

rekindling of friendships—with ashram inmates and visitors who

I “happen” to see again and again. Swami Muktananda was only

there for the first week of our stay; I missed him when he left

and then Larry departed too. I settled

into my sadhana schedule. At one point I

began to work on a particular sadhana,

noting in my diary when I saw a particu-

lar fault in myself.

But it was not destined to last. Not be-

cause I became faultless but because

God had me focus elsewhere. I noticed

that I only wanted to write in my diary

about gratitude, about joy, about grace,

about fellowship, about heart-expanding

love. “A devotee should think this way,”

Swami Maitreyi told me, “your guru has

Inmates or visitors, from East or West, Anandashram is home to all.

Sw. Muktananda reading


pletely to Him that it just flows through. He just uses it in what-

ever way He wants to. Then I stand there afterwards sometimes

wondering how that happened. What came out of my mouth

wasn’t what I would have meant to say or what I had decided to

say or anything about it. It was taken away from me. In other

words, I was lifted up. I was used for God’s own purpose. We

aren’t just here to cater to ourselves and our own egos. We’re put

here for His purpose. We are put here to manifest His light and

His love and His power and His intelligence in the highest way

possible.

Sure, it’s difficult to get there, but isn’t it worth it? Would you

rather carry a burden on your back all the rest of your life and

always be caught in between these two forces, never once being

free to be yourself, to succeed in rising above all of these trials

and troubles and tribulations? Believe me, it is worth the effort.

Regardless of how long it takes you, eventually you are free.

And when you have once been liberated, when you have once

risen up, you are liberated then from this world. You can go on

to higher and higher worlds until you reach the light world, then

you are absorbed into that Source of all life which is God Him-

self, which existed even before a word was spoken, which is

pure and absolute Spirit and is beyond anything that you can use

to describe it. You have to experience that.…

Seek Him First

…If all of us could be that how wonderful it would be. We

would get away from fear. We would get away from always

worrying about where our next day’s meal was coming from and

what we’re going to do about this debt or that debt or the other

debt because God would take care of the whole thing, and He

does. If you seek Him first and His kingdom of heaven, then and

then alone all the other things are added unto you. But every-

body wants to do it backwards. “Lord, you give me this and then

I will do that for you.” And when He does give it to us, before

we have done what He has asked us, we forget our promises to

Him and we think, “Well, I’ve got it now. I’ve got it made. I’ll

go out and do the same thing again, and who’s going to know the


difference.” But who does know the difference? God, because

He is your very Self, and whatever you do, whatever you think,

whatever you say is known to Him because He lives inside of

you. He is that Great Spirit; that life force within you; that Su-

preme One who is wearing this body that you call your own and

you feel separated from Him? No way are you separated from

Him. He is your Real Self.

Be the Example for the World

So from now on realize that. Make the supreme effort. I’d like

to see the face of every single one who comes into this congre-

gation filled with the light of God. I want to see each one loving

one another, serving one another and to a great sense, that is now

being done. But let us do it even more until we become the ex-

ample for a world, no matter what happens to us, what persecu-

tion we have to go through. And we may well get into it, and we

may well have a war, because there are people who will hate us.

The dark forces always hate the Light. They try to destroy it be-

cause it threatens them. But love God so much that it doesn’t

make any difference to you, that you’re willing to lay down your

life for Him, which is His anyway, in order to change this world

from the darkness that it now is in, into a place of peace and

wonder and glory and beauty.

We are the pioneers. Let’s make a good start and build a firm

foundation. Let us be the examples for a world. Not in pride, not

thinking that we’re better than anyone else, but just the love of

God. And the glory and the wonder and the beauty and the bliss

of what comes to us will be payment such as you have never

dreamed about. It will be poured upon you until sometimes that

bliss comes to you so greatly that you can scarcely stand to hold

it within yourself. I know for I’ve been there. Believe me.

To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be;

he with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.

– Rev. George Duffeld


time of greatest duress Papa came into Mother’s room in the L

Building and said, “This is what it takes to kill an ego.”

Mother lost weight, she suffered through a throat fungus,

doubts assailed her and all that she had gained spiritually seemed

to avail her not at all. She came to distrust Papa as she knew that

he was responsible for these expe-

riences. It all started from her asso-

ciation with this great Godman.

Mother voiced her doubts about

him, telling others that Papa was

the devil. This was the extent of her

experiences at that time.

Salvation

These doubts lasted for two years and finally God relieved her

mind and she found that the result of the ordeal was that she

stood on firmer spiritual ground than she had ever experienced

before. She had come to know God more fully through inner di-

rect experience. He was the only refuge in the end and ultimately

more substantial than any ephemeral foundation of before.

