Message #36844

[Jitendra Hydonus]

It is amazing how some people’s personality stay with you a lifetime. This was true of Brother Bhaktananda. How I would love to see him just one more time walking out of the Hollywood Temple where he stayed for so many years and as long as I was in Southern California. He was the embodiment of humility. But he had a fascinating personality. He always would say, as I walked out of the temple on a Sunday morning service or a Thursday night service; “Master Bless You” as he folded his hands together and bowed before you.

But never be fooled by such a man. He could read you to the core if you asked him a personal question and I never saw him without an answer to any questions asked. He would listen to you carefully and then pause, as if he was asking something higher for the answer, and was not relying on his own minds answer.

He had the most unusual sense of humor. He could say things that seemed outlandish to the casual observer but if any one knew the inside jokes he made they would think he was hilarious while simultaneously being serious. For instance he would be giving a perfectly good sermon and then suddenly say something offbeat that seemed unrelated to the topic like.... “ and for those who take a shower without using a towel before getting out. It can cause the floor to get all wet. “ The strange thing about it was that when I got home I was taking a shower and while getting out of the shower and reaching for the towel; I realized I was getting the floor wet.

One time I went to one of his sermons and as he spoke quite intently about a subject he suddenly included the line..” and for those who spend hours at Masters crypt at Forest Lawn. Please be considerate of the people there.” Guess what. I was one of those people who spent hours at Forest Lawn meditating in front of Masters Crypt at the cemetery.

I remember a friend telling me that he had said during a sermon that if a foreign force ever invaded the U.S. the aliens 👽 would help us. He was asked not to make such statements in services by Mother Center. But several months later during a sermon my friend said he made the same statement. It seemed he was oblivious to any suggestions made by any authority accept the authority he received from above.

I remember doing the Om technique with my om board on Sunday mornings during the short meditation at Sunday service. One of the monks came up and asked me ‘please don’t use your om board at Sunday morning service.’ At the time I followed the monks request with some forbearance and resignation. Apparently Brother Bhaktananda recognized that I was accepting the suggestion somewhat begrudgingly. A couple weeks later the same monk came up to me and told me that Brother Bhaktananda had told him that I could use the om board. By that time I began to understand Brother Bhaktananda’s unusual sense of knowing just how to handle the training of a some what eccentric personality as I have had most my life. ‘Just go along with it’ let me figure it out on my own without the strict rules. Sometimes tugging a persons conscious works better than rules.

Once I remember singing at India Night. I was standing by Brother Bhaktananda and he quite casually said to me that ‘ I did not need a microphone because my voice was so loud.’ His humor often had a twist to it. Although I think it was a compliment it could have been looked at a different way. Which would always leave you thinking a bit and pondering about his wisdom.

Once I asked him if a girl friend of mine really saw ghosts and had a ghost friend. He slowly said “yyeess” “but it would be good to suggest that he move on”

And what surprised me more than anything is once receiving a personal letter from him when i was across the country. Just asking how I was. You can’t imagine how special that was. Being around that man and feeling his presence even today is a tremendous uplifting experience. No one knows the blessings of being around the blessings of an enlightened soul until you have been given the blessings of a lifetime.

I remember another soul who was very outspoken but when it came to humility he knew how to handle it. Once while telling Brother Turiyananda that Brother Bhaktananda had given me different advice than him, Brother Turiyananda replied . “ If Brother Bhaktananda gave you that advice you listen to him. He is the highest monk on the hill.”