Just one month ago I finished my spiritual journey around the world. I found what I was looking for — meaning. Now, I am profoundly convinced that meditation leads to self-realization. I thirst for more, for a life in a community. But there isn’t one in Germany. And I haven't the financial possibility to look around yet. Further, my environment isn’t spiritual at all. What can you recommend for me?
—Thomas , Germany
Dear Thomas,
You have made an important discovery that spiritual progress is helped greatly by being surrounded by like-minded people.
Here at Ananda we live in a spiritual community dedicated to the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. Yogananda recommended that spiritually inclined people live and serve in community together to support one another in their spiritual efforts. Ananda was founded by a direct disciple of Yogananda, Swami Kriyananda, to fulfill this mission. Meditation is an essential part of daily life for everyone at Ananda. We have eight communities in the United States, Europe and India, including one just outside of Assisi, Italy.
In many of these locations, including Assisi, there are internship/karma yoga programs where you can stay for several weeks to several months learning and practicing the teachings and meditation techniques brought by Yogananda. Spiritual seekers are welcome from a variety of paths, or no particular path, to come to our programs. The cost to stay in one of our internship/karma yoga programs is much lower than a regular guest stay because you are serving at the guest retreat. Many people from Germany come to Ananda Assisi. You might be interested in exploring this possibility.
For the Ananda Assisi program you can look at https://corsi.ananda.it/corso/0002973-service-is-joy-livello-1/#dettaglio. The page can be translated into English or German as you need. If you are ever coming to California our Karma Yoga program at Ananda Village in Nevada City California runs every day of the year. You can check this program out at this website https://www.expandinglight.org/karma-yoga/. Coming to one of these programs involves an application process.
On our website www.ananda.org there is also on-line support and community. On the homepage, scroll down just a little and you will find links to various information under Community. There are Ananda Meditation Groups in Germany. Look under https://www.ananda.org/find-ananda and type in Germany.
I encourage you to keep up your search for support for your spiritual growth and efforts. Once awakened our spiritual life becomes most important and it is natural and right to seek others who share our interest.
Many blessings to you,
Nayaswami Mukti
