FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO GOLDEN LOTUS TEMPLE

Since the loss by landslide last year (1942) of the Golden Lotus Temple of All Religions at Encinitas, two new Self-Realization Temples have been born.

Self-Realization Fellowship had notified the San Diego County authorities for four years, trying to prevent the seepage of collected rain water from running under the Golden Lotus Temple. The Fellowship told the county authorities repeatedly it was going to hold them responsible if anything happened to the temple. Letters from the county authorities acknowledge the possible danger to the temple. They waited too long, fixing up the road and making a canal to the sea only after the real damage had been done to the temple.

Beautiful Landmark

The beautiful Golden Lotus Temple which was a landmark at Encinitas then slipped away from its foundations, due to a subterranean earth movement due to seepage of a lake of water under the temple.

Before the temple fell, Paramhansaji was tempted to hold a last Sunday Service there, but refrained from doing so, realizing that the weight of all the congregation might cause a major disaster.

He realized it was the purpose of Satan to cause him and his congregation all to go down with the temple. So he announced even though the Golden Lotus Temple was still standing, "No meeting for a month. Our next meeting will be held in the Hermitage Hall adjoining here." If Paramhansaji had followed his impulse of holding last services, the additional weight of the people would have caused the temple to slip immediately. Thank God that this was prevented.

With the help of his most faithful disciple, Bernard Cole, and a few other students, he removed all the valuable statues and gold drapes, carpets, altar pieces, chairs, furniture and gold lamps. Commending the temple to God, Paramhansaji left Encinitas. He told the building movers if they were late they could do nothing. In spite of Paramhansaji's warning the building movers came late and saw the temple fall in front of them. Paramhansaji called Bernard from Los Angeles shortly after and told him over the phone "All is finished," to which Bernard replied "Yes." Paramhansaji had seen the fall of the temple in vision.

All the gold spire parts and the lumber and some tiles were saved so the Golden Lotus Temple can be erected anywhere or replaced at Encinitas.

Encinitas is situated twenty-five miles from the city of San Diego. Thus people had to travel 50 miles back and forth for the Encinitas services. So Golden Lotus Temple, though extremely beautiful, was a luxury for those who had to travel from San Diego. But the Golden Lotus Temple was too beautiful for pen to describe. It was often compared to the Taj Mahal. A student once remarked, "It is just like seeing paradise without dying."

O thou Golden Lotus Temple of my dreams,

A paradise temple for all,

Thou wert too perfect and beautiful

To stay in an imperfect earth for long.

A war-torn world full of vibrating karma wrong

Destroyed thy delicate body.

Thou art gone

Thy memory lives along,

And many temples like thee

Will arise

Through thy crucifixion by Satan's hand,

And test of God in evil's land.

After the temple fell 20,000 people from all over the state were hunting for its relics. The Associated Press placed its pictures on the front pages of hundreds of newspapers in U.S.A., with a news story regretting the fall of the famous temple. Jew, Gentile, people of all religions, expressed sorrow and sympathy for the loss of this unique Temple of All Religions. In this temple there were a marble statue of Buddha, an ivory crucifix of Christ Jesus from France, a replica of the Last Supper in mother-of-pearl, a gold Krishna, and St. Francis' statue along with many others. It was the first temple of its kind.

God Gives Reason

Before the temple went, Paramhansaji asked God why He was allowing the evil war karma and Satan to destroy it. He got the reply, "Satan is trying to test your love for me. You love the temple so much; its loss will prove whether you become angry with Me and thereby show you love the temple more than Me or whether you love Me just the same, ignoring the loss of the temple."

Then Paramhansaji was inspired to write the following prayer to God:

"In health or disease, in success or failure,

In joy or sorrow, insecurity or disaster,

In life or death, I stand unalterably, immutably, Unchangeable, unconditionally loyal, devoted

And loving unto Thee, my Heavenly Father,

For ever and for ever."

Due to the extensive newspaper publicity given to the loss of the temple, many thought that Self-Realization Fellowship Church has nothing at Encinitas any more. It is not true; on the contrary it still has the twenty acres of land and the main Hermitage building with the guest rooms and various living quarters. The Hermitage, which is now called "Temple of All Religions" at Encinitas, has a big hall seating almost as many as the Golden Lotus Temple did.

