Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri) lived near the Hollywood SRF center in the early 60’s and knew many of the direct disciples of Paramhansa (Paramahansa) Yogananda. He learned many interesting stories about Yogananda from them which some in the organization did not like, some of which we share in this video.

See links to more stories of Yogananda, Babaji, and Yogananda's disciples further down.

One of Yogananda’s early disciples was named Brahmacharini Radhalila. She was a person with a very strong personality. And she frequently would say, during the last years of her life, “One day I am going to write a book called The Real Yogananda.”  She was living at the SRF headquarters, and everyone would panic at the thought of what she might write, because she was the type of person she was, and also because they wished that a public image of Yogananda be created that would supposedly fit in with people’s spiritual ideas. And just also with the image that they wanted people to have of him.

So there are a lot of stories that people have never heard, because of the intention that Yogananda be sort of a cross between St. Francis and St. Teresa of Avila, rather than the very unique personality that Yogananda had.  So here are some things that were told to to Abbot George by direct disciples of Yogananda who were there when these incidents took place that you might find interesting. Some devotees were visiting here at our monastery, and one evening he just started telling these stories. And we wish to share them with you.

This is the first of a number of videos we wish to share from conversations with Abbot George regarding stories of Yogananda, Yogananda’s disciples, Sri Yukteswar, Babaji, Anandamayi Ma, and other spiritual figures Abbot George met in his many trips to India.

You can listen to more of Abbot Georges’s podcasts on spiritual matters at https://ocoy.org/podcasts

This video include the following stories:
• Brother Bimalananda’s story of how Yogananda surprised the young monks calling out to him at his window.
• The special gift Yogananda gave to an overlyfervent “devotee.”
• How Yogananda would have fun with the disciples at Mt. Washington and how things took a surprising turn.
• How Yogananda would entertain visitors with a drunk act.
• The story of Yogananda and the oversized tricycle in a department store in Los Angeles.
• Yogananda’s mercy to a shop owner down on his luck.
• The SRF nuns with Yogananda at a roadside watermelon stand.
• Why Yogananda stopped driving a car.
• How Yogananda worked a miracle when late for an event.

Untold Stories of Mahavatar Babaji of Yogananda’s “Autobiography of a Yogi”
https://ocoy.org/untoldstoriesmahav...
Stories of Oliver Black, Yogananda’s Highly Advanced Disciple
https://ocoy.org/oliverblackyoganan...
Stories About Yogananda’s Second American Disciple: Warren Vickerman
https://ocoy.org/storiesaboutyogana...

#yogananda #yogis #meditation