In recent months I’ve shared links to my blog articles with internet discussion groups organized around the subjects of meditation and yoga. The groups are comprised of mostly yoga and meditation teachers, so I suppose I expected a higher level of consciousness than what I observed. So it wasn’t long before I withdrew for lack of interest and time.
[To view the Sunday Service talk in which aspects of this topic were given, go to Ustream.com and search on AnandaSeattle. Look for the date 4/22/12.]
For example, when the subject of the history of hatha yoga was floated, one teacher opined that yoga postures must have derived long ago during the days of cave men when, as hunters, they stood poised, waiting for their prey to appear or for the hunt to begin. At first I thought it was a tongue-in-cheek joke. Turns out it was not. Then I figured, well, he’s just giving his opinion -- which he most certainly was. That he’s entitled to. But what was so disappointing is that the writer showed no interest in whether his speculation was true or not. It was enough that it was his opinion. No quotation of scholarly research or the insight of a wise guru. He seemed completely oblivious to the distinction between his opinion and reality. That was the real shock for me. And those who joined the conversation were no different. It was entirely speculation and opinion, with no interest whatsoever in discovering what might actually be the truth! I won’t bother to share my contribution but between scholarly research and the teaching of the rishis there’s plenty of more intelligently and elevated resources to draw upon!
Another conversation generated several hundred threads of commentary! A male yogi started it all by declaring that it was unspiritual to have an orgasm and yogis should avoid this sort of thing. Here, again, I don’t intend to weigh in on the declaration, but suffice to say the range of opinions on this one were not only all over the map but, well, how else to put it, except to say orgasmic!
On one side were the female tantra yoginis insisting upon their rights and the intrinsic spirituality, indeed, necessity, of such experiences and on the other side were the austerely dogmatic male yogis equally insistent upon the necessity of total abstinence. I couldn’t decide whether the debate was a comedy or a tragedy (though I confess it was a bit entertaining), but I suspect the reality behind the computer screens on both sides of the argument would have been, well, pardon the pun, revealing, to say the least. I thought to myself, “Don’t these people have a life, or better things to do?” (But, then, there I was reading this stuff!)
Another thread involved whether enlightened beings make mistakes. Someone stated that Yogananda’s selection of his successor (Rajarsi Janakananda, who died within two years of his becoming President of Yogananda’s organization) was just one example of a mistake that Yogananda obviously made! (I mean, couldn’t he have “seen” that his heir would not live very long and his mission would be thwarted?)
Well this was the straw that lead me to discontinue my interest in these conversations. But before I did, I had to weigh in. It was just too dumb and insulting. Even a casual reading of Yogananda’s life story, “Autobiography of a Yogi,” reveals plenty of examples of the seeming de facto fallibility of great masters in mundane matters. Swami Sri Yukteswar, for example, having one day revealed an incredible telepathic power, the next day was nonplussed and suffused with merriment in having to report he had no idea where a kerosene lamp had been misplaced!
But that implication in the other writer’s statements was that the avatar’s fallibility just shows that they, too, are like us and not really all that enlightened! A great saint is a saint not because of his efficiency or human intelligence or material success in every venture he undertakes. You’d think Jesus was a failure for having been tried, convicted and crucified! What makes a saint or master great is his or her consciousness. This is true whether or not one has a public mission, disciples, or a formal teaching.Even the miracles they manifest (mostly to close disciples) are not the mark of their spiritual freedom.It is their God-given power to awaken souls to their divine destiny; to bestow the gift of soul freedom!
Yogananda endured a procession of teachers who left him and a few who, in leaving, attacked him. Against the counsel of his own guru, he encouraged and gave a position of authority to a man who later betrayed him. He attempted to start a school for children and later a householder community but in both cases he was, outwardly, unsuccessful. The time wasn’t right but his example inspired Swami Kriyananda to found the first (of many) communities and the first (of many) schools for children based on yogic precepts. The true guru works with the karma of those whom he comes to help. He respects the free will and courage of disciples to cooperate or reject his saving grace. So, was Yogananda’s decision to close down his experimental “world brotherhood colony” indicative of a failure? Or, was it a success because Swami Kriyananda, inspired by Yogananda’s dream for such communities, started the first of many?
Unseasoned yogis and devotees sometimes mistakenly believe that a spiritually advanced person must be in perfect health, perfect outward joy, constant bliss and have at his command the power of the universe. This is not the case. Instead, It is the willingness of such souls to live amidst the cosmic play of maya (delusion) that is one evidence of their greatness. Yogananda wore his wisdom like a comfortable old coat! To close disciples they may reveal their true nature (as Self-realized souls) but to the world, generally, they live as ordinary mortals, subject to the universal play of duality.
In observing the life of our founder and teacher, Swami Kriyananda, I, and many of you, and many throughout the world, have been blessed to see seen the very human face of spiritual striving and growth. During the last twenty-five years or so of his life he has endured health challenges that would crush in most people the will, the equanimity, and the energy to be serviceful and creative. Yet, Kriyananda has never stopped his writing, speaking, counseling, traveling and his guidance to countless souls and to the Ananda communities worldwide! His bliss only grows even as his body wanes in strength and vitality. He is periodically brought to death’s door or to near incapacity by physical challenges, but he has just as often bounced back unfazed. He is like a fruit tree which, when shaken by storms, only showers its fragrant blossoms in greater abundance.
As the practice of meditation and yoga spreads to every town and city around the globe we cannot but help see and expect a certain dilution of its original power and purpose. Indeed, the health and fashion culture that surrounds hatha yoga has all but eclipsed its higher, more spiritual purposes. Some Yoga lineages such as Ananda continue, however, to uphold the triune purpose of yoga to unite body, mind, and soul into a harmonious whole.
One distinct disadvantage of the high spiritual teaching of liberation and return of our soul to cosmic consciousness is that the goal is seemingly so high and so distant that we become discouraged and may find ourselves defining our spirituality as a cup of morning tea sipped in quiet and comfort.
Indeed, Yogananda said Jesus Christ was crucified once but his teachings have been crucified daily ever since. But the same can be said of the high teachings of Vedanta and Yoga. Yoga is trivialized everyday not just in selling insurance or cars but in the yoga field itself where bright and beautiful teachers vie for popularity, fame and fortune.
To do good and to do what is right is our duty in life. The Bhagavad Gita says that we have no right to the fruit of our good works. Those belong to God who is the true Doer and are those very works. The soul seeks no credit. Remember no good deed goes unpunished. This means that all the good you do will fade away, outwardly. There will always some opposition, some “fly in the ointment,” of every good thing you attempt or accomplish. Every great and successful person knows defeat and failure in at least equal measure. But to strive for good is to climb the ladder of ascension towards transcendence. Pay your dues with joy for your victory is assured if you strive with joy and seek divine grace as your guide and sustenance.
Humility means to forget your ego demands and offer all at the feet of the Infinity of Love which has given us life and joy.
Lahiri Mahasaya, param guru to Yogananda, said the natural fragrance of God-realization will attract the honey bees of devotees to enter the hive of meditation and enjoy the nectar of divine awakening. He encouraged his disciples to forsake scriptural debate in favor of Self-realization.
Never think of your spiritual liberation as far away, distant either in time or space. Instead every day and as often as you can through the day, affirm by quietude of heart and mind the Infinite Beloved who resides in your heart, with each heart beat. He is the nearest of the near and dearest of the dear. He is your own Self.
Meditation, practiced with concentration and devotion, is our most creative act, for it puts us in touch with the cosmic creative vibration of Om, from which all things and ideas flow. Creativity is to create love and harmony which is OM, for OM unites all life in one harmonic chord of life and love.
Aum, Shanti, Amen,
Nayaswami Hriman
This blog's address: https://www.Hrimananda.org! I'd like to share thoughts on meditation and its application to daily life. On Facebook I can be found as Hriman Terry McGilloway and twitter @hriman. Your comments are welcome. Use the key word search feature to find articles you might be interested in. To subscribe write to me at jivanmukta@duck.com Blessings, Nayaswami Hriman
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
God: personal or impersonal?
This week is “Holy Week” in the Christian calendar. Coincident as both Easter and Passover is to the beginning of Spring, these religious celebrations express the Spring themes of hope and renewal.
My topic today would seem unrelated to Holy Week but the renewal promised by the great saints and scriptures, and echoed by Mother Nature in springtime, is a renewal of and in the Spirit. The question of whether to approach God as Spirit (impersonal) or as incarnate (personal) is raised in every tradition, every generation, every faith and in every soul seeking inner communion and inner renewal.
Great debates have raged through the millennia on this issue: some sects espousing the impersonal, others the personal. Swami Kriyananda, direct disciple of the renowned yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda (author of “Autobiography of a Yogi”), and my teacher (and founder of the worldwide network of Ananda communities) has taught that “infinity includes infinitesimal.”
“Why, then,” he is effectively saying, “should there a conflict?” God is the essence of everything and everybody! Armed with the expansive vista given to us by science and confronted with the narrowness of view of sectarian faiths, many educated people reject all religion and specifically any expression of devotion towards a person, alive or otherwise. Who can blame them? “Idolatry,” Swami Kriyananda writes in his classic text, “Art and Science of Raja Yoga,” “is the bane of religion.”
And then there are those who worship God in the form of their “guru,” such as Jesus Christ, Krishna, Buddha, Rama and so many others. Such devotees may scoff at those pretentious enough to imagine they can approach the Infinite Spirit on their own terms, which is to say, from the insignificant soap box of the human ego. There are those who reject any form and insist that God is Spirit and no representation whatsoever can be made.
