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Enlightenment Journal | Summer 2017

I arrived at the international headquarters of Self-Realization Fellowship on 

Friday evening, December 23, 1949, a few minutes after 6 p.m. 

When I knocked on the door of a cottage just inside the driveway entrance, 

a man who appeared to be about sixty years of age greeted me and took me to 

the men's dining room in the basement level of the main building. There, I was 

introduced to several young resident disciples and invited to join them at their 

evening meal. 

After supper, a young man, who I later learned was responsible for coordi-

nating the daily work and meditation schedules of the male disciples, led me up 

a stairway and to a secluded area in the main entrance room where we could 

privately talk. He inquired about my background and asked how I had heard 

about the organization and Paramahansa Yogananda. Within a few minutes, 

when the muted sounds of a descending elevator emanated from a nearby 

hallway, he stood up, turned toward the hallway, and exclaimed, "Master is 

coming!" I also stood up and turned toward the hallway with alert anticipation. 

Paramahansa Yogananda came into the room, followed by two young women 

disciples, Faye Wright and her sister Virginia. He was wearing a dark blue 

overcoat, a white neck scarf, and a light blue felt hat. Standing in front of me, he 

looked into my eyes, smiled kindly as he shook my hand with a gentle grasp, and 

quietly asked,  

Early Experiences with My Guru

 

Roy Eugene Davis