Develop an attitude of generous giving. As far as money is concerned, the more we give, and the less we desire money for ourselves, the more we find ourselves sustained by life itself.
Clarity Magazine, Daily Life, Spiritual Growth
A Place Called Ananda, Spiritual Community, Spiritual Growth
Edit Your Life
Inner Renewal Week, a month ago, focused on life, death and rebirth, viewing our ultimate transition as a “final exam” we might prepare for now. One tip, for me, stood out: Review your life, but focus on the happy memories and experiences. Since going through hospice with my partner Ken in 1998, I’ve been a “student of death,” so to … Read More
Spiritual Community, Spiritual Growth, Thank You, God
Tithing Can Become a Primary Way of Not Identifying with Your Personal Challenges
Dear Friends, Swami Kriyananda recorded a series of videos based on the book, The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda. One talk is entitled “Don’t Identify with Your Mistakes.” In this talk he states: “We have to get rid of the consciousness of identifying ourselves with any stage in life. If you’ve made a mistake, don’t identify … Read More
A Place Called Ananda, Spiritual Growth
The Blessings of Completing a Spiritual Novel
Through Many Lives: A Tale of Time Travel Through the Yugas by Nayaswami Savitri Simpson. One year ago, in a blog I wrote for this website Writing a Spiritual Novel, I told the story of how I came to be writing a novel. I told of the many interesting lessons learned thus far. If you like, you can read that … Read More
A Place Called Ananda, Spiritual Growth
Untangling My Karma
We’ve just finished a wonderful Inner Renewal Week here at Ananda Village, with classes by Jyotish and Devi, Kriya Yoga initiations, renunciate vows, and long meditations, all designed to help us go deeper into God. We have this week every year, and one of the points from last year’s classes was untangling our karma, from one of Jyotish’s talks. I … Read More
A Place Called Ananda, Spiritual Community, Spiritual Growth
Contentment vs. Complacency
On the spiritual path, there is an interesting balance to be struck. For if one renounces the world in his search for God, it is easy to get into a mindset that emphasizes noninvolvement in outward activity. And if one is too involved in outward activity, how can one make inward spiritual progress? When am I truly content (a supreme … Read More
Spiritual Community, Spiritual Growth, Thank You, God
Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
Dear Friends, I remember a meeting we had here in the Sangha Office some years ago. A longtime friend related the following story: In 1981 she was living in a house in nearby Grass Valley with other devotees of Ananda. Life was very simple, a little too simple. The earnings of the average “Anandite” in those years were very meager. … Read More
A Place Called Ananda, Spiritual Growth
Learning to Love God 10 Times a Minute!
Devotion is the foundation of our spiritual path. All the teachings, writings, and talks emphasize its primary importance. Yet it took me over 16 years at Ananda before I realized it and started to actively practice it. My own nature is more “mind” than “heart” focused. I grew up in a Christian religion that never talked about devotion and instead … Read More
A Place Called Ananda, Spiritual Growth
“How Few are Either Educated or Entertained!”
Since the first supermarkets in the 1930’s, a general disregard for nature has been increasing. The need for growing one’s own food has become an inconvenience our “modern age” has conquered. With the rise of factory farms and greenhouses the size of small cities, the need to follow the “whims” of Mother Nature is behind us. The question for us … Read More
Spiritual Community, Spiritual Growth, Thank You, God
Tithing as a Way of Attuning to the Flow of God’s Grace
Dear Friend, Here is a touching story from the life of Padre Pio. Padre Pio built a hospital in a very poor region of Southern Italy. He was acquiring donations from many wealthy and poor individuals. The donation that most touched Padre Pio was from a poor widow. The donation was a 50 lire note, which was worth about 3 … Read More