We humans all too often mistake the form for the spirit behind the form. We are hypnotized by our reaction to what we feel is the attractiveness (or repulsiveness) of external objects, including mental constructs such as theology or philosophy. We miss the point, in other words. We also cling desperately to our own ideas of what is right. Our insistence betrays only our uncertainty, however.
To the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus taught that “God is Spirit and seeketh those to worship Him in spirit and in truth.” To worship God in spirit is to commune with the divine Presence in inner silence. To worship God in truth is to seek true wisdom and to walk the path of righteousness (dharma) in daily life.
Try these experiments in prayer and meditation for yourself. First: sit in meditation and visualize the image of one of the great saints or masters, such as Jesus Christ, Buddha, Yogananda, or any other. For as long as you can calmly concentrate and while dismissing as often as necessary passing thoughts, hold that image behind closed eyes. As you do so feel that your heart is open. You may wish to visualize your heart as an open lotus, rose, or an upturned chalice. The fragrance of the flowers waft upward in adoration, or, in the latter image, let the crystal clear waters of peace flowing from the “master” fill your cup. When you feel complete, then sit still, in the silence and absorb the after-effects of your visualization.
As a second experiment, visualize a golden light behind closed eyes. See that light entering the brain and flowing down into the body and then encircling the body in a halo or sphere of Light. Rest in the gentle but vibrant healing balm of that Light. Now, expand that Light outward in all directions: to your home, your family, your neighbors, your city, country and encircling the earth, bathing all life in the peace-light of your heart. Now send this Light out into the universe and feel this Light is the great Light of God, your Father. Mentally affirm, “I and my Father are One!” When finished sit in the silence and just BE STILL and KNOW that I AM.
You can combine both of these starting from the personal and moving to the impersonal. St. John the evangelist describes Jesus as that Light that cometh into the world, that lighteth every man, and which is God and has created all things since the beginning of time. “Before Abraham was, I AM.” Paramhansa Yogananda taught that Jesus as a person wasn’t a divine creation so much as Jesus, the unique soul, had become wholly identified with the Father-Spirit. The difference between a Jesus Christ and most people isn’t one of kind, but of degree. We need only to come to the same Self-realization that the great masters have achieved through the combination of self-effort and divine grace.
Think, then, of yourself as a spark of that great Light. There is no conflict between you and the great Light of God. So long as we hold the candlelight of our own ego close to our eyes we do not notice the great Light that surrounds us. It’s a matter of attention and direction of our focus. God has descended into flesh to become the creation, and to become YOU. But as the wave cannot call itself the entire ocean, so we must shift our attention from the particular form Spirit has taken (in ourselves, others, and in the creation) to the formless, nameless overarching Spirit which is found in the vibrationless sphere of inner silence. This doesn’t happen in a day, but as Krishna promises in the “Bhagavad Gita,” “Even a little practice (of this) will free you.....”
A blessed and holy celebration of the great Light that rises in the East(er).
Nayaswami Hriman
My topic today would seem unrelated to Holy Week but the renewal promised by the great saints and scriptures, and echoed by Mother Nature in springtime, is a renewal of and in the Spirit. The question of whether to approach God as Spirit (impersonal) or as incarnate (personal) is raised in every tradition, every generation, every faith and in every soul seeking inner communion and inner renewal.
Great debates have raged through the millennia on this issue: some sects espousing the impersonal, others the personal. Swami Kriyananda, direct disciple of the renowned yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda (author of “Autobiography of a Yogi”), and my teacher (and founder of the worldwide network of Ananda communities) has taught that “infinity includes infinitesimal.”
“Why, then,” he is effectively saying, “should there a conflict?” God is the essence of everything and everybody! Armed with the expansive vista given to us by science and confronted with the narrowness of view of sectarian faiths, many educated people reject all religion and specifically any expression of devotion towards a person, alive or otherwise. Who can blame them? “Idolatry,” Swami Kriyananda writes in his classic text, “Art and Science of Raja Yoga,” “is the bane of religion.”
And then there are those who worship God in the form of their “guru,” such as Jesus Christ, Krishna, Buddha, Rama and so many others. Such devotees may scoff at those pretentious enough to imagine they can approach the Infinite Spirit on their own terms, which is to say, from the insignificant soap box of the human ego. There are those who reject any form and insist that God is Spirit and no representation whatsoever can be made.
We humans all too often mistake the form for the spirit behind the form. We are hypnotized by our reaction to what we feel is the attractiveness (or repulsiveness) of external objects, including mental constructs such as theology or philosophy. We miss the point, in other words. We also cling desperately to our own ideas of what is right. Our insistence betrays only our uncertainty, however.
To the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus taught that “God is Spirit and seeketh those to worship Him in spirit and in truth.” To worship God in spirit is to commune with the divine Presence in inner silence. To worship God in truth is to seek true wisdom and to walk the path of righteousness (dharma) in daily life.
Try these experiments in prayer and meditation for yourself. First: sit in meditation and visualize the image of one of the great saints or masters, such as Jesus Christ, Buddha, Yogananda, or any other. For as long as you can calmly concentrate and while dismissing as often as necessary passing thoughts, hold that image behind closed eyes. As you do so feel that your heart is open. You may wish to visualize your heart as an open lotus, rose, or an upturned chalice. The fragrance of the flowers waft upward in adoration, or, in the latter image, let the crystal clear waters of peace flowing from the “master” fill your cup. When you feel complete, then sit still, in the silence and absorb the after-effects of your visualization.
As a second experiment, visualize a golden light behind closed eyes. See that light entering the brain and flowing down into the body and then encircling the body in a halo or sphere of Light. Rest in the gentle but vibrant healing balm of that Light. Now, expand that Light outward in all directions: to your home, your family, your neighbors, your city, country and encircling the earth, bathing all life in the peace-light of your heart. Now send this Light out into the universe and feel this Light is the great Light of God, your Father. Mentally affirm, “I and my Father are One!” When finished sit in the silence and just BE STILL and KNOW that I AM.
You can combine both of these starting from the personal and moving to the impersonal. St. John the evangelist describes Jesus as that Light that cometh into the world, that lighteth every man, and which is God and has created all things since the beginning of time. “Before Abraham was, I AM.” Paramhansa Yogananda taught that Jesus as a person wasn’t a divine creation so much as Jesus, the unique soul, had become wholly identified with the Father-Spirit. The difference between a Jesus Christ and most people isn’t one of kind, but of degree. We need only to come to the same Self-realization that the great masters have achieved through the combination of self-effort and divine grace.
Think, then, of yourself as a spark of that great Light. There is no conflict between you and the great Light of God. So long as we hold the candlelight of our own ego close to our eyes we do not notice the great Light that surrounds us. It’s a matter of attention and direction of our focus. God has descended into flesh to become the creation, and to become YOU. But as the wave cannot call itself the entire ocean, so we must shift our attention from the particular form Spirit has taken (in ourselves, others, and in the creation) to the formless, nameless overarching Spirit which is found in the vibrationless sphere of inner silence. This doesn’t happen in a day, but as Krishna promises in the “Bhagavad Gita,” “Even a little practice (of this) will free you.....”
A blessed and holy celebration of the great Light that rises in the East(er).
Nayaswami Hriman
Monday, March 26, 2012
Yoga, Sex, & Spiritual Teachers
It
is disappointing to read of esteemed yoga teachers having sex with their
students, to hear of titillating nude yoga videos and calendars, and even to
see the photos of sexy yoga teachers, both male and female, selling everything
from themselves to cars. Fame, fortune and beauty, promoted by yoga magazines
and advertisers and enjoyed by their readers, infiltrate even the rarified pure
heights of yoga.
For
clarity purposes, let me begin by explaining that I use the term “yoga” not
just to refer to the physical postures known as “hatha yoga,” but to yoga’s
true and original reference (which has a double meaning): first, to those
disciplines of body and mind intended to refine and elevate one’s consciousness
above identification with body and personality, and second, to the state of
oneness with pure Consciousness which is the goal of such practices.
To
those who share spiritual-truth teachings, including the ancient and sacred art
and science of yoga, Jesus Christ gave this warning: (paraphrasing) “all those
who go before me are thieves and robbers.” Paramhansa Yogananda (author of the
now classic, Autobiography of a Yogi) explained that Jesus’ words
refer to those teachers who draw the attention of their students to themselves
– rather than to the pursuit of Self-realization.
In one book review I
scanned, the author claimed that the origins of hatha yoga came from certain
sexual tantric practices. I am not versed enough in the history of hatha yoga
to offer any factual rebuttal except to respond with dismay and disdain. That
author’s analysis is as shallow and transparent as his motivation seems to be,
but his assertion, however ignorant, poses a question that I feel ought to be
addressed squarely: is there some hidden or intrinsic connection between the
practice of yoga and sexual stimulation?
According to both modern research
and local tradition, yoga practice (whether physical or mental) comes to us
from at least five thousand years ago. It is widely believed that yoga precepts
and disciplines originated in an age of higher consciousness. That some debase
these practices (indeed any and all spiritual practices, not just yoga) for ego
gratification is not a new story — this has happened in religion and
spirituality since time immemorial. History provides ample proof that a
religious vocation as teacher or priest is no guarantee of freedom from sexual
desire or temptation. In most traditional and orthodox religious practices, the
taboo barring sexual contact between teachers (including priests etc.) and
students (members, parishioners, etc.) is fixed and absolute. Given human
shortcomings, it is no wonder that some renunciates resort to suppression, and
no wonder, as we know all too well, that sometimes even tragic consequences can
result.
Yoga, by contrast, is, in
certain respects, just the opposite. Rather than reject the body and the material
world, yoga guides us toward greater awareness of the powerful and intelligent
energies of the body. The purpose of this stimulation, however, is not
sensual indulgence. The risk of temptation to do so, however, is the nub of the
issue here today.
