Thaindian News

Nevada (US). Jan 14 (ANI): Congratulating Sri Mrinalini Mata on her election as President of Los Angeles (USA) headquartered worldwide Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) and Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) of India, Hindus hope that she would further promote the ancient concept of “realization of Self”.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said: Ancient Hindu scripture Katha Upanishad points out that when wise realize the Self, they go beyond sorrow. Self is supreme and those who meditate on Self are freed from the cycle of birth and death. When one realizes Self, there is nothing else to be known.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, added that he wished Mrinalini success in spreading Parmahansa Yogananda’s teachings and wisdom about yoga, divine unity, etc.

She succeeds Sri Daya Mata, who died on November 30, to become spiritual leader of Yogananda’s worldwide network. Said to be one of Yogananda’s close disciples with over 60 years in the organization, Mrinalini, 79, born as Merna Brown in Wichita (Kansas, USA), has been Vice President of the Fellowship since 1966. She was a teenager when she first met Yogananda. She has made various visits to India to spread the Fellowship message.

SRF is a worldwide religious organization founded in 1920 by Yogananda, who is known for acclaimed spiritual classic “Autobiography of a Yogi” (1946) which has been translated into over two dozen languages. It reportedly has about 600 temples, retreats, ashrams, and meditation centers worldwide and has presence in about 175 countries and lays stress on Kriya Yoga. Its sister organization, YSS of India, founded in 1917 at Dakshineswar near Kolkata, reportedly runs over 100 centers, retreats, and ashrams in India and neighboring countries besides 21 educational institutions and some charitable facilities.

Aims/ideals of SRF include: to disseminate among the nations a knowledge of definite scientific techniques for attaining direct personal experience of God, to reveal the complete harmony and basic oneness of original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and original Yoga as taught by Bhagavan Krishna, to point out the one divine highway to which all paths of true religious beliefs eventually lead, to unite science and religion through realization of the unity of their underlying principles, etc.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. (ANI)