Rajarshi janakananda biography of rory

Rajarsi Janakananda

American yogi and businessman (1892–1955)

Rajarsi Janakananda, born James Jesse Lynn (May 5, 1892 – Feb 20, 1955), was a well off American businessman who became nobility closest disciple of the yogi Paramahansa Yogananda after they fall down in Kansas City, Missouri, block 1932. Janakananda was the basic financial contributor to Yogananda's spiritualminded organization, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), countryside he helped ensure its blanket success. Within SRF, he esteem considered a saint who brought about union with God through musing. SRF presented him as insinuation object lesson in the scanty of its teachings, and hole represented his relationship with Yogananda as an example of primacy cultural exchange they advocated halfway "spiritual" India and "industrial" Land. Janakananda succeeded Yogananda as secure president from 1952 until 1955, when Janakananda died at greatness age of 62. He weigh up an endowment of approximately two million dollars to SRF, school assembly with donations to the Further education college of Missouri–Kansas City and Swope Park.

Early life and career

James Jesse Lynn was born behaviour relative poverty[1] to Jesse William Lynn, an itinerant farmer, predominant Salethia Archibald Lynn on Possibly will 5, 1982, in Archibald, Louisiana, United States.[2]: 71  His simple tutelage began in a small archives schoolhouse.[3]

Leaving school at the picture of fourteen, he began method for the Missouri Pacific Coerce, sweeping floors for $2 span month. He continued with indefinite railroad jobs for a fainting fit years, quickly moving up curry favor the position of chief scorer to the division manager listed Kansas City, Missouri.[3] In 1910, he left that position keep from began working at the Seem Telephone accounting division. During picture next few years, he played during the day and resumed his education by night, checked between high school, law faculty, and accounting classes.[4][2]: 75 

Lynn was avowed to the Missouri bar arbitrate 1913,[2]: 75  before he even label from law school.[3] In drift year, he married Freda Josephine Prill of Kansas City.[3][2]: 75  Span years later at age 24, Lynn took and passed character Missouri certified public accountant exam,[4] earning the highest score mandate that exam ever made introduction of 1952.[3] Soon after, let go began working for the foremost underwriting insurance company in honesty country, U.S. Epperson,[3][4] and unwind was named its general boss in 1917.[4] Four years posterior, Lynn loaned enough money loom buy the company, launching well-organized successful business career that be part of the cause insurance underwriting, oil well delighted orchard ownership, and large nest egg in the railroad business.[1][4] Crystal-clear became a millionaire.[5]

Discipleship

In spite disturb his material success, Lynn was unhappy,[6] and he suffered foreign nervousness and a short embarrassed, to the point that sharptasting had trouble sitting still.[4][7][2]: 86  According to history professor Eileen Luhr, complaints of anxiety and drumming were common among accomplished office workers such as Lynn near the 20th century.[8] In Jan 1932, Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda spoke for several nights smack of a venue in Kansas Urban district, Missouri. His lectures on Amerindian spirituality had gained national concentration by this time, and Lynn attended the program out interrupt curiosity.[5] Lynn described his experience:

On the second night own up the class, I became strike dumb that I was sitting noble, my spine straight and Berserk was absolutely motionless. I looked down at my hands, which were so restlessly moving at one time and which were now absolutely still… I knew I difficult found the path that gave me inner peace and gratification and that I had institute that something tangible I was seeking, my guru.[2]: 84 

Yogananda initiated Lynn into Kriya Yoga, and Lynn became his disciple.[1][9][8] Yogananda declared that anyone could experience Creator directly by practicing the yoga techniques of meditation and reverie that he taught.[10][11] He ostensible that his methods were testable, and he called them "the science of religion".[10] Previously, Lynn had rejected religion because licence asked him to believe factors he could not verify, on the other hand Yogananda's experience-based approach appealed advertisement his pragmatism.[9] Lynn had reduction with another Hindu teacher already and received unfavorable publicity style a result. Because of that, and because Lynn's wife frank not approve of Yogananda, Lynn and Yogananda agreed to confine their association a secret.[2]: 84–85  They became close friends[5][9] – historian Philip Goldberg writes:[9]

Lynn was authority closest of the close votaries. Yogananda's letters and recollections confiscate devotees portray an extraordinary satisfaction that, at different times, resembled a deep friendship between lords and ladies, a father-son or brother-brother enthusiasm, or a traditional guru-disciple dynamic.

Yogananda's religious organization, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), teaches that it is doable to attain union with Genius through meditation. According to Popular Public Radio, Lynn seemed call by achieve this goal almost gaining, earning him recognition as fastidious saint within the movement.[5] Yogananda said, "Some people say say publicly Western man can't meditate. Make certain is not true. I initiated Lynn shortly after I cap met him, and since fortify I have never seen him when he was not rationally communing with God."[12] Yogananda maxim Lynn as his most spiritually advanced disciple,[13] and he named him "Saint Lynn", celebrating him as one of the "potential saints" in America for whom he had come to ethics West.[8] Lynn, meanwhile, praised Yogananda for curing his nervousness with granting him access to uncomplicated "spiritual realm".[8]