Mother’s presence in the years that I knew her was very male

in some ways and I know that it’s because this is the aspect of

God that had saved her and that she had come to know intimate-

ly. I knew Mother to be a tower of strength. Her guidance was

sure and wise. She had been to the mountaintop and returned to

tell us all that: “God is Life and Life is God.” So get on with it.

Anandashram as viewed from the East (Google Earth)


Anandashram, A Dangerous Place By Rev. Larry Koler

Warning:

Before you set foot on

the grounds of this ash-

ram it would be wise to

make sure that you are

ready to be changed. If

you like things as they

are in your life then give

some consideration to

the likelihood that you will be changed forever after visiting this

seemingly calm and serene place.

This site is a tirtha which is a “spiritual crossing where the riv-

er of this earthly life may be safely forded to the far shore of im-

mortality” or alternatively, “‘a ford, a shallow part of a body of

water that may be easily crossed.’ [It] has come to connote plac-

es of pilgrimage associated with sacred water.” [Wikipedia]

When Mother Hamilton first went to Anandashram in 1957

and upon seeing Papa there to greet her, she “came to Papa al-

most in ecstasy, took his arm in hers, asked him how he was, and

expressed how happy she was to be here.” [Gospel of Swami

Ramdas, Section 560]

This is what it takes to kill an ego

It is certain that her soul was prepared for the experiences that

she would have there in the next few months. Mother knew that

she had personally gone through many deep and arduous spiritu-

al experiences in America that were given to her by her great

guru, Paramhansa Yogananda. She had attained the state of Nir-

vikalpa Samadhi in 1954 and soon after met Papa. She wanted

confirmation of this fact and Swami Satchidananda recounts that

Mother asked Papa about her attainment but Papa demurred. Lat-

er in early 1958, she learned why: God had brought her to India,

to Anandashram, to Papa for a further trial and further steps that

took her through a universal mystical crucifixion. During her


Easter Awakening By Paramhansa Yogananda

The little wavelet of Christ Life played helpfully over the

bosom of the Cosmic Life for a while, and then it vanished

within the ocean’s tenderness, not to die, but to be fed with

eternal Ambrosia, and to come back again to declare the im-

mortality of its tiny existence. The ocean of God throbbed

once more in the resurrected Prince Jesus.

Flowers fade never to return, but Jesus only slept to obey

the sweet command of Nature, and woke again to declare

His mastery over Her.

Jesus has silenced the laughter of unbelieving eyes and

the audacious poetic assertion that no traveler has ever re-

turned from death’s bourne, by coming back from the place

from which no one ever returned before.

With the return of Jesus to this mundane domain, a hope

was resurrected in the hearts of a thousand million mor-

tals—the hope that they, too, could wipe away the sting of

death from their breasts of everlastingness.

Christ hid Himself again to show that He could not only

resurrect His eternalness in the body of Jesus, but also in

every blossom, and in every living Being that would ever

smile in the garden of Creation through endless eons.

Christ was resurrected not only on Easter Morn, but He

reanimates Himself in the dawn of each Soul’s awakening.

Our Souls die every day, whenever we are buried in the

tomb of ignorance, and we resurrect ourselves again in Cos-

mic Wisdom.

Banish the death-consciousness perceived during the

sleep of delusion, and resurrect your Soul in the ever-

reigning Light of Immortality. Let this be your Easter

Awakening.


Rajasi Janakananda By Rick Bohr

This is a condensed version. Read the whole article on the website.

David asked me to “write an arti-

cle for the journal about Rajasi

[original spelling that Master

used] and the effect he has had on

you as an aspirant and business

man.” This request was a result of

comments I had made to David as

I was part way through my second reading of the book Rajarsi

Janakananda: a Great Western Yogi. My first reading, which

had a major impact on my path at the time and has benefitted me

greatly ever since, was more than 10 years ago.

One day, Peter offered to loan me his book about a man who

had been a close disciple of Master. He said it was a pretty easy,

interesting read and he thought I would enjoy it. OH MY GOSH!

By the time I had read only the back cover of the book and the

first several pages I was already thinking, “Maybe it is possible

to advance on this path to being very connected to God and not

have to give up all of the worldly things I always thought I want-

ed. Maybe I can have some of what I had been working toward

since I was in junior high, when my earliest entrepreneurial and

salesmanship efforts had begun.” As a person who had pretty

much framed all of life in the context of business, entrepreneuri-

al ideas and efforts (and money and stuff that goes along with

success in that arena) and wanted to get much more connected to

God, the details about Rajasi were an awesome God-send.

