Templevisitbutcher

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Oct 30, 2023

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Self-Realization Fellowship Temple Visit 3072 1st Ave. San Diego, Ca 92103 Stephanie D. Butcher TR710 World Religions April 8, 2019 "Self-realization is the knowing-in body, and soul-that we are one with

the omnipresence of God..." Paramahansa Yogananda My religious practices have been for the most part Christian traditions. I was raised Roman Catholic. I followed all teachings, prayers and rituals associated with the Roman Catholic faith as well as completing my catechism studies. I did later decide to join the Episcopal Church as a young adult. It wasn't until my first few years of my undergraduate studies in Religious Studies that I chose to look outside my traditional Christian belief systems. I knew of the many different world religions but never took the time to acquaint myself with them. I found I was missing out on much world history and many different cultural studies. This assignment gave me the opportunity to investigate the foundations of faith practices unfamiliar to me. A friend recommended I visit her place of worship. I chose to visit a Self- Realization Fellowship Temple in San Diego, Ca. The following report is my observations and experiences of this place of worship. I will often use the abbreviation SRF (Self-Realization Fellowship) throughout the paper. Field Information: Self-Realization Fellowship Temple: 3072 1st Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103. 2

Dates of visit: I have attended four services as of April 7, 2019. My initial service was March 3rd, 2019. Self-Realization Fellowship is a worldwide spiritual organization that was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920. Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) emigrated from his native India to the United States in1920. He was one of the first Indian spiritual teachers to reside in the West. The founding headquarters are in Los Angeles, Ca (est1935). Self-Realization Fellowship emphasize teachings and classes in the practice of Kriya yoga and combines the elements of Hinduism and Christianity and meditation. I emailed the temple and asked for permission to attend and observe their services. I received a welcoming email from two members appointed by the lead minister of the temple. Suzan and Dana greeted me as I arrived Sunday morning at the front entrance. I walked the temple grounds with the 2 members as they explained the history of the temple and the founding of the original temple in Los Angeles. I met with the leading minister following the services. Brother Sattvananda was most welcoming and was happy to hear of my interest as well as my choice for choosing SRF for this project. Services are referred to as Lectures. Services are held every Sunday and Thursdays at 09:00 and 11:00 as well as an evening meditation service at 5:00. The services are preceded by an optional meditation service that lasts for one hour. There are also meditation services offered daily. 3

Preliminary Placing: Unlike most churches I have attended, this Self-Realization Fellowship Temple was more like a small campus than one building of worship. There were several buildings on the grounds including the main Chapel building that was built in 1909.The buildings are all white. The famous architect Irving Gill designed the Self-Realization Fellowship temple as well as many other structures in Southern California. Simple square shaped buildings with archway windows and entry ways line the buildings. Cypress trees line the walkway leading into the temple grounds. It is quite a peaceful scene. It is referred to as the Hidden Gem. The temple grounds consist of 2 levels. The main chapel is located on the lower level. There is a patio next to the chapel that is also used for excess visitors during services. Parmahansa designed the temple gardens that are throughout the property. These gardens are meant for peaceful reflections and meditation. There are stunning views of the San Diego Bay from one garden. The inside of the chapel was a bit different than what I am accustomed to. The chapel had your typical seating, a podium on each side (front of the chapel) and an altar. The altar area was intriguing. At the top was a lotus flower with what looked to have a face inside it. I asked one of the ladies I met what was the symbolism and significance of this flower. She indeed said, the lotus flower was symbolic of a face. There are 2 eyes represented and a 4

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