Recently I had a powerful experience of how God gives us “signs” to guide our lives.
A Touch of Light
Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi
Spiritual Directors of Ananda Sangha Worldwide
A Touch of Light, Spiritual Development, Spiritualizing Daily Life
Self-Rating Your Spiritual Life
A while back I saw a self-rating system for artists. It asked painters to rate themselves on a scale from 1-5 for things such as composition, use of color, drawing, and two or three other areas important to a successful painting.
A Touch of Light
Whose Friend Are You, Anyway?
Picking up hitchhikers is always risky business. One day when Swami Kriyananda was driving, he spotted a hitchhiker who looked harmless enough and was apparently down on his luck.
A Touch of Light
Our Spiritual DNA
Many people are interested in their ancestry and the qualities they have inherited. There is a popular movement to have one’s DNA analyzed, in order to see what diseases and other traits run in one’s family.
A Touch of Light
The Lesson of the Missing Crystal
Twenty years ago Swami Kriyananda was given a brilliant, clear quartz crystal. Scintillating with light, the crystal had rainbow prisms that sparkled from its depths.
A Touch of Light, Meditation
Relaxation and Concentration
An Italian friend told us a joke about two Carabinieri (a sort of Italian national police force who take the brunt of a lot of “dumb” jokes.) They got the “not too bright” reputation because, when Mussolini created this group, he was afraid they might rebel so he drew them from areas with various dialects.
A Touch of Light
What Does God Look Like?
There is a story of second-grade teacher who asked her students one day to make a drawing of whatever they would like. As she walked through the aisles of desks handing out crayons and paper, the teacher was soon pleased to see that each child eagerly began working on his or her picture.
A Touch of Light, Health and Healing
Expectations
A dear friend of ours, Maria, passed away from cancer 2 years ago. As her husband was taking her to the hospital, in the last stages of her life, she gave him this amazing advice, “Detach yourself. Control the reactive process. Live the teachings.”
A Touch of Light, News
A Letter to Lorne
Recently a dear friend of ours, Lorne Dekun, passed away. Born in Michigan, Lorne came under the spiritual training of Yogacharya Oliver Black, one of Master’s most advanced disciples, who had a center there.
Paramhansa Yogananda, Spiritualizing Daily Life
Make God More Real in Your Life: Five Key Practices
We are never separate from the Guru, just as we are never separate from God, but we must realize the Guru’s inner presence by opening our hearts to him and asking for his blessings.
A Touch of Light
Hopeless Beyond Compare
Isn’t it interesting how misperceptions can turn truth on its head?
A Touch of Light, Spiritual Development
Baked Potato or Toast
In the early years of Ananda, especially during the cold winters, an essential item for survival was a good down sleeping bag. This was because very few of our dwellings had adequate heating.
A Touch of Light, Spiritualizing Daily Life
3 Ways to Feel God’s Presence
Seekers are often advised to practice the presence of God but only rarely given specific advice on how to do so. When concepts are too vague it is hard to put them into practice.
A Touch of Light, Success
Beyond Drudgery
I was reading an article by Paramhansa Yogananda when I came upon a passage that stopped me in my tracks: “I remember the day when for the first time, unlooked-for, from behind the clouds of the drudgery of routine meditating habits, the aurora of bliss suddenly burst upon my consciousness. It surpassed all my expectations. Joy indescribable!” To think that … Read More
A Touch of Light, News
Lights! Camera! Right Action!
Last weekend we had a remarkable event — Finding Happiness, the movie about Ananda communities, had its debut theater showing. Lines literally stretched around the block as nearly 700 people streamed into the Del Oro Theater in Grass Valley, California. Several people have written about the showing and about the weekend’s events using phrases such as: “beyond wonderful” and “the most beautiful event of my life.”
A Touch of Light, Swami Kriyananda
The Power of God’s Grace
Swami Kriyananda’s guidance to others forms the bedrock of the spiritual life of countless souls throughout the world. One pivotal piece of advice he gave me in the early days of Ananda changed my understanding of how to approach the spiritual path. I had been a disciple for a few years and had been hit by a karmic test that … Read More
A Touch of Light, Swami Kriyananda
Swami Kriyananda’s Legacy
Few of us can emulate all the things that Swami Kriyananda did, but his legacy of attitudes and practices can guide each of us. Here are some that are guideposts in my life.
News, Swami Kriyananda
The Final Moments of Swami Kriyananda
With the death of Swami Kriyananda, a remarkable light has passed from the world, and we will not see its like again during our lifetimes.
Swami Kriyananda
Continuing His Legacy
We have a responsibility to do our best to become more powerful channels for the ray of divine grace that Swami Kriyananda channeled, and there’s a wind of grace that will help us do that.
Swami Kriyananda
Personal Remembrances
The highest octave of joy is bliss, which was Kriyananda’s state of consciousness in these last years. Many times he would say privately, “I feel so much bliss I can hardly stand it.”