I arrived at the YSS Dakshineswar Ashram late Sunday afternoon. Located on the banks of the Ganges, the ashram provides an oasis of peace and tranquility amid the bustle of Kolkata. After settling into my simple room, I went to the river and strolled through a lovely garden with the sound of drums and prayer rising in the approaching dusk.

The next morning I traveled with Anders to nearby Serampore, where we planned to make four important stops in the life of young Mukunda: Serampore College, Rai Ghat, his Uncle’s house, and at Swami Sri Yukteswar’s ashram named Priyadham. It was at Priyadham that Mukunda was ordained into sannyasa (monkhood) in 1915 and became Swami Yogananda (he received the title Paramahansa in 1936 from Sri Yuksteswar). He also experienced Cosmic Consciousness for the first time here when, after much cajoling from Mukunda, Swamiji simply tapped him on the forehead and launched him into the realm of God.

Anders, a biochemist from Sweden currently living in Switzerland, turned out to be an excellent travel companion. I hardly took notice of our harrowing, 45-minute drive through narrow, congested streets overflowing with rickshaws and pedestrians. We made our first stop at Serampore College, where Mukunda received his bachelor’s degree (A.B.) despite rarely attending class. Indeed, his classmates called him “the Mad Monk” because he spent all of his time at Priyadham with a burning zeal for God and Guru. His professors, too, described him as a “bit over-drunk with religion.”

Next we drove to Rai Ghat and the holy banyan tree where Mahavatar Babaji appeared with his disciples to congratulate Sri Yukteswar for just completing the book he ordained him to write entitled, The Holy Science. This was a monumental event, because it was at the Khumba Mela in 1894 that Babaji instructed Sri Yukteswar as follows: “I want you to write a short book to show the underlying unity of the Christian Bible and the Sanatan Dharma, the Vedic teachings of ancient India.” This was the very reason Yogananda later traveled to America — to unite the teachings and people of East and West — as was ordained through the lineage of gurus.

The final two stops touched me deeply. Just a short distance away we found “the Uncle’s house” where Mukunda lived while attending Serampore College. We entered a small courtyard through a tiny gate, took off our shoes and went into Mukunda’s room, where a shrine was set in his memory. I sat down. As soon as I closed my eyes I could feel the strong vibrations in this room, almost overwhelming. It is so difficult to describe the intensity of the peace and elation I felt in my heart. This was so much the reason I had come here, to experience moments like this, where I felt incredibly close to my beloved Guruji.

Our final stop took us to Priyadham Ashram, which Sri Yukteswar founded after inheriting a large property from his father. This site is extremely sacred to those of us who follow Paramahansa Yogananda, because this is where he received his spiritual training and absorbed so much wisdom from his guru. Sri Yukteswar transformed the Mad Monk into a master and saint. Their guru-disciple relationship epitomized the sacredness of such divine love as shared between these two, and provided a perfect model for all gurus and disciples to follow.

I entered the Smriti Mandir – a monument to Sri Yukteswar for his role in spreading Kriya Yoga – and again experienced a buoyant elation that seemed like it would lift me out of my seat. It happened so quickly — there was no time for me to manufacture it on my own. Such exquisite joy leaves one feeling completely fulfilled and desiring nothing. Some of you may start calling me Mad Monk, Jr., but so be it: this is the reason I came so far and gave up so much — to deepen my attunement with Guruji and strengthen my devotion to the spiritual path.