Yoga has, since ancient
times, affirmed a truth that modern science has only recently validated: that
matter is a form of energy. Yogis go further to say that energy, in its turn,
is a manifestation of consciousness. The deeper purpose of yoga is to redirect our
identification with the physical body (and its senses) into, first, an awareness
of and identification with the energy of life force that animates the body,
and, then, more deeply still, into an awareness and self-identity with the
consciousness that intelligently guides that energy.
This process, admittedly
esoteric for most westerners, is the explanation for the process through which the
soul rediscovers its innate divinity, its true nature as a child of God. The ultimate
goal of this realization of our higher and true Self is to achieve Oneness with
the Godhead.
People are drawn to yoga
for its many benefits: physical, mental, and spiritual. In the physical
practices of hatha yoga the body is, superficially, the object of one’s
interest and attention. In modern yoga classes, men and women mix together and
the clothing worn during such classes for the practice of hatha yoga generally
tends to reveal male and female physiques. While this might be distracting, for
most students it is of no more than a passing interest.
As the yoga student
progresses, he or she becomes more inwardly self-aware, and discovers the
innate intelligence, joyful vitality, and latent powers which animate the
physical body and its senses. In time (or for some even initially), the focus may
shift from physical health to the goal of achieving
lasting and consistent contact with the suprasensory states of higher (and
blissful) consciousness.
In
yogic terminology, one learns how to withdraw his consciousness from the
physical senses inward to the “tree (or river) of life” (one’s “center”) where
the fruits of the (Holy) Spirit are tasted: joy, calmness, peace, love, and
healing vitality, to name a few. In time and with deeper practice the yogi
offers his energies, consciousness, and life upward to God in the spirit of
devotion and self-offering.
Not
surprisingly, therefore, wise yoga teachers warn us that yogic practices will enhance
the power of the senses and one must be careful to not lose sight of the
longer-term goal. Yoga devotees are schooled in the need for devotion and
humility and are taught that self-effort alone is not enough to achieve
salvation. Grace, too, is needed. The liberating power of divine grace comes in
response to the intensity of our effort and the purity of our intention. (Some
fundamentalist Christians, in fact, accuse yoga as denying the power of grace,
relying, instead, upon ego-motivated self-will. But this is not a correct
understanding of yoga.)
There
is yet another spiritual trap that awaits the aspiring yogi: one that is even
more deeply embedded into our psyche: the ego! The ego is necessarily
energized as our intelligent life force ascends through yoga practice towards
the brain on its journey to the highest spiritual energy center at the point
between the eyebrows. It would be a detour to launch into further explanation
of these energy centers (known as “chakras”). Suffice to say that the gift of
free will and individual self-awareness is ours to keep lifetime after lifetime
until we willingly offer ourselves into the transforming and liberating power
of the divinity. In the end we give up nothing and in return we gain infinity
itself. But the long-entrenched vitality of our mortal delusion resists
mightily, fearing its own dissolution.
Advanced stages of yoga
practice bring with them both expanded consciousness and powers even over
objective reality. Patanjali , the Indian sage who
wrote the “bible” of yoga (the Yoga Sutras), enumerates these powers
that come as the soul advances toward freedom, and, by implication, the
temptations. As Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan with dominion over all
creation, so, too, Patanjali warns us, will we when we, too, stand on the brink
of Infinity. Do we not face a similar choice every day, when we are tempted to
act selfishly instead of nobly?
As “pride goeth before
the fall,” ego is the first and last hurdle of the soul to overcome. Greater
than sensory temptation is this foe who is also our greatest friend on our
prodigal soul’s journey back to God.
Not
surprisingly, and not unlike spiritual and religious traditions everywhere,
celibacy (or at least moderation) and ethical behavior are among the prerequisites
for receiving the knowledge of the yoga science. “Blessed are the pure of
heart, for they shall see God.” Patanjali details the “rules” in his
description of the Eight-Fold Path in its first two steps: the “yamas” and
“niyamas.”
Unfortunately, the
practice of yoga in the West is too often presented on the basis of health
(which is easily turned in the direction of bodily glorification) and thus finds
itself stripped of its foundation in devotion, self-control, and openness to
the transforming power of divine grace.
Further, we in the West
emphasize self-effort and personal liberties. We expect, perhaps even demand,
that all knowledge should be ours with the only barrier to it being, at most, a
monetary one. Viewing yoga as health culture, we aren’t inclined to consider
the importance of right spiritual attitudes.
We in the west still
think of our bodies as mechanisms. The successes of allopathic medicine in fact
derive in part from the detailed analysis of illness using a mechanistic model.
Thus much of hatha yoga practice centers on physical safety, spinal alignment
and strength. Our culture is only beginning to see the connection between
health and consciousness, between body and mind. (Thus Ananda Yoga employs the
use of affirmations to help direct a student’s awareness towards higher
consciousness.)
Traditionally the
relationship between teacher and student was formal and conducted with
reverence, respect, and openness. By contrast, our society treats teachers as
equals and inclines towards familiarity between teacher and student. (As a
child, I could never have addressed my grade school teacher by her first name;
to encounter her in the grocery store as a normal human being would have been
almost traumatic. How much our culture has changed!) While the American
attitude in this regard has its refreshing side, it also removes a veil of
protection from the teacher and student relationship.
Western culture,
moreover, is bereft of any philosophical or cultural handle for the concept of
enlightenment. We imagine that a teacher who is articulate, magnetic,
attractive, charming and popular must be spiritually advanced. My teacher, Swami Kriyananda, once visited a
temple in India and was approached by a “sadhu” (so called holy man) dressed in
orange robes, long beard, and looking like something out of picture book. This
man said said to Swamiji, “Picture? Five rupees!”
With our genius for
organization we tend to equate leadership in an organization with wisdom. How
often has the wearing of a robe or clerical collar proved itself no protection
from egotism, anger, or lust.
We in the west do not
realize how few spiritual teachers are God-realized. Claiming to be enlightened
does not make it so. I don’t mean to denigrate those who are both sincere and wise.
But only one who is Self-realized can truthfully recognize another. Millions of
followers do not a true guru make! When Jesus asked, “Who do men say I am?”
only Peter drew upon soul-inspired intuition to recognize Jesus as a true christ
and master, more than a charismatic teacher with spiritual powers. By the end
of Jesus’ ministry, “many walked with him no more.”
Because our Christian
heritage is ignorant or in denial of the concept of reincarnation, we have yet
to adjust our vision of the purpose and journey of human life to the vast span
of time it takes for the soul to achieve freedom in God. A soul can be saintly
but not yet free. A powerful intellect, magnetism, or wisdom can be used in the
service of God and humanity, but are no guarantee of inner freedom. Until the
soul achieves permanent emancipation in God-consciousness, it can still fall
spiritually.
The road is long and the
temptations and pitfalls remain until the end. Therefore, condemn no one and
be, as Jesus counseled us, “Wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” If I have
no personal knowledge of the facts of another person’s sexual misdeeds, I try
to remain apart from the chorus of outraged voices. Walk the spiritual path
yourself first and long enough and be sure, as Jesus said (paraphrasing) that you
are without sin before you throw the first stone.
Allegations of sexual
misconduct are notoriously difficult to prove, being, by nature, intimate and apt
to incite intense emotions. Such cases sell newspapers and make for sensationalist
courtroom drama. Some continue to claim that Jesus Christ had an affair or
marriage with Mary Magdalene. It’s not my business and I wouldn’t condemn him
if he did. Without the intuition of a Peter, how would I know?
The power of sex force is
second only to self-preservation. It is essential to life in countless ways. It
brings to us vitality and creativity. It is sacred, for it is life itself. It
shouldn’t be condemned, nor, of course misused. The ego, and indeed our present
society at large, revels in celebrating sex for its pleasure alone and, not
surprisingly — to balance the psychological scales — is quick to condemn those
who fall for its false allure!
The same life force that
gives us sexual energy can also be redirected into serving a greater good. In
yoga and in ancient tradition we are taught how to transmute sex force through
exercise, right diet, noble deeds, creative pursuits, meditation, and devotion.
It is not to be suppressed but offered upward into a higher octave of egoless,
unconditional love and service. This force has given us life itself and is
therefore the basis of energy for our spiritual salvation if we use it rightly.
The fact that yoga can be helpful in this effort doesn’t diminish the hold
sex and romance possesses upon human consciousness. (Yogananda added his
testimony to that of the ages when he commented that the three great ills of
humanity are misuse of “sex, wine, and money.” Their magnetism and power holds
in delusion and suffering a significant percentage of humanity.)
Unfortunately the
profound and sacred reality of the creative life force is too often mistaken
for permission to pretend that sexual indulgence is somehow a path to
enlightenment. This convenient dogma will persist through the centuries for the
simple fact that the ego is so clever in its delusion. Books, workshops and
videos abound promising enlightenment through enjoyment of sex. This false
teaching will always be with us and its devotees will, no doubt, protest
indignantly at my effrontery.
But for those who are sincerely
seeking enlightenment yet while also in a committed love relationship, it is,
nonetheless, spiritually right to bring sacredness and mindfulness into the
expression of love through sexuality. Yogis even teach couples how
to prepare themselves to conceive a spiritually minded child.
But until the soul achieves
final liberation, this life force can and will tempt us. St. Francis once
warned a woman disciple (who was getting too attached to him personally), “I
can still father children!” Lord Buddha was tempted by sexually alluring female
forms at the very moment of his liberation at which point, free from
temptation, he cried: “Mara, Mara, I have conquered thee!” Jesus, when tempted with
dominion over all nature commanded: “Satan, get thee behind me!”
