By Swami Yogatmananda
Living Flame- This was part of his email name - Father (then Bishop) Paul livingflame03@yahoo.com.
If
I remember right, it was sometime in 2005 (if not even before) that I
got to meet him at the Boston center of Vedanta, introduced by a close
devotee from Boston, Srinivas Gandhi. He knew Father Paul since 1999 and
admired his sincere approach to religious practice that did not shy
away from going beyond the cultish limitations.
The
most important point that struck a common chord between myself and
Father Paul was the conviction that God can actually be
seen/experienced, and various religions are the paths enabling human
beings to do that. Father Paul had a tumultuous relationship with the
Catholic Church, in which he was initially ordained. I did not ask much
about his breakup from it or from another order. We were both interested
in moving forward on the path to realize the goal - to see the God.
He had tremendous admiration of Sri Ramakrishna born out of the fact that Sri Ramakrishna actually saw God; nay was ever merged in God. ‘I am convinced that who was born as Jesus was also born as Sri Ramakrishna’ – he declared to me several times and also spoke in lectures/discourses he gave at the Vedanta Society. Soon he became a regular guest speaker here. He had also studied the lives of many Indian and European saints and gave very inspiring speeches on them.
Around
the end of 2007, he requested me to grant him spiritual initiation and
instruct him into meditation practices. While I could see that his
association with Vedanta and Sri Ramakrishna, coupled with his
increasing interest in practically living a spiritual life are heading
in that direction, still it took me by surprise and a little hesitation.
After some discussion and feeling convinced that he has a true yearning
for it, I decided to accede to his request. And he got initiated – i.e.
he got the Mantra, and the Ishta (chosen deity) and
personal instructions in meditation and spiritual life - on the
auspicious birthday (by Lunar Calendar) of Swami Vivekananda. It was Jan
29, 2008. In a way, I became his ’Guru’.
He
joined the Celtic Orthodox Church, in which he got ordained first as a
Priest and then as a Bishop. He established a church of the Order in
Virginia.
It
was a shock when he informed that he was diagnosed with advanced
pancreatic cancer and had to leave his Church in Virginia and was
staying in Massachusetts, with his caring brother and family. We decided
a day & time that he could come to Providence to meet me, but then
he called and told that it is not going to be possible due to various
reasons.
I
had called his number a couple of times after this, but got no answer,
nor was the call returned. Then on Mon, Sept 18, I called again– it did
not get answered, but two days later got a text message from that number
– “I am Bishop Paul’s his sister in law. He took his final breath last evening”.
The outer-flame was gone, the inner will continue to live.
Already exceeded the word-limit for this blog; will write some of the many cherished memories in another blog.
No need to say, ‘May his soul rest in Peace’ -he HAS attained Peace.
Speaking on St. Francis of Assisi, Nov. 11, 2018, Vedanta Society of Providence
Bishop Paul and Archbishop Paul Joseph Richard, Holy Transfiguration Skete, Gardner, MA at the Vedanta Society of Providence.
(Oct. 08, 2017)
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