Babaji and Jesus as Partners in a Plot

4 › 1 › 21

Jesus Warns
Don't Be Gullible T
On being very original, in part as taught by Jesus Messiah
Back to Babaji

Jesus Warns

against having other masters than himself, but that does not deter Yogananda

Jung gelehrt, alt geehrt. The guru Paramahansa Yogananda tells that Jesus is in "constant communion" with a secretive guru in the Himalayas and "have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age". Judged from Bible evidence to the contrary, the scheme looks highly improbable and like a hoax. So "Come now, let us reason together" in this vital matter to SRF members [Isaiah 1:18].
Jesus in the gospels says several things that cannot be harmonised with the guru's claims. He says he came for Jews only [Matthew 13;24], that salvation is only from the Jews [Matthew 10:5; John 4:22], and warned explicitly against false Christs [Matthew 24:24] and having other masters than himself [Matthew 23:8]. Yogananda presents Babaji as a Yogi Christ. Yogananda's guru words are preserved and propagated by Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), a California-headquartered, modern society set up in 1920.

Questions and Suggested Answers

Can yogis live very long?
There are many tales of such feats, and not just about Babaji. Yogananda recounts some stories in his Autobiography. [MORE]

Is Yogananda information about Babaji confirmed by Yogananda-independent others?
Yes, others have described Babaji and recount encounters with him. They include Lahiri Baba, Yukteswar, Marshall Govindam [A], and the head of the Sanskrit Classics in San Diego, to name some of them. [MORE]

Just how old is Babaji?
There are different stories of how old Babaji is. [MORE]

Is it possible to learn essential kriya without stooping to swear unconditional loyalty and devotion to six unmet gurus (the SRF Kriya Pledge)?
In Self-Realization Fellowship you have to swear solemnly for it, oddly contrary to commands of Jesus to Jewish followers not to swear at all. [MORE]. But you don't have to stoop by guru pledges to learn kriya. You can learn it in freedom. Kriya is public today. Satyananda's line teaches kriya. You can find it described in details in publicly available books, and learn it in courses, for example [Cy; Kta].

Does Self-Realization Fellowship teach proper methods in acceptable ways?
Some say yes, others say no. SRF imposes a "Golgotha pledge" on kriya-greedy ones, and does break with the kriya tradition's injunctions on how to spread it. AndYogananda did simplify methods and peel of others that are said to be essential for success in kriya in the tradition he comes from. Satyaswarananda exposes this very severely [MORE]. The Yogananda biography tells of his changes of kriya too. [Psy 109-10]

Is it possible to learn kriya without submitting to gurus that are to be classified as demoniac according to the Bhagavad Gita's chapter 16, verses 7-10?
In SRF and Yogananda's tradition that seems impossible, for several of the kriya gurus of that line teach the world is a swindle, an illusion, (but they not, nor their teachings). However, in Satyananda's kriya tradition you learn kriya in freedom.

How much do the New Testament sayings of Jesus weigh?
You are to decide for yourself. If you don't want to be a "sick sheep", take into account that almost all the words of Jesus pertain to Jewish followers of his, and that Christianity abandoned his deal in Acts 15 (and 21:25). And it is better to go for health than needing Jesus, says Jesus [Mark 2:17; Matthew 9:13].

What is a proper attitude to strange tidings of salvation as a gift only from Jews or as a set of self-propelling methods from outside the flock of Jews and so on?
It is not to discard a thing for lack of evidence, but to keep assertions in suspense (hold them at bay) in such a case, maybe mentally labelled as "speculation" or "hearsay" too. However, it is fit to judge the degree of probabilities in some ways and sift the evidence. Tales from many independent witnesses carry more weight than tales from one guru. Yet, tales form anecdotal evidence, and carry little weight as proof in science. Always consider the evidence. If it is lacking, ask for it. In science it is the one who claims a thing that carries the burden of proving it - of supplying good proof.

Guru Christs of Scientific Principles?

The suggestions above are to help against being taken in or fall under the sway of "Twin fools; the one believes everything, the other nothing." Rational enquiry should be welcomed as proper by a guru and his disciples who allegedly stand for science. And if a topic seems uninteresting, go on! That should be heeding yourself, your inner sides. Maybe not A sample from the SRF Aims and Ideals shows:

To disseminate among the nations a knowledge of definite scientific techniques for attaining direct personal experience of God.
To reveal the complete harmony and basic oneness of original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and original Yoga as taught by Bhagavan Krishna . . .
To point out the one divine highway to which all paths of true religious beliefs eventually lead: the highway of daily, scientific, devotional meditation on God. . . .
To unite science and religion through realization of the unity of their underlying principles. [LINK]

"Scientific techniques", scientific meditation", and "realise science through principles" are all there. The slogans are there, but SRF has lately been classified as a cult. SRF spreads Yogananda's outpourings and digressions through books and other means. That is what SRF is largely up to in actual practice, along with enrolling simpletons for kriya breathing.
A rather pressing question is whether Yogananda and SRF present their case on any subject in order, with integrity, clarity, simplicity, brevity, interest, and with no trace of pomposity, as Napley writes [in Scw 35]. Robert Barrass further says that explanation, completeness, impartiality, order, accuracy, objectivity and simplicity are basic requirements in scientific writing, and that considerate authors can be marked by appropriateness, consistency, control, interest, persuasiveness, precision, sincerity, and unity [Scw 35]. These are good ideals.
Barrass also tells us to study published work by others trying to do their best work, for "detecting faults in the work of others should help you to improve your own [Scw 35]." As a result we may revise our own work and arrive at fewer words, and, when necessary, provide observations and reminders that assist the relevance of the message. Bar charts and similar figures have not been used here, but they may often serve clarity of presentation.

