Diwali, which literally means festival of light is among the most important and beloved spiritual celebrations in India. Celebrated on the darkest hour of the darkest night of Indian lunar calendar, devotees light hundreds of lamps and place them on every wall, windowsill, threshold and lintel. These little lights, it is believed, serve as beacons to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. … Read More
Sermons
Sunday, October 27, 2024 – What is the best way to Pray? with Bruce Davis
Yogananda said that most people “pray vaguely and absent-mindedly, then turn away and hope for the best.” He contrasted that with yogis, “whose bliss state is the result not of blind prayer, but of direct, determined, loving inner communion with God.” Ananda Sevaka and hardware store owner Bruce Davis will help you supercharge your own prayer life by examining the … Read More
Sermons
Sunday, October 20, 2024 – First Things First! Is Spirituality Practical? with Murali Venkatrao
Is Spirituality Practical? with Murali Venkatrao Good morning, everyone. So, today’s topic is practical spirituality. Is it possible to be practical in your spirituality? Should we even try or should we separate the two? There is a very good friend of mine who loves money. I got the reaction I expected, but let me refine his character a little bit. … Read More
Sermons
Sunday, October 13, 2024 – Victory Demands the Courage of Conviction with Nayaswami Hriman
Ananda Northwest visits Yogananda’s Southern California Shrines: Well, good morning, everyone. Twenty-six of us returned from Southern California on Friday after five days of a pilgrimage to the places where Yogananda lived & taught. To paraphrase a charming, tongue-in-cheek sentence from the autobiography, fresh from the plane (a euphemism, merely), we were tired, but happy. For those of you who … Read More
Sermons
Sunday, Oct 6, 2024 – In Surrender Lies Victory with Nayaswamis Ramesha & Bhagavati
In Surrender Lies Victory (ft. Nayaswamis Ramesha & Bhagavati) “When we give up what we have to give up, we make room for his light, for his joy, for his love to fill our lives to the brim.” Good morning, everyone. My name is Ramesha, and this is my wife, Bhagavati. We live at Ananda Village. As you heard … Read More
Sermons
Sunday, September 29, 2024 – Many are the Pathways with Nayaswami Padma
Be true to your own path with Nayaswami Padma I was looking around today for the murti of Lahiri because we’ve been celebrating him. He must have gotten moved to Hansa or something. Anyway, Lahiri Mahashaya is the one on the far left. He was the Guru of Shri Yukteshwar, who was the Guru of Yogananda. Yogananda did make physical … Read More
Sermons
Sunday, Sept 22, 2024 – Developing Your Intuition with Nayaswami Jamuna
Good morning. Nice to see you all here. As Padma said, we have a very big wedding going on in Lake Stevens today. So many people are there, but look, we look full. This is wonderful. And those online, thank you for coming this morning too. I volunteer at East-West Bookshop in Edmonds once a week. The lady I … Read More
Sermons
Sunday, Sept 15, 2024 – Celebrating Swami Kriyananda’s Discipleship Anniversary to Paramahansa Yogananda
A celebration of swami Kriyananda’s discipleship anniversary to Paramhansa Yogananda “Life is our Dream. Time, like a stream, carries our burdens away.” Padma: Today we’d like to invite a few of our friends who’ve agreed to be invited to come up and share something they learned of Swami Kriyananda’s discipleship to Yogananda. Ethan: It’s a big topic to talk about … Read More