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 John
Laurence, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, passed away
on January 17 at the age of 95. Ananda members send their prayers
and condolences to John Laurence's friends and family.
'J.L', as he
was known to his close friends, inspired many at Ananda with stories
of his relationship to his Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda. John was
a good friend of Swami Kriyananda, who recently wrote this note
to John on his 95th birthday:
"Dear John:
Happy birthday
to you! It's customary on these occasions to wish someone a long
life, but you've already achieved that. You've also achieved something
much rarer: a beautiful life, one worth celebrating and emulating.
I'm writing simply to express my love for you, and my hope for your
ever greater bliss in God.
With blessings,
in Master's love,
S. Kriyananda"
John met Yogananda
in the 1930's. He first heard of Yogananda because of his admiration
for Amelita Galli-Curci, the famous opera singer who was a close
disciple of Yogananda. He met Yogananda on the street in Washington,
D.C., and began a close lifelong relationship with him.
John served
as an assistant minister to Kamala Silva for many years, while she
was serving Self-Realization Fellowship in the East Bay area (near
Oakland, California). He continued to help spread Yogananda's teachings
throughout his long life.
There will be
an article in the spring issue of Clarity Magazine with many inspiring
stories and details of John Laurence's blessed life. For information
on receiving Clarity Magazine, email claritymagazine@ananda.org.
An Astral Ascension
ceremony was held at Ananda Village at 12:30pm on Tuesday, January
21.
For more on
John Laurence, see the John
Laurence website and the John
Laurence Memorial Message Board, where condolences, memories,
inspirational anecdotes, poems and pictures are posted in his honor.
John
Laurence with good friends
Stephanie Costanza-Grosser and Herbert Grosser
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