I was so happy to learn about a God-focused, highly spiritually

advanced man who was born in America, like me—and he was a

Caucasian, like me—and he was entrepreneurial and had an ad-

venturous approach to business—like me. And he had a very

substantial degree of material success, which was not like me,

but I had always aspired toward that. He was and is my greatest

example of what is possible regarding a life of material, finan-

cial, business success, combined with leading a highly God-

Master & Rajasi


The Sacred Mountain—Arunanchula

Arunachala! Thou dost root out the ego of those who meditate

on Thee in the heart, Oh Arunachala.

- Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

An Elixir Unending

Behold the rising summit emerging from the rubble of scat-

tered dreams.

The Light has cast illuminating rays straight to the citadels of

Remembrance.

The Truth reigns, unvanquished, austere in splendor over all!

Behold the beginning, ever pristine and unsullied. In this Light

you are forever enthroned, with everlasting blessings from on

High. Deeper and deeper still the roots hold fast.

I walk with you now, night and day—an elixir unending!

– Received in obeisance by Rebecca Barnowe

http://www.crossandlotus.com/Journal/2016/Rajasi_Janakananda_by_Rick_Bohr.pdf


28 Days Around the Hill By Rebecca Harvey

In November, I had the privilege of returning to Ramana Ash-

ram, in Tiruvannamalai, South India. I had been there twice be-

fore, first for a couple of days, then for two weeks. On this third

trip, I determined to devote the entire month to renting a room

near the ashram, and visiting it daily.

To stay in one place, keeping the same routine, alone and quiet

was not an easy time for me. I am used to variety in the week,

lots of activity to engage in, and many comforts to prop myself

up with. It proved both informative and quite unpleasant to be

faced with my self, apart from the usual buffers.

The grounds of Ramana Ashram are very beautiful. The most

outstanding feature is a spacious granite temple housing Sri Ra-

mana’s samadhi mandir. Hundreds of visitors, from India and all

over the world come daily to pay homage to the great saint, and

absorb the grace of his vibration which radiates out to all, with-

out distinction. The backdrop for the ashram is the holy hill of

Arunanchala. The mountain was beloved of the Maharshi. He

lived on its slopes for many years, and declared it to be “the spir-

itual heart of the earth!”

Ramana Maharshi encouraged devotees to walk around the

eight-mile circumference of the hill, a practice believed from

ancient times to be a potent spiritual exercise. Before setting out

on my journey, I pledged to make this walk every morning, as

part of my daily routine. That vow was truly tested as it turned

out to be a record-breaking monsoon season in South India! I

completed 28 walks out of the 30 days I was there, missing two

days on account of blisters caused by walking in wet shoes!

I returned home having had useful insights into my personal

fears and resistances. Above all, I felt a deep well of gratitude

for the abundant blessings which constantly pour out from God,

from each other, and from our beloved Gurus.

Jai Guru!


focused life that could please God and Gurus.

Here are some examples of details in the book that inspire and

motivate me, regarding his business and academic life—I espe-

cially love this sweet comment from the bio portion:

Conditions at his home were not favorable, so he arose ear-

ly each morning and went to his office to meditate. To insure

that he was not interrupted, he would leave a note on his sec-

retary’s desk, which she would see when she came to work:

“I am in conference. Please do not disturb.” He smiled when

he once said “of course, I never let on that I was ‘in-

conference’ with God.”

As I read about Rajasi I developed a realization as to how in-

strumental he was for carrying out Master’s material dreams.

Here is a quote from Master, about Rajasi:

I asked Divine Mother—I tell you actually, I prayed—for

a saintly businessman who would act as a divine comrade to

serve this work as his own work. Divine Mother consented,

for you had been born for this purpose.

By the time I reached the end of the book it was clear that he

not only supported Master in material ways in America and In-

dia, but he was also held in the very highest regard personally

and as a God-focused man by Master:

You have served as one of the greatest instruments to bring

East and West together, and I have made a place for you in

heaven where you will sit by me and Lahiri Mahasaya.

As David has taught me, it is possible to have a clean, honest,

helpful business with a mind and heart toward service and to

earn a decent or very good income and have some level of com-

fort, fun and pleasure. The fact that Rajasi had achieved a quali-

ty, highly profitable business, while simultaneously being close-

ly connected to Master and being his biggest financial supporter,

has helped me so much.

