Eulogy for Brenda Lewis Rosser (Dr M. Lewis's daughter)

[Devotee]

Eulogy for Brenda Lewis Rosser

Encinitas Temple

March 15, 2008

Officiated by Bro. Achalananda

Eulogy by Fremont Gulbransen

Good afternoon every one. Welcome

This is a joyous occasion.

Today we have come together to give our love and respect to a very
dear and beloved friend and wife Brenda Lewis Rosser. Brenda passed
away at her home Friday morning, March 7, 2008. She passed on the very
day of our Masters Mahasamadhi. Master said that when saints and great
souls pass on there is a celebration in the astral realm. Also, when
we have our Commemoration Services, honoring our Gurus, they in turn
are celebrating in the Astral and Causal realms. So, what a great
celebration Brenda must have been given on her return back home to her
heavenly abode. Master has told us, in the SRF teachings, that this
earth is not our real home.

Though Brenda is gone from our sight we can still feel and give her
our love. She will be deeply missed by her dear husband John and her
many, many friends.
Brenda was a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. At the time of
Brenda’s passing she was the longest living disciple in SRF. She was
on the path for over 86 years. Brenda would have been 89 years old
this April.
Brenda was born in Boston, Massachusetts on April 21, 1919. She had
the blessing to be born into a yogi family.
She had the good fortune to meet her Guru in Boston when she was only
a small child of two years old. When Master first came to America in
1920 he lived at times in the home of Brenda’s father and mother, Dr.
and Mrs. Lewis. The Lewis’s took Master into their home and helped him
adjust to our American way of life. Many a meal of Indian curry and
rice were cooked up by Master and Mrs. Lewis in the family kitchen.
Master stayed with the Lewis’s, off and on, for over two years before
he started on his trips across the United States to spread the
teachings of Self-Realization Fellowship. It was from this home that
Mrs. Lewis, known to all, who knew her, as Mama Lewis, sent out from
her dinning room table the very first pamphlets about SRF teachings.
Can you just imagine being a little child living with an Avatar?
Master often held little Bren on his lap. He often referred to her as
Bren or Brendoo. Can’t you just see Master’s deep fathomless dark eyes
looking into that delightful babies face with her clear, sparkling
blue eyes and blond hair fresh from the astral, and He knowing all the
while the passed lives they had spent together.
During those early years she was privileged to go on week-end motor
trips through New England with her family and her Guru. They picnicked
together, sang together, played together, ate together, prayed
together and, of course, meditated together. As you know our Guru has
a great sense of humor. Can you just guess what great fun he must have
had with the Lewis children - Bren and Bradford. As later told by
Brenda herself “She thought every family had a Mommy, a Daddy and a
Swamiji living with them. On one occasion Master stayed up all night
with little Brendoo to see that the flu like symptoms she was fighting
would subside. Of course in the morning she was well and Master said
to her father, “her way is clear now and throughout eternity.”
After a few years went by, Master had to leave Boston and the Lewis
family, to spread his great teachings of Self-Realization across
America and to the world. Of course the Lewis family was saddened by
His leaving. Dr. Lewis said to Master he did not know what he would do
without Him. But, Master said to Doctor “The light you see is far
greater than I am. It is God himself!.” Master kept in contact with
the Lewis family writing many, many letters while He was away. Some of
these letters we can read today, they are compiled in a book
“Treasures Against Time” along with some of Doctor Lewis’s lectures.
One of the last accomplishments that Brenda did was to get this book
published before her illness set in. These are letters that Master
wrote, not just to disciples, but to those He considered His dearest
friends. Remember Masters Poem “Friends Once More To Be.” In a
meditation he saw the faces of many of the disciples he would meet
here in America. Many were souls that he had known in other life
times. And He would need these friends, “Once More to Be,” to play
their part in order to help get His great world mission started.
As time went by Brenda entered High School. There she became a drum
majorette. It was at this time she became fond of marching band music.
She loved Fourth of July Parades with all the bands and music. We all
had some good times at Coronado Island where they would hold Fourth of
July parades. Also, she enjoyed the bands and parades out in Borrego
when they celebrated “Borrego Days.” At Tufts University in
Massachusetts, where she graduated with honors, she majored in English
and was voted the most popular girl in her graduating class.
After working for the railroad during the war, Brenda was summoned to
Encinitas by her Father, who simply wired her saying, “Please come.”
Once at Encinitas, she found herself very busy working for Master,
Rajarsi Janakananda, Sister Gynamata and her Mother and Father. Brenda
had the duty of chauffeuring and would drive Master to San Diego
Temple for Sunday Services. Brenda said there would be no talking on
the way for Master would say “You can not improve upon the silence.”
After our Guru’s Mahasamadhi and Rajarsi Janakanandas passing Doctor
Lewis was made Vice President of SRF and put in charge of the
Encinitas Colony. Doctor Lewis used to hold classes and meditations
for the monks in the main hall in the Hermitage. Once in a while he
would sneak Brenda in and hide her behind a screen so she could
meditate with them without being seen. After one of these meditations
her father asked her what she had seen. She said she saw the spiritual
eye and in the middle of it was a man sitting in lotus. Doctor Lewis
said that was Lahiri Mahasaya. Doctor knew intuitively what she had
seen. This is a story that Doctor Lewis told, at a Sunday Service he
gave, about an experience Brenda had just a day or so after Master’s
passing. Doctor said “I want to say something of an experience my
daughter Brenda had. She had a dream a few days ago. She never dreams
very much. She said, this was a very realistic dream. It seemed so
real. I can’t get over it. The Master was there, and you and I were
there He had us by the hand. We were all strolling on soft beautiful
clouds, running here and there. It was so beautiful, so real. I know
it was in the astral.” Brenda of course was saddened by Master’s
passing. She and her father got together to talk and they took a walk
around the Hermitage grounds. Afterwards they went back to the Lewis’s
apartments in the Hermitage, they sat down and began to chant, to
raise Brenda’s spirits. Doctor said when they began to chant the whole
room was suddenly filled with Light. Then up in the corner of the room
came a little Cross of light. Doctor said they opened and closed their
eyes, the cross remained. Brenda then said that she felt the presence
of Christ with her and she suddenly felt free and uplifted. All
sadness left her. Doctor Lewis said that same experience had come to
many up at Mt. Washington when Master’s body was brought back to his
rooms. Doctor said he saw the room become filled with a Great Light
and Masters body covered in Golden Light. It was if Master was just
lying there as if asleep. These were just a few of the experiences
devotees had after Master’s passing.

