A Place Called Ananda A Place Called Ananda What is it like to live in spiritual community? Members of 8 spiritual communities worldwide share their experiences of meditation, the spiritual path, and living for God.
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Bliss Avatar?
2008-02-05 02:00:00 By Swami Kriyananda The purpose of this essay is, above all, to address the question implied in the title, which concerns my Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, and his true mission in life. First it will be necessary for me, however, to lay a careful groundwork for my discussion, because most modern readers, even in India, have not the slightest idea what those ancient words, avatar and guru, really mean. I must first, therefore, explain basic aspects of the spiritual path. I’ll try to keep what I write simple and lucid, as well as (I hope) enjoyable to read. At the same time, however, I must warn the unwary: We’ll be swimming in deep waters! Avatar and guru are, as I said, words the ancient meanings of which have changed, and, in popular understanding, altered beyond all recognition from their original and lofty purpose. To my astonishment, I have found these corruptions, at least in newspapers, almost more rampant in India than in the West. Guru, properly speaking, means spiritua...
Yoga Study for Multiple Sclerosis
2008-02-01 05:10:00 By Koral Ilgun Ananda’s Expanding Light Yoga and Meditation Retreat recently hosted a group of people with early stages of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) to conduct a Yoga Therapy Workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to investigate yoga’s effect on the functional abilities of an MS patient to maintain an active and fulfilling life. I have had a chance to interview Maitri Jones, a registered nurse and a staff member at the Expanding Light, who designed and conducted the study with help from many other members of Ananda around the country. Below are some excerpts from this interview: Koral: How did the idea of this workshop come up? Maitri: A lot of research is being done about yoga practices and meditation, using MRIs showing how these ancient teachings result in beneficial changes for the brain. Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that affects the brain and nervous system. The idea for this MS research was first started in Rome, Italy with our Ananda Yoga teachers from Ass... More About: Study
It Was A Dark And Stormy Night
2008-01-25 18:52:00 By Savitri Simpson, Ananda Village Resident Or, “What Happened At Our House During the Big Storm.” The short version A huge oak tree fell on our dome-home at noon on Friday in the middle of a large windstorm. We were at home, but not hurt. We have quite a bit of damage to the dome, but we have received tons of help on every level and we will be able to keep living there while repairs are happening. We are very grateful to God and Gurus, but certainly would appreciate your prayers at this time. It was and is all quite an adventure, full of challenges and many special blessings. If you want to know more details, read on: The long version A big storm and high winds were expected here including power outages and all that sort of thing. But we are used to it out here in the country – it happens every winter – and we thought we were prepared. Sudarshan and I both came home early from work because the electricity had gone off everywhere and it was difficult to work w... More About: Night , Dark , Stormy
Ananda’s Spanish Ministry
2008-01-23 01:27:00 By Amanda Alzate, Director of Ananda's Spanish Ministry Ananda’s outreach efforts in Spanish started in the ’80s with Marga Dominguez-Goering. She began by translating Swami Kriyananda’s “Festival of Light” ceremony performed at Sunday Services, and Ananda’s beginner lessons in meditation. In 1997, with my arrival at Ananda Village, we founded Ananda’s Spanish Ministry, which is now online at www.anandaespanol.org. Marga (from Spain) and I (from Colombia) both shared the desire to spread Paramhansa Yogananda’s teachings and Ananda’s way of life with Spanish speaking people. However, without a Spanish speaking population nearby and without a web site, the Spanish ministry was not going to grow very fast – this was obvious. Ram Smith, an Ananda minister, encouraged us to organize a workshop at Ananda’s Meditation Retreat. We created a very simple web site and a whole family from Colombia, who lived in the San Francisco Bay ...