This is not to lay fault
at the feet of the woman student who has had an affair or inappropriate contact
with her teacher. We are souls first; bodies only temporarily. The woman may
have indeed been betrayed by the teacher who used his position and magnetism
for selfish ends. But she too betrays her higher Self in yielding to the lure
of any number of human desires and dead-end delusions. The Lord’s prayer which
says “Lead us not into temptation” suggests that while we may be “led” it is we
who consent.
What may have begun with
admiration and inspiration was perhaps sidetracked into a moral and egoic
cul-de-sac by forces as old as Adam and Eve. I add my belief to that of many
others who view the rising influence of women in the world as the hope for a
better world. In the Ananda communities where I live and serve, it has been
customary for couples to share the spiritual leadership. This has worked well,
spiritually, both for them and for the communities they serve.
And let us not forget
that men and women, serving together, can accomplish great things. In business,
science, the arts, academia, humanitarianism, in public service, and in
spirituality, men and women can and do inspire in one another creativity, high
energy, and the practical manifestation of high ideals. Is not friendship and
mutual service the ideal to which even marriage should aspire?
And what of the teacher?
In this society of ours where intimate relationships are easy and common, are
men not vulnerable, too? Have you never observed even small boys responding
brightly to the presence of a pretty teenage girl? In my counseling of men,
many admit being bothered by the compulsion to gaze longingly at
attractive women. (Are women any different, this way? I doubt it!) What more
magnetic power is there between a man and a woman than she who admires his
success, and he who is attracted by her winsome intelligence?
For a teacher “caught in
the act,” maybe it’s time to take a break, or, even, a hike! Either way, one
who is sincere should strengthen his resolve, make amends as he can, and find
the support he needs for protection and for self-discipline. (There are of
course legal and organizational considerations. These are, however, outside the
scope of my own interest.)
From the soul’s
perspective our failings are fertile ground for introspection and growth. From
the standpoint of karma and reincarnation what yogi wouldn’t opine that the
teacher and student must have had some “karma to work out?” Our spiritual lessons are never easy but always potentially
liberating if we will remain even-minded, calm, compassionate, forgiving, and
always seeking the divine will and lesson. Blaming others and claiming to be a
victim are not the hallmarks of a refined consciousness, certainly not those of
a true yogi.
Ultimately, it is God
alone, speaking through our refined and sensitive conscience, who must be
satisfied, not the dictates of the fickle mob crying, “Crucify him!” For one
who is seeking soul freedom, whether teacher or student, the ultimate “foe” is
ego. The temptation of sex, the allure of popularity, money, possessions, and
fame are ultimately secondary manifestations of ego affirmation. From the point
of view of the soul, is it any greater “sin” to have not yet overcome sexual
desire than to seek popularity or approval, or money and influence through one’s
successful teaching of yoga?
One could argue that sex,
at least, represents the impulse to love and be loved; it is compelled by the
desire for companionship and intimacy. Do not some saints seek God as their
Beloved? Indian scriptures say that God created this universe that “He might
share his Bliss with many.” The Bible says “God so loved the world that he sent
his only begotten son” that we might see Spirit everywhere and in everyone. Sex
is closer to our existential consciousness and essential feeling nature than
money or fame, which are, by comparison, sterile because abstract.
We live in a fish bowl
where celebrities are concerned. We expect to know every intimate detail of
their lives. We see leadership as power over others rather than an opportunity
to serve them. We don’t see the personal sacrifice that is required and too
often view leadership as an opportunity for self-indulgence. No wonder we are
quick to judge, for wouldn’t this justify our own lack of dedication to serving
a greater good?
Yoga practice brings
rewards and risks, no doubt about it. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna warns his
disciple Arjuna that “suppression avails nothing. Even sages must act according
to their nature.” Yoga is a form of universal and scientific spiritual
awakening. It is powerful and effective. Patanjali describes the great powers
that come on the spiritual path but warns against seeking (and misusing) those
powers.
So, yes, yoga teachers,
on the path to freedom, will be tempted and will slip. But yoga affirms our
true Self as the only reality. It therefore emphasizes directional progress rather
than condemnation. Yoga precepts acknowledge the power of delusion as the
very fabric of the universe. Thus the soul, as described in the Bhagavad Gita must,
as a warrior-devotee, do battle with the powerful energies which rise, like
demons, as we advance towards transcendence.
My teacher, Swami
Kriyananda (direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, and founder of the
worldwide network of Ananda communities) experienced the trials and
tribulations of such accusations. To his credit, he did not deny his actions.
Instead, he courageously disclosed the facts heedless of the consequences.
Ananda members and communities, knowing his true nature, did not turn away from him but offered to him the support and loyalty due to one who, with divine attunement and deep sincerity, has shared and lived
wisdom through self-sacrifice and divine grace. By so doing, we affirmed and
lived the truth of our own higher Self, as well. As Paramhansa Yogananda put
it, “it is a sin to call yourself a sinner. A saint is a sinner who never gave
up!” To be a true “swami” is to live sincerely and courageously, walking one’s path
toward perfection in the Self (“Swa”).
For the soul, there is no
eternal hellfire and there are no victims, only opportunities to learn and
grow. This isn’t to say that one should necessarily remain silent in the face
of wrong doing. Helping others is part of helping our Self. Our motto should
always be the second stanza (and the most important) of the Yoga Sutras: “yoga
comes from the steadfast poise of even-mindedness and centeredness in the Self
within.”
Avoid the intensity of emotions such as condemnation, pride,
self-loathing or shame, for a slip is not a fall.
Bless all those who have
ever harmed you that they too find their way to freedom. Be free in yourself.
Let us walk the path of yoga with our eyes clear, our hearts open, and our
posture strong and tall.
Blessings,
Nayaswami Hriman
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Saturday, February 11, 2012
Yoga Sutras: A Guide to Meditation: Stanza 3
“And then the seer stands in his own nature (when all
modifications and mental activities have ceased – see stanza 2).”
Paramhansa Yogananda is oft quoted saying “When motion
ceases, God begins.” This stanza of the Yoga Sutras reminds us that our native
state is that of perfection. We are complete in our Self. This must be the
meditator’s goal and constant affirmation.
We are taught that meditation has three stages: relaxation,
concentration, and expansion. Real meditation begins when all meditation
techniques cease and we are still.
The Old Testament says, “Be still, and know that I AM God.”
When, in meditation, we are still, we can feel the
transcendent, timeless, eternal, ever-new, ever-satisfying, immortal Presence
which underlies our consciousness and, by extension, all creation.
“Stand,” therefore, in your “own nature.” Live more in the
spine, centered in your Self, free from desires, attractions, repulsions,
likes, and dislikes! As Krishna exhorts Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, “O Arjuna,
be thou a yogi!”
I encourage meditation students to create a new self-image:
that of the meditating yogi! Yes, it’s true that all mental modifications
(internal images) must cease before we enter the kingdom of heaven within us,
but in our present state, we have a plethora of self-definitions:
I am a man; a woman; young; middle age; old; I am healthy;
sickly; artistic, scientific, business-like, successful, a failure, a parent, a
child, a co-worker, a manager, and on and on. There’s nothing wrong with the
simple fact that we play many roles in life. But to what extent do we identify
with these roles as our self?
So begin your self-transformation with a new and overriding
self-definition: that of a meditator (yogi). If you think of the image of a
person sitting in meditation (on the floor), you have the shape of a triangle,
or, if you prefer, a mountain. Use this image to re-create your Self.
At work, at home, driving, relating to your family and
friends, hold the self-image of yourself as one who meditates each day. What is
this? A yogi is one who sits in the stillness, withdrawing his awareness from
the senses and from the body, and lifts his consciousness (and energy) upward in
self-offering to the Self of All, at the feet of the Infinite Lord….retracing
his steps from the creation to the Creator in whom all things exist and from
all things have come and return!
“Stand,” therefore, in your “own nature!” Stand tall like a
mountain: majestic, serene, forever calm and wise, beneficent, giving,
sagacious and gracious! Walk through life like a sage!
Blessings,
Nayaswami Hriman
Monday, January 30, 2012
What is Yoga?
What is “Yoga” and why is it so popular?
Yoga is about your Self. It understandably, if regrettably, suffers
from the accusation or the possibility that it can be or be seen to be vanity
or self-preoccupation. Understood more deeply, however, it is the need to be
more in touch with one’s true Self, or inner Being.
Let’s start at the fitness center and work our way inwards.
At the fitness center yoga differs from exercise in that it is slower, more
deliberate, and calming. It unites therefore one’s physical self (through
movement) with self-awareness. Now, most people are so restless and so reactive
that they don’t even want to be calm and self-aware. So the popularity of yoga
even in such an environment signals that there are many people who are willing
to be more in touch with themselves, even if they need the excuse of exercise
to do it.
Moving to yoga studios we see the same impulse accelerated
towards the goal of self-awareness, even if but slightly. At yoga studios the
teacher might chant “Aum” or do other things that are suggestive of a spiritual
context and a metaphysical reality.
At Ananda, and of course many other places and teachers,
this spiritual component is not at all hidden, even if the value of the hatha
yoga movements (“postures”) is upper most and given priority.
So, where is this going and what is “yoga?” Why is it so
popular? Think of the image of a yoga
posture. Any posture: standing, sitting, forward bend, twist, upper bend….it
doesn’t matter. It signifies an individual striking a pose that suggests a
state of mind with something greater than him(her) self. It’s a pose,
literally; like being in a tableau and being a statue, a mime, and an actor
(actress). It symbolizes the willingness
to enter into or to identify oneself with something greater than oneself. It
represents the individual who offers herself into a greater reality.
