A new, eclectic temple

Four chants of “om” and a song of “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” closed the Self Realization Fellowship’s first service at its new Glendale temple Sunday.

The sacred Hindu intonation and Christian song were a part of the group’s inclusive practice, which is based on the idea that God exists within all beings, said the Rev. Brother Satyananda, the leader of the congregation.

The fellowship, founded in 1920 by Indian theologian Paramahansa Yogananda, draws from a combination of religious teachings, focusing on meditative components of yoga while referring primarily to Christian and Hindu scriptures to highlight its message, Satyananda said.

“We believe in the universal existence of intelligence,” Satyananda said. “It doesn’t matter what you call it, whether it’s God or Allah or any other name. It’s an experience that each individual can have, and the experience manifests as universal love.”

The group opened its new temple with a dedication ceremony Saturday, where congregants recognized the Glendale Church of Religious Science, which had owned the site but decided to donate it to the fellowship as its own congregation shrank and struggled to fill the cavernous 500-person sanctuary, said Joe Grimes, the fellowship’s head usher.

The Glendale congregation was previously based at its Pasadena temple, which held 300 members but had grown to capacity there and drew enough visitors Sunday to fill its new sanctuary and an overflow room.

The service began with a 45-minute meditation period, followed by singing and a lecture by Satyananda.

Satyananda repeatedly referenced the New Testament, the Bhagavad Gita and other sources as he discussed the role of faith in building community peace.

“Hillary Clinton said it takes a village, and she’s right,” Satyananda said. “And in our case, it takes a temple to raise yogis.”

The fellowship’s focus on unity and meditation drew Camille Smith to the faith 12 years ago and to the new temple Sunday, she said.

“Every time you sit down to meditate, you feel the bliss and calmness,” Smith said. “So that’s why we do it, so we have that joy every day.”

“It makes me feel good every week,” said 18-year Pasadena congregant Rao Akula. “It has become almost a necessity to keep peace in my mind.”

The faith frequently draws new followers who realize that it can coexist with their other religious beliefs, said Satyananda, explaining that Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and followers of other faiths also participate in the fellowship’s services.

That was the case for Hamlet Iskandaryan and his mother Karmen Sohrabyan, both Armenian Orthodox Christians who decided to visit the temple even though they were not members of the congregation.

“We’re thinking of volunteering,” said Iskandaryan, who, along with his mother, felt that Christianity and the fellowship’s teachings were not mutually exclusive.

Iskandaryan had visited the Pasadena temple about a decade ago, but went on to explore other South Asian-inspired faiths before arriving at Sunday’s service.

“The energy really is where it’s supposed to be,” he said. “The spirit of the guru is here.”

 ZAIN SHAUK covers education. He may be reached at (818) 637-3238 or by e-mail at zain.shauk@latimes.com.