Aum Christ, Amen; Aum Christ Aum. Aum Christ, Amen, Aum Christ Aum. —Festival of Light blessing song by Swami Kriyananda It was 2004 and my life was busy and full. I had a great job as a Tech Support manager, I sang in the choir, practiced Aikido 5-6 days a week and enjoyed all the Ananda events. Life was good … Read More
Who Knows?
“Knowledge is power,” said Napoleon. Was he right? Well, that depends on what you know, as opposed to what you think you know, and whether you use it wisely. Worldly power is acquired mainly of influential position and forceful personality. There is no guarantee, however, that a person of power has the will or capacity to see things correctly or … Read More
Community, Inspiration, Meditation, Paramhansa Yogananda, Spiritual Teachings
The Great Pool of Consciousness
I don’t remember much from my childhood, but I have a clear memory of being a young, starry-eyed boy of about 7 or 8 years old, thinking that the age of 40 was a really mature and grown-up age where adults really have everything all figured out. I know that I retained this memory because when I turned 40 myself … Read More
Community, Inspiration, Paramhansa Yogananda, Spiritual Teachings, Swami Kriyananda
The Gifts and Growth of Community Living at Ananda
At Ananda, we often speak of the blessings that come from living in intentional communities rooted in high ideals and simple living. Paramhansa Yogananda envisioned these “world brotherhood colonies” as models for sustainable living in Dwapara Yuga. As he prophesied, “World brotherhood colonies will spread like wildfire!” Community creates social connections that have a measurable impact on our health and … Read More
We Who Measure
Do you judge? Of course, you do. Judging is how we compare and contrast, how we choose between this and that. It’s a habit as automatic as breathing. Every action, thing, person and experience is measured against what was, wasn’t or might have been. Consciously or not, we spend our waking hours measuring what enters our sensory world: the flower … Read More
Ananda Politics
“Never the twain shall meet.” This well-known line from Rudyard Kipling’s 1889 poem The Ballad of East and West depicts incompatible differences. The poem tells a story of a British colonel’s daughter kidnapped by an Afghani bandit and rescued by a brave soldier. The two adversaries fight a fierce battle, and despite their opposition, develop a mutual respect for one … Read More
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
“In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double, so don’t worry… be happy!” (Bonus points if you heard the tune in your head) There’s a good chance that every red-blooded American over the age of 20 has had this song stuck in their head at least once or twice in their lifetime, and … Read More
Inspiration, Paramhansa Yogananda, Spiritual Teachings
It Will Take as Long as it Takes
“You get your bachelor’s degree and think you know it all. Then you earn your master’s and realize you know only a little. But when you get your PhD, you understand you know nothing.” One of my professors shared this with me long ago, and it struck such a chord that I both laughed and pondered it often in the … Read More