Services are regularly held at Encinitas every Sunday. Paramhansaji Yogananda and Lloyd Kennell alternately hold the services. All the beautiful landscaped lawn and gardens on the hill jutting out toward the sea and other buildings are still present; only the Golden Lotus Temple is missing. So beautiful are the grounds, many visitors who have not seen the Golden Lotus Temple do not miss it and find nothing amiss.

Besides, God told Paramhansaji, "The test of Satan is My test. The Golden Lotus Temple was a personal gift to you. It purpose is finished and now that it is taken away from you, grieve not."

Many More Temples

So Paramhansaji rose above the satisfied thought of having already created the most perfect Golden Lotus Temple. He publicly announced, "The crucifixion of Golden Lotus Temple must be the cause for its resurrection and the birth of many other such temples."

So out of the death of Golden Lotus Temple two other great temples were immediately born.

The first was the Hollywood Self-Realization Church of all Religions. This is more beautiful inside than the Golden Lotus Temple. It has a stage with blue silk curtains electrically operated. The entire church is carpeted in blue, with comfortable opera chairs. It has priceless stained glass windows and dome. The stage and balcony are encased in gorgeous gold framing. The church has a lovely pipe organ. Paramhansaji designed this temple after the pattern of an exquisite small theatre. He always said that as beautiful expensive places are erected in honor of pleasure, why should not much more beautiful places be erected in honor of God and His worship?

The whole temple is reflected in a large pool filled with pet fish. It has extensive grounds with an arched gate. Here on alternate Sundays Paramhansaji speaks to rapt audiences. Sri Das speaks on alternate Sundays. The Sunday evening services are conducted by Rev. Yogi Bernard Cole and Rev. Francis Wakeham.

Special classes on the Patanjali teachings of emancipation are conducted by Paramhansaji after the Sunday services. Bhagavad Gita is taught by Sri Das after his Sunday meeting. Rev. Yogi Bernard Cole specially instructed by Paramhansaji, takes a special class in the techniques of meditation and life control on Thursdays.

This Self-Realization Church of All Religions is one of the most distinctive and popular churches in Hollywood. Everyone who comes here finds a homelike yet very beautiful artistic vibration. At the front of the church is a spacious lawn opening on famous Sunset Boulevard where thousands of cars are continually rolling up and down. Facing the church is the inspiring Olive Hill with a background of the famous planetarium and a range of beautiful mountains.

This Church is easy to get to, located in the heart of Hollywood, four minutes from N.B.C. and C.B.S. radio stations. There are two rental houses on the church property which help to support the Hollywood Church activities.

New San Diego Church

The second and latest temple to be born out of the loss of Golden Lotus Temple is a beautiful church in San Diego. Located on a horseshoe-shaped hill overlooking the city and the sea, it is surrounded by tall eucalyptus and pine trees. This huge cement building was formerly used as an educational center known as Bishop's School. It is now divided into apartments with an auditorium seating about 200 people. This is the most solid and strongest building owned by Self-Realization Fellowship.

The church will be far more useful than the Golden Lotus Temple for the students and people of San Diego who can easily get to the services shortly to be held there. Such students are overjoyed about the acquiring of this temple, so centrally and beautifully located.

After all, these two temples would not have come so quickly unless Paramhansa Yogananda had been spurred on by the crucifixion of the Golden Lotus Temple.

This new temple will be known as the San Diego Self-Realization Temple of all Religions. It is situated at 3022-28 1st Avenue (between Quince and Redwood Streets.) It includes half an acre of city property with street cars and busses passing in front of it, six minutes from the heart of the city.

Paramhansaji told Mr. and Mrs. Kennell, his most devoted friends and disciples, once when they were visiting Encinitas, "Go and search for a temple in San Diego. I feel God is going to work through you to accomplish it." It was through their utmost penetrating minds and search that they found this beautiful place as well as many other places in San Diego for the prospective Church. But when Paramhansaji saw the place on First Avenue, he said, "My mind does not go anywhere else after seeing the Bishop's School building."

Meetings Shortly

God bless Mr. and Mrs. Kennell for being divine instruments of finding this church and for taking care of it in every way. The announcement when meetings will be held will be shortly given. The picture of this San Diego Self-Realization Church of all Religions appears on the back cover of this issue of Inner Culture.

Here is ample space for the proposed erection of another Golden Lotus Temple of All Religions after the war. Anyone wishing to donate for that cause is welcome. Maybe an angel of God will come forward to erect this temple on a solid foundation. Anyone feeling inspired to erect such a temple will be a true instrument of God. Such a donor is requested to write to Paramhansa Yogananda.