The most important condition for lasting happiness is even-mindedness. Remain ever calmly centered in the Self, within. As a child’s sand castle disintegrates before invading waves, so does a restless mind, lacking strength of will and perseverance, succumb to the pounding it receives from the waves of changing circumstance. – Paramhansa Yogananda Today, perhaps more than any other time, we … Read More
Devotion is an essential ingredient of one’s meditation practice. It sparks the initiative to meditate, sustains our practice, inspires depth in our practice, and magnetizes God’s response. I like to think of it as the language of Love between Guru and disciple. Devotion is not a commonly used word in the West but, in fact, we express our devotion in … Read More
The writings of the great sages who lived and dedicated their lives to truth have long been spiritual lifelines for me. The saints and masters have endured and arisen victorious over the many hardships and temptations of life on the physical plane. They’ve left many footsteps for us to follow in their scriptures and other written experiences. Many of the … Read More
Harmony with all living things, said Kirpal Singh, comes from the “recognition that all things are [made of] the same Essence” (Singh, 2016). From my earliest years, I have often sensed a loving presence that permeates this world and has inspired my lifelong service to others. One day while hiking through a remote valley in Desolation Wilderness, I felt an overwhelming … Read More
Paramhansa Yogananda, brought to the West the path of Kriya Yoga and many spiritual exercises to help people attune to the consciousness of God. I experimented with one of his powerful exercises, and I’d like to share my experience with you. In the book, How to Awaken Your True Potential, Paramhansa Yogananda offers this exercise. Practice the following exercise in the … Read More
Tips for Getting Closer to God from Swami Kriyananda To desire salvation sincerely, even once, is to enter upon the path to eventual freedom. For all desires must be fulfilled. Even so, this one desire, once entrenched in the heart, cannot but lead eventually to liberation. –The Essence of Bhagavad Gita How to enter meditation Try to center your consciousness … Read More
In his poem “Samadhi,” Paramhansa Yogananda ends with these words: “A Tiny Bubble of Laughter, I am become the sea of mirth itself.” One has to wonder at these closing words to a poem that addresses a higher consciousness beyond what most can even imagine. Certainly, joy is a key expression of this exalted state. If asked to characterize the … Read More
Nayaswami Krishnadas shares Yogananda’s powerful technique during his Sunday Service at Ananda Village.
One important benefit is the healing of the nervous system. Meditation gives peace. Inner peace is like a lubricating oil that enables the machinery of our lives to function smoothly. Without mental peace, our emotions, and the various challenges that we face in life create inner stress that can lead to a physical and nervous breakdown. Negative emotions create blocks … Read More
Becoming present is central to the practice of meditation. Being present is to let go of the past and future to dwell in the eternal now—the only moment that truly exists. The sages tell us it’s in the present moment that we are to find God. Paramhansa Yogananda said, “We are just as much a part of Him now as … Read More
