Early in the twentieth century, a young Anglo-Indian named Jim Corbett lived and served in the jungles of the Himalayan foothills. A true kshatriya, he faithfully carried out whatever responsibilities he was given, leading large crews of native workers in the endless struggle to keep the trains running, to keep supplies moving uninterruptedly through a complex network of rail- and … Read More
A burning candle, offered on the altar of our devotion, symbolizes the luminous presence of God’s love, the descent of His light into our little human lives. As celebrants during the Festival of Light, as we gaze reverently at the candle’s flame, we pray to know God, to choose Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength—God alone. It … Read More
Flower in the crannied wall, I pluck you out of the crannies, I hold you here, root and all, in my hand. Little flower—but if I could understand What you are, root and all, and all in all, I should know what God and man is. (Alfred, Lord Tennyson) A child born into slavery, growing up during and after the … Read More
As we kneel before those acting as channels for our great line of Masters, we each one pray aloud, “I seek purification by the grace of God.” And the answer comes, “The Master says, ‘Open your heart to me, and I will enter and take charge of your life.’” * * * * * * * The Roman emperor Tiberius, … Read More
In a recent seclusion, this one in a little bungalow below the Ananda monastery, I felt especially close to Christ and our line of Masters. Occasionally footsteps could be heard approaching, then receding— outside the door I would find food, and an aura of kindness, self-offering and divine friendship so palpable that tears would come to my eyes. Into my … Read More
The back-to-the-land movement of the 1960s and 1970s produced a compilation of related products and how-to advice called The Whole Earth Catalog—resources for living off the grid, homesteading, organic gardening. Threading its way through pages of product information is a Bildungsroman for the hippie era—the journey of self-discovery of a young man driving across America in his VW bus (which … Read More
In 1820, in Maryland, a girl was born into slavery and given the name Harriet. She was the great-great-granddaughter of a woman kidnapped from the African plains and sold to the highest bidder in Baltimore. At the age of seven Harriet was charged with caring for Miss Sarah’s baby. One time the baby cried out just as Miss Sarah entered … Read More
“Master’s arms are around me. He is guiding me and supporting me every moment of my life. . . . I am never alone, nor will I ever be alone, for he is with me.” Brother Bhaktananda, “Protection Prayer” “I am responsible! If I, a doctor, will not do it, who will?” So speaks the protagonist of Stefan Zeromski’s Homeless … Read More
Mukunda, as a boy of sixteen, determined to see Krishna, meditated and prayed all night, with increasing intensity and devotion, until at last Krishna himself, walking on clouds of gold, appeared to his inner vision. Weeping with divine joy, Mukunda cried out his prayer of gratitude: “O Divine Krishna, lead all thy lost children, as thou hast led me, to … Read More
“Lord, we left You countless eons ago. Ours was a holy mission. You charged us to learn great lessons from life: to be fruitful in the gifts You had given us; to expand and multiply them.” When Yoganandaji, meditating in a storeroom of his Ranchi boys’ school, saw in vision a sea of faces staring intently at him, he knew … Read More