Science of Yogi Christs

Self-Realization Fellowship holds many aims and ideals. Earlier they held different ones. They were formulated by Yogananda, and are now discarded by SRF, maybe himself too. That is what the guru's "no-fault guidelines" amount to. [LINK]
By following the link (or revert to the list near the top of this page) you see SRF speaks of "scientific" and "science", those dear words. They have taken to using bait terms that are thought well of. However, "science" can mean this, it can mean that, but is tied in with research, its procedures and equipment for finding out things by means of hypotheses and provings/falsifications. One of the first things one learns to consider is called "find alternative proposals". There are many good primers on how to do research. There are many sorts of how to do it these days, both qualitative methods, quantitative methods and various crossings or blends among them [cf. Scw].
SRF is not significantly marked by "scientific" of it in its activities. To the contrary. It has been established as a belief-system, a church or cult. Scientific activity, on the other hand, leaves you free to doubt things very well, by alternative hypotheses and stardard methods of investigation, and so on.
Doubting was not so bad for the disciple Thomas either. Thomas was helped by Jesus to investigate. The apostle Thomas was allowed to doubt, and basic research may be understood as doubt or questioning put into a system of hypotheses and means to test them out somehow, more or less, within bounds. A mature scientist may seem "cold-blooded" and not likely to be publicly fond of faith in his specialist domain. One of his desires or needs is more clarity through discerning underlying factors, perhaps.

Babaji on pangs and yogic science in return

Babaji sent his emissary for the sake of great men of science in the West, the Autobiography informs. The one that speaks first is Yukteswar:

"I have been thinking of the scientific men of the West, greater by far in intelligence than most people congregated here, living in distant Europe and America . . . They are the men who could benefit greatly by meetings with India's masters. But . . . many Westerners are wedded to rank materialism. Others, famous in science and philosophy, do not recognise the essential unity in religion."
"I saw that you are interested in the West, as well as the East." Babaji's face beamed with approval. "I felt the pangs of your heart, broad enough for all men . . .
India has much to learn from the West in material development; in return, India can teach . . . yogic science.
You, Swamiji, have a part to play . . . I shall send you a disciple whom you can train for yoga dissemination in the West. The vibrations there of many spiritually seeking souls come flood-like to me. I perceive potential saints in America and Europe, waiting to be awakened. [. . .].
Please undertake another task, . . . Will you not write a short book . . .?"
"Maharaj [great raja, great king, an appellative, or title given]," I answered . . . "Shall I be able . . .?"
"Babaji laughed softly. "My son, why do you doubt?" he said reassuringly. "Indeed, Whose work is all this, and Who is the Doer of all actions? Whatever the Lord has made me say is bound to materialise as truth." [LINK]

Yogananda formed "aims and ideals" after being sent to the West to spread kriya yoga. Yogananda seeks to unify or blend religion and science though a medley of words on the slogan-level.
In yoga it is still possible to study tenets and practice teachings as something like working hypotheses. This holds true for both Buddhist and Hindu yoga. What is more, regardless of age, sex, faith, or race you can get the same results by adapting this wonderful life-teaching - radiant health, increased energy and stamina, a more fit body, relaxation, improved concentration and peace of mind, says James Hewitt in his Teach Yourself Yoga [Lsy 23]. Hence, faith and dogmatism is not absolutely necessary for success in yoga and meditation; not even working-hypotheses. The cream of the teachings is to practice carefully according to one's capacity, and observe what changes may occur. So far as the changes get noticed and are beneficial, one may prefer not to give up the delicate practice.
So far as "original Christianity" is concerned, we should give the guru the benefit of some doubt or interpretation - but more important, to give ourselves the benefits of doubt too, so as to "When in doubt, win the trick," as Edmund Hoyle has it. Thus, make consistent efforts to remain free within to tackle things in your life well, be they called kriya, ujjayi, and so on, to your own advantage too.
♦ There are some things India should not learn from the West, such as corporate greed put into system as almost-above-the-law mercantilism, one of the greatest plagues of tomorrow. It consolidates abuses and dwarfs and limits the earth's resources. Watch out for it.

Don't Be Gullible

Believing as little as you can promotes soundness of mind if you learn to inspect fairly too. Beliefs as conform opinions. Some of them may work for good in a life, just as religious membership.

A belief comes from what you have heard or read and accepted as fact, but experience is something you have actually perceived. - Yogananda

Yogananda made his way into the hearts and minds of many hundred thousand Westerners. The following contains main sides to what he tells of the secretive Himalayan yogi that is called Babaji, "honoured father":

Babaji flies from place to place to play?

