Kamala Silva’s Story
Kamala Silva first heard Yogananda speak in 1925, at a lecture to which her mother had brought her. Soon thereafter, she became a close disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda’s. She was ordained by him as a minister, and served as a householder-minister for SRF in Oakland, California. She was one of SRF’s most popular ministers, attracting a loyal and dedicated group of devotees to Yogananda’s teachings.
For publishing a book, Kamala is cast aside by Daya Mata
In 1964, Kamala wrote The Flawless Mirror, a devotional and well-loved biography of her guru. From the time of the book’s publication, Kamala was treated coldly by SRF.
Ananda assumes Kamala’s care, when SRF refuses
Years later, when Kamala was in her eighties and unable to care for herself physically or mentally, Self-Realization Fellowship refused to assume responsibility for her care. Ananda took her in despite the fact that Kamala had in the past spoken against Ananda and Swami Kriyananda (the spiritual director of Ananda). Kriyananda himself assigned Kamala the use of a guest house that had previously been rented out for seclusion, and contributed several hundred dollars a month out of his own pocket toward her care. Members of Ananda also contributed to her upkeep out of their own pockets, and went daily to Kamala’s house to cook, clean, and help her in other ways.
Millions for lawsuits; nothing for their own minister
Kriyananda wrote to Self-Realization Fellowship apprising them of the situation. Because Kamala was an SRF minister, not a minister of Ananda, he asked SRF if they would like to contribute toward her physical care. An SRF Board member replied by mail that they individually, as renunciates, were unable to send any money, and that SRF, as a non-profit religious organization, was unable to send money for the personal benefit of any individual. The Board member added, however, that in consultation with their lawyers they had been advised that it would be all right for SRF to send $250 a month toward Kamala’s upkeep—provided this money was not sent directly to Kriyananda. (The reader should remember here that SRF, which does not feel any obligation to help individuals in need, has spent millions of dollars already to destroy Ananda through the courts.)
A minister such as Kamala, in her eighties and of nearly seventy-years standing in the organization, should have received the assistance she needed in her old age from the organization to which she had dedicated all her adult life, with universally recognized devotion. For such a disciple of the guru’s not to be helped under such circumstances seems unthinkable. It was in service to Yogananda and to the simple cause of charity itself, and not specifically to Kamala, that Ananda willingly assumed her care.
what was so ” bad” in her book that they cast her aside?
I don’t personally know that they neglected her because of the book, although they emphatically frowned on books being written about Master and his teachings without their express approval (e.g., Durga Mata’s book about Master and Rajarshi, “A Paramahansa Yogananda Trilogy of Divine Love” – I suspect they just didn’t consider it part of their role to care for people who were close to Master but weren’t part of the organization.
The Flawless Mirror is a wonderful and enjoyable account of her very personal and close friendship with Yogananda over many years. What a blessing!
Indeed! I met Kamala just once, in her last years when she was only half in this world due to Alzheimer’s. She was living in her mind with Master. Being with her was very much like being with Master; she even looked uncannily like him.
So sorry to hear about sister Kamala. God bless her soul for the years of devotional service to Srf and the teachings of Sri yogananda. I’m sure it was some sort of karma that had to be worked out in that manner ❤️❤️
Hello Deborrah. Thanks for sharing your kind thoughts of Kamala. I only met her once. Standing next to her was like being with Master, so filled was she with his presence! Blessings, Rambhakta
Karma….yes indeed. As I recall Kamala herself asked Divine Mother if she could work out all of her remaining karma in this lifetime…
There were several of us from MA Center (Amma) who visited Kamala in her final years at the convalescent home in Castro Valley. She had profound impact on us. I remember after the first time meeting Kamala, when I returned to MA Center and was by myself, I burst out sobbing. She was so open and free/established in the Self. Me in contrast— “Why am I so afraid?!)
Kamala demonstrated that Consciousness/Reality is beyond the mind. She also indicated a couple times to me that she was in constant satsang with Swami Paramahansa Yoganandaji. And asked if I could see him (which unfortunately I couldn’t at the time).
One solitary moment with Kamala after my ashram friend stepped out of the room, right when I was achieving maximum creeped-out-ness staring at the artificially colored banana pudding on the table, assaulted by the cranked up daytime TV blaring at us, and a vacant-eyed elderly woman across the room who endlessly scratched her shaved scalp—Kamala burst out, “Hey!” and gave me a sturdy thwack on my arm. She pointed around the room and declared, “Everything is the Self!”
Kamala reminds us that we do not need special circumstances to practice abiding in the Self or Guru bhakti.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful story of Kamala. I met her just once and felt that I was standing next to Yogananda himself, she was so filled with him.
I recently bought three copies of both The Flawless Mirror and Priceless Precepts. I feel blessed to have found Kamala’s books; they helped me a great deal. It makes me sad to think of her being ignored by SRF after giving so much for so long as an SRF minister. I do recall her writing in one of her books that she would not complain about the strong pain she felt in her body because she had asked Divine Mother to allow her to pay all of her karmic debt in her last incarnation. Such courage!
I met Kamala on one occasion, maybe a year before she passed, for no longer than a minute. I can tell you that it like standing next to Master, so filled with his presence she was.