Growing up Catholic, I was constantly reminded that I was a sinner, and yes, this was a blow to my fragile self-esteem. I don’t recommend such a form of religious formation for anyone. Yet, we now live in a culture that so exults self-affirming feelings that we have lost our capacity to own our own shadows, to acknowledge our capacity for self-destructive behaviors. By contrast, both the disciples of Jesus and Yogananda were imperfect and fully aware of their imperfections. In fact, their imperfections were why they chose to be disciples of a master in the first place. I recently heard a yogi say, “There is a thin line between an insane asylum and an ashram.” Let us remember that a wound denied is an obstacle to God-realization. As well, remember that the humble acceptance of the darker elements of our personalities opens us to amazing levels of transformative grace.
Master Jesus,
Beloved Guruji Yogananda,
You did not come
To call the perfect;
You came to call
People just like me.
