This story popped into my mind spontaneously while we were giving a recent class on the subject of Self-realization. Although it is entirely fictional, it gives us a window into the reality that Paramhansa Yogananda called, “Man’s Eternal Quest.” *                                   *                                 * Dr. Para was born, interestingly, in the first hour of the first day of the twentieth … Read More

What an amazing dream God has created for us! It is engaging, intense, happy, sad, frustrating, fulfilling, and, above all, mesmerizing. And it is all of these at the same time, all of the time. Our days and weeks are so entrancing that we rarely step back to see a broader perspective. When we do so, we see that there … Read More

Have you ever seen a snapshot of a child and wondered what happened to him later in life? Well, then, here is the rest of the story for one young boy. And although it may not be factual, it is true. In fact, it is the rest of the story for all of us. Swami Kriyananda told us the tale … Read More

This has been a very intense week for Devi and me. We’re in the middle of our annual Inner Renewal Week, and are launching the pilot course that we hope will be a whole new way of sharing Yogananda’s teachings. The daily classes, all new, have needed a lot of thought and preparation. It has been exhilarating and exhausting at … Read More

For the last year we’ve been working on a very important project, The Indira Institute. The purpose of the Institute is to bring the universal teachings of Ananda’s line of masters to a much larger audience. Until now, Ananda has concentrated largely on training and supporting devotees, those who want to find God. Noble though this is, there are many … Read More

Two students had just arrived from India to attend high school at Ananda Village, and we were welcoming them and their teachers to our home over tea. We had known both of these wonderful, creative girls from our time in India. One of them asked, “What were the essential qualities that went into creating Ananda?” I had to think for … Read More

“Good karma is that which moves you closer to God, and bad karma is that which moves you farther away from Him.” Swami Kriyananda once gave this reply to a young man’s question. His answer not only clears up much of the confusion around the subject of karma, but also gives us a guideline for living: Always strive to do … Read More

Some years ago we were leading a New Year’s retreat in which one of the exercises was to write down your resolutions for the coming year. Afterwards one of the guests came up to Devi and said, “I find that really disappointing.” “What?” she asked. The man replied, “You’ve been on the path for so many years, and you still … Read More

It is nearing Christmas, and next week Ananda centers will host the annual eight-hour Christmas meditation. This long meditation is a spiritual anchor for many of us, and so I thought it would be helpful to give some tips on how to deepen our meditations, especially longer ones. In order to sit for a long period of time, or even … Read More

Making good decisions is one of life’s most important skills, and yet we have gotten virtually no training. Sometimes even life-defining choices such as marriage, job, or taking up a spiritual quest are given little energy. Here is an illuminating example. Some years ago, in India, we had dinner with a fine, noble man who once had been a doctor. … Read More

“I’m feeling so stressed at work. What can I do about it?” This, or a variation, is one of the questions we hear most often as we travel and share with others. Recently we gave a talk on “Finding Inner Peace in a Stressful World.” I will give five quick techniques for dealing with stress, but first let’s look quickly … Read More

We recently attended a program by an Indian doctor on the power of the mind. Some years ago he was dying of cancer, was given only a few days to live. Then he had an experience of God telling him he would be healed through the power of his mind. In his case, God had to come three times to … Read More

It was one of the most remarkable evenings of my life. I sat mesmerized, along with nearly two thousand five hundred others in the auditorium, listening to ragas played by some of India’s finest musicians. Shiv Kumar Sharma and Hari Prasad Chaurasia have spent a lifetime mastering Indian classical music and have been awarded the highest honors of a grateful … Read More

We are on the move again. We will have slept in four different hotels in the last week. Moreover, the maximum weight for flying in India is 15 kilograms (33 pounds). That’s the limit of our portable possessions these days.

Generally, insights are proceeded by a certain train of thought. But once in a while they just plop into the mind like a raindrop falling from a clear sky. Yesterday, while meditating with the Ananda Assisi community, a perception popped into my mind without any preamble: “We need to move from ‘Nowhere’ to ‘Now Here.’” Plop! Linguistically, it is fun — you … Read More

“The characteristic features of Indian culture have long been a search for ultimate verities and the concomitant disciple-guru relationship.” Thus begins Paramhansa Yogananda’s world-famous Autobiography of a Yogi. Millions have read these immortal words, but few have lived them. One who did was Swami Kriyananda. By the force of his example he founded a movement and inspired millions. Now, a … Read More

Let me set the scene: an amphitheater packed with several hundred people while, in the background, the bare wood of an emerging temple rises miraculously. People from many nations immersing themselves in the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda. Add stirring music, drama, friendship, joy, and light. Here, for a brief transformative week, the astral plane has touched the … Read More

What should I do? This is the question we hear most frequently. It might take the form of “What should I do about a short temper?” or “What should I do about my mind wandering during meditation?” Simply asking “What should I do?” means that you’re ready to move beyond passivity and engage your willpower. Congratulate yourself whenever you ask … Read More