Sunday Service at Ananda Village

God is everywhere, Nayaswami Ananta says — in everyone and in everything. But to discover Him, we have to make an effort.

In this weeks sunday service, Devarshi talks about how the two most important truths on the spiritual path are rendering selfless service and cultivating devotion.

“Does one need a guru?” Swami Kriyananda was once asked. “No,” he replied, “That is, unless you want to find God.” Nayaswami Krishnadas talks about the need for a guru, and how our Self-Realization line of masters had gurus even though they were already enlightened souls. He explains how the magnetism of the guru, more than his or her words … Read More

Becoming one with the Christ Consciousness means learning how to follow it through the “suffocating crowds” of the many conflicting thoughts and desires in our mind. But when we grasp the hem of God’s garment, Nayaswami Asha says, and hold on, we will be healed.

The ego isn’t able to bring itself out of delusion, as Nayaswami Devi explains, but needs the help of one who is free — a guru, who accepts responsibility for the spiritual evolution of the disciple. By way of illustrations and stories, Devi shares the necessity of attuning ones consciousness with God through a guru, and helps inspire the listener … Read More

“Where My light is, there no darkness can dwell.” These words of God in one of the stories told by Nayaswami Maria hold true in all times and places. Maria shares stories of God’s light, and shares how we can transform our own lives with openness to that light.

Lahiri Mahasaya denoted rates of vibration for each chakra, Nayaswami Jyotish explains. The spiritual eye, with the lowest rate of vibration, is the one that brings us into the deepest stillness. In stillness, we perceive the true reality. Jyotish also explains the meaning of the three wise men and their trip to visit Jesus — and about Jesus’s lesser-known return … Read More

Regardless of our upbringing, culture or life circumstances, we always have the choice to rise, to become light. Jaya shares that although our essential nature remains the same, when we choose to rise something deep inside of us changes.

The more we allow energy to collect around our ego, the faster we fall — but if we focus on the light, we become lighter, and rise. If we concentrate energy at our ego, we can fall, but if we focus on the light, we rise. Nayaswami Ananta shares thoughts and techniques to help us stay strong, and become stronger, … Read More

“Be thou a Yogi” Krishna advises Arjuna. Taking charge of our energy gives us the ability to take charge of our lives. Mantradevi shares compelling stories to illustrate this point.

What is the best way to worship God? “With all thy heart, mind, soul, and strength,” as Jesus said. Nayaswami Jaya shares stories from India, both instructive and entertaining, that shed light on how to worship God in the most effective way.

Not long before his passing, a reporter asked Swami Kriyananda what his greatest accomplishment was. Referring to one of the songs that he wrote, he replied, “Love Is a Magician.” Ending a weekend in celebration of his life, Nayaswami Devi tells stories about the love of Swami Kriyananda, and Nayaswami Jyotish explains how that love was not rooted in him … Read More

One of the most important teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, Nayaswami Parvati says, is that we need to balance the spirit of work and the spirit of meditation — so that when we work, and when we meditate, we are experiencing the presence of God. Parvati shares stories from her own life: serving at the market at Ananda Village, working at … Read More

Yogananda defines the ego as the soul identified with the body. Maria shares that on the spiritual path, we transcend identification with our little selves (ego) when we choose to live in higher states of awareness, in God consciousness.

Devarshi talks about how all is Vasudev, all is God. Not just in all creation, but within ourselves. When we discover this, we are free. The teachings of Yoga, is a path to reach that freedom.

Easter Sunday – Jyotish shares stories of Jesus’s life and how he accepted God’s tests as His love. It’s not that the tests in our own lives won’t come, it’s how we learn from them and learn to attune our will to God’s.

Gyandev takes us on a walk back in time to the days of Jesus in the weeks before his death, and vividly describes the people, events, and lessons from that time, especially the last week before the crucifixion. The life of Jesus was about so much more than his death on the cross — and his life is still incredibly … Read More

If you fail at everything, Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita says, bring God your failure. But how many of us, Nayaswami Anandi asks, fully do this? When we give our mistakes to God, we are more often like a person who gives a half-eaten box of chocolates: we give some, but keep the rest for ourselves.

When Jesus said “brother,” he wasn’t referring to those who are related to us by birth, but everyone. Under God, we are all a part of the same family. Nayaswami Krishnadas tells stories of interactions with Swami Kriyananda and a trip to Hawaii — making a special connection with a little gecko — that helped him come to this understanding … Read More

Ananta talks about focusing on the reality of our inner light. The inner light is soft and gentle, yet constant and vibrant. Yogananda describes the inner light of a thousand million suns crushed into one, yet not blaring like the outer light of maya (delusion).

“God is just behind our thoughts,” said Paramhansa Yogananda. Devarshi takes this as a theme for the talk and explains what it means for us: that we are almost there.

On the anniversary of Sri Yukteswar’s mahasamadhi, Nayaswami Devi tells stories about his life. She tells of his meeting with Babaji, Yogananda’s time in his hermitage, and of his centeredness-in-truth. He was an ideal example, she says, of having one’s head in the clouds with one’s feet firmly planted on the ground. Finally, Devi offers suggestions for how to attune … Read More

Our thoughts change according to the consciousness we are inhabiting. Bharat talks about how attunement to a larger reality creates thinking that is also expansive.

