From our peripatetic swamis:

We spent most of our second day in California at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment.

It was a Sunday morning at a special place in San Jose, and it was the fulfillment of an invitation from Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian, a.k.a. Uma, who chaired the panel on yoga's Hindu roots that Bodhinatha spoke on at the PWR in Melbourne (which she lovingly appropriately pronounces "Melbn") four years ago. We finally made it.

Uma is a disciple of Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. Being with this group, which is in the family of SRF, Ananda and the other groups in the Paramahansa Yogananda lineage, was such a wonderful and rare experience. It seemed as if two great rivers were merging. When we explained to the group of seminarians that Gurudeva had personally visited Yogananda twice in the mid 1940's, they were moved deeply, moved also that all these decades later the lineages were reconnecting.

We attended the Sunday 11am service. Uma's sermon on abundance consciousness was delightful, articulate and profound.

Afterwards we had a tour of the grounds, which were once owned by the Unity Church, then lunch with Uma, her husband Amarnath and senior minister in charge of publications, the animated Sundari. We talked publishing and offered to help with their ePub work.

But the really special part of the gathering was to come. Uma brought together some 25-30 of her ministers, seminarians and directors to hear us speak. We offered some small gifts, a signed Guru Chronicles (explaining it is our version of Autobiography of a Yogi), and a special rudraksha mala from Kauai.

Paramacharya spoke first of monks' life and sadhanas, challenges and of Gurudeva's wise ways of living together. Then he gave a Keynote on Yoga: Promise or Peril, followed by lively Q&A. Senthilnathaswami then gave Bodhinatha's popular "Which Yoga Should I Follow" Keynote, again with Q&A.

We were deeply moved by the discipline in the group, the dedication. It is not often that two spiritual groups get to share their life and experiences with one another in open dialog and trust.

That afternoon we drove to San Francisco to our new home for four nights, stopping on the way to have dinner with our members.

One of the center\

s five buildings in San Jose.'

Yogacharya in her robes for the Sunday sermon. Notice anything about the color?

This is the charming chapel, and yes that is a living tree on the right growing through the ceiling.

Sundari shows us one of the Yama and Niyama shrines placed along a meditation path.

Sundari explains the history of the center, which has been here for some 12 years now.

Paramacharya offers Yogacharya a copy of \"The Guru Chronicles.\"

Easan and Sundari joined us for the day.

Paramacharya talked informally about how to be a good disciple.

He offered a mala to our hostess.

An attentive and well-informed conclave.

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