“Doctor, please help me. I think that I’m really sick,” the worried patient said. “My body hurts all over: when I touch my arm, it hurts; when I touch my chest, it hurts; when I touch my head, it hurts.” After running a battery of tests, the doctor reported to his patient, “I’ve got good news and bad news. The … Read More
It’s an interesting experience to pick up the threads of your life after returning home from a long absence. Since late August we’ve been visiting and teaching in our centers in Italy and India, and have just returned to Ananda Village after four months. Readjusting to the responsibilities and rhythms of our life here requires some time and effort. To … Read More
Is it possible to love everyone? The more we feel God’s presence, the more impossible it becomes not to love everyone.
On the spiritual path, we don’t tread water. We’re either moving forward or backward. Very few on the spiritual path say outright, “I will not fight.” We don’t say, “I give up.” What we say in effect is, “I let up,” meaning, “I’m not going to try as hard.”
I am the Christ Consciousness which has been with you always. Before you were born, I was there. Before even the world was, I was. I am the spirit of God that dwells in the heart of every atom. I am ever aware of you though you see me not. To every part of your being I give my unconditional … Read More
Nearly every devotee struggles with trying to keep the mind more focused on God. It’s a very challenging struggle, a bit like trying to catch the wind. The pull of the world, and of past experiences and karma, draws us away from a single-minded focus on God. How do we resist that pull? In his poem “God! God! God!,” which … Read More
In Psalm 46:10 of the Bible, there is the oft-quoted statement, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Usually this is interpreted as “sit still” or “be quiet.” But there is a deeper and more profound explanation. The yogic meaning is to still the prana, or life force, and then you will know God. I have been reading a … Read More
I’m writing this a few days after the New Year when people have already begun to break their resolutions. Let’s ask why. Will power alone, which Paramhansa Yogananda defined as “desire plus energy directed toward a goal,” is a weak ally. Like a muscle, will power suffers fatigue. An interesting study showed that the worst time to seek leniency in … Read More
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.
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.
I shall strictly refuse to hear or read unkind discussions of others.
When we share, we are affirming our faith in God, and that we are a part of everyone. This is how we all need to live. Everything we do, we should do for Him. When we live that way, we find that whatever we give comes back to us a thousand-fold.
Faith is much more practical than most people realize. There is an infinite reservoir of divine love and support, and if you open yourself to that flow it will sustain you.
The life of a disciple can be summed up as ever deeper self-giving into the vibration of God and Guru. As we offer up our limitations, we open ourselves to their influence and they can enter our heart of hearts and change us.
There’s nothing we can ever do that will cause God not to love us. For devotees, the main thing is to keep your lamps filled with the oil of devotion and to keep offering your love to God. After a while, if a day goes by when you don’t express your love for God, it’s like a day without food.
There are certain times when a big wave comes along and if we catch it, it will carry us a long way spiritually.
Real spiritual growth begins when we start to look toward the source of our power.
One of the most dramatic stories in the Bible is Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and his arrest, crucifixion, and subsequent resurrection. There are many lessons in it.
In this age of Dwapara Yuga, true religion is seeking inner communion with God. We don’t need great cathedrals and a standard book of prayer. All we need is a quiet place to meditate, to go within.
The Christ consciousness has the power to transform our lives just as the birth of Jesus transformed the world.