Let’s put aside for the moment the celebrity yoga teachers,
the beautiful people in the tights and spandex, and look at the millions who practice
yoga. Think now, too, of the most used image of one in sitting pose,
essentially, therefore, meditation. For there is a deeper-than-conscious
understanding that true yoga is meditation, not just movement.
Yoga is the affirmation that “we are One.” It doesn’t
require a theology; it doesn’t necessarily demand an explanation, though plenty
are available, and history is replete with scriptural treatises on the subject.
The sense of connection with all life, the feeling of contentment and love, and
the surrender of ego into the Self-existent state of Being speaks for itself.
For more information on yoga, please visit www.AnandaSeattle.org or worldwide, ananda.org.
Blessings,
Nayaswami Hriman
Friday, January 6, 2012
Who is Paramhansa
Yogananda?
Mukunda Lal Ghosh was born January 5, 1893 in India.
Destined to become one of the first swamis to come to America (he came in
1920), he became a sensation in America, touring in the 1920’s and 1930’s to
crowds of thousands of people in cities throughout the USA.
This time of year the Ananda Communities and centers around
the world are among the thousands who commemorate Paramhansa Yogananda’s life
and teachings. At his initiation as a swami when a young man by his guru, Swami
Sri Yukteswar Giri in Serampore (near Calcutta), India, he took the monastic
name Yogananda: “union with God in bliss through yoga practice.”
Years later his guru conferred upon him the honorific “Paramhansa,”
an acknowledgement of his disciple’s high spiritual realization. Yogananda came
to America in 1920, returned to India for a last visit to his guru, family, and
homeland in 1935-36, but otherwise stayed in America and became a U.S. citizen.
He established his headquarters in Los Angeles in the mid-1920’s. He left this
earth plane in 1952.
Those are the barest facts of an extraordinary life. We who
are his disciples honor his contribution to the world and to our lives especially
at this time of year. At Ananda this celebration concludes the holiday season
at about the same time as Christians historically commemorate the three wise
men coming from the east to honor the Christ child.
Paramhansa Yogananda is most famous for his life story, “Autobiography
of a Yogi.” This book, first published in 1946, has been read by millions in
many languages around the world. For modern ears, hearts, and minds, Yogananda
opened up for westerners insights into the mysteries of Indian culture and
especially its timeless precepts, practices, and its modern saints and sages
with their extraordinary powers and states of consciousness. As a work of
literature his autobiography stands tall in the pantheon of twentieth century
writings.
But it is not the details of his life or even his
consciousness that I wish to reflect upon here. Swami Kriyananda’s own
autobiography, “The New Path,” details life with the “master” with such wisdom,
humor, and love that I must refer the reader to this parallel work of art and
inspiration.
One hears a common saying that “When the disciple is ready
the guru appears.” For the relevant question is not “Who is the greatest guru
(or teacher)?” The more important inquiry
is “Who am I” and “What kind of a disciple of life and truth am I?” The law of karma
(action and reaction) and the law of attraction and magnetism remind us that the
world we inhabit is filtered by our own magnetism such that we attract to
ourselves those circumstances (and people) best designed to reflect back to us
aspects, high or low, of our own self.
So rather than ask ourselves “Who was Yogananda” we can also
ask ourselves “Who am I?”
Some see in him a world teacher and avatar whose life has started a revolution in spreading the practice of kriya yoga into all nations that millions may have a direct personal perception of divinity and hence empower humanity to make the changes needed to sustain life, health, prosperity and God remembrance in all nations.
Some see in him a world teacher and avatar whose life has started a revolution in spreading the practice of kriya yoga into all nations that millions may have a direct personal perception of divinity and hence empower humanity to make the changes needed to sustain life, health, prosperity and God remembrance in all nations.
Others will see him only as another in an endless procession
of teachers from India seeking to profit by the prosperity of the west. Perhaps
some will see more flamboyant or more recently popular teachers as the real “deal.”
No matter.
It depends what we are capable of seeing and seeking. It is
enough for me that he has changed my life and the lives of uncountable others
worldwide. Who am I to speak of him as an avatar? I wouldn’t know an avatar if he was
a card-carrying member of the Avatar Club. Even if I were to be so unrefined or
unaware as to simply find inspiration and practicality in his words and yoga
techniques and ignored him altogether (because no longer incarnate), my life
would not be the same.
The question is by what influence and magnetism has he, whom
I have never met, inspired me to leave everything of a material nature (career
and life in the “world”) as a young man, move to a poor and rural intentional
community in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and dedicate my life to the daily practice
of meditation and service to spreading Yogananda’s ideals and practices? Were I
alone, then you’d have to conclude that I am just basically weird. But hundreds
and by now thousands have done the same.
And we are not talking the disenfranchised or the “sick,
lame, and lazy” (as my old father, God rest him) would have said. The people I
associate with are highly educated, high energy, creative, noble-minded, kind,
compassionate and dedicated people who are very aware of the world we live in
and eager to serve God through humanity and through kriya yoga.
Yogananda’s influence has spawned a network of intentional
communities, schools for children, yoga centers, publishing, nature awareness
programs, creative architecture, new forms of music and worship, a cooperative style
of leadership and decision making, creative parenting and harmonious
relationships.
The chief architect of this expansion has been the foremost
of Yogananda’s direct disciples in the service of humanity at large: Ananda’s
founder, Swami Kriyananda. Kriyananda’s influence reflects not only his dynamic
will but his attunement with his guru, Yogananda. The worldwide work
of Ananda is largely a transparent expression of Yogananda’s guidance. Though
stamped indelibly with Kriyananda’s signature, members and students of Ananda
function independently, creatively taking seed inspiration (rather than any
detailed blueprint) from Kriyananda’s guru-guided creativity. Kriyananda, as
such, functions more as a focal point and funnel for energy rather than a
personality. The result is that scant attention is paid him in the way we see so
many spiritual teachers being fawned upon or held high upon a pedestal of
undying admiration.
Ananda is not a top-down hierarchical organization, though the
value and importance of inspired and supportive leadership is emphasized.
Cooperation rather than coercion is the guiding principle. The spiritual
welfare of people is the measure of success, not the otherwise worthwhile and measurable
accomplishments of Ananda as a spiritual work. Thus the Ananda centers and
communities function independently but in cooperation with its first and
original community in California. Europe has its own central vortex just as
India has two parallel centers: one rural, the other urban.
Yogananda created a new system of tension exercises at a
time when millions were just beginning to seek forms of exercise. Less than
a century ago exercise for its own sake was only for aristocrats and a few
privileged athletes. Already we see the incidence of injury from running,
weight training, extreme sports and even intensive one-size-fits-all yoga. He
created numerous formulae and recipes for the future millions of vegetarians
even as our culture flounders fanatically with every extreme dietary fad that comes along each year.
He spoke of a future when international criminals would cause havoc in
every country and how an international “police force” of freedom-loving nations
would be required. He predicted that English would become the “lingua franca”
of the world. He also warned of future wars, cataclysms, diseases, and economic
devastation as a result of unparalleled greed, exploitation and ruthless
competition.
Yogananda with words of great spiritual power “sowed into
the ether” a call to high-minded souls to go out into rural areas and create
small communities, pooling resources, skills, and living close to the land in
what we now realize and describe as a sustainable lifestyle. He predicted that
a time would come when small communities would “spread like wildfire,” presumably
as an antidote the crushing and impersonal forces of globalization.
Each of these concepts, precepts, and trends are taking
shape in the lives of people like you and me, around the world. Yes, it’s true
these things would be happening with, or without Yogananda. But to come as a
divine messenger to bless these efforts is as reassuring as it is an ancient
tradition (to seek divine blessings upon one’s journey and new undertakings).
Those who are in tune with these trends are, in their own way, drawing upon
those blessings whether they have heard of Yogananda or not.
In theological matters, how many like you and me are weary
of sectarianism and desirous of harmony between faiths? It is not religion we
should fight but selfishness, greed, and delusion. To this end those who love
God should help, support, and respect one another. But how can we find our way
out of the box of our dogmas and customs?
All theological bypaths meet in the sensorium of inner
silence. God as One, God as many, God of many names or no name are all found
united in silent, inner communion. The only real idol worship is found in the
worship of matter, the senses, and the ego. These are the false idols, not the
saints or deities who serve as symbols and aspects of the One beyond all
symbols.
Thus it is that our own and personal vision of reality draws to us the
life and teachings of such a one as Paramhansa Yogananda. To achieve Self-realization, he said, we must simply improve our “knowing.”
A Happy Birthday to Yogananda and to all of us!
Nayaswami Hrimananda
Monday, December 12, 2011
Occupy the Heart! Christmas Reflections
I cannot help but applaud the “occupiers,” protestors of the
greed that is symbolized by “Wall Street.” Yes, changes are long overdue, and
yes, we were not wise enough to make them on our own volition; and yes, we’ve
asked for it, deserved it, no less; and, finally, yes, most of the people in
western nations would not have made any other choices but to live beyond our
means, both in money and in the world’s natural resources!
Whether the protestors cause any political change directly
is less the point (to me) than the fact that they symbolize a shift in
consciousness. For every occupier there must surely be a million, perhaps
millions, of people in support of what they are saying. So there may well be
some changes in attitude and policy in the years ahead.
There is a story from the life of Paramhansa Yogananda (see
the book, “Conversations with Yogananda,” by Swami Kriyananda, www.crystalclarity.com) wherein he was
being thwarted by the Los Angeles Planning and Building Department regarding
one of his properties there. Discussing his frustration with a group of
disciples, someone blurted out, “There ought to be a revolution!” Yogananda
chuckled at first with everyone else, then paused, became quiet and more
serious, and then added, “There WILL be a revolution!”
