Self-Realization Fellowship Blog

The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of Paramahansa Yogananda’s founding of the international headquarters of Self-Realization Fellowship — where he lived, taught, and communed with God for more than 25 years, and which he dedicated in October of 1925.

The historic International Headquarters of Self-Realization Fellowship, situated atop Mt. Washington in Los Angeles, has always been much more than the administrative center of a large organization. From the time of its founding by Paramahansa Yogananda one hundred years ago, the Mother Center (as it was lovingly called by Paramahansaji) has been an ashram, a “school of life,” a place of pilgrimage for countless thousands from around the world — and home to a diverse spiritual family of truth seekers and devoted disciples of the enlightened Master and his Kriya Yoga teachings.  

Following are excerpts from Paramahansaji’s inspirational remarks and invocation of God’s blessings on the Mt. Washington Center at its dedication in 1925. These words were first published in the article “At Mt. Washington With the Master and His Disciples,” in the 2024 annual issue of Self-Realization, SRF’s magazine “devoted to the healing of body, mind, and soul” — which was also founded by Paramahansaji in 1925 and celebrating its centennial this year as well.
 

Paramahansaji Speaking at the Dedication of the Mother Center:

I welcome you to our home, where truth’s spirit shall reign. You don’t need to be afraid of dogmas here. There shall be no doctrine of dogmatism reigning here. Truth drives away all dark and divisive sectarian dogmas. In the light of truth, in the light of tolerance, in the light of mutual understanding, I welcome you all.

I welcome especially all those who have helped me to build this institution, and I welcome every one of you who has cooperated with us in action, in goodwill, and even in thought. I thank you all. My part I am doing; it is up to you to do your part.

Let us cooperate in fostering here such a spirit of rational education that will enlighten the world — driving away and banishing darkness from all nations of the earth. In that spirit let us unite, let us join hands, let us cooperate — not only materially, but as a League of Souls; and upon that foundation a true League of Nations shall be built.

I will offer a prayer now — not a formal prayer but what flows from my soul. Please sit upright, relax your bodies and minds, and let us pray with united hearts and souls. Mentally join me, with utmost devotion, as I pray.

“O Spirit! Thou glorious shining Light, come, prevail here! Saturate us with Thy light of Truth; drive away all darkness within us by Thine eternal light!

“O Light Invisible, be visible to those who delve deep within! Come to our aid on this holy occasion. Light within us Thine eternal radiance. Teach us to hold the torchlight of Truth aloft, which shall cause all darkness to disappear! Where Thy light is, darkness cannot remain.

“Come, Spirit, come! Set every soul afire with Thy torch of Truth, that everybody will be inspired with the spirit of Christ — that everyone may feel that as Christ is the child of God, every one of us is equally the child of God! Teach us to remake our lives as Thy true children, even as Jesus, Krishna, Buddha are! They are ideal exemplars of Thy one universal Truth.

“Come, Spirit, come! Descend on the altar of our every cell. Let our blood be saturated with Thy power! Let us feel Thy living presence!

“Clothe us with the power of immortality, O Spirit! Clothe us with the spirit of service! Clothe us with the spirit of tolerance and love for all! And toward all those who think contrarily of us, teach us to consume ill will by Thine all-powerful love! Let us not concentrate on darkness, but on Thy light, O Spirit, Thine all-permeating love!

“Thy Love reigns within me. My soul vibrates with Thy Love! My soul is saturated with Thy Love! My soul blossoms forth from Thine immortal Being, the eternal Fount of Joy!

“Bring Thy light to us; bring us ever new enthusiasm. Let every day be a fresh beginning in Thy consciousness! Teach us to feel Thy presence every day in ever new and glorious ways — ever new joy! Unveil in us Thy living fount, of which whoever drinks shall taste the Draught of Life!

“Bless us, O Spirit! Bless Los Angeles! Bless my America, my India, my world!

“Bless us! Bless us! Bless us!”

[Later in the program, Paramahansaji said this about his vision for the Mt. Washington Center:]

Its purpose is right education, spiritual education. Right education not only cultivates the intellect, not only develops strength in the body, but fills your soul with the aroma of truth. It will enlighten your soul. This Center is going to educate you in scientific methods by which the body can be made whole, the mind more efficient, and above all you will be taught principles to adjust yourself — your soul — to present-day civilization.

This institution will teach you to go within and bring God without. Many think they have to run away to the forest or mountains to find God. But I always say that if seekers flee the cities and go to the forest, then we will have to build cities in the forest! The spiritual education that is going to be taught here will enable you to say to God, as I do:

“I thought Thy presence was by the brook,
Or far away in the valley or mountain nook;
But now I see Thee in every breeze,
And feel Thy presence in the calm moonbeams.

“Everywhere Thou art!
And most I find Thou art in me.
I used to think Thou wert far away,
But with the dawn of Yogoda* I know each day,
Thy power courses through my feelings, Thou art in my thought, Thou art in me.
And there, within, I shall seek Thee, feel Thee, commune with Thee!”

Above all, this institution is going to exemplify for you the means of living life according to the highest spiritual standards. Everybody must be taught to understand the “how-to-live” principles by which they shall automatically be happy. To be spiritual is to be happy; and those who are not spiritual are never lastingly happy. That is why this institution will vibrate this thought. My body might go, but this wish of mine will ever vibrate here — there shall be an invisible vibration that ceaselessly broadcasts: “Come! Come! Come, everybody! Those that are sorrowful, those that are sick, those that are lost in darkness, be healed of physical, mental, and spiritual sickness!”

* In the early years of his mission in America, Paramahansa Yogananda used the term “Yogoda” as a general term for his teachings of physical, mental, and spiritual development; and his organization was called Yogoda Satsanga Society of America. In the early 1930s he translated the name of the society to Self-Realization Fellowship. (The earlier name is still used for his work in India, Yogoda Satsanga Society of India.) From that time on, he referred to what used to be called “the Yogoda teachings” (or just “Yogoda”) as “the SRF teachings” or “the Self-Realization teachings."
 

The 2024 annual issue of Self-Realization magazine featured a section of articles celebrating 100 years of the founding of the Self-Realization Fellowship Mother Center.