Sunday Service at Ananda Village

During the climax of movies, in a theater, Yogananda would remind his disciples that everything comes from the beam in the projection booth. In the scary, exciting, dramatic times of our own lives, we have to realize that this world, too, is only light — projected on “the screen of duality.”

On the spiritual path, it is important to balance our efforts with devotion.

Nayaswami Devi shares that God loves us unconditionally — even if we sometimes judge ourselves, we are always his beloved child. She also speaks about the previous weekend, the dedication of the Swami Kriyananda Moksha Mandir and celebration of Swami Kriyananda’s birthday, and how we can use high spiritual experiences to make lasting spiritual growth.

The early days of Ananda were very different, on the outside, from the way Ananda is today — but the essential character and the expansive service remain the same. Nayaswami Parvati shares stories of service from her early years at Ananda as well as stories of right action from other spiritual communities: an amish community and the work that was … Read More

Nayaswami Maria shares a spiritual dream that she had, and winds her talk around the lessons that came through that dream. Stories, illustrations, and other spiritual dreams are a part of the service.

Nayswami Jyotish explains the spiritual and symbolic reason why Easter happened.

Nayaswami Mantradevi shares stories from travels to India, where she experienced the quality of stillness, essential for deepening spiritual progress. She also shares stories of time with Derek Bell, a famous Irish harpist, whom she considered a “hidden saint.” Despite his course outward appearance and manner, he was full of joy and of love for God.

Nayaswami Maria explains the meaning of the story from the Bible, in which Peter realizes that Jesus is “the Christ, the living Son of God.” His realization came not through careful reasoning but through intuitive perception. She shares other stories of the reality behind appearances as well: stories of Paramhansa Yogananda, Swami Kriyananda, and of the vibrations of energy that … Read More

Nayaswami Anandi tells us through many humorous stories how to find our way back to God. She talks about how to lighten our consciousness by going on a “mental diet” and reads a quote by Paramhansa Yogananda on how to clear out unwanted mental habits.

On Valentine’s Day weekend, Nayaswami Devarshi talks about what Divine love is and isn’t. He shares also the illuminating story of Karna from the Mahabharata—a great warrior who was generous to a fault, but fell in with the “wrong crowd.”

The spiritual life is not easy — but, Nayaswami Anandi says, it seems that we grow because of the challenges. Through stories, an explanation of prarabda karma, and a metaphor involving a baby, a football player, and a seesaw, Anandi shows how we can use the experiences God sends to us to advance on the spiritual path.

Basing his talk on a recent blog post, 7 Revolutionary Teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, Nayaswami Jyotish elaborates on it in a talk that is deep and poetic.

As we progress on the spiritual path, our awareness in meditation becomes more and more interiorized, and we develop an awareness of ourselves not so identified with our body. Because of this, even when something happens to us directly, we find that we don’t have to take it personally and have an emotional reaction to it. Nayaswami Bharat tells the … Read More

The Christ Consciousness, symbolized by the child Jesus, needs to be born within ourselves; we prepare ourselves with devotion, with meditation, and with God’s joy. Nayaswami Devi shares the story of Christmas and the story of Kumar in Sri Yukteswar’s hermitage — with a rarely-heard ending.

Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi, just returned from travels to Italy and India, share inspiring thoughts connected to the parable about the wise and foolish virgins, and the deep meaning of that story.

Nayaswami Anandi first learned about the concept of reincarnation in junior high school, and she thought that it made no sense — you could be born as a cow, a fireman, a schoolteacher — it seemed so random. Later on, she took to the idea, and she offers tips and techniques that we can use to make the most out … Read More

We don’t have to go out and achieve anything, says Nayaswami Devarshi. He who created us is in us, and all we need to do is remember what we truly are.

Picking up on the theme of prayer from the previous week’s service, Nayaswami Gyandevi adresses the question of why we should pray to God at all? He knows our hearts, he knows our minds, and he knows what we are going to pray even before we pray it. The answer is not because God needs us to pray for any … Read More

Praying to God helps us open up to Him, and if we aren’t open to His influence, we are trying to do everything ourselves. Jaya shares stories of experiences with prayer, and the differences it has made in his life and those of others. This includes a wonderful story from the documentary about Paramhansa Yogananda, Awake.

Through stories and illustrations, including three recent trips to the emergency room, Nayaswami Bharat shares the importance of putting first things first, and the enjoyable effects of doing so.

Nayaswami Ananta shares how experience on the path gives us the faith to have courage, which in time becomes a natural part of our being. Swami Kriyananda, Ananta said, wasn’t someone that he thought of as having courage, because Swamiji had always acted in implicit faith that whatever came, came from God.

Will power is an important quality for devotees to develop, but we also need attunement to God’s will. Nayaswami Parvati shares stories from the lives of Swami Kriyananda, Paramhansa Yogananda, and her own life to illustrate what it looks like when you combine self-effort with divine grace.

An entertaining and inspiring service filled with stories from legend and real life about the importance of following our own true path.

True love comes not from us, but from God—when we attune with that love completely, we become saints.

We are in a new age, and religion needs to be approached in a new way: where spiritual truths are realized not through rules and dogma, but individual volition and understanding. Atman talks about the yugas, cycles of time that influence consciousness, and shares stories of Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda that illustrate their distinctive and fresh approaches to spiritual … Read More

The human incarnation is a great blessing; it’s as a human that we have the freedom to choose to evolve and be one with God or to just live in his dream. Maria explains that our only real job in this life is to understand that we are not just ego, that we are so much more.

Nayaswami Anandi shares stories and thoughts about our spiritual freedom, and what it means to achieve it. The main obstacle standing in our way, she says, is the ego. She also shares two stories from the life of Rajarshi Janakananda, Paramhansa Yogananda’s most advanced disciple, and the story of Premi, an Ananda member whose group meditation was interrupted by angry … Read More

“The real temptation is the contraction into darkness, away from light.” Nayaswami Jyotish explains the two opposing forces in the universe and how the choices we make daily that bring us towards one or the other. Nayaswami Devi also shares stories illustrating this point.

Diksha explains two currents of consciousness exist within each of us: one compelling us downward and therefore outwards; another bringing us inward and upwards toward God. She illustrates this point by sharing various stories of how important our choices are toward one or the other.