The King’s True Wealth: A Parable In the realm of Light where the river AUM flows into the Cosmic Sea, King Darshan told his subjects, “In three days, I’m going to make an important announcement.” The kingdom buzzed with anticipation; their sovereign, who’d ruled for many years, had always been generous. On the day of the king’s decree everyone in … Read More
“The most important quality on the spiritual path is deep, selfless, heartfelt devotion and love for God.” “The power of habit is specially important in the spiritual path.” —Paramhansa Yogananda People usually think of habits as things that we do, rather than as thoughts and attitudes. But even our habitual actions have their origin in the mind and heart. Just … Read More
How many of us are hesitant to commit to a practice because we don’t think it will make any difference in our lives? Perhaps a voice in our head holds us back, afraid of any change that could challenge our comfortable status-quo. Or perhaps we doubt our potential or feel unworthy of success, thereby dampening any enthusiasm we might have. … Read More
Prairie grasses swaying in the wind… clouds drifting in the sky… songbirds singing joyfully in a nearby tree… all make the heart sing. We aren’t merely observers of nature’s beauties. The soul is omnipresent, and everything happens within us. The ego is the soul identified with the body. Egoic consciousness makes one self-absorbed and oblivious of other realities. When one … Read More
Jobs were scarce during the worldwide depression in the 1930s. In a small Midwest town in the United States the telegraph office announced they’d be hiring a new telegraph operator. On the day of the interview, sixty hopeful men packed the waiting room. To relieve their tension, most of the job applicants joked and chattered loudly with one another. One … Read More
Sometimes in the past, I’ve found it difficult to know why certain things are happening in my life — or even, if I’m totally honest, what is happening in itself at all, apart from my emotions, desires, hopes and wishes. Recently, I had an experience that really helped to put things in perspective. In January, a friend of mine generously … Read More
Whatever comes of itself, let it come, but I am ever content in my inner heart. —Swami Kriyananda “When you can be happy in the present,” Paramhansa Yogananda said, “then you have God.” I experienced this truth one day after losing my way in the mountains. It was late spring, and snow still covered the Sierra Nevada high country. While … Read More
The time finally arrived for Michael and me to leave the island home we had known for 8 years, and the UK itself where we have lived for all our lives. As we left the house we had sold I looked back, but not with any regret or emotion. A short while later we sailed away from the island I … Read More
Dear Meditator, Years ago in Hawaii I had an experience at the ocean that beautifully illustrated the power of meditation and the guru. While vacationing on the island of Kauai, I went to a beach to swim with a few friends. There I saw sets of ten-foot waves crashing along the shore. It seemed impossible to get through the high, … Read More
Swami Kriyananda shares some of his personal stories and gives us an inspiring talk from a passage in the Bhagavad Gita. He also explains a very powerful meditation technique that uses the mantra Hong-Sau for watching and calming the breath. He explains that breath is a mechanism of the body that can be transcended. When the mind and body are … Read More
