Saints of SRF: Rajasi has a LOT of Baggage

Book Review: Part Five

A Paramahansa Yogananda Trilogy of Divine Love

by: Durga Mata

"Master did not allow Rajasi to carry light or heavy weights"

Durga Mata (page 41)

BAGGAGE

Durga would have to carry Rajasi's heavy suitcases, food crates (he ate special foods) and other items from the car and up the stairs.

Alone.

 Yogananda and Rajasi were too spiritually advanced to carry luggage or help.

"Most of the time the loads far exceeded my strength." 

Sister Gyanamata often told her: "When I see you bent with such heavy loads, my heart was prone to rebellion, but my mind quickly told me that Master's blessings are upon you for this service no matter how heavy they are."

-Durga (page 41)-

While Sister Gyanamata felt sympathy for her, apparently the two men (who were able bodied Yogi-Christs) had no problem sitting on their tushies while Durga lugged their junk up the stairs. Ommm...

Yogananda told Durga that if she rebelled it would reflect badly on him. When it came to Rajasi everyone had to walk on eggshells to please him and stay "In Character". 

In my opinion it was at this time that the spiritual "training" became the practice of putting on spiritual airs and piousness, which is still very evident in the organization today.

YOUR MOTHER DOESN'T  WORK HERE. 

"I remember one day I did not pick up a beach towel Rajasi used to lie on the lawn, which he had left after he had come in the house in the evening. Later, Master told me that Rajasi had complained about it to him. I answered, "My gosh Sir, can't he even pick up one little towel for himself?" Master gently explained to me that he had advised Rajasi to help me instead of complaining, and Master pointed out the wisdom of his advice, "Whatever you do reflects on me, for he complained to me and I got the rebuff not you." Thereafter, I was extremely careful that Master would not have to go through that again."

-Durga (page 41)-

When I was in SRF I remember stories about the harsh discipline the disciples received. I remember one story where Yogananda wrapped a turban around a monks head and shouted "Look at the great Swami, everyone look at him!" He did this to make this man humble and submissive, yet when it came to stuff like Rajasi and the towel, Yogananda is kissing Rajasi's rumpus. Why didn't Yogananda wrap the towel around Rajasi's head and shout "Look at the great Swami"? Why didn't Rajasi need to learn humility? Was it his multi-million dollars worth of spiritually enlightened yogi-Christness? I leave it to the reader to decide...

GIDGET AND MOONDOGGY HIT THE BEACH

Whenever Rajasi went down to the beach to swim (which was everyday) Durga would have to go along to carry his towel and lotion. She also had to protect him from his "Accident Karma" which Yogananda SAID Rajasi had (????) and people who were after his money. It was a good thing too, because after one disciple left, Yogananda revealed that the man was after Rajasi's money and had planned to blackmail him. If Rajasi had been left alone then this man would have succeeded in the plan. Luckily Rajasi was not left alone, so none of the bad devotees could approach him. He was saved by Yogananda (according to Yogananda). Hurray!!

"He (Rajasi) always went down our stairway...My legs would tremble so it seemed at times I would not make it back up again."

Though Durga asked many times to be released from this duty, Yogananda told her he could not trust anyone else to do it.

BROWN PAPER PACKAGES TIED UP WITH STRINGS, THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

" Replenishing Rajasi's toilet articles and food stuff does not sound like it would be such a chore, but it turned out that everything he used was a hard item to get or only particular stores carried them, etc., and I had to walk miles from one store to the other to find them."

-Durga (page 42)

Rajasi told her:

"I like good things and they are expensive."

Ooh-La-La!!

"Master was afraid because I handled Rajasi's money and lived in the luxurious hermitage that I would get luxury consciousness.

Simple, Humble, Monastic mansion by the sea

 During his June 1948 Samadhi ecstasy he was talking to Divine Mother regarding myself. I wrote it down and I quote, "I was afraid that luxury and money would make you luxury conscious and spoil you, but I now know that luxury and money will never spoil you"

-Durga (page 45)

Divine Mother told Yogananda that she was pleased with Durga's simple ways

PEACE AND BEST WISHES,

Katie