This is day two of a devastating fire event in Southern California. As I watch the suffering on the tiny screen in my palm, my heart aches for the tens of thousands affected directly as well as the millions of us with secondary levels of impact. Homes, businesses, churches, schools, all gone. People fleeing down windy canyon roads, sometimes on foot, sometimes with a dog, a cat, a child, or a horse in tow.
This fire has a particular pain for the millions who love Paramhansa Yogananda. The Palisades Fire, the first of several to break out on that windy, dry day in January, is home to a pilgrimage destination for Self-realization aspirants - Lake Shrine.
Long before Yogananda dedicated Lake Shrine, Native Americans recognized the sacred energy of this land. Later, in the 1920s, it became a movie studio project before falling into disrepair during the Great Depression. In 1949, Yogananda acquired it, dedicating it as a 'Church of All Religions'—a sanctuary for seekers of every faith. For thousands, it has been a place of peace, reflection, and spiritual renewal. For me, it was a place of refuge and spiritual support during the seven years that I lived nearby.
You don’t have to be a disciple of Yogananda to love Lake Shrine. More than anywhere, Lake Shrine is a physical manifestation of Yogananda’s vision for world unity. The site hosts a beautiful memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, including some of his ashes. The gardens are sprinkled with uplifting quotes, symbols, and statues from all the major religions. Tucked within the glory of mother nature, it seems easier for the visiting throngs to receive his message of the universal one-ness of all truth.
At a time when the world feels so divided, Lake Shrine stands as a reminder of what unites us: our shared humanity, our quest for truth, and the beauty of nature as a reflection of the divine.
In 2002, after graduating from nearby Pepperdine University, I had the great blessing to live in the closest possible apartment to Lake Shrine. Nestled on the southeastern edge of the property, I could walk from my apartment to the temple for services in less than 5 minutes.
Watching the Palisades Fire swallow everything in its path, including all of the classic Pepperdine haunts, and lap angrily at the edges of Lake Shrine has forced me to sit with the fear of its potential loss. The loss of something sacred, something I thought was invincible.
As I lean into the possibility, I am reminded of a truth that: loss is not a condemnation, it is part of the natural cycle of life. The temple in Israel fell, the Parthenon was bombed, Notre Dame burned viciously. Out of these tragedies, the human spirit rose to meet the day.
Whether or not the fires consume Lake Shrine, what it represents cannot be destroyed. Yogananda’s vibrations will endure, just as the message of universal truth has outlasted temples, cathedrals, and sacred sites throughout history. From loss comes renewal, and from ashes, beauty can rise.
May the tragedies of these fires be softened by the outpouring of love, unity, and support—reminders that no fire can ever consume the sacred within us.
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