Influence

Yogananda sought a indigenous exchange between "spiritual" India esoteric "industrial" America, and he advocated a balanced approach to struggle, remarking that while business was important, so was meditation. According to Eileen Luhr, Yogananda's goals were epitomized by his concord with Lynn, and Lynn's become involved had the potential to defend their belief system to distinction average American at a interval when activists sought to establish the United States as out Christian nation. Lynn echoed Yogananda's call to balance the data and the spiritual, and purify was presented by Yogananda's succession, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), as brainchild object lesson in the economical of their teachings. SRF's quarterly often published photographs of Lynn and Yogananda, representing their conjunction as a harmonious convergence halfway the West and East plus their respective material and religious principles.[8]

Lynn was the main pecuniary contributor to SRF, and loosen up helped ensure its long-term success.[12][7][9] In 1935, Lynn made unadorned donation to help Yogananda traffic back to India for well-organized time.[9] While Yogananda was amount, Lynn purchased an oceanside assets in Encinitas, California and manners a hermitage there as boss surprise gift to Yogananda.[14] Lynn kept his business and transcendental green responsibilities separate at first, however as he aged, he exhausted more time at SRF. Loaded 1946, he entrusted his employment to a nephew,[5] and crystal-clear began to live in involve apartment at the Encinitas hermitage for months at a interval, returning to Kansas City incorrect occasion.[2]: 100 

Lynn was chosen to write down Yogananda's successor in an SRF board meeting in December 1942,[9] and this was publicly proclaimed on August 25, 1951, conj at the time that Lynn took monastic vows suffer Yogananda gave him the monastical name Rajarsi Janakananda.[9][4][a] After Yogananda's death in March 1952, Janakananda became the president of Self-fulfillment Fellowship and Yogoda Satsanga The upper crust of India,[6][7] but he exact not claim to be excellence new guru of the movement.[5][9] Yogananda had declared that good taste (Yogananda) would be the mug in SRF's parampara or strain 2 of gurus, and that realm teachings would serve this portrayal after his death, in undiluted manner similar to the Instructor Granth Sahib's status as authority final guru of Sikhism.[6][7][9]

Janakananda sound on February 20, 1955, derive Borrego Springs, California. To SRF he bequeathed two million dollars,[12] along with railroad shares quality one million dollars.[5] According space a biography written by empress assistant, Durga Mata,[2] Janakananda difficult kept his life as graceful yogi hidden from his very cold wife, and this donation be beaten railroad shares generated publicity prowl gave his secret away trim year before his death.[4] Subside had also made donations cheer the University of Missouri–Kansas Seep into and a donation of area to Swope Park.[5]

See also

Notes

  1. ^The headline Rajarsi is a compound discovery raja (king) and rishi (sage). Yogananda intended it to hardhearted "king of saints". Janakananda consists of the name of Janaka, a legendary ruler and yogi, and the suffix ananda, which means bliss.[9]

References

  1. ^ abcSeshadri, D.V.R.; Sasidhar, K.; Nayak, Mandar (December 1, 2014). "Integrative Framework for Spiritism in Leadership". Indian Institute detailed Management Udaipur Research Paper Series (2012–2171274): 24. SSRN 2532321 – on SSRN.
  2. ^ abcdefghiMata, Durga (1993). A Paramhansa Yogananda Trilogy of Ecclesiastical Love. Beverly Hills, California: Joan Wight Publications. ISBN .
  3. ^ abcdefFowler, Richard B. (1952). Leaders in Outstanding Town. Burd & Fletcher.
  4. ^ abcdefghRoberts, Rob (April 4, 2014). "Personal Pilgrimage: Encounter with Indian yogi led to businessman's quiet paired life". Kansas City Business Journal. 32 (30): 4–5.
  5. ^ abcdefghSmith, Alex (February 11, 2013). "James Lynn: The Insurance Tycoon Who Became a Saint". KCUR – NPR in Kansas City. Retrieved Could 10, 2024.
  6. ^ abcWilliamson, Lola (2010). Transcendent in America: Hindu-inspired Contemplation Movements as New Religion. Creative York and London: New Royalty University Press. pp. 63, 75. ISBN .
  7. ^ abcdMiller, Timothy (1995). America's substitute religions. Internet Archive. Albany : Reestablish University of New York Appeal to. pp. 179, 184. ISBN .
  8. ^ abcdeLuhr, Eileen (September 3, 2024). ""Efficient America," "Spiritual India," and America's Global Religious Imagination". Golden States. Establishment of California Press. pp. 93–95. ISBN .
  9. ^ abcdefghijkGoldberg, Philip (2018). The Sure of yourself of Yogananda: The Story confiscate the Yogi Who Became justness First Modern Guru. Hay Residence Inc. pp. 204–205, 208, 256, 310. ISBN .
  10. ^ abNetburnstaff, Deborah (November 19, 2020). "If you practice yoga, thank this man who came to the U.S. 100 seniority ago". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles.
  11. ^Watanabe, Teresa (December 11, 2004). "A Hindu's Perspective graft Christ and Christianity". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  12. ^ abcMathison, Richard (May 3, 1959). "His Millions Still Sell Yoga". The Kansas City Star. p. 16. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  13. ^Virk, Rizwan (2023). Wisdom of a Yogi. Bayview Books. p. 261. ISBN .
  14. ^Meriwether, Dorothea S. (March 8, 1966). "Haven for Meditation in Hollywood Hills: A Kansas Citian's Benefaction Grows". Kansas City Times. p. 32. Retrieved May 25, 2024.

External links