Well, none too soon in my book. But I’m not here, today, to
complain about our political and economic troubles. One could write a book
about those and yet, for one’s effort, nothing would change. It’s the Christmas
(or, would you prefer, Solstice?) holiday season and it is one of good cheer
and goodwill toward all.
Instead, I say, “Let’s OCCUPY THE HEART!” By that I do not
mean something soupy and sentimental. The heart is the receiving station for
intuition and deep feelings, not just the boiling cauldron of ever-changing
emotions that most people believe and experience the heart to be.
In the stories of the birth of Krishna in India, and Jesus
Christ in Israel, the former was born in a prison, and the latter, a manger.
Both were pursued by the local king who sought to kill them, as both were
perceived by him to be a threat to his worldly power.
To us this symbolizes that our materially-minded,
self-involved, self-affirming ego will fight our soul qualities to the death
because the ego knows that the awakening of our soul nature threatens to
de-throne the ego. But it’s easier to kill the soul when it’s still an infant
and relatively helpless. The reason many children were killed in these two
parallel stories is that infant soul qualities wherever located and whatever
form they take are always a threat to the ego’s rule of the body kingdom.
In the darkened chamber of our heart, even if but imprisoned
by the ego, lives the infant of our divine, soul Self. This calmer, wiser, and kinder
higher Self occupies the heart and is the source of our heart’s natural loving
nature. Whether we occupy Wall Street or Main Street or 228th Street
is less important than the heart that pre-occupies us. It is “where I am coming from” that counts far
more than “where I am going to.”
We all have very different lives and only a few can go out
and occupy anything at all. It’s less important what we do, and far more
important how we do it. We like to think that what we do is important,
and it is to us, or, at least, we may need that attitude in order to summon the
will power, energy, and creativity to accomplish our work. But, let’s face it,
drop dead today and someone else will take your place. They may even do a
better job than you.
It is not my intention to suggest anyone act irresponsibly,
just honestly and wisely, as best we can. What I am saying is that the intention
and consciousness behind our every word, thought, and emotion, indeed, our essential
“vibration,” is the real determinant in the happiness and fulfillment we
discover in life.
During the Solstice season , on the shortest day of the
year, the sun of God is born and with each passing day thereafter, he will grow
in strength and wisdom as he ascends toward the summer Solstice. What a
beautiful symbol and what an opportunity for us to be still, resting in the
manger of the quiet and humble heart, to witness, pay reverence and adoration,
to offer gifts of our intention, goodwill, and devotion to this infant Light.
It is this deeper knowing that brings millions of people out
into the cold winter night on Christmas Eve to participate in devotions of all
type, even when this may be the only time of the year some people do this.
For as the tiny oak seedling can grow into a mighty tree which
gives rest and shelter to all creatures, so too the Light of God, manifested in
the spark of divinity which is our own and unique soul, can grow and wrest from
the pretender king ego the princely throne of our heart, mind, and body once
again!
Christ is not just a human being born two thousand years
ago. Christ is the Light reflected in every atom of creation that endows
creation with innate intelligence and joy. It is this Christ consciousness that
certain souls have fully realized (“Self-realized”) that anoints them as
prophets, as messengers down through the ages who come to remind us of our true
Self. Christ-mass therefore is the celebration of the second coming of Christ
in our own hearts. He comes in the dark night of the soul’s winter, when nothing
of this world can satisfy us. It is the Christ, the Kristna, the Buddha that comes
to us as a messenger, carrying a Light which shines in our personal darkness
and lights our way. That message is the same everywhere: “Know thy Self,” turn
within to discover that that light is within us, as well.
Meditation is the priceless gift of India to this age of
great change that we might find the inner security and inner peace of our soul.
“Give me a light to light my way, truth is the light, so wise men say.” Imagine
if this Light were to occupy the hearts of even but a small percentage of
humanity, today! It would change the world in a way no legislation, no protest,
no funding from a rich foundation, nor any treaty could ever do.
A blessed, bliss-filled celebration of the universal Christ
consciousness in you, and in all creation. Occupy your heart of Light.
Nayaswami Hriman
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Monday, December 5, 2011
Yoga Sutras - Part 4
On Wednesday evening, the night before Thanksgiving, we
completed class 4 of this Fall’s Yoga Sutras class. After the Thanksgiving holiday weekend I took a week of personal retreat and now, upon my return, I will continue with this series on the Yoga Sutras. Therefore, as with Class 3, I am
writing this blog article AFTER rather than before the class (as I have done
typically since beginning this blog).
I can’t say we got much further but we did at least venture
into the Sutras book 2, Sadhana Pada. Since my guru, Paramhansa Yogananda said
he was only permitted to study twelve sutras by his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar,
I feel exonerated that we did not get very far. Later on I shall explain why.
We began the last class by going back to last week’s four
stages of samprajnata samadhi and attempting to create a suggested meditation
routine from them. I did this in order to help make the sutras more practical
for all of us and to show that however esoteric the sutras seem to get, they
are based in actual inner experience which we can all attempt to access.
While sitting, therefore, in meditation try this experiment
based on Yogananda’s commentary on Book 1, Verse 17: “Samadhi endowed with
right knowledge is that which is attended by reasoning (savitarka),
discrimination (savichara) bliss (sananda), and unqualified ego (asmita).”
These are four stages of meditation which ensue from achieving “dharana,” the 6th
stage of the 8-Fold Path of enlightenment:
1. Meditate
upon an object of contemplation and devotion thusly: one’s Ishta Devata or
personal image of perfection or devotion, or an impersonal aspect of divine
consciousness. For the former it might the image of one’s guru, Divine Mother,
or deity. For the latter, it might the desired goal of inner peace, bliss or
joy, the inner Light. Visualize your object or state of meditation and goal.
Take your time to create and then concentrate upon this image.
2. Extract
from your image and contemplation those attributes of your object of
contemplation that you seek. For example, the guru’s love or the feeling of
contentment or satisfaction derived from inner peace. Rest in the knowing of
the truth and value of these aspects as worthwhile, true, and lasting, and as
your own Self.
3. Extract
from these attributes the joy you feel in their contemplation.
4. Extract
from this joy the pure experience of Self-awareness. Rest now in the Self and
expand that Self outward in all directions (or, alternatively, extinguish that
Self into No-thing!)
Dharana, by the way, is a stage of meditation wherein one
can observe without a flicker of distraction some aspect of Superconsciousness.
On an impersonal level, these are common: peace, wisdom, energy, love,
calmness, inner sound, inner light, and bliss. However the four stages outlined
above can be used as a guideline for one’s meditations or a specific meditation
to try at certain times.
In our class, I digressed to talk about expansion versus
contraction. By these terms I mean that on a very elemental or existential
level souls tend to either expand their consciousness towards enlightenment or
to dissolve ego consciousness in that same effort. It’s not necessarily an
“either – or” but for some it is distinctive. In more outward terms we might
compare a Mother Teresa (serving the poorest of the poor) with a Ram Gopal
Muzumdar (who lived many many years in solitary meditation). Of course even
Mother Teresa valued and engaged in silent prayer and meditation, and even so
does Ram Gopal’s meditations serve and uplift humanity and anyone in tune with
him for that purpose.
Still, the point is that in our meditation experience we may
find that sometimes our consciousness expands and other times we enter a state
of seeming dissolution. And some are innately attracted to one or the other,
while for others, it comes in cycles. St. Teresa of Avila was both a mystic and
a very active guide, counselor and founder of convents.
And now, therefore, I would like to extract from the Sutras
some of the meditations implied or suggested by them in Book 1 (Samadhi Pada)
(verses 28, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39).
1. 1. Meditation upon OM. Chanting OM first aloud,
then silently and deeply until you feel in your heart a resonance and can feel
or hear inside the right ear, the rising subtle sound of AUM or other of the
chakras (bumble bee, flute, harp, bell, wind).
2. 2. Using traditional breath control techniques
(pranayams) as taught by one’s teacher in order to purify the body and bring
the life currents under control and for the purpose of transcending the need to
breathe all together. Kriya yoga is one such pranayam.
3. 3. Chakra meditations that produce inner experience
of sounds, colors, tastes or energies.
4. 4. Meditation upon the inner light, sometimes
produced or enhanced by special mudras or other techniques as taught by one’s
preceptor.
5. 5. Meditation upon the feeling or intuition given
you by superconscious dream experiences, or the bliss state experienced nightly
in dreamless sleep.
6.
Meditation upon “anything that appeals to one as
good!” Now, here Patanjali “winks and nods” suggesting that the window onto
Oneness is achieved simply by such total concentration upon any object that
appeals to one. This, he seems to say, is the “clinical” essence of meditation.
Here I told the story that Yogananda tells in his lessons about the boy whose
guru suggested he meditate upon a buffalo (that the boy loved) until that boy became the buffalo. At that point the
guru touched him on the forehead and the boy went into samadhi! Thus it can be
that anyone, even an outlaw, who lives with great intensity and concentration
can find God once he directs that intensity towards God alone. Yogananda’s most
advanced disciple was a self-made millionaire who mastered the art of material
success (but found it wanting).
Towards the end of Samadhi Pada (Book 1), Patanjali makes
reference to how in deep concentration all that is left is the object itself
(of contemplation). The mind takes on, as it were, the qualities of that
object. But he goes on to say that the highest state of Samadhi is beyond all
qualities and is called nirbikalpa Samadhi.
From this stage the soul is now free and can no longer “fall.” Yogananda
calls such a soul a jivan mukta. There
may be past karma yet to untie but such a one has an eternity or a moment to
take care of this. He may even return to help his disciples or others.