Sweet Seclusion
2008-01-23 01:24:00 By Savitri Simpson, Ananda Lightbearer Paramhansa Yogananda says, in an article written in 1923: “The week should be allotted to work, amusement, and spiritual culture—five days for money making, one day for rest and amusement, and one day for introspection and inner realization.” There probably isn’t too much question about working: most of us don’t have much choice about it. Rest and amusement are often too easy for us to seek out. The third area is where we may lack experience and definition: introspection and inner realization. Ah, sweet seclusion! If you’ve never tried it—well, you must and the sooner the better! Most likely, you’ll find it so enjoyable that you’ll soon be trying to take a day of seclusion more often, perhaps even one day a week, once a month, or even longer seclusions once or twice a year. Here are some suggestions that might help you to have a better time of your seclusion. Try to find a place, even if it’s just a room, wher... More About: Sweet
Benefits of Kriya Yoga
2008-01-19 01:44:00 By Dave Warner One of the great joys of my work with Kriya Yogis is the frequent emails I receive from them, describing the positive effects of Kriya practice. These testimonials come from long-time Kriyabans, and from people who have been practicing Kriya less than a year. Many times the practice of Kriya brings what I call ‘unintended consequences’ — all of them positive! A recent email from a new Kriyaban described how they had stopped eating meat, were eating half as much as they used to (good in their case, apparently!) – all of this even though they weren’t trying to make these particular changes in their life. Because Kriya changes one deeply from the inside, the changes can and do manifest outwardly in many ways. In a sense, the Kriya Yogi changes himself from the inside out, rather than in the typical modern approach of changing one’s looks, clothing, or personality. Here are some of the comments I’ve received from Kriya Yogis: “... More About: Yoga , Benefits
Why I Love My Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda
2008-01-07 20:49:00 By Swami Kriyananda Friendship, Yogananda used to say, is the most rewarding human experience, being free from any compulsion. Even in a mother’s love there is a certain natural compulsion: the thought of her children as hers. Were her child to die and be reborn next door, it is not certain she would have the same love for it, even if she felt for it a certain natural affection. Noble an “institution” as friendship is, however, it was not until I met my Guru that I came to understand its higher octaves. As a divine friend he was perfection itself. For friendship should uplift, and that is something it does not always do. So long as it is between egos, it may only strengthen the ego. There is much to be said, all the same, for human friendship, even when its benefit is primarily to the ego. Experiments have been done on plants showing that when even a plant is given love, it flourishes, whereas if love is denied it, its growth may be stunted. Moreover, if hate is directed ... More About: Love , Paramhansa Yogananda , Nand , Ansa
Where there is love there is peace…
2008-01-07 03:35:00 By Barbara Bingham I wish you all a very happy New Year. After reading Swami Kriyananda’s recent letters to us relating his bliss in the midst of his surgeries and chemotherapy I realize that the “happy” in our new year greetings is a powerful affirmation to feel inner joy despite any outward circumstances. I am sharing a collection of photos from Ananda including our snow, and celebration of Yogananda’s birthday. The Western United States has been hit by a storm with high winds and we are experiencing the 3rd day of power outages. Amazingly, The Expanding Light Retreat had electricity and hosted a lovely service in honor of our Guru. This is a special day for those of us on this path. It is an opportunity to honor our Guru and to remember God’s love for us, be thankful for these teachings, Ananda, and Swami Kriyananda. The ceremony included a flower ceremony and the reading of an article by Swamiji entitled, Why I Love My Guru. It was a beautiful evening. A lo...
Lifestyles For Radiant Health
2008-01-03 00:35:00 By Mangala Lifestyles for Radiant Heal th : Last October we offered an exciting new program at the Expanding Light, Ananda’s Yoga and Meditation Retreat. It was called Lifestyles for Radiant Health: Personalized Coaching for Optimal Wellness. Our goal was to reach people who wanted to make healthy lifestyle changes, but had not been able to do so on their own. We knew that with Yogananda’s teachings related to health and healthy living, we had a dynamic program to offer that could really help people to make desired changes in their lives. And now that it’s the New Year, we’re hoping to assist a group of guests to clarify their New Year’s Resolutions related to healthy living, and most importantly help them to develop a personal plan that will empower them to succeed with their resolutions. How about you? Wouldn’t you enjoy participating in this fun, dynamic and life-changing program? This program will be offered again January 20-27, 2008. (if interested, call ... More About: Adia
Is Yogananda My Guru? Is Krishna? Is Jesus Christ?
