By Swami Kamalananda
Excerpt from “The Mystic Cross” Magazine Dedication Issue
In the purest light of God-consciousness there is no relationship nor any bond as sacred as that between guru and disciple. Purely spiritual and divinely ordained by the cosmic law of self-unfoldment, that mutual bond of soul continues to guide and inspire the path of self-illumination which leads to absolute oneness in the perfection of God.
There are many self-proclaimed gurus. There are more who profess unending and deep devotion as true disciples. Vanities and emotions come and go. Life is the ultimate and only revealer of the truth. To live according to the light of God and soul is to fulfill the vow of perfect disciple and perfect guru. That requires the most energy, a tremendous intelligence, cultivated self-discipline, subtle thinking and, above all, great love.
Since his coming to the United States in 1928—in a life of ministry that extended over half a century—Swami Premananda arduously and devotedly worked to carry the light of the spiritual heritage of his guru and of the great souls that preceded him in the tradition of the Swami Order. He never wavered in his self-remembrance and adherence of his guru-disciple vow. That today we should enjoy the inspiration of idealism shared through the Self-Revelation Church and Gandhi Memorial Foundation is testimony to the wisdom and service of Swamiji and the noble souls who understood, embraced and served the life and goal of self-realization that he so purely established in our nation's capital over decades.
The many translations and illuminations of Vedic scriptures in the light of absolute monism; almost 20 years of weekly radio broadcasts; the receiving of the 33rd degree and jewel of the 33rd degree of Scottish Rite Freemasonry; and the chartering of the Swami Order in America are but a few of the unique achievements of far-reaching and enduring consequence that Swamiji offered from his dedication to further our spiritual heritage in America.
I am stating unequivocally that no swami has made such a profound and enduring contribution to American life. Beyond Washington, on the summit of the Stony Man Mount, beneath the crystal skies of Skyland in the most beautiful Shenandoah National Park, Swamiji dedicated a permanent mystic shrine of the Swami Order of India where devotees of all faiths—even atheists—will come henceforth to worship the One Absolute in the cathedral of Nature. Years later (in 1952), in the beautiful northwest section of Washington called Friendship Heights, the Golden Lotus Temple opened its sacred doors for all seekers of truth and light. It was an unprecedented and unique event in Masonic and religious history that a Grandmaster of the Light laid the foundation stone in a temple of which a swami is the minister.
May the light of God and gurus continue to illumine the path of our life.