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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 Dear Mr. Brown, I'm writing in regard to Self-Realization Fellowship's proposal to move Paramhansa Yogananda's body to Mt. Washington. I am a disciple of Yogananda, and the opportunity to visit his body and worship there is sacred to me. Currently I'm free to do so (and have done so), at Forest Lawn cemetery. If SRF's plan were approved, however, I can't imagine but that my access to Yogananda's body would be greatly limited, and for reasons likely also to be concern for Mt. Washington residents. One reason is that the roads leading up Mt. Washington won't be adequate to transport the many people who will want to come to Yogananda's body. I'm a member of Ananda's community and retreat center just outside of Assisi, Italy. All the residents here are disciples of Yogananda. Year by year we've been seeing a steady, sometimes dramatic, increase in interest throughout Europe in Yogananda and his teachings. We've been expanding rapidly, struggling to keep up with the growing number of guests coming here. The same, I know, has also been true at Ananda's communities in America. This growth in Yogananda's following has been going on long enough that it's clearly no fad, but a long-term trend. Pilgrimage is an important spiritual practice for Yogananda's followers, and leading pilgrimages, in particular, has been a growing part of our work here at Ananda Assisi. The place of Yogananda's body is, of course, a pilgrimage spot of great meaning to us. All this to say that the number of pilgrims streaming to Mt. Washington if this plan were adopted can confidently be expected to be very large, and steadily growing. This kind of interest isn't very familiar to us in the U.S. It's a lot easier to visualize for someone living, as I do, by the mausoleum of St. Francis of Assisi. People come from all over the world -- in droves -- to worship here. Tourist buses are everywhere. Naturally, traffic up and down Mt. Washington would need to be restricted in some way. Whatever compromise that's found is likely to be unsatisfactory to all parties concerned: not nearly enough access to pilgrims, and yet still so much traffic as to change the face of the local community. A second concern of mine is that, given the need to restrict traffic, SRF will be only too happy to limit access by Ananda members, especially. Over many years now SRF has shown strong and growing antipathy to Ananda and its members. They've been trying for over eleven years now to drive us into bankruptcy through the courts. Their public statements against us have been growing steadily more strident, and threatening. And they have demonstrated their willingness to express their feelings by limiting our access to whatever of Yogananda's they control. As just one example among very many, at times they've refused to sell Yogananda's books and pictures to us. I hope that this threatened restriction of religious freedom strikes you as reason in itself to look askance at SRF's proposal: Though most of the worshipers involved don't live in your community, still, religious freedom is an issue that touches us all, perhaps especially in America. There is another side to this, though. The site of Yogananda's body is a shrine sacred to his followers worldwide. They would not accept attempts by SRF to monopolize access to his body. I see the potential for ongoing controversy -- not, I hope, as virulent as what one sees in Jerusalem, but you can see the possibilities. Mt. Washington's residents might prefer not to find themselves in the middle of something like that. You seem, as Zoning Administrator, to be in the middle of a hornets' nest! I gather, though, that it's not the first time for you, and that you're good at what you do. I'm glad! Thank you very much for your efforts in this matter, and for your consideration of my thoughts. I wish you the very best in your deliberations. Sincerely, A.H. Note: Opinions expressed in letters are those of individuals, and not of any organization |
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