Another direct disciple of Yogananda
Oliver Black was born in Grover Hill, Ohio, in 1893, the same year Yogananda was born, who was only 8 months older. As Rajarsi, Oliver Black was a self-made man, a millionaire industrialist selling automobile parts in Detroit. He was an energetic and highly talented person, who started on a very small scale: in his garage, with an investment of only $500. By the time Oliver Black retired from his business in 1952, it was valued $35 million dollars a year.
He and his wife Ethel had two children: a son Robert, who was killed while a pilot in World War II, and a daughter Phylis. His wife died in 1970.
Oliver Black met Yogananda in 1931 at a private party. It was instantaneous recognition: “I instantly recognized him for the spiritual giant he was.” Oliver’s life of discipleship began that day, and bore wonderful fruit: “He changed the whole direction of my life.”
It must have been a deeply fulfilling time for Yogananda: he met Rajarsi, Oliver Black, Daya Mata all in that same period, a time when Gyanamata moved to Mt Washington… all these shining stars in his spiritual heaven.
Oliver Black described his inner state at that time in colorful words: “When I first met him (at 38 years) I was afraid to get half a mile away from a drug store. I was a regular hypochondriac. Took pills for laxatives, aspirins for headaches, and probably would have taken tranquilizers if they’d had them. I was a victim of inner pressures too, like all of my colleagues. Besides running a successful company, I studied and taught a small philosophy class. We were trying to find an answer to man’s existence.”
The outward search for truth was now over. “Yogananda taught where to find it. You might say he handed me a blueprint, and I’ve been following it ever since.”
However, the change Oliver Black made was not as big as Yogananda would have liked. His dharma was different than Rajarsi’s: for many years Yogananda encouraged Oliver Black to withdraw from his business, and start teaching other truth-seekers. “Yogananda kept telling me to get out of business, but I just wouldn’t listen.”
True, Oliver Black was the leader of the SRF center in Detroit, but his guru had much greater plans for him. In May 1951, he wrote him: “With your organizational power you can do something much greater, much more lasting, much easier, and much more secure than present-day business organizations in which one works to pay taxes, ruining his health and happiness. Detroit, being in the center of the United States, has a great opportunity to draw true seekers, both from the East and West. I would like nothing better than for you to establish a sub-headquarters there.”
In August, 1951,Yogananda gave Oliver Black in a ceremony the spiritual title of “Yogacharya,” together with Rev. Bernard Cole and about five others. That was also the time when Yogananda gave Rajarsi his sannyas vows, the orange robe, and his monastic name. There is a photo which shows that ceremony (Bhaktananda is seen on it too). Researchers can find it on the internet.
After his last meeting with Oliver Black, Yogananda lovingly remarked, “Did you see God in his eyes?”
Yogananda passed on soon after that, in March 1952. It was a year of dramatic change for Oliver Black. Yogananda had repeatedly told him that if he did not leave his business willingly, something would happen to force him into the spiritual direction. And so it happened. In 1952, through a hostile stock-market takeover, Oliver Black lost most of what he had built up with so much effort, and most of his wealth. He still remained a moderately wealthy man, though. But now he retired from his business finally!
A new phase started in his life: he created a Yoga school (Yogacharya Oliver Black’s Self-realization yoga), in which he taught Yoga asanas, and trained other teachers- again with huge success.
In 1966, his weekly Sunday meditation and lecture services were attended by 200-300 people! His hatha yoga teachers were reaching thousands of students! And his yearly “Festival of Yoga” in Detroit was attended by over 3000 seekers. His was the most successful yoga and meditation activity in the United States at that time!
Oliver Black’s main focus, of course, was teaching meditation, and the deeper aspects of yoga. He initiated all of his yoga teachers in the highest techniques of meditation. But for some reason, in the early 70ies his success began to fade.
By 1971, he had sold off all his properties except for a beautiful, forested 800-acre land near Gaylord, Michigan, which became his full-time yoga retreat, called “Song of the Morning Ranch.” There he lived and taught, together with Bob Raymor, another direct disciple of Yogananda. The retreat still functions today, though Yogananda’s Kriya message seems not very central there anymore.
He lived up to 96 years.