2008-01-02 20:37:00 By Swami Kriyananda The Dilemma: A guru is a teacher. In general parlance he can be a school teacher, someone high up in the financial world, or somebody looked up to as an authority in virtually any sphere of activity. The original meaning of the word, however, derives from the Sanskrit, gur: “to raise or uplift.” In ancient spiritual tradition, guru means more even than a wise teacher. In the highest sense, it refers to the satguru: one who has reached oneness with God, is empowered by God to bring people to Him, and is specifically commissioned by God to bring you to Him. A true understanding of what it means to be this kind of guru is exemplified in Paramhansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda announced, toward the end of his life, that he was the last in the SRF and Ananda line of gurus. There was plenty of precedent for this statement. When an avatar comes on earth, he plays a special role, and will continue to do so, for ages to come, in the lives of ... More About: Jesus , Jesus Christ , Christ , Krishna , Guru
Advent at Ananda Portland
2008-01-01 04:00:00 By Lorna Knox Christmas is a holy time, a joyful time of remembering Christ’s life and mission and taking those blessings deep within. It is also a fun-filled, busy time for families, which can become frantic and harried, with all feelings of blessing and holiness lost in the hustle. Over the years we have used many different traditions and activities in our home to keep the focus of our Christmases on spiritual blessings. At the Ananda Portland Temple and Teaching Center, we have also engaged the children in many fun activities to help teach them the meaning of Christmas. This year at the temple we brought back the tradition of Advent . Advent is well known in Catholic churches, but not commonly practiced in the Protestant tradition or other faiths. Very simply, it is a wonderful way to repeatedly bring the focus back to spiritual blessings during the holy season. If you look up the Advent tradition, you will find a variety of Bible readings and scripts that are used, but... More About: Nand
The Deer of Ananda Village
2007-12-21 19:40:00 By Nabha Cosley One of the beauties of Ananda Village are its super-abundance of deer. The baby deer are the cutest. They have spots in summer; by mid-fall, the spots have gone, and the boys are developing antlers. Deer are kind, innocent, and uplifting to see. For many people who visit the Village and have some kind of encounter with them, they are a highlight. Deer are a year-round phenomenon – now, in late fall, you can still see them more days than not. In warmer seasons, they are even more common: last summer, counts went as high as 58. Popular hangouts include “downtown” Ananda Village as well as the apple orchard. Click on any of the photos to see a larger version. These deer are at Rajarsi Park, the group of office buildings which are the home to Crystal Clarity Publishers, Ananda’s outreach ministry, and several Ananda-member-owned businesses. (I work in the building on the left and help develop websites like this one.) This photo is called ... More About: Nand
4th Anniversary of Ananda India
2007-12-14 19:32:00 By Dharmaraj Iyer, Ananda India Recently Ananda India celebrated its 4th anniversary. It was December 2003 when Swami Kriyananda and his “landing party” arrived in Delhi and moved into a house in the Gurgaon, Delhi suburbs. 4 years later, Swamiji, with the staff of Ananda India and some friends, gathered to reflect on our growth and accomplishments, and to look to some of our future directions. The recording of the celebration is available below. The celebration began with a prayer and a favorite chant, “O God Beautiful”, originally written in Hindi by Guru Nanak (founder of the Sikh faith) and translated into English by Paramhansa Yogananda. It is heart-warming to sing this song to God in 2 languages, uniting all our voices. (You can listen to the chant below). The united voices continued with songs by the choir. Swamiji’s music conveys truth and joy through beautiful words, melodies, and harmonies. In many ways the spirit of Ananda ... More About: Anniversary , Nand
Living Wisdom School Christmas Concert
2007-12-10 07:05:00 By David Eby As I went back into the community center to pick up the last of my things after the concert, I could tangibly feel the beauty that the students created with their music. I stood for a moment in the now empty hall, and tried to imprint the feeling and vibration of this beautiful evening into my memory. Last Friday night, Dec 7th, was our annual Living Wisdom School Christmas Concert , presenting the entire K-12 classes in an hour long program. I am so blessed to be working with such a talented group of young singers and instrumentalists. We have around 50 students, with a few hours each week to rehearse, and it is remarkable what these kids can do! We have the 21 high schoolers singing 4 part songs, including Handel’s Halleluiah Chorus this year, which is quite an undertaking! They rose to the challenge beautifully, and have learned to sing not only beautifully, but from a deeper place of inspiration than ever before. Here is an excerpt from one of the pieces t...