Babaji to Yogananda, according to Yogananda: "I am Babaji . . . Go to America. Fear not . . . spread the message of Kriya Yoga" [Pa 355]. -- However, Yogananda's biographer throws doubt on whether the meeting where this is allegedly said, took place. Based on Yogananda's writings in 1937, the biographer says, "The above article written by Swamiji [Yogananda] in his institution’s primary journal and his speech on the 1st of January 1937 shows that at least up until that time he had not seen Babaji Maharaj directly . . . Yoganandaji was a man who lived in the world of imagination and spiritual feelings. He saw some things directly and some things with the eyes of his feelings. Towards the end [when he also wrote his autobiography], he often did not perceive a difference between the two. In any case, in the perspective of a historical biographer, there is no believable evidence that the propagated picture of Babaji Maharaj was drawn from having seen the Divine Master directly." [Psy 99]
"Every man may find a way through Kriya Yoga . . . to feel spiritual reverence for all phenomena, whether mystical or of everyday occurrence." [Ha 338].

"Babaji is ever in communion with [Jesus] Christ; together they send out vibrations . . . and have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age. . . . Babaji realises the necessity of spreading the self-liberations of yoga" [Pa 307] ◊

"(The one we call Babaji) moves . . . from place to place in the mountains . . . he says "Dera danda uthao." . . . the signal for moving . . . instantaneously to another place." (The method is called astral travel.) [Pa 308].
"Babaji and Lahiri were omniscient . . . play a part in the human drama." [Pa 345]

"Babaji said," I am intending to shed my form (. . .) What's the difference?"
His sister: "Please do not ever relinquish your form."
Babaji: "I shall never leave my body." [He changed his mind. If you do that in a lot of minor matters it hardly makes a difference. But in matters of life and death it does.] [Pa 312]

Yogananda was asked by someone: "Why do you place special emphasis on Christianity?"
"It's the wish of Babaji that I do so . . . He asked me to interpret the Christian Bible and the Hindu Bible [Bhagavad Gita], to point out the basic unity of the Christian and the Vedic scriptures. He sent me to the West to fulfil that mission." [Say 19].

How few strong men have qualified

"Yoga has been known in India for untold millenniums." [Pa 337]

Babaji: "Bestow the Kriya key only on qualified chelas [close disciples]. He who vows to sacrifice all".
Lahiri to him: "Angelic master . . . increase that benefit by relaxing the strict requirements . . . Permit me to communicate Kriya to all sincere seekers . . . tortured men".
"Be it so." [Pa 323]

"Behold a circling mass of mystical light travelling . . . the flaming whirlpool" [Pa 311]

"Babaji consented . . . to assume life-after-life responsibility for the spiritual welfare of . . . Kriya Yogis . . . initiated by . . . Kriya teachers [Pa 323n]
In the 12th edition the note is expanded: "At first Babaji gave permission to Lahiri Mahasaya, only, to teach Kriya Yoga to others. The Yogavatar then asked that a few of his disciples also be empowered to teach Kriya. Babaji consented, and decreed that the teaching of Kriya be restricted, in the future, to those who were advanced on the Kriya path and upon whom authority had been conferred by Lahiri Mahasaya or by the channels established by the Yogavatar's authorized disciples. Babaji compassionately promised to assume life-after-life responsibility for the spiritual welfare of all faithful and loyal Kriya Yogis who have been initiated by duly authorized Kriya teachers.
Self-Realization Fellowship and Yogoda Satsanga Society of India Kriya Yoga initiates are strictly required to sign a pledge that they will not reveal the Kriya technique to others. In this way the simple but exact Kriya technique is protected from changes and distortions by unauthorized teachers, and remains in its original, uncorrupted form.
Although the ancient restrictions of asceticism and renunciation were waived by Babaji in order that the masses might benefit from Kriya Yoga, he nevertheless required of Lahiri Mahasaya and all descendants of his spiritual line (the SRF-YSS line of Gurus) that they impose on any who sought initiation a period of preliminary spiritual training, by way of preparation for Kriya Yoga practice. The practice of a highly advanced technique such as Kriya is incompatible with a desultory spiritual life. Kriya Yoga is more than a meditation technique; it is also a way of life, and requires acceptance by the initiate of certain spiritual disciplines and injunctions. Self-Realization Fellowship and Yogoda Satsanga Society of India have faithfully carried out these instructions handed down through Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar, and Paramahansa Yogananda. The Hong-Sau and Aum techniques, taught in the SRF-YSS Lessons and by authorized SRF-YSS representatives as a preliminary to Kriya Yoga, are an integral part of the Kriya Yoga path. These techniques are highly effective in raising the consciousness to Self-realization, and in liberating the soul from bondage." [Ha 313-14n]

