Since Swamiji has crossed, how does one acquire a spiritual name now?
—Kelly, USA
Dear Kelly,
In our Ananda center here in the Seattle area, a person requesting a spiritual name is asked to research or otherwise propose one to three choices so Padma and I can meditate on the choices. We discuss the choices and get a sense for the person’s relationship to the choices and then make our recommendation.
If you don’t live in or near an Ananda center, there may be an Ananda minister or lightbearer (perhaps from Ananda Village) you could contact using this approach.
Of course, you might make a request to Ananda’s spiritual directors, Swamis Jyotish or Devi, especially if you know each other but generally giving a few choices is a good way to do this.
Even Swami Kriyananda in his later years asked people to meditate on a name(s) before asking him. For most of his many years, he would propose a name directly after meditating on it but in later years when he couldn’t know each person as well as he would have liked, it was better to have the person think about it first.
Ok?
Blessings to you!
Nayaswami Hriman
Seattle WA USA
www.Hrimananda.org