Under the direction of Sri Daya Mata SRF
publishes the writings, lectures, and informal
talks of Paramahansa Yogananda and of his close
disciples. SRF also distributes audio and video
recordings of Yogananda’s teachings. SRF has a
temple or center in 49 states in America and 49
countries in the world. The Yogoda Satsang Soci-
ety of India has 32 centers and operates a variety
of charitable facilities.
Further reading: Sri Daya Mata, Only Love (Los Ange-
les: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1976); Paramahansa
Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi (Los Angeles:
Self-Realization Fellowship, 1971); ———, Descriptive
Outlines of Yogoda (Los Angeles: Yogoda Satsang Society,
1928); ———, Man’s Eternal Quest (Los Angeles: Self-
Realization Fellowship, 1975); ———, Self-Realization
Highlights (Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship,
1980); ———, Whispers from Eternity (Los Angeles:
Self-Realization Fellowship, 1986).
Self-Revelation Church of Absolute
Monism (est. 1928)
The Self-Realization Church of Absolute Monism
was founded by Swami Premananda (1903–95),
who was called in 1925 by Paramahansa YOGA-
NANDA to move to the United States. While inde-
pendent of Yogananda’s primary organization in
the United States, the Self-Realization Fellowship,
the Church of Absolute Monism has much the
same teaching focus. Both stress ADVAITA (non-
dualist) VEDANTA, the life and philosophy of
Mohandas Karamchand GANDHI, the unity of all
religions, the practice of kriya yoga, and cultural
appreciation. The name absolute monism refers to
the ancient philosophy of advaita Vedanta, which
affirms that ultimate reality is non-dual.
The church has linkages to the Mahatma Gan-
dhi Memorial Foundation and has an accent on
education and culture. The current leader of the
church and of the Gandhi memorial center is Sri
Mata Kamalananda. She was ordained a minister
in the Swami Order in 1973, and a full swami in
- The group publishes the Mystic Cross and
the Gandhi Message periodicals.
Further reading: Swami Premananda, Light on Kriya
Yoga (Washington, D.C.: Swami Premananda Foun-
dation, 1969); ———, The Path of the Eternal Law
(Washington, D.C.: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1942);
———, Prayers of Realization (Washington, D.C.: Self-
Realization Fellowship, 1943).Sen, Keshab Chunder (1838–1884) social
reformer and philosopher
Keshab Chunder Sen was a philosopher and social
reformer, whose career reflected the variety of
responses to the modern world that emerged in
Hindu society.
Sen was born on November 19, 1838, into a
wealthy family in Calcutta (Kolkata) who were
very involved in both Bengali and Western cul-
tural movements. He was recruited at age 19 by
Debendranath Tagore, father of the poet RABIN-
DRANATH TAGORE, to the celebrated BRAHMO SAMAJ
reform movement, which attempted to purify
Hinduism from practices such as caste, child mar-
riage, purdah (seclusion of women), ill treatment
of widows, and particularly idol worship. He
became secretary of the movement in 1859. Sen
broke away in 1865 because of personal disagree-
ments and formed the Brahmo Samaj of India.
This organization also split after Sen married
his daughter to a maharajah when she was only
14 years old, an action that was seen as a major
betrayal of the movement’s principles.
In 1878 Sen formed the Sadharan Brahmo
Samaj. His views had changed under the influ-
ence of the teacher RAMAKRISHNA, who persuaded
him to accept image worship and see the Hindu
pantheon in a new light, as a way for the ordinary
devotee to engage the divinity concretely.
His New Dispensation, which he announced
in 1879, has often been taken as tantamount
to his conversion to Christianity, but it is more
complicated. He considered his movement to beK 394 Self-Revelation Church of Absolute Monism