The pace of life is ours to make. Whether fast or slow on the outside, our attitude on the inside is ours to choose: anxious, unruffled or an adjective in between. Paramhansa Yogananda would remind his disciples to “make haste slowly.” In other words, strive to be “actively calm and calmly active,” and in a manner that is “even-minded and … Read More
The Fearless Heart
We recently celebrated a massive, beautiful week of Spiritual Renewal at Ananda Village with over 300 in attendance live, and at least that many tuning in online. The theme of the week resonated deeply with every heart: “The Battle of Life and How to Fight It”. Now is the time to keep our spiritual inspiration high, and to fight life’s … Read More
Unity Through Community
There is a better way to live in this world, and we are helping to create and share that way together. People everywhere have had enough of selfishness, divisive politics, lack of right living and kindness and respect. While we cannot solve all the world’s complex and difficult problems, we can create a powerful momentum to help support the … Read More
Supreme Devotion
Love is the cosmic glue which holds this universe together with its interplay of countless swirling celestial bodies, and multitudes of hearts and minds. Paramhansa Yogananda’s own guru Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri was a stern yoga master who yet knew this wisdom of love. He wrote that “The first and most essential thing on the spiritual path is to uncover … Read More
Community of Souls
There is a place on this earth where friends come together, live side by side, and support each other in their individual search for God. Not a cloistered monastery or ashram only for those who renounce the world, a place for everyone. In fact, there are several such places. I have the great good fortune of being born into one … Read More
The Custodians of Religion
In my early life lexicon, the term “custodian” referred only to the janitor at my elementary school. Later, in my early adult life, I read perhaps one of the greatest spiritual books ever written, The New Path by Swami Kriyananda. In Part II, Chapter 33: Original Christianity, the author emphasizes and expounds an important message from Paramhansa Yogananda: “The saints … Read More
The Trumpet Call of Friendship
The greatest joy and growth, pain and sorrows in this world all relate to our connection with others. And the highest form of connection is friendship. True friendship is a spiritual relationship of love, support and respect. Paramhansa Yogananda wrote “Friendship is God’s trumpet call, bidding the soul to destroy the walls which separate it from other souls, and from … Read More
Atomic Resolutions
Now is the time of resolutions, a time for making promises that are notoriously broken within weeks. Here in Portland, we’ve had an epic ice storm to contend with as we try to maintain ours! New Year’s resolutions are not simply a social construct. In fact, they are a natural expression of what is happening for us on an energetic … Read More