Self-Realization Fellowship Blog

The International Headquarters of Self-Realization Fellowship (the SRF Mother Center) was acquired by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1925, and officially dedicated by him on October 25 of that year. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Mother Center, following are excerpts from a talk given by Sri Daya Mata in the Mother Center chapel some years ago, in which she reminisces about the early history of this center from which the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda have spread all over the world. These excerpts were published in the 2024 annual issue of Self-Realization, the magazine founded by Paramahansaji in 1925 as well. 

In this post, Daya Mata at times refers to Paramahansa Yogananda, guru and founder of SRF, as “Master,” a reverential term for one’s guru and for one who has achieved self-mastery; or as “Guruji,” the suffix ji denoting respect in India.

The story of Gurudeva Paramahansa Yogananda’s worldwide mission — and certainly of his establishing our headquarters on Mount Washington — is one of loving sacrifice and undeterred faith in God.

As you have read in his autobiography, on the very day in 1920 that God showed him in samadhi that he was to come to America, he departed his beloved school and ashram at Ranchi — no preparation, no plans for how he would accomplish what God was asking of him; he just left. That was his way: complete surrender to God. Guruji knew no one in this country when he first arrived. But he had divine enthusiasm, and a childlike trust in God that was so complete, so pure — and a great spiritual magnetism, which drew souls to him wherever he went.
 

Arriving in the City of Angels

In 1924, after spending successful years teaching in Boston and other East Coast cities, he began the first of many cross-continental lecture tours. Los Angeles was the final destination on this trip; he arrived here in January of 1925.

At the end of that lecture series, Guruji said to some of the disciples who were helping him: “Let us look for a place here in Los Angeles, the City of Angels, where we can establish a center. I find a very wonderful spiritual vibration here.” He often said throughout the years that Los Angeles was the Banaras of America in its spiritual potential — a great compliment to this city to be compared to that holy city of India.

Some efforts were made to find a suitable site for a center. One day Guruji and a few of his students drove up the winding road that led to the top of Mount Washington to see a property that was for sale. It was a small wood frame building (later used as a branch of the local library) on San Rafael Avenue. Master took one disinterested look at that little house and rejected it outright as a possibility. His companions argued that it would be ideal, but to Guruji their perspective was too limited. He was expansive and farseeing in his thinking; also, he knew that God had something better in mind for the work!
 

“This Place Feels Like Ours!”

As they were leaving they passed these grounds, which had caught Master’s eye on the way up. He insisted that the car be stopped so he could look at the property — a large old building that was once the fashionable Mount Washington Hotel. (It had been famous in an earlier era of Los Angeles, a resort where people would come to get away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. Mount Washington was almost a wilderness area then. People came here on vacation, just as they now go to the desert or some other scenic location. Some of the champion tennis players of the day used to have exhibition tennis matches here, on the tennis court below the main drive.)

“Let’s go in,” Guruji said. One of the devotees who was with him, a very practical-minded disciple, said, “Oh, Master, you don’t want a building that size!”

He paid no attention. He stood above the tennis court, his gaze intent on the building, and said, “This place feels like ours!”

The devotee put forth dissuasive arguments — the expenses of upkeep for such a large center; the problems of so many people living together, with each one wanting to go his own way. But it was not the problems, rather the potential that filled Master’s thoughts with determination and courage — and it took courage to follow God’s behest to undertake this work.

Unhesitatingly he chose to acquire the spacious estate. With the help of his generous students, and two mortgages shouldered by the Guru, in 1925 the Self-Realization Fellowship Mother Center was born....

Struggles in the Early Years

Many were the struggles Guruji endured in establishing this pioneering work. I recall a time when a mortgage payment was due on the Mount Washington property, and we had no funds to pay it. There was a very wealthy man from Milwaukee staying here then. Although he was a worldly man, he was interested in yoga, and had come here to receive instruction. He knew Master had this difficulty about the mortgage and approached him with a proposal: He would give the money to pay off the mortgage provided Master allowed him to adapt this unique teaching from the East to make it more commercially profitable.

In those early years we didn’t have a cent to spare. There were many occasions when our supper consisted only of lettuce soup. A lesser teacher would have accepted the offer to obtain the much-needed funds — and maybe try to get out of the agreement later. But not Master. I shall never forget the evening when he spoke to us about the man’s proposition. “This is Divine Mother’s temptation,” he said. “Here is someone who has offered to relieve me of the burden of the mortgage, and the worry of caring for this building and all the people living here; it would be easy to say yes. But I cannot compromise my ideals. Better that the work die than that I lower my ideals because of money.” And he refused the offer.
 

The Joy in Meeting James J. Lynn and Paying Off the Mortgage

Soon after this experience, in February 1932, Gurudeva gave a series of classes in Kansas City. One of those who attended was Mr. James J. Lynn, a wealthy businessman who was also a deep seeker of Truth. The moment Guruji saw him, he recognized this devotee as one who had been with him before in many lives. This was his beloved disciple who was later known as Rajarsi Janakananda.

At this point, Guruji had not yet found a way to meet the mortgage payment, even though the deadline had been graciously extended by the mortgage holder. In his generosity and devotion, Rajarsi Janakananda not only gave Master the funds for this one payment, but paid off the entire mortgage on the Mount Washington property. Because Master had resisted the earlier temptation, and had not lowered his principles, even as had Christ resisted his temptation in the wilderness, Divine Mother provided all that he needed, giving to him in an even greater way.

What joy we felt when the mortgage was delivered into Master’s hands! We made a bonfire by the Temple of Leaves, and consigned the document to the flames. Master, being extremely practical, brought a lot of potatoes from the kitchen, and tucked them under the coals. Then afterwards we sat around the fire and ate delicious baked potatoes.
 

A Shrine and Spiritual Home to Countless Seekers

So many memories flood my heart as I look back over my years in Guruji’s beloved Mount Washington, which he gave so much of himself to establish, and which it is our sacred privilege to preserve as a shrine — the spiritual home of his countless followers throughout the world.

All over these grounds Guruji meditated in ecstasy, often blessed with the visitation of Divine Mother, or our great Gurus, or other saints. In the Mount Washington chapel, a vision of Saint Francis of Assisi inspired his poem, “God! God! God!”

Here also he introduced the idea of devoting one full day each year at Christmastime to deep and long communion with Christ — beginning in 1931, my first Christmas in the ashram — and predicted that this practice would spread from Mount Washington throughout the entire world, which indeed it has.

At other times he led us in long periods of blissful devotional chanting, during which we were sometimes privileged to be the first to hear some new song of love for God he had composed.

Truly, the divine vibrations he left here are unique among all the pilgrimage places I have visited in East and West. In all these years since I first set foot on these grounds, I never come through the gates without experiencing a great thrill of joy.

We invite you to take a virtual tour of the Self-Realization Fellowship International Headquarters on our website. This “virtual pilgrimage” was created in 2020, during the centennial of Paramahansa Yogananda’s founding of SRF to spread worldwide the teachings of Kriya Yoga.