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Letters to the Zoning Administrator Concerning SRF's Request to Create a Private Mausoleum on Mt. Washington Note: Opinions expressed in letters are those of individuals, and not of any organization To Whom It May Concern: You have also received a letter from my husband, Doug Stone. I would like to add some comments as well to the issue of Yogananda's body possibly being moved to Mt. Washington. Like Doug, I took the SRF lessons over 20 years ago and as soon as I learned about Ananda 25 years ago, visited here and remained.In contrast to Ananda's warmth and friendliness, I have found SRF consistently cold in the way they represent the great spiritual master, Yogananda. As a novice on the path with deep aspirations to tune in to Yogananda, I wrote many letters to SRF asking for advice on my early spiritual practices. Two months after writing, as a rule, I would receive a letter that read like a form letter: cold, distant, and inaccessible. My family has lived in LA for about 15 years now and I visit them at least 3 times a year. (My parents, in fact, live in North Hollywood, 15 minutes from Forest Lawn.) A highlight of my trip is to go to Forest Lawn, where I can sit uninterruptedly in front of Yogananda's crypt. I don't know the spiritual/religious beliefs or practices of anyone who will read this letter, but I do know the principles of religious freedom on which this country has been founded that make me proud, especially in my travels overseas, to be an American. My experiences of visiting Mt. Washington, of my letters from SRF, of every interaction I've had with them (minor though they may be) have all been the same: distant. To experience this distance in the presence of the most powerful shrine of my spiritual teacher - his body - would break my heart, and somewhat, my spirit. If his body were moved to Mt. Washington, it would be totally in character for the SRF staff to be withholding of this treasure; I can't imagine them acting otherwise. (Please read Doug's letter for these details.) Some years ago, during a rather difficult dental procedure, my dentist told me to think of the most wonderful, peaceful place I could imagine (because I was such a wimp with the dental work). My thoughts flew to Yogananda's crypt at Forest Lawn because it is the most special place I have ever visited. Please do not allow this location to be changed; especially to Mt. Washington. Surely you must be receiving letters about the horrid impact of traffic to Mt. Washington, the noise, the increase of pollution, the disruption of a lovely quiet neighborhood. Please add to these reasons people's negative experiences, including those of myself and my husband, consistently, over repeat visits to SRF Headquarters. Thank you for your time and consideration,Lila Devi Note: Opinions expressed in letters are those of individuals, and not of any organization |
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