I think I will stop here, at the end of Book, for now. But I feel a commitment (and, of course, the inspiration, to continue with more articles to get further into the yoga sutras. I promised to explain why Swami Sri Yukteswar only had his disciple, Paramhansa Yogananda, study twelve sutras. The sutras are like .facets of a diamond, or perhaps we could say like a hologram. As you enter into a certain number of them with the guidance of a true guru, you begin to see, and increasingly as you go, the bigger picture of all them. I related to a friend who also teaches Sanskrit that even although I've never taken the time to formally study Sanskrit, I had the blessing of discovering that as I viewed and read aloud the Sanskrit sutras, ideas and insights occurred to me even though knowledge of the language is rather limited. There's a vibrational aspect that conveys (similar to the feeling and communication of music, and art, generally) the meaning on a higher level than the intellect.
Blessings to all,
Monday, March 28, 2011
8-Fold Path : Step 1 - Harmony with Earth
The practice and path of kriya yoga is based, in part, upon the universally applicable description of the stages of enlightenment propounded by Patanjali in his now famous "Yoga Sutras." Books have been written aplenty and the Raja Yoga Intensive course which I have been teaching since 1995 is based squarely upon the 8-Fold Path. I intend to write a series of article on each of the eight stages as propounded by Paramhansa Yogananda and his disciple, and founder of Ananda Swami Kriyananda.
Yama is the first stage. Yama means control and, for my purposes in this article, I will take this in the direction of embracing the earth, nature, and the world we live in from the standpoint of spiritual consciousness. "Control" then means, for this purpose, "realization" or complete oneness or understanding of the natural laws that govern this earth plane -- as seen from "above."
Patanjali describes five specific attitudes and powers which characterize such a realization. "Ahimsa" (made famous in the west by Mahatma Gandhi) means to see all beings, all creatures, and all life is our own. In this realization all impulse towards anger, violence, or judgment have vanished.
As Swami Kriyananda writes, “Non-injury embraces our oneness and is sustained by it. Harmfulness on the other hand, incites endless opposition.” We should contemplate this truth and make it more and more our own realization. He suggests this affirmation to use: "I send out the rain of blessings to all, that love be nourished in all hearts."
Satya or truthfulness is the second attitude whose power is the power of our word to be made manifest from only our statement of it. Satya goes beyond stating mere facts, for truth is of the highest order and beneficial always. It means facing reality AS IT IS and then, with complete acceptance, courageously and creatively making the effort to change it if that is appropriate.
Satya includes Ahimsa because looking for the good in all things helps us to live more in the eternal now – the ultimate truth of reality.
Try these for contemplation and affirmation of Satya: "Truthfulness means seeing things as they really are, but then looking more deeply for ways to improve those realities." Affirm: "What is simply is. Fearlessly therefore I accept the truth, knowing that, at the heart of everything, goodness can be found."
Asteya is the next attitude and refers to the absence of greed, envy, or desire for that which isn't yours. In a sense this is a variation of Satya for it recognizes self-honestly that an object, recognition, or circumstance does not presently exist in respect to oneself or around you. Non-greed is the term often used and its corollary on the second stage of the 8-Fold Path is the obvious one of contentment. As we perfect our realization of this consciousness we find all things that we need for our sustenance are drawn to us with no obvious effort on our part.
Contemplate then this truth: "Desirelessness means spurning non essentials in order that we may give our whole attention to what is lasting and true: God. We can think of renunciation as an investment of our energies for a long-term profit." Affirm: "I spurn the tempting magic of this world with its rainbow bubbles, ever ready to burst. See where I fly: high above the mountains. I am free. I am free."
Brahmacharya is the next related attitude. It generally is seen to refer to celibacy or sexual self-control but the term can be translated as “flowing with Brahma” and, in general, it also refers to all five senses. Too-frequent indulgence (mental as well as physical) in avid sensory pleasures gradually robs us of our life force and capacity for enjoyment. In the process our physical and mental health is compromised as nervousness, anxiety, depression alternates with the highs of anticipatory, imagined or indulged pleasures.
Simple experiments with truth reveal that moderation actually increases enjoyment and presence of mind during indulgence brings great calmness and a more lasting satisfaction. When we lose “ourselves” in pleasure we come out of it slightly embarrassed and our nerves and nervous system on edge and ourselves slightly uneasy. I like to put it this way (echoing aspects of Gyana yoga practices and tantra): “You have to be present to win.”
When we flow with the energy of prana and the awareness of the Self we are constantly refreshed and energized. We experience great health, vitality, and, indeed, memory "like an elephant!" When we give our power away by seeking fulfillment in objects and experiences we demean the Self which is Bliss itself. A part of ourselves is darkened and confused and in the end we lose our physical and mental vitality.
Swami Kriyananda writes: “If a lake is made to feed into too many streams it will soon become drained. The sensualist imagines that by giving up pleasures he would renounce happiness. But the more one lives in the inner Self, the more one glows with happiness, good health, and a radiance of well-being and inner freedom.” He offers us this affirmation: “I am strong in myself. I am complete in myself. All that I see await discovery within my inner being.”
Aparigraha, or, non-acceptance is the last of the five attitudes and practices which manifest through the earth center expressing realization of yama. Whereas non-greed relates to our attitudes towards things that we do not have, non-acceptance means non-attachment and non-identification with those things which are ours to steward. Most notably: our own bodies and ego. By extension, too, all objects in our possession, including skills and talents. The siddhi that arises from complete non-identification in this way is the remembrance of past lives. Thus the God’s eye perspective of this earth plane at last ascends beyond the current incarnation and backwards through time to view many lives.
Each of these vibrational aspects of yama can be practiced in the here and now wherever we are on the scale of perfect realization. Kindness, truthfulness, contentment, moderation, and even-mindedness are qualities everyone can experiment with and improve upon right now.
When you meditate, imagine your body is like the earth. In its size and weight, alone, it is immovable and fixed. In this, visualize that you are immovable in your commitment to right attitude and right action. Now visualize the earth as if from outer space. Gain the God’s eye view of our sensory and material attachments, revealing their smallness, their fleeting gains, and their inexorable erosion of our health and happiness for what they are: a part of an unending flux of opposites which in sum total leave us unsatisfied and weak. Be strong in your Self. Be free. Be blissful.
Blessings,
Nayaswami Hriman
Yama is the first stage. Yama means control and, for my purposes in this article, I will take this in the direction of embracing the earth, nature, and the world we live in from the standpoint of spiritual consciousness. "Control" then means, for this purpose, "realization" or complete oneness or understanding of the natural laws that govern this earth plane -- as seen from "above."
Patanjali describes five specific attitudes and powers which characterize such a realization. "Ahimsa" (made famous in the west by Mahatma Gandhi) means to see all beings, all creatures, and all life is our own. In this realization all impulse towards anger, violence, or judgment have vanished.
As Swami Kriyananda writes, “Non-injury embraces our oneness and is sustained by it. Harmfulness on the other hand, incites endless opposition.” We should contemplate this truth and make it more and more our own realization. He suggests this affirmation to use: "I send out the rain of blessings to all, that love be nourished in all hearts."
Satya or truthfulness is the second attitude whose power is the power of our word to be made manifest from only our statement of it. Satya goes beyond stating mere facts, for truth is of the highest order and beneficial always. It means facing reality AS IT IS and then, with complete acceptance, courageously and creatively making the effort to change it if that is appropriate.
Satya includes Ahimsa because looking for the good in all things helps us to live more in the eternal now – the ultimate truth of reality.
Try these for contemplation and affirmation of Satya: "Truthfulness means seeing things as they really are, but then looking more deeply for ways to improve those realities." Affirm: "What is simply is. Fearlessly therefore I accept the truth, knowing that, at the heart of everything, goodness can be found."
Asteya is the next attitude and refers to the absence of greed, envy, or desire for that which isn't yours. In a sense this is a variation of Satya for it recognizes self-honestly that an object, recognition, or circumstance does not presently exist in respect to oneself or around you. Non-greed is the term often used and its corollary on the second stage of the 8-Fold Path is the obvious one of contentment. As we perfect our realization of this consciousness we find all things that we need for our sustenance are drawn to us with no obvious effort on our part.
Contemplate then this truth: "Desirelessness means spurning non essentials in order that we may give our whole attention to what is lasting and true: God. We can think of renunciation as an investment of our energies for a long-term profit." Affirm: "I spurn the tempting magic of this world with its rainbow bubbles, ever ready to burst. See where I fly: high above the mountains. I am free. I am free."
Brahmacharya is the next related attitude. It generally is seen to refer to celibacy or sexual self-control but the term can be translated as “flowing with Brahma” and, in general, it also refers to all five senses. Too-frequent indulgence (mental as well as physical) in avid sensory pleasures gradually robs us of our life force and capacity for enjoyment. In the process our physical and mental health is compromised as nervousness, anxiety, depression alternates with the highs of anticipatory, imagined or indulged pleasures.
Simple experiments with truth reveal that moderation actually increases enjoyment and presence of mind during indulgence brings great calmness and a more lasting satisfaction. When we lose “ourselves” in pleasure we come out of it slightly embarrassed and our nerves and nervous system on edge and ourselves slightly uneasy. I like to put it this way (echoing aspects of Gyana yoga practices and tantra): “You have to be present to win.”
When we flow with the energy of prana and the awareness of the Self we are constantly refreshed and energized. We experience great health, vitality, and, indeed, memory "like an elephant!" When we give our power away by seeking fulfillment in objects and experiences we demean the Self which is Bliss itself. A part of ourselves is darkened and confused and in the end we lose our physical and mental vitality.
