Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi are accompanying Swami Kriyananda in Los Angeles, where he and the Ananda team launch the new expansion of our work.
This is the latest of their ongoing Ananda LA blog series. (Here you can read the previous post: Greetings from Los Angeles – Part 1.
Dear Friends,
This last week with Swamiji in Los Angeles has been dynamic, joyful, and very, very busy.
With his hip injury continuing to improve, Swamiji has basically left the wheelchair behind, is increasingly using a walker to get around, and has started to walk short distances unaided.
It is really amazing to watch the unceasing flow of energy that pours through him into so many different projects.
His main activities last week have included working on an important writing project, filming footage for a video The Joyful Arts, attending the film premier for Titans of Yoga, and supporting the launch of the Razz-Ma-Kaz fundraising restaurant.
We’ll describe each of these in detail.
Swamiji has put his primary focus on writing and editing a new book Rescuing Yogananda.
In it, he presents a compelling vision of Master’s mission, how Yogananda worked with Swamiji to fulfill this mission, and how its true purpose is being thwarted and diluted.
Working now on the final editing, Swamiji hopes to have it available soon. Get ready for a powerful, thought-provoking call to action to bring forward Master’s work.
On Tuesday August 31, Richard Skillman, a member of Ananda Seattle, and his colleague Jack, flew to Los Angeles to interview Swamiji for a video based on The Joyful Arts concept.
They’ve already done many interviews with Ananda members involved in music, drama, visual arts, writing, and lecturing. They also filmed rehearsals of The Peace Treaty play performed at the Spiritual Renewal Week at Ananda Village (see sidebar).
The interview they did with Swamiji will be the capstone of the film. In it he movingly describes the nature of divine bliss, and how the arts can be used as a carrier wave for this consciousness.
Also on Tuesday the twins Gracie and Lexi decided, all on their own, that we needed to start raising funds for Swamiji’s new film project The Wayshower (based on the life of Paramhansa Yogananda).
To that end, they spent the night planning the menu for their new Razz-Ma-Kaz restaurant, which included homemade cookies, cereal, milk, watermelon slices, fruit, soda, and water.
The “restaurant” was located on the sidewalk in front of their house and boasted two little tables decorated with vases of fresh flowers.
Many customers from the neighborhood, as well as passersby and Ananda residents in the girls’ house patronized their venture, and in a few hours they made $263.11.
This they proudly presented to Swamiji in a special box they’d decorated for the purpose (see sidebar).
Swamiji took their offering quite seriously and said that it is this kind of energy that will attract full funding for the project. He even suggested that we include Razz-Ma-Kaz photos on the forthcoming Wayshower website to interest investors.
(Editor’s note: Please email AYmovie@gmail.com for more information on the project).
On Wednesday night we all attended the premier of an independent film Titans of Yoga, which included Swamiji and other well-known yoga teachers.
The film was launched as part of September National Yoga Month, and the small theater was packed. The personal stories presented in the film, of how the teachers came to their spiritual practices, and how their lives were changed, were very inspiring.
After the screening, ten of the teachers interviewed in the film – including Swamiji – came up on the stage to answer questions. In respect to Swamiji’s role as the senior representative of yoga, they let him speak first.
With surprising emotion, Swamiji spoke how pleased he was to see the depth and commitment to spiritual practices today, as compared to when he first started teaching in Los Angeles many years ago.
Afterwards while driving home, he commented that it was helpful for him to attend this premier in order to feel the spiritual sincerity of the people who we will be reaching here.
Finally, we have finalized the plans for Swamiji’s spiritual anniversary on September 12 (see sidebar).
The name of the event is My Life with Yogananda: Swami Kriyananda’s 62 Years of Discipleship. It’s an all-day event, and we’re renting a hall at the Woman’s Club of Hollywood that holds 400. Should be wonderful.
We’ll close for now.
Many blessings and much love,
Jyotish and Devi
30 Comments
Loved Gacie and Lexie’s new restaurant, Raz Ma Kaz.
All the best for joyful success!
Thank you, Jyotish and Devi, for sharing news with us all.
Lahari
Thank you, Jyotish and Devi for the update.
joy,
Anaashini
Thank you, Jyotish and Devi, for keeping us all informed of the progress and events in L.A. We’ll keep it all in our prayers. And may Gracie and Lexie be blessed for their joyful energy to support the Wayshower.
We send our blessings and love to all of you in Los Angeles. May Swamiji’s spiritual anniversary be blessed with Master’s joy.
Byasa and Janakidevi
Thank you so much for this news. much appreciated – every detail. see you in a few days!
durga and vidura
Thank you Jyotish and Devi for the update. Joy to you, Jerry.
Of all the things Swamiji has focused on deeply and profoundly transformed;
our understanding of God thruough his books,
our connection to love through his music,
our innate families through his communities,
our sure footing through attuning to his actions and intent,
our blissful natures through his sharing of deep insights into the meditation techniques,
our dedication potential to our own teachings through his new order,
(and on and on..)
he has also totally transformed our concepts of what the physical branch of yoga can do for us. Having done YMCA yoga for many years, I have in these last few years finally grasped the connection of spine to spirit, as the Ananda yoga teachers reveal the postures that subtly, delicately.. open the tree of the spine to the sun of awareness. A very profound revelation within.
What a wonderful flow of Divine grace is working through all of you there! You are all in our hearts and prayers. Thank you for keeping us informed of all the activity there!
Jayanti
Wonderful update! We miss you all!
I was deeply touched and inspired by Lexie and Gracie. Thank you Jyotish and Devi for a beautiful and informative letter.
May Master Bless you all!
Love,
Sahaja
Yes, from this little restaurant, where our darling Gracie and Lexi put forth the ‘seed’ of financial energy with joy, the financial magnetism for Master’s Ananda Los Angeles will grow very well!
Thank you for keeping us in touch with all the activity and inspiration there in the Los Angeles area. Congratulations on all the joy and divine friendship that is being shared.
Love, Daiva and Gangamata and your Ananda Portland Sangha
I “grew up” in SRF in the LA area, and so I’m deeply aware of what Ananda’s presence there could mean for devotees of Yogananda. Ananda opens avenues for growth that simply haven’t been available until now – through community, through service to Master’s work, and through a broader understanding of how spiritual principles can be brought into every area of life, to enrich it with meaning, and for greater success.
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