World Brotherhood Day
2007-12-10 01:55:00 By Barbara Bingham This past Sunday, December 2nd, was the 24th World Brotherhood Day at The Expanding Light at Ananda Village. It is a day set aside at the beginning of the Christmas holiday season where we consciously stop and remember the beauty of this season. World Brotherhood Day has been one of my favorite Ananda observances for years. I remember many years ago (yikes - almost 20 years ago) sending for the cassette tape so that I could listen to and then participate in the event from a distance. The evening began and ends with the choir singing beautiful songs, including my favorite, Christmas Mystery. This song plus others from the Christ Lives Oratrio fill me with awe. It has been our custom on this day to contribute a day’s wage to an aspect of the outreach ministry. We place this offering at the beautiful Christmas altar then recieve a blessing by Jyotish and Devi and a small gift. This year it was a copy of a profound article Swami Kriyananda recently wrote. In ...
The Final Exam
2007-11-28 21:57:00 By Swami Kriyananda The most important moment of life is, in a very true sense, its last moment. For death is when we take our final exam. The thought uppermost in the mind at that time will determine whether our future take us upward, or sideways, or downward: upward toward greater spiritual clarity and freedom; sideways toward further involvement in desires and worldly attachments; or (the least fortunate) downward toward greater darkness, confusion, and ignorance. The Bhagavad Gita, India’s best-loved scripture, says that if our last thought is of God, it is to Him we will go; if that thought is of family and relatives, it is to them we will go; if the last, lingering thought in the mind is of regret for the mistakes we have made in this life, our direction will be downward toward less ability to pass similar tests in the future; and, finally, if that thought is of attraction to those mistakes, our downward motion will be farther and more rapid. “Those who worship the low... More About: Final , Exam
Inner Awakenings: a Concert
2007-11-28 00:13:00 By David Eby On Saturday, November 10th we had our third evening in the Ananda Concert Series, entitled Inner Awakenings. Held once again at the Crystal Hermitage Dome, we played and sang to a full house of long time devotees and newcomers alike, with music and interspersed guided meditations from Swami Kriyananda’s book, Awaken to Superconsciousness. Melody, it has been said, symbolizes the aspiration of the heart, and words are thoughts crystalized - combining the two creates an incredibly powerful experience for a listener. In this program we tried to tune in to the vibration, the consciousness behind each guided meditation, and then chose music that fit that same feeling. If you’d like to listen for yourself to Swami Kriyananda reading two such meditations with music, I’d highly recommend the CD Meditations to Awaken Superconsciousness, available from Crystal Clarity Publishers. I will also be posting some of the audio from this concert very soon! I’v... More About: Cert
Yes Moms, Meditation is Service!
2007-11-23 21:48:00 By Lorna Knox I’m a mom, an oldest daughter, a nurse, a teacher, a karma yogi, - any way you look at it, I have “the heart of a servant”, as one friend described me. I am happiest when serving others, I always have been. An attitude of service is helpful when I am in a new situation or I have to speak to a group of unfamiliar people. If I ask God to use me as an instrument, I am able to see past the outward circumstances and relax into what is trying to happen. If I am having trouble waiting for something to happen (which occurs far to often!), finding something helpful to do directs the energy away from impatience. Joy immediately returns because I am no longer focused on me. Paramhansa Yogananda said that service is one of the fastest paths to God, but he also said that meditation is essential. Meditation is the best way to get out of focusing on the self and learn to focus on God. Getting up at night with a sick child, doing endless piles of laundry, ru... More About: Service , Moms
Spirituality in Education
2007-09-17 23:00:00 ?Spiritual education? is still a new concept for most people. Many adults are only too familiar with the superficially related, but fundamentally different term of ?religious education.? The indoctrination and coercion embedded in this latter approach drove many people away from any form of religious practice. Their reaction has often resulted in an unwillingness to ... More About: Education , Spirituality , Duca , Ality
Swami Kriyananda?s 60th Year of Discipleship
2007-09-15 01:34:00 September 12th was the 59th anniversary of the day Swami Kriyananda met Master. We celebrated it here in India as the first day of his 60th year of discipleship. One special aspect of the day’s events is that they were organized primarily by our Indian devotees. In a sense the celebration began on Monday, because we ... More About: Paramhansa Yogananda , Year , Disc , Discipleship
School Begins!
