Reincarnation (was: God Bless America)

[Guest guest]

Dear Jan,

 

let me take this opportunity to thank you for your great photographs and

haikus that I enjoy a lot. My favorite is titled, "Alone?", and shows a

mountain goat on a hill top. Even as a very young child I had always felt a

great longing for rocky peaks and snow-capped mountains, and as you are

saying, "a few fragments were recalled" of a past beyond this life. Though I

know a little more fully now, rather than speak of myself let me relate a

story that was told in my presence by one monk, Brother Anandamoy, who was a

direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda.

 

Brother had been with Yoganandaji for only a few month when he had this

experience during his practice of Kriya. (Kriya Yoga, as you may know, is

the meditation technique taught by Yoganandaji.) So one day while doing his

Kriya, this monk accidentally discovered the technique of viewing his own

past incarnations. While still engrossed in the experience, and enjoying it

thoroughly, he was suddenly interrupted by a call from outside. "Master

wants to see you immediately!" In Brother's words, "being the embodiment of

ignorance" he hurried straight to Yoganandaji to give him the glad tidings,

fully expecting a good dose of praise for his exploit. But even before he

could utter a word, Yoganandaji said sternly, "I don't want you to look at

your past incarnations. Do not identify yourself with the past masquerades

of your soul."

 

Take care,

 

Michael

[Guest guest]

, MikeSuesserott@t... wrote:

> Dear Jan,

>

>...Even as a very young child I had always felt a

> great longing for rocky peaks and snow-capped mountains, and as you

are

> saying, "a few fragments were recalled" of a past beyond this life.

Though I

> know a little more fully now, rather than speak of myself let me

relate a

> story that was told in my presence by one monk, Brother Anandamoy,

who was a

> direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda.

>

> Brother had been with Yoganandaji for only a few month when he had

this

> experience during his practice of Kriya. (Kriya Yoga, as you may

know, is

> the meditation technique taught by Yoganandaji.) So one day while

doing his

> Kriya, this monk accidentally discovered the technique of viewing

his own

> past incarnations. While still engrossed in the experience, and

enjoying it

> thoroughly, he was suddenly interrupted by a call from

outside. "Master

> wants to see you immediately!" In Brother's words, "being the

embodiment of

> ignorance" he hurried straight to Yoganandaji to give him the glad

tidings,

> fully expecting a good dose of praise for his exploit. But even

before he

> could utter a word, Yoganandaji said sternly, "I don't want you to

look at

> your past incarnations. Do not identify yourself with the past

masquerades

> of your soul."

>

> Take care,

>

> Michael

 

Dear Michael,

 

These stories just delight me no end. Guruji advising us to "forget

the past" takes on an entirely broader and more far-reaching

forgetting. So much for my curiosity!

 

Love, Peace,

Mazie