It was at Encinitas that Brenda first met Mary Crawford. They became
fast and loyal friends. After Doctor Lewis’s passing Mary Crawford
became Mama Lewis’s trusted and devoted companion and lived with her
at San Diego Temple until Mama Lewis’s passing in March of 1988. .

Brenda’s duties as chauffer were expanded when her Father began
teaching a series of classes for the monks and a few men lay disciples
at Mt. Washington. Every Friday afternoon she and Doctor would leave
Encinitas and drive to Mt. Washington. There were no freeways in those
days. You can imagine what a long drive that would have been. Later,
the classes were held at Hollywood Temple in India Hall because the
lady devotees felt left out. Monks were not allowed to attend classes
with ladies in attendance. Doctor would give the monks their class and
then afterwards the class for the lay members would be given. That was
the beginning of the Friday night Meditations that we have today. It
was there, at Hollywood Temple, that I first met Doctor Lewis and
Brenda. I could not believe such people existed. My first meeting with
Doctor Lewis, and actually it was my first exposure to SRF, was a
Friday night meditation. At the end of the meditation everyone went up
to Doctor to get his blessing. I knew at once He could read me like a
book - the past, the present and the future. But, it didn’t matter for
he radiated such love and understanding and I felt safe with him. I
knew he only wanted to help me. Brenda had such beautiful sparkling
blue eyes, a wonderful smile and a bubbly disposition. She was so
cheerful. She just radiated happiness and goodness.

