I first visited San Diego almost forty years ago and since have spent more time there, second only to the Tulsa area, than any other place primarily because it is the home of my first-born child. My most recent visit added a third experience with religion that I associate with San Diego. This is my second of three posts describing those three experiences and it is about my encounters with three yogis.
Let’s kick it off with another of the three phenomena, unrelated to my topic, that I call the San Diego trifecta, namely a Grunion Run:
When my San Diego son finished his fourth year of eligibility at BYU he was recruited to play professionally for the United States Olympic team in preparation for the 1996 Olympics to be held in Atlanta. At that time the team trained in San Diego and we enjoyed visiting him there and often stayed at a motel, Surf and Sand, between Pacific Beach and Mission Blvd. It was on one of those visits that Linda and I strolled down to the beach for a moonlight walk and encountered lots of people and lots of grunion, a surprise to us.
Of course, we attended the Olympics in Atlanta to cheer on the men’s volleyball team and see our son. We broke up our stay by enjoying the hospitality of three different hosts, the last being a college roommate of mine. We left his house with two books he recommended: one which I read on training for a marathon by Jeff Galloway and the other which Linda read, The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. Here is a video about his life and work:
From reading the autobiography she became aware that a community of followers had established a Self Realization Fellowship Temple in San Diego. After our son married and they chose San Diego as their residence in 2000 we visited the Temple on occasion and attended services there.
Here are the images at the front of the Temple’s hall for services, being the yogi’s spiritual lineage.
The teachings of Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India are founded upon the original Christianity of Jesus Christ and the original Yoga of Bhagavan Krishna (a diety?). The spiritual lineage of SRF/YSS consists of these two great avatars and a line of exalted masters of contemporary times: Mahavatar Babaji (not human? 1865-1931), Lahiri Mahasaya (1828-95), Swami Sri Yukteswar (1855-1936), and Paramahansa Yogananda (last in the line of SRF/YSS Gurus).
Each of these Great Ones played a role in Self-Realization Fellowship’s mission of bringing to the modern world the spiritual science of Kriya Yoga.
The passing of a guru’s spiritual mantle to a disciple designated to carry on the lineage to which that guru belongs is termed guru-parampara. Thus, Paramahansa Yogananda’s direct lineage of gurus is Mahavatar Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, and Swami Sri Yukteswar.
Later our daughter-in-law made us aware of the gardens overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Encinitas, CA that are part of the Self Realization Temple there. We have visited those gardens a few times.
Another yogi encounter I’ve had in San Diego was introduction to the Jyoti-Bihanga vegetarian restaurant by our daughter-in-law. It is operated by students of spiritual master Sri Chinmoy.
A favorite of mine that I have brought to College Hill potluck lunches is Neat Loaf. Here is the recipe, though I prefer to substitute rice and flour to deconstruct the Special K ingredient and seasonings in place of the onion soup mix. https://eatdrinkbetter.com/articles/neatloaf-a-tasty-vegetarian-vegan-gluten-free-fake-meatloaf/
Here is his website: http://Sri Chinmoy – United States Sri Chinmoy Centre
Even our most recent trip generated a fresh yogi encounter at Seaport Village in San Diego by the harbor was a man balancing rocks. I sought him out because I find the practice pretty cool but wasn’t prepared for what followed.
What more is there to say; yogis abound.
