Swami Turiyananda and the Shanti Ashrama

As we have already seen Swami Turiyananda was a great yogi. A disciple of the great Paramahansa Rama Krishna and close personal friend of Swami Vivekananda.

When Swami Vivekananda came to America on his second visit he brought with him his brother disciple Swami Turiyananda to assist him in his work.

Swami Turiyananda established the Shanti Ashrama, in the San Antone Valley of Central California. This place has a wonderful spiritual atmosphere and has been reported by many as having a certain vibrations of a high spiritual nature. This is not surprising for it was here that for two years Swami Turiyananda lived and inspired a group of students to devote themselves exclusively to the ideal of God-Realization.

Ujjvala (Id Ansell), a disciple of Swami Turiyananda has given several instances of the Swami's individual lessons and instructions to disciples while at the Ashrama.

One time Ujjvala prepared to take notes of Swami Turiyananda's class talks, sharpening a pencil with a dull knife. The result was a jagged, unsymmetrical point. Just then the Swami walked in, picked up the pencil, and remarked:

''That is a sample of your work!''

With the same knifehe carefully whittled the jagged wood to a smooth sharp point. Handing the pencil back to Ujjala, he said:

''Make every act an act of worship.
Whatever you do, do as an offering to the Divine Mother, and do it as perfectly as you can.''

Another day Ujjvala was weeping because she could not persuade the other students to comply with the Swami's wishes for stricter observance of economy.

''Swami, they simply won't understand!'' she sobbed.

''Never mind, you did your best; that is enough,'' he consoled.

Then he added, ''If I wept everytime they don't understand , I should be weeping all the time!.''

One afternoon, Swami Turiyananda and Ujjvala just happened to meet.

He asked her,''Ujjvala, are you deep or shallow?

Do you live and die in words, or do you live and die in principles?''

Before she could think of an answer, he added:

''In matter of opinion, swim with the current.

In matters of principle, stand firm as a rock.''

Ujjvala later commented: ''That was all, but he had given me in a moment guidance for a lifetime.''

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