“If you would be perfect, go, sell what you have, give to the poor, and come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)
A young St. Anthony heard this Gospel verse in church and it changed his life—and the world. He left his wealth, family, and former life behind to spend many years in seclusion, prayer, and devotion in the Egyptian desert. Through many trials of purification, he became so established in divine peace and wisdom that others began seeking him out for counsel and guidance. In time, a spiritual brotherhood formed around him in the caves of the desert. They took up farming and weaving, living simply together in prayer and growing God-realization. A spiritual community emerged organically through their devotion, purification, and service.
“Francis, go and rebuild my house, which as you see is falling into ruin.”
Nearly a thousand years later, a young St. Francis heard these words from Christ and likewise left behind a comfortable life in complete surrender to God. Whereas St. Anthony withdrew from the world to preserve spiritual purity, St. Francis was called to rebuild the house of God from within the world itself.
Francis began by repairing a small church, but gradually realized that his true work was to renew the spiritual heart of Christianity. With his band of spiritual brothers, he lived a life of divine simplicity, ecstatic devotion, prayer, and service. Unlike the desert fathers, however, Francis and his growing spiritual family shared their joy openly with townspeople, the poor, nature, and all creation. He perceived God’s presence in Brother Sun, Sister Moon, in animals, in nature, and in every living soul.
Francis and his “Lesser Brothers” lived simply for God, served the poor, and worked humbly together in harmony. They roamed the countryside sharing their love and bliss with others. Though Francis resisted institutionalizing his work, the movement eventually became formalized and changed the course of history. Once again, a humble saint had manifested the divine will through living spiritual community.
“Simple living and high thinking lead to the greatest happiness.”
Now, in another millennium, Paramhansa Yogananda outlined yet another expression of spiritual community for the present age—one grounded not only in devotion and renunciation, but in the scientific practice of Self-realization through Kriya Yoga. He explained that many great saints throughout history, including the original disciples of Christ, practiced inner techniques of communion with God akin to Kriya Yoga, and that true religion and spiritual community has always been rooted in direct experience of the Divine.
Swami Kriyananda, Yogananda’s direct disciple, understood this assignment deeply and devoted his life to fulfilling it. Through Ananda, he established cooperative spiritual communities where individuals and families could live balanced lives of meditation, devotion, selfless service, creativity, and joy—integrating God-realization into modern daily life. The ancient form of sacred community is taking on a new form suited to this age.
Like the saints before us, the essential ingredients remain the same: devotion, prayer, meditation, selfless service, and inner purification. The outer expressions evolve with time, but the divine current is One. Today, the gift of spiritual community continues to spread like wildfire, carried on the winds of Self-Realization and divine grace.
Paramhansa Yogananda affirmed this vision when he wrote of the need for spiritual communities that spring from a deep inner lift. In the final pages of Autobiography of a Yogi he wrote:
“Man is a soul, not an institution; his inner reforms alone can lend permanence to outer ones… a colony exemplifying world brotherhood is empowered to send inspiring vibrations far beyond its locale.”
From desert caves, to wandering brotherhoods, to intentional communities of Self-Realization, the same divine impulse moves us all forward: souls awakening together in God.