“The scientist investigates , the yogi becomes.” Maria talks about how when we look for God in all that we do, we open ourselves to experiencing the divine within everything.

Atman talks about the importance of applying the teachings to daily life, not just intellectualizing them. By practicing the teachings with devotion, we allow grace to enter our lives.

The guru’s job is to take responsibility for our lives. We make that possible with our own receptivity and openness — in short, through discipleship. Durga expands on this theme and shares stories of the greatest example of discipleship at Ananda — Swami Kriyananda. The conclusion of a story that Durga tells: After Ram Lila told Swami Kriyananda about his … Read More

Nayaswami Jyotish shares the yogic teachings on the stages of Self-realization, defining terms like sabikalpa samadhi, jivan mukta, siddha, and avatara. He explains also what the avatars can mean to us, and what our relationship to them should be, for our spiritual growth.

Everything in this world, Ananta says, is animated by the light of Christ Consciousness — and our abilities, whether great or small, are likewise only expressions of the Divine. His talk is part encouragement, part practical suggestions, in how to stop identifying with our little human nature and realize ourselves as infinite joy, as infinite bliss.

When you are going through challenges, Anandi says, find a ray of light and focus on it. She tells stories about Martin Luther King Jr., Yogananda, and others finding “the light that shineth in darkness.” That light is always present and available to us, even in our darkest trials. The book she mentions by Nayaswami Asha is Loved and Protected, … Read More

When Nayaswami Pranaba was seven years old, he thought that summer vacation was of equal length to the rest of the school year — and was very surprised when he was told that the vacation was two months, and the school year 10 months! Maya can trick us. Sometimes its “veils” may seem like concrete walls, but no matter how … Read More

Devi talks about Yogananda’s legacy of incorporating the best of all religions and cultures into our own being.

We have two levels of our being: our little self, or ego, and our big Self, which is cosmic, and one with all that is. Our goal on the spiritual path is to transition our awareness to that broader level. A very good way we can do this is to love all with God’s love.

Maria talks about knowing who you truly are in God.

Karma helps us learn from the consequences of our actions. It helps us grow. Through stories and illustrations, Bharat shows that karma can be welcomed with an even mind in all circumstances, and that we can see what comes to us as a blessing. When we are in bliss, Bharat says, nothing else matters.

God wants us to become free, and will help us once we sincerely want to be out. This is the goal of life, to get off of the wheel of karma and learn that we are truly a child of God. He mentions how Mark Twain remembered past lives and tells of the story of a minister’s meeting with the … Read More

The story of the prodigal son is the central focus of Ananta’s talk. Everyone falls down on the spiritual path, he says. Everyone gets confused by maya. The important thing is our recovery. Ananta tells the story of a man who left an Ananda community and returned ten years later.

“More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones,” said St. Theresa of Avila. Anandi explains that we don’t always know what we truly need — and what we want isn’t always the best thing for us. She shares stories from the Mahabharata and the life of Helen Keller about how, after everything else has failed us, we have … Read More

“I am well!” This statement, if we believe it, can become true, no matter how ill we are. Durga tells the story of her mother-in-law using it after surgery, and other stories of freedom and overcoming in this inspired talk. She and her husband Vidura serve at Ananda’s Meditation Retreat, mentioned several times throughout the talk. You can visit it … Read More

Maria talks about devotion and how to pray in your own unique way.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Atman tells stories of miracles and deep teachings, directed towards the elucidation of a single point: if we seek God first, everything else will fall into place.

To step onto the spiritual path, we need to have courage in what we feel is right. The fruit of such conviction is victory: experiencing the presence of God. Diksha tells two stories of individuals who experienced  that presence, and what they did as a result.

To step onto the spiritual path, we need to have courage in what we feel is right. The fruit of such conviction is victory: experiencing the presence of God. Diksha tells two stories of individuals who experienced  that presence, and what they did as a result.

In the early days of Ananda, Swami Kriyananda started a small renunciate order at Ananda — a traditional expression of the principle of surrendering one’s life completely to God. In the years since, members of Ananda have come to understand that renunciation and surrender — words that could sometimes be interchanged, Jaya suggests — are primarily inner practices. The outward … Read More

Anandi shares clear advice on how to express and expand on your true, Divine inner nature — a nature that is unique for everyone. To be a saint, Swami Kriyananda said, you have to be so clear in your dedication that everyone in the world could say you were wrong, and you would still continue to do what you feel … Read More

Think of the most uplifting moment in your life — was it a moment of intellectual fulfillment? It was most likely, as Nayaswami Ananta says, a moment that resonated with our heart.

God never coerces us; but he has given us the desire for His bliss, and we will never rest until all other desires are subsumed in that one. Jyotish leads the congregation through a little exercise, tells a story of how Yogananda worked with a student who wasn’t ready, and invites us to explore the question, “How much choice do … Read More

Explaining the difference between egoism and egotism, Gyandev talks about egoic attitudes and how we can overcome them.