10 – 12 people live at Inspiration House
Hosted and directed by Nayaswami Ananta and Nayaswami Maria, longtime Ananda members and ministers, Inspiration House provides a dynamic and supportive environment for young adults to deepen their spiritual life.
Residents offer rich and unique talents and abilities and are very involved in the entire scope of community life at Ananda Village. Many are college graduates, some were born and raised at Ananda, and all have chosen this lifestyle from deep within themselves.
The opportunity of living and serving cooperatively builds bonds that give strength and support to the development of their leadership skills. Group meditation is at the core of our shared experiences. We also share many meals together during the week.
Together these residents and other younger adults at the Village are creating and building the future of Ananda and other communities around the world.
Personal Experiences
A Divine Mirror
By Nayaswami Maria
One of my treasured experiences of group living is the diverse way in which people are brought together cooperatively.
On the spiritual path one gets used to “living in front of a mirror” all the time — not a physical mirror in which we admire our looks or cast dismay at what we see and can’t do anything about, but rather the mirror of Spirit. This mirror constantly reflects to us who we really are and how to reflect that ever more brightly in our relationships with one another, in the thoughts we hold, and in the feelings that gather in our hearts.
At Inspiration House we are that mirror to one another, and growth is an ever present, dynamic, and treasured gift. The little things that we think are so important are diffused in the expansive vision we are lovingly reminded to hold of life and Spirit. While living so closely with others isn’t for everyone, it is a great blessing to experience even for a little while.
Living in Inspiration
By Cate Taylor
I decided to move to the Inspiration House ashram after meeting the people that lived there during the Living with Spirit summer program. Everyone was full of energy and love for God.
They were inspiring! There was a camaraderie and devotion that was expansive and all-encompassing, and I wanted to be a part of it.
Now that I live here myself, I feel connected to the energy of youthful people seeking God — like-minded people who share my quest for truth and happiness.
This is exactly the place that I need to be. I feel it in my spirit. I am so thankful for the opportunity to live here so that I may grow with God and be a channel of his light and love.
Meditation and Divine Friendship
By Nabha
Each Thursday at 5:30 pm, young adults of Ananda Village get together at Inspiration House for meditation and spiritual
fellowship. (I don’t live there myself, but visit on special occasions like these.) One thing above all brings us together: our search for God.
Prayer, devotional chants, and meditation; followed by dinner, laughter, and friendship. This is a divine recipe, for when you feel the joy of meditation, and can expand it in friendship with fellow seekers on the path, it’s very special.