2007-09-11 06:18:00 The Ananda Living Wisdom School began last Wednesday, with more than 70 students from preschool through college enrolled! As the music director for the school, they asked me to lead everyone in singing the school theme song, written by Swami Kriyananda, entitled “Sing in the Meadows.” The words and music speak beautifully to ... More About: Education
School Begins!
2007-09-11 06:18:00 The Ananda Living Wisdom School began last Wednesday, with more than 70 students from preschool through college enrolled! As the music director for the school, they asked me to lead everyone in singing the school theme song, written by Swami Kriyananda, entitled “Sing in the Meadows.” The words and music speak beautifully to ... More About: Education
Babaji Krishna Celebration
2007-09-02 18:30:00 Last night, at Ananda Village, we celebrated the blessings of Mahavatar Babaji in our lives. It was a stunningly beautiful evening at the Crystal Hermitage. The air was so still and except for a choir of crickets and our devotional chanting and prayers it was very quiet and profoundly peaceful. The evening was led by Dave ... More About: Other , Celebration , Krishna
Babaji Krishna Celebration
2007-09-02 18:30:00 Last night, at Ananda Village, we celebrated the blessings of Mahavatar Babaji in our lives. It was a stunningly beautiful evening at the Crystal Hermitage. The air was so still and except for a choir of crickets and our devotional chanting and prayers it was very quiet and profoundly peaceful. The evening was led by Dave Warner ... More About: Other , Celebration , Krishna
Ananda Fire First Response Team
2007-08-31 06:03:00 Being located in a rural area with lots of brush and trees, Ananda Village has always been in risk of being affected by wildfires. Add to this the hot and dry summers, it is almost impossible to have a year without any fire incident. Year 1976 (way before my time here) marked the ... More About: Other , Team , Fire , Nanda , Nand
Ananda Fire First Response Team
2007-08-31 06:03:00 Being located in a rural area with lots of brush and trees, Ananda Village has always been in risk of being affected by wildfires. Add to this the hot and dry summers, it is almost impossible to have a year without any fire incident. Year 1976 (way before my time here) marked the worst fire ... More About: Service , Team , Fire , Nanda , Nand
The Man Behind the Camera
2007-08-29 21:48:00 I first came to Ananda Village in the fall of 1979 for a vacation. I had been practicing hatha yoga for about 6 years, and I really wanted to learn how to meditate. I had a great longing for ?something more? in my life, and I knew I could find it within ? More About: Camera , Service , Swami Kriyananda , The Arts , The Man
The Man Behind the Camera
2007-08-29 21:48:00 I first came to Ananda Village in the fall of 1979 for a vacation. I had been practicing hatha yoga for about 6 years, and I really wanted to learn how to meditate. I had a great longing for ?something more? in my life, and I knew I could find it within ? More About: Camera , Swami Kriyananda , The Arts , The Man
Century with Gurubais
2007-08-15 19:52:00 On June 2nd, JT, Bob and I did our first century together in Calaveras County, organized by the Sacramento Wheelmen Bicycle Club. I had talked about this upcoming ride in my previous post, titled “Satsang On Bicycles”. Three of us have been preparing and training for this event for the several months preceding ... More About: Guru , Century
Century with Gurubais
More articles from this author:2007-08-15 19:52:00 On June 2nd, JT, Bob and I did our first century together in Calaveras County, organized by the Sacramento Wheelmen Bicycle Club. I had talked about this upcoming ride in my previous post, titled “Satsang On Bicycles”. Three of us have been preparing and training for this event for the several months preceding ... More About: Other , Guru , Century 1, 2 |
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