Awake: The Life of Yogananda Page #2

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MAN:
Yogananda had

been told since infancy

by saints and seers,

that he'd be taking

these teachings to the West.

But he thought,

"How is this possible?"

You know, it was absurd,

because he barely

spoke any English.

NARRATOR:
One day, my mind

went away from Ranchi.

I went to the storeroom

to meditate,

and I fell into an ecstasy.

America.

Surely these people

are Americans.

It's scary to the mind.

I think the first

thing was, "Oh, my God."

VISHWANANDA:
Imagine in

your own life, having

a message so strong

that it totally changes

your life, in a moment.

And at that time he'd been

here about three years.

Probably thought

this was his life work.

NARRATOR:
I had founded

a school following

the educational ideals

of the rishis

whose forest ashrams had been

the ancient seat of learning.

Overcoming restlessness

of the body and mind,

my concentration techniques

achieved astonishing results.

He established

a "How to Live" School,

I wish we had

"How to Live" Schools.

You have to learn

your grammar, you have

to learn your math

and your science.

But you also have

to learn how to live.

FEMALE TEACHER:

One, two, three, four, five.

One, two, three, four, five.

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

Love conquers all.

Love conquers all.

Very good.

MEHROTRA:
He's in love

with his country.

He is being respected

by his community,

he is seeing his

vision manifest

where children

are learning the art

and science of yoga.

And then he's sitting there

and all of a sudden,

he becomes aware

that he has to

leave all of it.

YOGANANDA:
God is taking me

away to America.

SRI DAYA MATA:

He never wanted

to come to America.

That was not part

of his dream at all.

"Let me just go

to the Himalayas

and just live in a cave there.

"I can do good there.

I can pray for people."

But his teacher said, "No.

"You must go to the West.

Go to America."

NARRATOR:
Tears stood in

my eyes as I cast a last look

at the little boys,

and the sunny acres of Ranchi.

I knew, henceforth,

I would dwell in far lands.

How alone I was here.

Not a soul I knew.

I had heard many stories

about the materialistic West,

a land very different

from India.

It was somewhat of

a daunting experience,

to go out on the streets.

My strange dress prompted

boyish mockery and catcalls.

BOY:
What's that?

VIDAL:
There were kids that

were throwing stones at him,

calling him names.

VISHWANANDA:
I think

he was called a magician

at one point, a snake charmer.

BROTHER CHIDANANDA: In 1920,

many Americans were still

not used to having Jews here.

And now comes

a darker skinned swami

in orange robes and a turban.

NARRATOR:
I noticed

some hot dog signs.

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