In all the years, and it’s been over fifty, I never saw her moody,
sad, angry, or down hearted. A very rare soul indeed! It was also at
Hollywood Temple that I first met John Rosser. He always ushered when
Doctor Lewis gave a service, particularly at the Friday night
meditations. John also read the Sunday Service announcements at that
time. Also, Doctor, once a month, would give a Sunday service at the
Hollywood Temple. Those weekly drive continued until Brenda’s fathers
passing in 1960. At Forest Lawn, during the memorial service for her
father, Brenda said it felt like she was enwrapped in a transparent
blanket of Bliss for no sadness or grief could come in.
After Doctors passing in 1960 Mama Lewis moved from the Hermitage in
Encinitas to the San Diego Temple to live in the little two story
white cottage there on the grounds. Brenda then moved to Hollywood.
Hollywood Temple then got the best organist they ever had! Some of us
today can remember Brenda playing the organ on Sundays and for the
Guru’s Commemoration Ceremonies and particularly at the All Day
Christmas Meditations. Bro. Anandamoy would ask Brenda to play the
Blue Danube over and over again. It was so inspiring. She played so
beautifully. It was here at the Hollywood Temple that her friendship
for John Rosser led to their marriage. Daya Ma once said that John and
Brenda’s marriage was an example of an ideal yogi household marriage.
In the mid 1950’s a lay disciple group was started at the Holly wood
Temple. Meera Mata was in charge of the Hollywood Temple at this time.
Gene BenVau, a long time loyal devotee of Masters, was the coordinator
of the lay disciples. Together they decided that the lay disciple
advisors, of which John Rosser was one, should start their own
meditation groups. John Rosser use to write scripts for the Gunsmoke
series on TV. Dennis Weaver and John were good friends. In fact John
Rosser introduced Dennis Weaver and later James Arness to SRF. John
prevailed upon Dennis Weaver, at this time, to use his home in Encino
for the meditations. It was not long before Brenda was playing the
organ for this new meditation group too. Later when Brenda and John
bought a home on Ambrose near the Hollywood Temple they started their
own Tuesday night meditations. At these meditations, recordings of
Doctor Lewis’s lectures were played, and of course Brenda played the
organ while we all chanted. We are all blessed that these meditations
are still being held at their home in Rancho Bernardo today. After
awhile, as the years went by, Brenda was no longer able to play the
organ on Tuesday nights in Ranch Bernardo so John Giulino an SRF
devotee and accomplished musician has stepped in and volunteered his
services. It was at their home on Ambrose in Hollywood that Brenda and
John would throw their wonderful annual New Years Eve parties. Mama
Lewis and Mary Crawford would drive up from San Diego. Mary, who is
such a good cook, would help with the food preparations. At around
11:30 everything would stop and we would all settle down and meditate
together and of course Brenda would play the organ ushering in another
New Year.
Doctor and Mama Lewis had a spiritual retreat out in Borrego. They
would go out there so Doctor could get away from his very busy
schedule. After Doctor Lewis’s passing, Mama Lewis with financial help
was able to expand the Borrego retreat, and share it, so others could
enjoy it too. Dennis Weaver and James Arness were her greatest
champions during this time. The Borrego Retreat became the site of
many All Day Christmas and Easter meditations. This is where Brenda
would play Master’s chants, Christmas Carrols and the Blue Danube
until that little Chapel was filled with the true bliss of Christmas.
Oh, what great times we all had. And now the SRF monks are blessed to
have it. At the end of the All Day Christmas Meditation Mama Lewis and
Mary Crawford would serve Mama’s famous split pea soup to all the
devotee’s. We would all then return to the chapel where we would sing
Christmas Carols into the night with Brenda leading us on the organ.
We would have all been so uplifted, we would return the next morning
for another meditation and Brenda’s organ playing. We were as close to
Heaven as you could get!
James Arness would fly Brenda and John, in his private airplane, on
weekend trips to Mexico and Oregon. Brenda would always sit beside
James Arness, in the cockpit, with the air map spread before her
showing them the way. James Arness said that Brenda was the best
navigator he ever had.
When John retired they moved to Rancho Bernardo so that the two of
them could be nearer Mama Lewis and the Borrego retreat. Both John and
Brenda served at the San Diego Temple for many years; Brenda as the
organist and John as announcement reader. He also would fill in for
the monks when they were not able to serve. Once more, Brenda played
the organ on Sunday mornings and for all the Commemoration Ceremonies.
As the years went by professional organists began to attend our
services and listen to how Brenda played the organ, but try as they
might, they could never emulate her playing, nor could anyone else.
Once a week Brenda and John would drive to the Borrego retreat to do
some maintenance and on the way they would stop at a little café at
Lake Henshaw for breakfast.

