Paramhansa Yogananda describes how, as a child, he was healed of Asiatic cholera (which is usually fatal) in a blinding flash of light after his mother instructed him to pray to her guru, Lahiri Mahasaya. Albert Einstein, as a young man, was fascinated with the phenomenon of light. His discovery showed that the speed of light is the constant of … Read More
Paramhansa Yogananda, author of the world renown classic, “Autobiography of a Yogi,” spoke and wrote frequently in respect to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Many of his students and followers have wondered why he did so, especially in light of his emphasis upon respect for and the need to seek a deeper understanding of the underyling truth of … Read More
What IS Ananda? Ananda is more than a teaching center for meditation or yoga. Ananda is different things to different people. Most of all, at Ananda we aspire to see that people are more important than things: even so-called “important” things like the classes we give, the projects we undertake, the services we offer, the buildings we occupy, or whether … Read More
There is a folktale called “God Is Coming To Dinner?’ One day, a lady receives in the mail a letter that states, “Please prepare a meal for me tonight. I will be coming to your house for dinner. Love, God” She was poor and lived frugally, so this was a big request. Her heart and soul were thrilled. And so … Read More
Creation is our Mother in the form of nature. God, through the power of intelligent vibration, has created and sustains the universe, and is seated at the still heart of all flux. In celebrating Mother’s Day, let us include God as Mother, housekeeper of creation. The Bible tells us that God gazed upon His creation and called it good! We, too, should … Read More
This topic is based on a reading from the book by Swami Kriyananda, Rays of the Same Light. (We use these readings at the Ananda Sunday Services around the world.) This particular reading begins with Jesus Christ counseling his disciples that their spirituality ought to be something greater than that of his (self-styled) enemies, the Pharisees, who were religious leaders … Read More
From a Sunday Service talk by Nayaswami Susan McGinnis, at Ananda Meditation Temple in Bothell. As spiritual seekers, we are engaged in affirming our Oneness with all life. Our daily meditation is one way in which we do this, but much of our time is not spent in meditation. What we do, and even more importantly, the thoughts and feelings … Read More
Sometimes (and sometimes a lot!) on the spiritual path, we experience times when we struggle with our meditation practice. This is not new to most of us who have been meditating for a while. During these times we need to do whatever we can to keep ourselves motivated and inspired. Make this a conscious choice. It is the desire for … Read More
(Note: this is a summary of Jamuna’s talk at Sunday Service on February 28, 2010.) In today’s readings we hear that Jesus scolded the Pharisees for their complaint that His disciples did not wash their hands before eating. Jesus admonishes them for honoring only the letter of the law while missing the spirit. Consciousness, He says, is what ultimately determines … Read More
We have inherited a medieval mindset when we unthinkingly relegate “God” to some distant universe of indifference or even some unfathomably vast distance from our own daily life and concerns. Yet the life and teachings of God-realized saints and masters are vibrant testimonies to God’s being our closest, and our nearest and dearest friend. God, Yogananda and others have reminded … Read More