This past week at Ananda Village and The Expanding Light has been filled with inspiration and spiritual friends. It seems impossible that 12 different talks in six days about the spiritual path could hold one’s attention from beginning to end. But it did. The theme for Inner Renewal week was: Going Deeper into God.
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The weather generally has been pretty gray all week with some rain. Inside the Expanding Light temple was warm and cozy. The choir sang many of my favorite songs.
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The talks were very insightful, encouraging and challenging.

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Anandi gave a great talk on the energization exercises. If you need any new inspiration to fuel your love for these exercises you will like this talk. You can click here to watch it.

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All the talks can be accessed through ananda.org or here. I am always amazed at the depth of spiritual understanding of our teachers and of the devotion of my fellow disciples.

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The week also included Kriya initiations and the very special Pilgrim initiation.
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This was a special evening for me. My husband, Dave, and 102 other people took Pilgrim Vows. I felt very blessed to be part of this ceremony. These are the vows:

I understand, and intend from now on to live by my understanding, that life is a pilgrimage, of which the final goal is to find and merge back into God.

I will endeavor resolutely, therefore, to direct all my thoughts and actions toward that end.

I will offer up all material desires for purification in the fire of divine bliss.

I will offer up all attachments for purification in that cosmic fire.

I will search my heart daily for any lingering desires and attachments, and will offer them to Thee, my Cosmic Beloved.

I will strive to be an example to others of a pure, discriminating, and noble life.

I will offer the fruit of all my actions and labors to Thee alone.

Bless me, and direct my footsteps ever to the summit of Thy holy mountain.

They are beautiful aren’t they? You can find out more about them here. There was such a sweet devotion and spiritual power in the room as we took our vows. I saw alot of joy in everyone’s face.

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So, next week Dave and I will be going to India! We will be with Latika, and Jyotish and Devi. I can’t believe it is only one week away! We will be in Gurgaon for the Inner Renewal Weekend there. Swamiji is planning to be there. We will also get to celebrate Master’s Mahasamadhi in Pune. I am thrilled to be able to see the great work happening in India and to be with Swamiji and my gurubhais. I plan on trying to post to this blog and also onto my Twitter account. If you would like to see some of my posts you can follow me here. I don’t know how connected I will be to the internet, but I will try to update as best as I can. I hope you will connect with me!

May the Masters bless us all. Let us radiate peace outward and create a web of joy around the world. I have been visualizing joy as an unbreakable silver string through the center of my body. It connects me to the cosmos and God’s divine joy. It connects us all.

With love,
Barbara

12 Comments

  1. Dear Barbara, thank you so much – once again – for sharing the joy. Isn’t it wonderful that www can also serve as a web for divine joy. It helps to keep in tune, when it’s too callenging to be present physically. Joy to you.

  2. Thank you, Barbara–wonderful post! Bless you for sharing the inspiration so beautifully so often. Master bless you all in India too!

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    Joy to you, too, Heli. Yes, the web can help to share light. I am grateful for it. I am glad you could be here in spirit. I always imagine that I can feel the energy of our Ananda family tuning in from all parts of the world. Thank you for writing to me. Bless you!

  4. Dear Barbie,

    Through the past year I have had the blessing to view the uplifting and ever changing world of Ananda through your eyes, or more to the point, through your lenses.

    Whether service, health or other constraints prohibit one from attending talks, events or ceremonies in person, we can watch so much online – and- that is wonderful.

    There is something however, in the stillness of your camera that transports me to that place, to that moment in time captured in a photograph, that is relishable and allows me to feel in my heart our shared experience of loving God. Thank you so very much.

  5. Barbara, thank you so much for your photos.Even though I was there for that wonderful week your pictures bring me back to that time and place over and over.Thank you again.In friendship, Jerry Champagne.

  6. The talks were very uplifting.I

    viewed them online from the Republic of Panama.Thank you for sharing.

    John

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