The owner would always come out and talk with Brenda because he said
he wanted to see her smile. Of course, unbeknown to him, he was drawn
to the spiritual presence that these two dear souls have.
When the years began to take there toll on Brenda’s body and medical
attention became necessary Brenda astounded all the Doctors and nurses
with her peaceful demeanor and constant cheerfulness. They all said
they had never seen anything like it. As the ravages of aging appeared
Brenda still remained happy all the time. She still would give you her
beautiful smile and look at you with her beautiful sparkling blue
eyes. At one point, she had to go into a care facility. Her care
givers at the facility again would say how they had never worked on
such a cheerful and smiling patient. Every morning she would greet
them with her smile. They all wanted to be Brenda’s caregiver, because
she was so easy to work with and always had a smile and never gave
them any problems. If you have ever been or visited one of these care
places you know there is a lot of sadness taking place. So, everyone
was always happy to come and take care of Brenda. She never complained
or gave them problems. She was a true yogi.
In her final days she did a lot of sleeping. I know she was not always
with us, but some where else, on the other side, on another plane of
existence. She would slip back and forth. She never showed that she
was in any pain or discomfort. She always radiated peace. In that
final week she would come out of her slumber once in a while look at
us with her beautiful blue eyes, smile and then close her eyes again.
She never exhibited any kind of distress. You could just feel that
Master and the Great ones were with her.
Brenda was blessed, I know by Master, to have the most wonderful care
given to her. She had two major care- givers at home Laura Johnson and
her daughter Kristi Shine and they are here with us today. Two more
loving and dedicated souls you could not find anywhere. Also, there
was Carolyn Mathur who came on many weekends to help John with Brenda.
Carolyn was also instrumental in teaching Brenda the computer so
Brenda could work on the book “Treasures Against Time.” Both Brenda
and John attended Carolyn’s ROP computer class at Mt. Carmel High
School.
All the caregivers have said, they might have helped Brenda, but
Brenda gave back to them so much more. They could feel what a very
special soul Brenda is. Kristi used to dress Brenda up, put her in her
wheel chair and take her for long walks. Brenda always loved to go
outside in the sunshine and fresh air and see the sights.
This is a poem that Kristi wrote to Brenda.

· Sitting next to your bed I remember the times
· When we walked outside in the warm sunshine
· Watching the flowers so alive, full of color
· Walking past rabbits as they ran taking cover
· Sometimes you would mumble a word or two
· And your smile it would grow, when I sang to you
· Your hands would reach out sometimes stroking my face
· I would smile and I’d think of God’s love and His Grace
· You have blessed me in more ways than you will ever know
· And I know when it’s time, off with God you will go
· I am honored to have been part of your life
· Goodbye sweet Brenda
· See you later
· Goodnight
Thank you so much Kristi. That was beautiful.

There were other caregivers too who so loyally and with love and
devotion helped take care of our dear Brenda. John and all of us want
to thank you so very much for the care and the love all of you gave to
Master’s little Bren. Remember what Jesus the Christ has said “for as
you do unto others, you do unto Me.”
We will always remember you dear Brenda in this life and in the life
to come as the perfect Siddha, a pure soul, who brought light to the
world and happiness to countless devotees.
Yes, dear Brenda, Master must be well pleased with you. For indeed,
you have played your part well in this drama of life.
Before the service comes to an end let us chant two favorite inspiring
songs that Brenda liked to play on the organ. These were composed by
her father Doctor Lewis. They are entitled “O Ring of Gold” and “The
Master’s Love for Me.” Brenda played these chants countless times at
Hollywood Temple, San Diego Temple and at the Tuesday Night
meditations in Rancho Bernardo.
All of you who know these songs please sing loudly so the others can
follow. Thank you.
John Giulino could you now please play.
“O Ring of Gold”
O Ring of Gold within of nameless hue
O door of Heaven by which we all pass through
Into that realm Gods Kingdom bright
Eternal Bliss Immortal Light
The Master’s Love for Me”
So silently and sweetly the Master comes to me
His love and joy enfolds me in bliss and ecstasy
My mind is calm and peaceful all cares are swept away
And in His omnipresence I know that I am free
My mind is calm and peaceful all cares are swept away
And in His omnipresence I know that I am free
So sweet the sound of Om ‘Tis Master’s voice I hear
In all pervading silence He whispers I am here
My heart with joy is flowing It sings eternally
There is no other love like the Master’s love for me
My heart with joy is flowing it sings eternally
There is no other love like the Master’s love for me
Thank you John Giulino.
And now I would like to read a letter written to John Rosser from our
Beloved President Sri Daya Mata

Saying goodbye to the ones we love is never easy, but when we know
where they are going, it makes a big difference.
So we know dear Brenda this is not a goodbye, but just a fair well, -
adieu dear friend - until we meet again in that Great Light where all
shall meet who do good and do right.

God Bless you dear friend, dear Brenda we will never forget you.
Your sparkling blue eyes, your beautiful smile,
Your cheerfulness, your joy, your love,
Your music,
Your dedication to God and Guru.
Let us feel only Love and Joy now for Brenda,
For this is a time to rejoice.
“Brenda” is now dancing on billowy white clouds with waves of bliss,
hand in hand with her Guru, beyond the grasp of earthly delusion.
She is homeward bound at last.
Back with Master, back with all the loved ones who have gone on before
her.
God speed dear friend, God’s love, God’s blessing.
Home at last, Home at last,
Fair well dear friend.

Fair Thee well.
Om, Peace, Amen