COMMENT. (1) The SRF kriya pledge violates Human Rights Laws. (2) Yogananda changed kriya, leaving out essential practices. His biographer informs: "In order to spread Kriya Yoga, Paramhansa Yogananda adopted several variations to the original methods, upon seeing the average Westerner’s limitations in physical capacity . . . regarding the carrying out of yogic practices . . . Yogananda adopted a few different methods which no doubt produce results; however, it is not possible through these new methods to fully attain that which is spoken of in the scriptures in terms of Kriya Yoga . . .
The central or fundamental Kriya is the "Hansa" [Hong-saw] mantra manifesting in the form of pranayam [thinking "hong" as the breath goes in, and "saw" as it goes out of its own accord]. . . . One is only fit to practice the higher Kriyas after one accomplishes Khechari Mudra [which is raising the tongue to the soft palate - however, Yogananda dispensed with the practice, and so does Sunburst]. This absolutely essential technique is also not very easy to attain. For this reason, Yogananda gave instructions for higher Kriyas even without Khechari . . . this is not proper . . . Without Khechari, neither "Thokar" Kriya nor "Omkar" Kriya can be performed . . .
Yoganandaji has completely mixed the methods that are easier for Americans to practice and understand with the original and pure methods and techniques. And the possibility of practicing wrongly or being misdirected has remained [Psy 109-110, passim]."
(3) The methods mentioned at the rear of the long SRF footnote, are corollaries, and can be learnt elsewhere, they too, like kriya breathing itself. It is not secret any longer.

The Yogi-Christ Babaji to the master of Yogananda: "You . . . have a part to play . . . Some years hence I shall send you a disciple whom you can train for yoga dissemination in the West . . . I perceive potential saints in . . . Europe" [Pa 343, 345] ◊
Yogi-Christ Babaji to the master of Yogananda: "Will you not write a short book on the underlying harmony between the Christian and Hindu scriptures? Their basic unity is not obscured . . . show by parallel references . . . inspired sons of God have spoken the same truths (. . .) why do you doubt?" [Pa 344, 345]

COMMENT. The underlying harmony between two different religions with different textual bodies, is that they are both religions of man, and as such reflect man. Yukteswar's book is analysed here: [LINK]

The scenario called "the cosmos is the dream" is the thing to dissolve - yet all too few Indians say it that way

Lahiri's stately companion in the Himalayas: "(Babaji) effortlessly dematerialises the illusion of a cosmic-dream universe." [Think of that.] [Ha 319].

This survey also implies: (a) "A dreamt universe is the illusion to get rid of while we live here in this world." (b) "Fancied humbug can be dissolved without effort, as it does not quite exist". (c) "The illusion of a dream-universe is the central thing to dissolve to get stately again, says the master." (d) "And so on."

We are supposed to learn something from a table-essay. But that is not easy when what is put into it, teaches reverence for omniscience and things like that, and still do not have fit reverence for Jesus of the Bible, but fawns on him.
Anyway, the scenario called "the cosmos is the dream" is one of the things to dissolve in these teachings, but Yogananda does not live fully up to that. Since the world is real, according to the Bhagavad Gita, that should not really surprise anyone. "Those who are demoniac say that this world is unreal, with no foundation. The demoniac have no intelligence. The demoniac are always sworn to unclean work," teaches the Gita. [16.7-10, passim]

On Being "Very Original", in part as Taught by Jesus Messiah

The Grandeur of Going Forth as Very Original and Inventive

Why did Jesus warn against false Messiahs ahead of time when Yogananda says the yogi-christ Babaji is in constant communion with Jesus and these two have planned a salvation for this age, when Christianity tells that would be unnecessary, that salvation comes only from the Jews, and one is to have only one master - Jesus?
The Hindu swami-monk and emissary Yogananda claimed he stood for "original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ" [Pa 499], even contrary to what Jesus said - and not in consonance with the first Christianity of the Holy Spirit and apostles, or New Testament letters, or the early Gospel of Thomas, for that matter.
However:

'Original' may not be taken to mean anything related to Christianity at all, because 'original' in some of its meanings is "new, not derivate or imitative but independent, inventive'.
". . . as taught by Jesus Christ" above can also be seen in another light: It can be taken to mean: "Be original. That is what Jesus teaches you to be." The question is: Does the gospel's Jesus teach anything like that, or anything that carries or conveys such grandeur?

First, in the Old Testament, which Jesus said was to be valid a long time [Matthew 5:18], God called himself "I am what I am" or "I am what I will be" [Exodus 3:14]. That is to be original in a sense too." To grow to become more like God is an ideal to some. The parable of heaven as an impossible and originally conceived tree (mustard tree) could back up that view, depending on weird interpretations, that is. Heaven is inside, and let that tree grow to fulfil its built-in unfoldment pattern, where unfolding your inner sides and uniqueness in suitable ways is OK. Carl Gustav Jung is for it, and Abraham Maslow and many others, Carl R. Rogers included. In fact, if you take 'original' to mean 'unique', and allow yourself to think it is permitted through various gospel statements about the power of faith, belief, and John 14:12, you are in line with these eminent psychologists. Some of them also teach that unless you unfold your latent inner capabilities, something may go wrong inside yourself. Stagnation is not the only problem. You don't want to mess up your inside, do you?
In John 14:11-12 Jesus teaches any follower to do greater works than himself, in the right spirit.
Original Christianity means surpassing Jesus and his teachings, then, "as taught by Jesus Christ". Thus, Yogananda's grand statement could be all right - but depending on remote-looking interpretations. Anyway, congratulations.
♦ To be phrase-independent can show yoga grandeur.

Jesus the Back Yard Dummy?

There is one more thing: A "Jesus Christ" may have been conjured up as a dummy in the Himalayas or the back yard of a guru in India. Yogananda could have referred to this dummy, not wholly unlike those who ask, "Where is my Jesus?" and mean pants. Jesus pants with their "Follow me" on the back side do exist.
Is it reasonable and likely that Yogananda referred to the yogi's dummy, drummed up by voodoo or things like that? In the universe of the guru, know that what looks reasonable often is out of the question. But likely it is not. It seems that Yogananda believed Jesus was on his side after having a vision of him.
However, is a vision a proof? Hardly. Yogis learn to induce visions - can see what they want. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras describes such feats [ch. 3:32, 36, 37]. James Hewitt [Lsy, ch 10] elaborates on ch. 3:30, telling that the powers referred to in that sutra ("thought-thread") are the eight majestic ones. They include having all one wants fulfilled; controlling all nature; and having the ability to create. Yukteswar, the guru of Yogananda, lists them in The Holy Science [Hos 95]
That Yogananda while speaking of Jesus Christ referred to a back yard dummy called Jesus Christ of the Bible, is accordlingly possible, but little probable, as I see it. At any rate it would be misleading. That he induced visions and vision-entities by yogi skills, is more probable in the the light of his biography. [Psy 9, 112 etc].

In the Light of Bible Evidence

There was no "original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ". Even though SRF speaks of it, even in their official aims and ideals, Jesus does not fit into that ideation at all. For he said salvation comes only from Jews, he was for Jews only, he warned ahead of time against false Christs and having more masters than himself. [LINK]
In evolved Christianity, already in Acts 15 (and 21:25) the idea of Jesus of saving Jews only, was abandoned. Almost everything the self-proclaimed "son of God" had taught for Jews only, was abandoned then. What was left was no to blood food such as Brat and Wurst and black pudding - to rub it in - and three more no's within traditional Christianity and its variants. That was all that was left for non-Jewish Christians, the Bible says. Some unreliable letters were also amassed afterwards and spread in different groups. An example of unreliable content there, "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel . . . [2 Timothy 2:8]." A rather obvious point is that Jesus could not be a descendent of David through Joseph who did not father him if God/Angel were his father. [MORE]

Babaji above or before Jesus - a little faith miracle or flying false colours?

In SRF Mahavatar Babaji and not Jesus is said to be the Supreme Guru in the Indian line of master who assume responsibility for the spiritual welfare of all members . . . who faithfully practice Kriya Yoga [Pa 501].

COMMENT: First: consider what "assume" means. There are many meanings. They include:

Assume:: Undertake, usurp, pretend to have, suppose, to take over as one's own."

There is an interesting puzzle in this line of thinking. Some think that "assume responsibility" means "take responsibility", but how can that be? After all the line of Indian gurus teach the world is illusory. Accordingly, whatevery reponsibility they seem to take is illusory. Further, three of them teach the Lord is the Sole Doer - which spells something like "The Lord is the Sole Doer of illusory responsibility". "The Lord . . . does everything," decrees God through Yogananda, [Self-Realization Magazine, Spring 1972, p. 20], etc. Through others, however, God does many mistakes and says an awful lot of wrong things . . .
Why should God, that Yogananda talks of as the Sole Doer in Man's Eternal Quest [Ak], be the one assuming the final responsibility for a devout Christian through Babaji?
It seems to be time to wake up to this: 'assume' is not clear-cut at all. Compare another statement Babaji makes in the Autobiography of a Yogi: "The divine realm extends to the earthly, but the latter [is] illusory" [Autobiography of a Yogi, ch. 34. Wishful thinking is too easily mobilised in cult waters at any rate.

External or Eternal Communion: What It Means

Yogananda writes in his Autobiography

The Mahavatar [Great avatar, i.e., Babaji] is in constant communion with Christ; together they send out vibrations of redemption, and have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age. The work of these two fully-illumined masters—one with the body, and one without it—is to inspire the nations to forsake [such as] sectarianism.
The great guru has never openly appeared in any century . . . Babaji works in a humble obscurity. . . .
[Babaji] undertake[s] work which is concerned more with the slow evolutionary progress of man during the centuries than with any one outstanding event of history. Such masters always veil themselves from the gross public gaze, and have the power to become invisible at will. [Autobiography of a Yogi, Chap. 33]

Comment

Yogananda uses the term 'constant communion': The word 'communion' stems from Latin and signals something like 'mutual participation'. But the word has many meanings:

Communion is 'an act of sharing'.
If capitalized it has to do with a Christian sacrament (holy ritual), but Yogananda does not capitalize the word.
Communion means 'intimate fellowship'.

We will take a look at the first and third meanings here. Both Yogananda and Babaji teach the universe is unreal - a soap opera? And Krishna, who is also drawn in as one of the SRF gurus, teaches that those who teach the world is ureal, are demoniac.
You could profit from reflecting on:

What took Jesus so long to find a suitable partner outside the flock of followers that were allowed to do greater works than himself (John 14:12)?
And why did Babaji wait till the 1800s before kriya yoga was launched into wider circles? Think of all the lost opportunities during the 1500 years that went before it, in the light of "Lahiri initated 5000, Yogananda a 100 000." What a rather exponential change the world missed! If you say "The time was not ripe" earlier, prove it (Compare John 14:12).
Note that Jesus gave the secrets of the kingdom to his disciples, and they were to hand it over for nothing. You have to swear an oath to learn kriya pranayama through SRF. It seems wrong in the light of "for nothing" and "Do not swear" of Jesus.
Also, among the first followers and later, being saved is to be put right with God, to have the Spirit of God imparted. That is what Christianity tells it is about. There is no mention of anything extraneous needed.
There is also the view - from words of Jesus - that salvation comes only from the Jews, and there are no other masters or Christs one should seek salvation from. The scriptural facts seem to be that Jesus never said that delicate pranayama was needed; but that being saved is a gift of heaven. That gift is The Thing in Christianity, even its sine qua non (without which, naught, i.e. what is indispensable). [Mark 14:36, etc.].

Consider the textual evidence and these points as you will. What took Jesus so long to find out he needed help against his gospel messages?

Do Babaji and Jesus Take Slaves to Herd?

Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick . . . I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." [Matthew 9:12-13]

"If you are a Christian, you are sick," suggests Jesus. It may be to your loss, especially if a false shepherd comes around, one of those human wolves that Jesus in fact warns against. At any rate, the healthy ones do not need Jesus, says Jesus. So do healthy ones need a Babaji to co-Christ-lord it over them? Try to preserve some human dignity. [Kalama Sutta]

Slave-takers

Slave-takers are definitely robbers. Jesus says, by the way,

"No one can break into a strong man's house and take away his belongings unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can plunder his house. [Mark 3:27; Matthew 12:29]"

He does not say no to such activity - but then again, Jesus came for sinners . . . His claimed father, Yahweh, instituted slavery in Exodus 22, a lot of execution reasons, went for genocide of the Amalchites, and let us just say the slave-and-harem-keeping Abraham and his half-sister Sara were lucky to have sex before the Law of Moses came about. Had they been doing it afterwards, both of them were to be executed instead of hailed. Times change.
Slavery was not annulled by Jesus. When he vouched for the Law in Matthew, he said yes to such as "Keep the Canaanite slave forever" [Leviticus 25:46]. Historically, slavery was common among Christians till into the 1800s. [LINK]

Slaves are to submit themselves to their masters and please them in all things. They must not talk back to them or steal from them. Instead, they must show that they are always good and faithful, so as to bring credit to the teaching about God our Savior in all they do [Titus 2:9-10.]

Now, it is generally thought it is far better to be free than taken a slave. More important, it is a Human Right. That the Christian slave is "made righteous" may be of appearances -
You don't have to succumb to wild, wild guesses. Ask the ones who launch terms, to explain them carefully, and believe very, very little. That preserves mental freedom and sanity in the long run.

A Happy Bible Excursion

Barabbas was chosen, not Mary. Why?

The rather enigmatic mission of Jesus changed completely during his life among Jews. This we can inspect for ourselves by looking up in the Bible and read the first three gospels. We read his unseen father (that he was one with, he said) had planned to sacrifice him to free "crooks and bandits" that had him crucified - they were supposed to be God's chosen and stubborn people by themselves. Jewish authorities never wanted to have Jesus for their Messiah. Instead they had God the Son crucified as a lunatic blasphemer, as their Law demanded.
You know that you are not popular when people want you crucified and prefer a highwayman to live rather than you [John 18;39-40]. The enigmatic "king of Jews" was not popular enough to be deemed worthy of a life among "God's people", and after the crucifixion God's heaven-nets were cast elsewhere.
A main thing to understand is that the Father's Jesus-declared save-the-Jews mission failed. So did major decrees for Jews only, uttered by his own son. His doctrine was reserved for the Jews, he insisted. [Matthew 10:5; John 4:22]
Despite what Jesus had vouched for in Matthew 5;17-20, he waived ritual slaughter of animals that the Bible tells God Father had instituted by the Law. And he waived the cramped and rigid Sabbath rules that his Father had intended to be a main token of the right belonging. Yahweh was so strict in such matters that right after he had delivered the ten commandments, an old man who had gathered some wood in the wilderness on the sabbath, was killed for it. [Numbers 15:32-36]
Apostles of Jesus and the Holy Spirit soon followed up and waived the need for Gentile followers to be circumcised too [Acts 15], the other of the two key criterions for being God's own - added to the enforced sabbath rest. In the end it stood out that eating blood food was about as bad as adultery - and so on. [Acts 15].
And Jesus was circumcised, for that was the ritual custom. The Christ, the image of God or the highest representation, was not found to be quite good enough unmaimed: they cut off his foreskin. He was maimed to be one of them. In the end they got rid of him anyway.
♦ The cramped "God's people" found their "sure schemes".

"Fallen is Virgin Israel" - destroyed, and never to rise again

From the earthly ministry of Jesus,

"I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." [Matthew 15;24]

If by that he meant the ten northern tribes of Israel, God had already crushed and killed them all, say Amos and Hosea, and they were never to rise again. It is in the Bible. There were no such lost sheep to save, and to the degree he tried [Matthew 10:6; 15:24], he and his sent disciples were on a wild goose chase.

"I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel." [Hosea 1:4] "I will crush you". [Amos 2:13] "Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again". [Amos 5:2].
"You are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against me, against your helper. (. . .) In my anger I gave you a king". [Hosea 13:9,11]

As for Judah,

"Judah is falling." [Isaiah 3:8]
"I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, for the land will become desolate. [Isaiah 7:34]"
"I will lay waste the towns of Judah so none can live there." [Jeremiah 9:11]

It does not say when and for how long none Judah will lie waste and desolate and none can live there, though. At any rate, so many disregard the Bible's words that there were no lost sheep alive at the time of Jesus. Israel was fallen long ago (in the 700s BCE), destroyed, says Amos and Hosea, even though King David (10th century BCE) bragged, "The Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever . . . He was pleased to make me king over all Israel. [1 Chronicles 28:4]." Israel did not last, the kingship did not last, and 1 Samuel 8 describes the king as an enemy of his people. So why hail Jesus as a Jewish king?
♦ Don't always be deceived by religious and murky propaganda.
♦ Study to detect what is right, instead of just getting jammed.

Tricky salvation

Jesus held for a long time that his mission lay in reserving his efforts and so on for Jews. That failed. Even neighbours of his and his own family wanted him stoned. That failed too. In the end even the Father saw that his plans floundered, and then "the net" of Christianity was cast on Gentiles. That's how terrible things started to happen. Murders, Colosseum, millions killed with a firm faith that the end of the world was near - a faith that was wrong.
♦ That the end time that was near was a misconception among early Christians; it stemmed from sayings by Jesus.
♦ It is said it was the blood of the martyrs that built the church, not the blood of Jesus.

Will all our ritual prayers go unheard since God refused to answer Jesus in the olive grove and on the cross?

These are important sayings aligned with:

Jesus: "All things are possible with God." [Mark 10;27].
Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." [Mark 9;23]

So can God create a stone that is so heavy that he cannot lift it?
Towards the end in Gethsemane Jesus said in anguish, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." [Matthew 26;36-9 extracts; cf. Luke 22;44; Mark 14;35-41].
No, it was not possible, not with God.
The betrayer Judas had been hand-picked by Jesus and never sent to Madagascar to prevent a future calamity either. Nor did Jesus dispense with him in other ways when there was plenty of time. As he said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you" [John 15;16]. Do not ask why Jesus chose largely illiterate persons and a deceiver to follow him around, with all his foreknowledge and mind-knowledge. Feel free to do much better than Jesus on the word of John 14;12.

Don't freak out: It is better not to be in contact with a crook

"I will ask the Father will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth." [John 14;12-3,15 - Excerpts]. "The Spirit of truth" - it sounds so good. For all that, the apostles did not get it right even when they wrote of core happenings in the gospels and Acts. For example, Judas died in two different ways, it says. [LINK]

So, ardent prayers of Jesus were done away with; he was to be slaughtered, sacrificed for the sins of others, even though two goats rightly handled wold be quite enough on a yearly basis [Leviticus 16:21-22; 29-34]. Slaughtering an innocent for the sins of others, be it animal or Jesus, is a dismal, corrupt take, probably. The Norwegian poet Johan Herman Wessel (1742-85) wrote a poem about a much similar event: The people of a town executed an innocent baker instead of the smith who had killed someone. For the town had no smith to spare - and two bakers - and corruption.
♦ Things are finally clearing up, after all.

Those who hail corrupt ways, stay away from them

Normal people know that if a father loves his fairly all right son or is just, or both, he won't have his son slaughtered for the misdoings of others. We can see that Jesus prayed to the Bible God as "righteous Father" [John 17:25]. But see through the demagoguery: God of the Old Testament (and Bible) instituted not only slavery, but also a hard scapegoat religion with heavy butchering of innocents - prime cattle, other animals and birds were to be killed for sins, neglects and gross offences of guilty Jews. This went on year by year by year with no reneging. "Sin but let animals pay and feed priests!" In psychology, those who succumb to primitive scapegoating may turn into hard mental cases. It could be good to be warned.
The basic scapegoating plot permeates the New Testament too, with some obvious links to mental cannibalism in the sacrament: "eat his body, drink his blood".
God had Jesus slaughtered because of corruption, regrettably. Besides, there was no real need for man-slaughter: A couple of goats would have averted the calamity that year, if anyone had remembered what is in the Old Testament. Two goats were enough to clean the Hebrews for a year. "You will be clean from all your sins . . . it is a lasting ordinance . . . This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement [by two goats] is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites," the Lord commanded Moses. [Leviticus 16:21-22; 29-34]. Well, well well!
The idea behind sacrificing Jesus was to help criminals on and up. How many criminal activities today are due to that!
Few Jews converted to Jesus, so don't be taken in. God's plan may seem mysterious, cruel and corrupt, but it failed to the degree God really was out to save Jews by letting them welcome Jesus in the first place. But it did not fail if the secret mission of Jesus was to make the world a better place for criminals - sinners. The proverb has it thus: "He that helps the evil hurts the good. [Dp 122]"
You are luckily called to surpass Jesus. It is permitted, so do it for yourself. Consider the vast bulk of the Jews were never ever saved, no matter how Jesus yearned like a hen to gather Jerusalem's children together. [Matthew 23;37].
Heart-felt prayers were denied, but a scapegoating killing was welcome, nay, planned. We are also made to believe that Jesus knew in advance that Jews would refuse him [John 10;16-18]. Jews would refuse Jesus because he "misbehaved" against their Law of Moses with astounding success.
"The high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy. Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?"
"He is worthy of death," they answered. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him [well]." [Matthew 26;63-7].

