There is a yearning in our hearts for a better world than the one we see around us. This longing burns especially brightly when daily headlines are filled with such negativity, division, and anger. When I was in college I wrote an essay about a Utopian world where suddenly everyone was able to communicate telepathically. After a period of turbulence, this brought about world understanding and peace. Little did I know at the time that the consciousness of the great masters already lives in such a world.
In 1926, Yogananda gave a talk in Cincinnati, Ohio, entitled, “How to Live Several Hundred Years in Advance of Your Times.” People flocked to hear him, surely looking forward with “hope for a better world,” to quote the title of one of Swami Kriyananda’s books.
At Ananda Village we are actively confronting the polarization, prejudice, and hatred of our times and have formed an Ananda Diversity and Inclusion Council. We recently held our first meeting with representatives from various subgroups that live here: African American, Asian, LGBT+, Indian, and even someone representing the elders. People are not their skin color, tendencies, age, or national origin, but in today’s world it is important to affirm our unity.
During our meeting, one of the most thrilling moments came when the organizer, Nefretete, read a letter from a student in India who is part of Ananda’s international high school. I thought you would like to see what she wrote:
What Diversity Means to Me
“Whether we all descend from different cultures, have different heritages, or live in different countries, we all have one common thread that ignores the boundaries of physical demographics and nationalities. The one common thread that brings us all together and unites our diverse backgrounds is the ideology of Self-Realization. Self-Realization is a path of spiritual renewal and recognition of the highest levels of Oneself. The spiritual path does not specify any gender, race, or religion that is exclusively entitled to experiencing Self-Realization. The diverse values and inclusion of many cultural communities is a multivocal process that we can all choose to experience. Swamiji spoke about his vision of creating world brotherhood communities and colonies that support high thinking and simple living. I believe that a part of Self-Realization is recognizing that we all are unique, yet similar in our ways of thinking and acting. We may not come from the same place but we all aim to reach the same place—the place of ultimate truth and wisdom—to be One in God’s Light someday. Ananda has established the Diversity and Inclusion Council to encourage and support these Aims.” —Manmohini Tiwari, age: 15, friend of ADIC
Let us always see the unity that hides behind His glittering diversity.
Isn’t it wonderful to hear such wisdom from a teenager? One solution to today’s problems is to train and empower a new generation filled with people like Manmohini shining the light of higher consciousness.
Helping create a unified world was one of Yogananda’s central goals and he did everything in his power to bring it about. When Devi and I received the Global Ambassador Peace Award at the United Nations, we read Yogananda’s “Prayer for a United World.” Here is an excerpt:
May the heads of all countries and races be guided to understand that men of all nations are physically and spiritually one: physically one, because we are the descendants of common parents—the symbolic Adam and Eve; spiritually one because we are the immortal children of our Father; bound by eternal links of brotherhood . . .
In our hearts we can all learn to be free from hate and selfishness. Let us pray for harmony among the nations that they march hand in hand through the gate of a fair new civilization.
Yesterday was Thanksgiving. Let us give thanks for God’s wonders of creation. And let us always see the unity that hides behind His glittering diversity.
In Divine Love,
Nayaswami Jyotish
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13 Comments
Beautiful saying…Spitaulity knoew no race no caste no creeds but only self realization.
Love to go through your blogs it’s really have positive impact on me.
Regards
Thank you Jyotish ji.
Very nice to hear of the conscious step taken, in the creation of the Ananda Diversity and Inclusion Council.
Happy thanksgiving 🙏☄☀️
Dear Jyotish- Thank you so much for writing about the council. I was not aware of it and thrilled to hear about it. I’m blessed to work for a small company with large ethnic diversity and age ranges. It has been my joy and privilege to quietly apply Self Realization principles as taught by Swamiji in daily work life- and diversity is just plain fun and interesting if we allow it. Building trust takes time. Thanks again and many blessings.
Sushila P.
Thank you, Jyotish🙏
Manmohini expressed it so beautifully.
Divine Gratitude Jyotishji helping to lead this community and ultimately the World into a clearer understanding of Self Realization. The seemingly small steps we take here at Ananda send ripples of God’s Love and Upliftment out to all the world. I am grateful to be a part of helping all people move into Dwapara Yuga, with a brighter Light to guide us all toward Self Realization. In Divine Friendship, steve
Thank you for this inspiring article!
I love the quote “Let us always see the unity that hides behind His glittering diversity”, under the scenic picture of the flowers.
Thank you and Devi for being you and Devi, your guidance, your leadership, your blog etc. I’ve lived at Ananda Sacramento 21 years and am deeply grateful to Swami Kriyananda for starting Ananda, the whole Ananda family etc! I’m almost 74 years old and although absolutely all lives have their ups and downs, am deeply grateful for every breath I take, and everything that befalls me!
Again, thank you ever so much for your work, etc!
Thine own self,
Rajeshwarananda
Yes…it is a great letter written by this teenager kid. When I was reading this article, words of unity, brotherhood, descending from same parents physically and spiritually…..relaxed our mind and heart both. It gives us a great sense of happiness and inspires us to take every one positively. Thanks a lot to both of you for guiding us in this life time
Grazie, very beautiful and divine Inspiration 💖
Grazie, my💖fills with divine inspiration reading you 🙏💗
Thanks for this, Jyotish. Living in the VERY diverse Bay Area can be a delight – so many languages, so many sincere views. On the other hand… but, oh well, let’s look on the positive side.
Really, “elders” as a diverse and unique encampment? Holy smokes, please send my Elder Card today! Or must I buy a box of Wheaties and send a coupon and 25 cents?
Loved your Shenandoah / Divine Mother song, which now has just six YouTube views short of 1,400. (https://youtu.be/KJtei6prmzw).
In the name of diversity, my Uncle Goth, a Hungarian immigrant to Chile who spoke 8 languages fluently and could get along in 4 more, loved the story of the U.S. ambassador who spoke no Spanish but had been taught to express his gratitude by saying, “Bonus, no shoes, much grass!”
My profound feeling of love and gratitude to you all for your invaluable mission. Yes indeed an impressive letter from a teenager capturing the essence of Ananda worldwide, but I am concerned about words as Diversity and the others political organizations you mention in your article Master Nayaswami, the kind of indoctrination going on in sake of “ Diversity” in this country is appealing, we can refer to others without including names of such groups that are heavily political, thanks God the response to that wise teenager captures what’s this mission all about without mentioning the horrifying brain wash indoctrination that is going on in name of inclusion, diversity etc. please let us abstain ourselves from even remotely implications of political current and continue the Masters path of being apolitical or implying sympathy for movements that disguise themselves as unifying and inclusion when in reality divided us. Never Guru Deva Paramahansa Yogananda not His predecessor mentioned even indirect any kind of political groups, currents, ideologies that can et or being interpreted wrongly. I know your holy mission does not give room to it, but let’s us be careful in the mention of those organizations that in its “ principles”created the opposite of Unity and Ones and Harmony under God. This is my humble observation. I always enjoy your pearls of wisdom and inspiration to us all Master Nayaswami, thanks again for everything.
Under Divine Mother Love Light and Guidance
Always,
Zunny
Dear Nayaswami Jyotish Ji,
Thank you for this inspiring blog.
Enjoyed reading it and how wonderful it is to walk hand in hand helping each other in their quest for freedom.
Joy,
Prem