On March 7, 1952, Paramhansa Yogananda left his body as he concluded a speech in honor of the Indian Ambassador at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Swami Kriyananda, who was present that evening, describes what occurred in his book, The New Path:

Master was scheduled to speak after the banquet. His brief talk was so sweet, so almost tender, that I think everyone present felt embraced in the gossamer net of his love. Warmly he spoke of India and America, and of their respective contributions to world peace and true human progress. He talked of their future cooperation. Finally he read his beautiful poem, “My India.”

Throughout his speech I was busy recording his words, keeping my eyes on my notebook. He came to the last lines of the poem:

Where Ganges, woods, Himalayan caves, and men dream God. I am hallowed; my body touched that sod!

“Sod” became a long-drawn-out sigh. Suddenly from all sides of the room there came a loud cry. I looked up.

“What is it?” I demanded of Dick Haymes, seated beside me. “What happened?”

“Master fainted,” he replied.

Oh, no, Master! You wouldn’t faint. You’ve left us. You’ve left us! the forgotten playwright in me cried silently. This is too perfect a way for you to go for it to mean anything else! I hastened to where Master lay. A look of bliss was on his face.

March 7, 1952, just before Paramhansa Yogananda left his body as he concluded a speech in honor of the Indian Ambassador at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.

Jyotish and I are now in the last few days of two months in India during which we shared Master’s teachings in many different cities throughout this wonderful country. We’ve connected with a great number of dear friends, some of whom we’ve known for years, and made many new friends of people discovering Master’s work through Ananda. What a joy it has been to bathe in the spiritual vibrations of India.

We want to take this opportunity to thank all those with whom we’ve connected. The kindness and heartfelt appreciation that you showered on us will remain forever as a radiant warmth in our heart. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with such loving respect, not for ourselves, but for the great master and his teachings that we follow. It was like a great dance of love in which God was showering His blessings down on His children as they gathered together in devotion and service to Him.

As I think lovingly of the depth and subtlety, the personal closeness and acceptance of others, the spiritual wisdom and teachings of this glorious country, my mental vision expands beyond India’s boundaries. Like a film camera panning back, I begin to see a family of souls with joined hands and hearts circling the globe.

I see those with whom we connected throughout Europe in the month before arriving in India—from Italy, Germany, Estonia, Serbia, Belgium, Holland, France, Latvia, England, Russia, and Ukraine. Expanding back further, I see the many souls in America who gathered together with Swami Kriyananda beginning some fifty-eight years ago and continue to this day to help him build Ananda in dedication and devotion to our Guru.

And yet, India is the starting point for human upliftment during this cycle of time. It was here that the science of yoga was born. It was from here that our line of gurus sent Paramhansa Yogananda to America to begin uniting East and West. During our time spent in India this year, I caught a tiny glimpse of God’s plan to help His children everywhere awaken from delusion. I began to understand Master’s power to create magnetic spiritual families to carry forward his work. I see that work growing in purity of heart, clarity, and strength throughout Ananda globally. Swamiji describes this expansion in The New Path:

The stronger the family, spiritually speaking, the greater its attractive pull on new souls that may still be wandering in search of an identity of their own. A family evolves with its individual members; at last it, too, becomes a “star” in the firmament of humanity, and begins to produce great souls of Self-realization.

As spiritual “stars,” such great families become powerful for the general upliftment of mankind. Like stars, too, they then draw “planets” of less-evolved families into their beneficial auras, vitalizing them with rays of divine truth. Such families are like mighty nations. To them is given the real task of guiding the human race—not in the way governments do, by official ordinances, but by subtler, spiritual influence.

So, my friends, my brothers and sisters in God, let us not limit our vision to our individual spiritual search, or to the challenges in our daily life. We are a part of a great family of God, come together to help others, too, to find their way to truth. Master closed his Autobiography of a Yogi with these words: “Lord, Thou hast given this monk a large family!” United in his love, let us carry his banner forward.

With love and blessings in God,

Nayaswami Devi

Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (09:10):

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