Rajasi is my mentor in business and regarding my intention

and desire for becoming increasingly connected to God, while

owning and operating a business. If this article has inspired you

to read the book, Carla has some free copies available.


Padre Pio By Travis Raney

Francesco Forgione, was born May 25th, 1887, in Pietrelcina,

Italy. At age 23 he had completed the seven-year studies neces-

sary to become a priest and was ordained. Padre Pio was a

devout disciple of Christ from an early age, and exemplified the

virtues of obedience, humility, and charity. His compassion and

fervent prayers for the poor were so ceaseless that his petitions

were answered by a vision of Jesus. In this vision Jesus appeared

to him with fire emanating forth from the marks of the

crucifixion. This divine fire touched Padre Pio’s hands, feet and

side, along with the unspoken words “I unite you with my

passion.” The marks of the crucifixion would remain for the next

50 years. In addition to the physical pain he bore, the psycholog-

ical difficulties associated with the stigmata would prove to be

an equal burden; a burden he would carry for those he loved so

dearly.

Fr. Charles Mortimer Carty’s biography of Padre Pio* made it

into the list of top three books I have read. And the movie “Padre

Pio—Miracle Man,” is one of the only movies that I liked better

than the book. Produced in Italy, in Italian, with a wonderful cast

of actors, and with the most beautiful landscapes and sound-

tracks, make this my favorite movie of all time, hands down.

The day I graduated as an RN the daily devotional that I re-

ceive from Franciscan Media was entitled “Medicinal Love.”

This was an excerpt from The Joyful Spirit of Padre Pio and

reads as follows: “Lord, when I help someone who is ill, let me

never forget that love is the most important medicine. And when

I am ill, Lord, please send me medical men and women who are

not only wise and skilled but filled with love.”

It is a great mystery to know that God is with us at all times;

whether we feel close to Him or not, He is present within us, as

are the saints who are in Him, cheering us on in our victories and

expressing compassion towards us when we forget who we

really are. * Padre Pio: The Stigmatist by Charles Mortimer Carty published 1992.


At Anandashram, India

I was very grateful that the Swamis at Anandashram gave their

blessings for a celebration of Mother on her Mahasamadhi Day.

As plans were made more opportunities for her to be honored

were presented until my day was full from morning until evening

in that service—a perfect way for me to keep my mind on my

beloved guru and my heart filled with her divine love.

Early in the morning

of January 31 Moth-

er’s picture (which

usually hangs in the

canteen) was installed

between Papa and

Mataji’s images in the

Bhajan Hall, a beauti-

ful arrangement of

flowers placed before her and her photo garlanded. Devotees

paid their respects during the morning flower offering. Prasad

was distributed in her honor at lunch, in the afternoon to the chil-

dren and workers, and in the evening after the Arati. The cards

we had printed were also handed out. I lit the lamp during the

noontime Arati and led the evening Ramnam session in the Bha-

jan Hall. Two days before, during the afternoon satsang session,

I read a writing of David’s, talked about Mother and answered

questions. Many said that they felt Mother’s presence and

learned more about her life and teachings.


Mahasamadhi Day Celebrations By Cate Koler

On Camano Island, USA

On January 31, devotees gathered at the home of Yogacharya

David and Carla to celebrate the Silver Anniversary of Mother’s

Mahasamadhi. David gave a talk and then all enjoyed a potluck

lunch. Here is an excerpt from a post by Davidji:

…What stands out most for me from the day is the

feeling of Mother’s presence; her thoughts and her love

pervading the Service and the day. I had the thought that

I should say something about Mother’s place in history

and her role in the evolution of world-consciousness, but

in the moment that seems distant compared to her loving

intimate divine presence, the cherished merging of Guru

and disciple.

This memorial card was given out to devotees here and in India.


Whoever does not meditate, is like someone who

doesn’t look in the mirror before going out, doesn’t bother

to see if he’s tidy, and may go out dirty without knowing

it. The person who meditates and turns his mind to God,

who is the mirror of the soul, seeks to know his faults,

tries to correct them, moderates his impulses, and puts his

conscience in order. – St. Padre Pio

Padre Pio - Pencil drawing by Travis Raney, 2015


25th Anniversary

of Mother’s Mahasamadhi January 31, 1991—January 31, 2016

Dearest Mother,

You left the body 25 years ago but live forever in our hearts!


The Cross and The Lotus

Uniting East and

West: “All religions

are the story of man’s

evolution from the

human to the divine.”

Documents

The Cross and The Lotus Journal · promote God-realization. Our spiritual lineage begins with Jesus Christ and Babaji and flows down to us through Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar,