Fortunately our scientific time has taught us modern citizens to think for ourselves instead of believing any opinion or conviction that anyone may shout to the world. Today is a time that is asking each one of us for personal maturity, for developing our own understanding of values, directions and convictions. Interesting times, mama mia (as the Italians say)!
Some have found positive new ways of living and understanding their lives, many others, however, seem to be quite lost in a misty fog in which they see no guide-posts at all. I believe that in the long run this unstable situation will bring wonderful benefits to our society. For example, whenever someone shouts to the world that someone or something is bad, the modern person will be likely to ask himself: Is he right? Or is this person maybe having problems, projecting them onto the world around? Or is the truth somewhere in between? What is right? Let me find out! And so, if he is interested enough, he will set out to investigate.
What a relief! Ananda has been, for example, so heavily accused that I just wonder what is happening. Here are the best people I know, genuinely friendly, with a good heart, not too stupid, I think, quite themselves and still they are all declared to be all kinds of things that sound to me so far off from what I see with my own eyes and every day that I am almost left without words.
Then there is Swami Kriyananda, who developed Ananda and to whom I send my sincere and heartfelt gratitude and then, for some reason, there are people who try to destroy everything with their highly negative descriptions. My life has been so blessed through Ananda people who meet me back home in Germany tell me how much more loving and relaxed Ive become (knowing me as a grim thinker and fighter for social justice).
Its not that now I say yes and Amen to everything in order to have my heavenly peace still Im far from that. To tell you a personal story, some time back I got into a real bad fight with our spiritual director here and Ana, convinced (as we all always are the grimmer, the more convinced) that I was right!
Kriyananda was here and I received a note that he wanted to talk to me. I was sure Id get my head washed (as we say in German), meaning that I was about to get a good scolding. Imagine my surprise when the first thing he said was Boris, we dont want ‘yes-men’ here.
He continued to explain that negativity can create its own momentum and can throw us from the path, as it did with one of his brother disciples, I think Mr. Jacot was his name. I felt loved and accepted and quite relaxed after our talk. Anyway, my mind has always been very skeptical and is still convinced that it wants to remain independent. I wasnt, for example, at all a person that could be easily convinced of someones genuineness and goodness. But as concerns Swami, what else can I say but that I am more deeply impressed and inspired by his example than by anyone else I know. I am so grateful for it.
Oh, I hear immediately certain readers thinking grimly: Guru cult!. In that case, why dont we talk a bit? Yogananda said we are all a little bit crazy but dont find out about our own craziness because we mix all the time with people with the same sort of craziness. Only when we meet people differently crazy can we find out about our own craziness.
So lets talk, then, but constructively, as Yogananda suggested. Otherwise, can I offer another thought? Lets see. Maybe that the fruit will show the tree, as Jesus said. And it does! Oh, good, this brings me to my initial thought maybe everyone should just come and see and taste the fruit for himself. It might be an amazingly beautiful experience for many. Ananda is simply the best place I know, after traveling for many years to all kinds of countries.
Yes, that would be the best: If you, the reader of these lines, are wondering about this Ananda, about which so many controversial things are being said please come for a few days– watch the people, talk to them, to the children, watch a few Kriyananda-videos, hear words from his mouth, listen to a few lectures, watch how guests are doing, meditate a little yourself There is no doubt, I think, about what your impression will be. My prayer, then, is just this: Divine Mother, please inspire all people to come and see for themselves before they begin to judge unknowingly.
-Jayadev Jaerschke