Back to Babaji

The Bible teaches:

Jesus: "You have only one Master and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth "father," for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. You have one Teacher, the Christ. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled. [Matthew 23;8-12 (Excerpts)
Jesus: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." [Matthew 28; 18-20].
Jesus: "I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." [John 10;7-10].
"I am the vine; you are the branches. [John 15;5].
"No one can serve two masters." [Matthew 6;24].

Of course it can be done: Compare John 14;12 and do as you please. As for branches, they are free to adjust much, but depend on having a firm connection with a stem. If not they break off easily.
Goals to attain in a life may build up on top of each other. According to Dr. Abraham Maslow you may go for this and that by stages and thus reach fulfilments in a process called self-actualisation. It can be done, is a good and savoury message. Much decently had wealth may ease higher attainments as well. There is such a possibility [cf. Pusb; Zun; Rvl].
Operating contrary to "one master and gate, not two and six as in SRF" may be understood as extreme derision.
One should choose one's friends carefully, and Jesus came for sinners, not healthy ones, who absolutely do not need him, says Jesus. [Mark 2:17; Matthew 9:13]
Accordingly, healthy individuals should not need Babaji and Yogananda either, for they are in "constant communion" with Jesus, says Yogananda. And you don't want to be turned into a sick sheep, do you?

The Christ

Yogananda calls Babaji a Christ. Yogananda also defines the term Christ differently than the New Testament. The term stems from Hebrew "Messiah", the anointed one, and refers to an earthly king. In the New Testament the essential meaning is enlarged to include subtler sides of the universe, and the Greek 'Christ' takes the place of the Hebrew 'Messiah'. However, Yogananda makes 'Christ' correspond to something like Tat in one of the Hindu trinities, that of Sat-Tat-Aum, or is it Chit in Sat-Chit-Ananda? It could be both.
Anyway, there is reason to think of Babaji as one who is in constant communion with someone (God) that not only agrees to taking slaves, keeping slaves, letting innocent ones bleed and die for the sins of others, but institutes it by Law. Better stay away! "When in doubt, win the trick," writes Edmund Hoyle. Remember: The healthy don't need a doctor, don't need Jesus. If so, who needs Babaji who is said to be in "constant communion" with him?

Yogananda claims that Babaji sent him spread kriya techniques among affluent North Americans and Westerners, and Yogananda tales and teachings are what we have to rely on. Some run contrary to the teachings of Jesus. His salvation is no self-help endeavour in the hands of wolves, claims the New Testament.
♦ Do not let wishful thinking or gruesome painting get the best of you.
♦ "The terrible things that are happening . . . you will understand that they are only a show, a part of God's play." [Ak 264]
♦ To get stupidly religious often means getting duped, unprofitably conform and maybe quite idiotic too. You should not want that.

Literature
[A] Govindam, Marshall. Who is Babaji? What is his Mission? www.babaji.ca/english/babaji_2.html. Accessed 20 August 2005.

Ak: Yogananda, Pa.: Man's Eternal Quest. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1975.
Ap: Mieder, Wolfgang (main editor), Stewart A. Kingsbury, and Kelsie E. Harder: A Dictionary of American Proverbs. (Paperback) New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Cy: Satyananda Saraswati, Swami. A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya. Munger: Yoga Publications Trust, 1981.
Dp: Fergusson, Rosalind. The Penguin Dictionary of Proverbs. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1983.
Ha: Yogananda, Paramahansa. Autobiography of a Yogi. 12th ed. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), 1981.
Hos: Sri Yukteswar, swami. The Holy Science. 7th ed. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), 1972.
Kta: Satyananda Saraswati, Swami. Kundalini Tantra.8th ed. Munger: Yoga Publications Trust, 2001.
Lsy: Hewitt, James. Lær selv yoga. København: Hassing, 1966. (Teach yourself yoga. London: The English Universities Press, 1960).
Pa: Yogananda, Pa.: Autobiography of a Yogi. 11th ed. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1971. – ONLINE 1st edition
Psy: Dasgupta, Sailendra. Paramhansa Swami Yogananda: Life-portrait and Reminiscences. Portland: Yoga Niketan. 2006. Online pdf. www.yoganiketan.net
Pusb: Maslow, Abraham. Motivation and Personality. 3rd ed. New York, HarperCollins, 1987.
Rvl: Maslow, Abraham. Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences. Columbus: Ohio State University, 1964.
Say: Yogananda, Pa.: Sayings of Yogananda. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1958.
Scw: Barrass, Robert. Scientists Must Write: A Guide to Better Writing for Scientists, Engineers and Students. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2002.
Yn: Satyananda Saraswati, Swami. Yoga Nidra.6th ed. Munger: Yoga Publications Trust, 2001.
Zun: Maslow, Abraham. Toward a Psychology of Being. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1968.

Yoga Publications Trust. Information on the Satyananda Yoga Tradition. (Booklet) Munger, Bihar: Yoga Publications Trust, 2007.

   USER'S GUIDE to abbreviations, the site's bibliography, letter codes, dictionaries, site design and navigation, tips for searching the site and page referrals. [LINK]
   DISCLAIMER: [LINK]
   © 1997–2008, Tormod Kinnes. All rights reserved. [E-MAIL]