When I moved to Ananda Village in 1976, I was offered a job at “Pubble,” the department where Swami Kriyananda’s books were published. Not long after I arrived, Swamiji invited the staff to his home to discuss some projects. Swami’s house was on the other side of the ridge from the main part of the Village. I hiked over the … Read More
Ananda Portland got an early start on the Easter season this year with a performance on April 2nd, of the Oratorio – Christ Lives! composed by Swami Kriyananda. It began as a joint effort by the choirs of Ananda Portland and Ananda Seattle, but we were joined by singers and musicians from Ananda Village, Ananda Sacramento and Ananda Palo Alto. … Read More
I was standing in the Baggage Claim section of the San Jose (CA) airport when I heard an unexpected sound. Someone was tentatively playing a few keys on a piano, like a tunesmith toying with a melody. Looking around a corner, I spied a baby grand situated in the middle of an open space. As I approached, a man seated … Read More
This past weekend we had a wonderful performance of Swami Kriyananda’s Oratorio Christ Lives at the Church of the Recessional in the Forset Lawn Mortuary, just up the hill from where Yogananda’s body is kept. We had over 50 singers from many different colonies who all came together just that day to sing, and it is truly amazing how our … Read More
I just finished leading an Education for Life Music Workshop in which I worked with four music teachers from the Living Wisdom Schools in Portland, Seattle, and Palo Alto. For two and a half days we immersed ourselves in the vibration of music and children: a very powerful and uplifting mix! Working with groups of children can be one of … Read More
We never will know our true potential if we don’t push ourselves past our perceived and self-made boundaries. Touching Soul Touching Soul came into being as a consequence of an inspired moment preceded by reading an excerpt of Swami Kriyananda’s Conversations with Yogananda. The excerpt told of a someone asking Yogananda if inspiration could be subjected to the demands of … Read More
Choir and Swami Kriyananda singing “Peace” As many of you may know, Swami Kriyananda, now 84, has had some recent physical setbacks, including a visit to the emergency room last Tuesday after a fall that injured his hip. He was scheduled to be at a tea in Los Angeles on Saturday, and was heartbroken to cancel for the first time … Read More
What an incredible week we had! Here are some recordings from our concert last Monday night: Salute The Great Paper Flag (Swami’s one political song!)salute-the-great-paper-flag.mp3 Here is a beautiful instrumental, Love Is the Aspiration Toward Perfection played by Craig Roberts, Bhagavati, myself, Todd Billingsley, and Mukti Deranja. 01-aspiration.mp3 And another, Friendship Is Acting In Freedom, featuring Dharmini Iyer and Bhagavati … Read More
The Peace Treaty is a three-act play that Swamiji wrote many years ago. And for about the last 10 years it has been a tradition to perform it during Spiritual Renewal Week. I know that for the actors and viewers alike, with each performance the play offers some new pearls of wisdom. The play in an entertaining way, presents the … Read More
Delighted, no end is actually the punch line to a joke in the Peace Treaty (Swamiji Kriyananda’s 3-act play). But it describes this weekend perfectly. People were delighted with the gardens at Crystal Hermitage. Hi everyone, last week I shared with you photos of the first weekend of Springtime at Ananda. It was cloudy and very cold. But, many hardy … Read More