Swami Kriyananda writes: “If a lake is made to feed into too many streams it will soon become drained. The sensualist imagines that by giving up pleasures he would renounce happiness. But the more one lives in the inner Self, the more one glows with happiness, good health, and a radiance of well-being and inner freedom.” He offers us this affirmation: “I am strong in myself. I am complete in myself. All that I see await discovery within my inner being.”
Aparigraha, or, non-acceptance is the last of the five attitudes and practices which manifest through the earth center expressing realization of yama. Whereas non-greed relates to our attitudes towards things that we do not have, non-acceptance means non-attachment and non-identification with those things which are ours to steward. Most notably: our own bodies and ego. By extension, too, all objects in our possession, including skills and talents. The siddhi that arises from complete non-identification in this way is the remembrance of past lives. Thus the God’s eye perspective of this earth plane at last ascends beyond the current incarnation and backwards through time to view many lives.
Each of these vibrational aspects of yama can be practiced in the here and now wherever we are on the scale of perfect realization. Kindness, truthfulness, contentment, moderation, and even-mindedness are qualities everyone can experiment with and improve upon right now.
When you meditate, imagine your body is like the earth. In its size and weight, alone, it is immovable and fixed. In this, visualize that you are immovable in your commitment to right attitude and right action. Now visualize the earth as if from outer space. Gain the God’s eye view of our sensory and material attachments, revealing their smallness, their fleeting gains, and their inexorable erosion of our health and happiness for what they are: a part of an unending flux of opposites which in sum total leave us unsatisfied and weak. Be strong in your Self. Be free. Be blissful.
Blessings,
Nayaswami Hriman
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
What is Ananda?
The following was written for those who have not visited or experienced Ananda. It is a general overview. Our reference here is to Ananda in the Seattle area and located at the Ananda Meditation Temple in Bothell. Visit http://www.anandaseattle.org/ for more details.
Welcome to Ananda!
Welcome to Ananda!
What IS Ananda? Ananda is more than a teaching center for meditation or yoga. Ananda is different things to different people. Most of all, at Ananda we aspire to see that people are more important than things: even so-called “important” things like the classes we give, the projects we undertake, the services we offer, the buildings we occupy, or whether our efforts meet with success or acceptance. So, speaking of people, then, who are we?
Ananda members and students tend to be well educated, compassionate, and ardent supporters of conscious, healthy, sustainable, spiritual living. Differing points of view, backgrounds, and nationalities can be found here and are typically expressed articulately, respectfully, thoughtfully, and, perhaps most importantly, with a desire to share and learn.
You’ll find students coming every week to take hatha yoga classes. Ananda Yoga uses classic postures (asanas) and directs their use in an uplifting way, towards greater Self-awareness. We begin with relaxation, move to energy control and awareness, and then flow upward toward inner peace. Each student learns to develop his or her own strength and unique expression of the postures.
You’ll find students taking classes in how to meditate. Ananda meditation techniques emphasize the spiritual purpose of meditation but just as many students come for stress reduction, concentration, calmness or health benefits. Our most popular course is the Raja and Hatha Yoga Intensive: a 3-month weekly program that combines hatha yoga, diet, healing, breath work, meditation, chanting, and much more under the timeless and timely umbrella of Patanjali's famous Yoga Sutras (the 8-Fold Path of Enlightenment).
People come from a variety of traditions to meditate because the upstairs, high-domed meditation and yoga space beckons the soul to soar into skies of inner freedom!
First-time visitors come daily to the Meditation Temple in Bothell. They are attracted by the beautiful, blue-tiled 8-sided dome that so dynamically communicates a sense of joy and high aspiration. They want to know, "What IS this lovely place and who are you folks?"
In nearby Lynnwood there is an intentional, spiritual community where some Ananda members live and support one another in a lifestyle of meditation, service, simple living and high ideals. Residents have started a CSA: community supported food growing coop. Ananda is known throughout the world for its network of independent, intentional communities which are among the most successful in the world today.
You'll find students coming to the Ananda Institute of Living Yoga to receive certification in teacher training programs for hatha yoga or for meditation.
Ananda is also part of a worldwide work of self-supporting teaching, residential, and retreat centers. Aspects of this worldwide work exist in the Seattle area as well. For example, local members have founded the Living Wisdom School for children in Shoreline, WA. It is affiliated with the worldwide Ananda network of the same name. Other members have established the East West Bookshop in Seattle which was patterned after the first Ananda East West Bookshop near San Francisco, California.
Legally, the local ministry is organized under the Ananda Church of Self-Realization of Seattle which is a Washington state nonprofit organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a church. Ananda Church is locally governed by its ministers and senior members, and is supported by pledges and tithes from local members. (Income from classes and products constitutes only 25% of total general revenue.)
The spiritual philosophy and meditation techniques taught at Ananda are based upon the teachings of the world renowned spiritual yoga-master, Paramhansa Yogananda (author of Autobiography of a Yogi). The ministry of Ananda is guided by its founder, Swami Kriyananda and those who work closely with him. He lives in India now but is American and is one of the few remaining (and best known) direct disciples of Yogananda. Swami Kriyananda is the author of some one hundred popular books and hundreds of musical compositions (which figure prominently in programs and services at Ananda).
The primary focus of Ananda is what might be called realized spirituality! By this we mean that we feel it is more important to experience our higher Self rather than only talk about or believe in it. This comes with the greatest clarity and consistency through daily meditation. Once having tasted the nectar of soul-bliss, it is our nature to share it with others in service and fellowship. Thus we combine “Self-realization” with “fellowship.” This is shorthand for the two basic commandments of the Old Testament and of Jesus Christ: love the Lord Thy God with heart, mind, soul, and strength, AND, love your neighbor AS your Self!
Ananda has evolved from an ancient tradition whose roots are in India but whose essence is universal and nonsectarian. We honor our guru-preceptor, Paramhansa Yogananda, who came to the West (America) with this tradition. He brought with him the science of Kriya yoga through which we might commune inwardly with the divine presence in us and in all creation.
Yogananda’s teachings reflect a special connection between the yoga science taught by Krishna (in the Bhagavad Gita, India’s beloved “bible”) and the teachings of Jesus Christ. You will therefore find that at Ananda we make frequent references to Jesus’ teachings as illumined by Yogananda and the line of Kriya yoga masters in India who sent him to the West.
Strictly speaking, however, Ananda is neither Christian nor Hindu. Rather, we see in the original teachings of these faiths, and, indeed, in the teachings of the saints of all religions, universal precepts that are timeless. For this, we use the Sanskrit term, Sanaatan Dharma: the eternal religion. Sanaatan Dharma avers that we, and indeed, the entire cosmos, are a manifestation of the consciousness of the Infinite Spirit. Those who have realized Oneness with Spirit teach us that we were created to achieve realization of our “son-ship” as children of God and to reunite our seemingly separate consciousness with that of our Creator. There is a “high road,” or “airplane” that can accelerate this realization and it is meditation, especially the advanced “pranayama” known simply as Kriya yoga. This technique (which includes its wisdom-teachings and other supportive techniques) was resurrected in modern times by the Self-realization masters in India from centuries of neglect, indifference, and priestly secrecy to fulfill the spiritual needs of millions of souls in this modern, and new age.
But the practice of meditation is not only a science. It is an art. There is a subtle, powerful, and necessary transmission of consciousness that takes place through the receptivity of the meditator to the grace of the preceptor, or guru. Kriya yoga is thus taught not only as a meditation technique but is given in the bond of discipleship. Discipleship refers to a personal connection to God through an inner relationship with one who knows God and who can transmit that knowing. It was the purpose of Paramhansa Yogananda, at the behest of those who sent him to bestow the kriya-key that unlocks "the power to become the sons of God" to all those who sincerely and humbly seek it with devotion and attunement with him.
So, Ananda is different things to different people. The word “Ananda” means “joy:” the joy of our true, divine Self! If the practice of (hatha) yoga is your interest, come for a "stretch"; if you want to learn to meditate, Ananda meditation techniques are available to all and can help you to establish an effective daily practice. If you seek fellowship in worship, in timeless and universal wisdom, or in selfless service, Ananda has opportunities every day of the week! If finding friends who share high ideals, who prefer living simply and sustainably, or families who want a wholesome and Spirit-centered education for their children, then the Ananda spiritual family welcomes you. If you are drawn to the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, then Ananda can help you deepen your connection to God through them. And, if you seek the kriya-key to soul freedom, the doors are open!
Nayaswamis Hriman and Padma McGilloway are the spiritual directors of Ananda's work in the greater Seattle area and were appointed to this position in 1993 by Swami Kriyananda. As Ananda reflects a community and family spirit, you'll find an entire staff of ministers and teachers who take turns with Sunday Services and classes. Each of the core members and leaders of the Ananda Seattle Sangha (Fellowship) have been part of this spiritual heritage for decades and reflect a calm and joyful commitment to this way of life and a respect for all. Ananda would not exist without the many volunteers who staff the desk, answer phones, teach classes, sing and play music, sweep and clean, prepare meals and who enjoy meeting new friends. A typical Sunday Service involves some twenty volunteers alone!
We invite you, therefore to come and explore whatever aspect of Ananda inspires or appeals to you. Each person who participates has a unique relationship to this work and to this spiritual family. We are not membership driven and have no interest in converting anyone except to his or her own higher Self! We treasure harmony, inspiration, fun, and sharing, perhaps a meal, a conversation, a service project, practicing meditation or yoga, or the timeless wisdom we have been blessed to share. If you would like to experience this growing family of joy-affirming friends, come by for a visit. Better yet, come on any Sunday at 10 a.m. and experience Ananda in action!
Blessings to you, from Ananda......
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