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Lake Shrine a Lot More
Than a Beautiful Gardens...
The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine lies a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean, on Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades, California. It was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda, on August 20, 1950 and is owned by Self-Realization Fellowship. The 10-acre site with lush and beautiful gardens and natural spring-fed lake is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including swans, ducks, koi fish, and lotus flowers. The entire property is a natural amphitheatre.
The grounds include the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial, where a portion of Gandhi's ashes is enshrined, a small museum with exhibits on Paramahansa Yogananda's work, a Dutch windmill converted into a chapel and a gift shop with arts and crafts from India. Also featured on the grounds is a Court of Religions featuring the symbols of the five principal religions of the world: a cross for Christianity, a Star of David for Judaism, a Wheel of Law for Buddhism, a crescent moon & star for Islam, and the Aum symbol for Hinduism.
Lake and swans: Yogananda (Paramahansa means supreme or highest swan) encouraged swans to live at the Lake Shrine. Their large nests can be seen in this locale. Two waterfalls feed into the Lake Shrine with a sound that invites to meditation.
The Lake Shrine is home for the picturesque Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial, the "wall-less temple" erected in honor of Mahatma Gandhi, architect of India's freedom through nonviolent means. The focal point of the memorial is a thousand-year-old stone sarcophagus from China, in which portions of Gandhi's ashes are encased in a brass and silver coffer. The sarcophagus is flanked by two statues of Guan Yin.
The ashes had been sent to Yogananda by an old friend, Dr. V.M. Nawle, a publisher and journalist from Pune, India, who knew of the deep spiritual bond between Yogananda and Gandhi. Following the dedication of the memorial, Dr. Nawle wrote: "Regarding Gandhi ashes, I may say that they are scattered and thrown in almost all the important rivers and seas, and nothing is given outside India except the remains which I have sent to you after a great ordeal .... You are the only one in the whole world who received Gandhi ashes outside India."
Lake Shrine is located at: 17190 Sunset Boulevard Pacific Palisades, California 90272-3099. For more information, please visit the new site www.yogananda-srf.org
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