Many are the pathways: Frankfurt, German

Dear Friends,

Padma and I are in Europe. A few days (a long weekend) on the eastern coast of Ireland, south of Dublin (just fabulous!). And, now, in Frankfurt, Germany, at the world's largest publishing convention. Here publishers from nearly every country in the world come to show their books and offer them to other countries for translation and publication.

Padma has been coming here at least twenty years! She's established friendly relations with like-minded publishers in Europe and Asia. This year she's taken on the line of books by Joesph Cornell (Bharat) who as kriyacharya living at Ananda Village has become a world renown inspiration in the field of nature awareness.

Here one sees walking by our booth (called a "stand") every nation and every representative of consciousness one is likely to encounter. It is a form of yoga practice to see all with, as Krishna says in the Gita, an "equal eye." Not always easy, mind you, but good practice I can assure you.

In addition one sees many spiritual traditions, lineages, and teachers represented. We are in the English Exhibition Hall which includes Great Britain (Ireland included) as well as a few other countries. The size of this show is enormous. The Frankfurt Messe (Fair) grounds comprises many acres and many large buildings, most multiple floors.

In general, therefore, this is a microcosm of the world. The least represented nations would be Moslem nations and African nations. The most represented are Asian and European (including American). Nonetheless, in a relatively small space one "sees it all." This is doubly so because in addition to the "vaishyas" (businessmen and women) are the general (mostly local German) public who purchase tickets to browse the fair grounds.

Therefore the theme of many paths is an obvious one. Apart from national characteristics the most important and most intriguing aspect to me is the representation of the full range of caste-consciousness: from the sudras to the brahmins (who are in relative short supply!). Yes, the Vaishyas are the most represented, but that is by trade, not by consciousness!

What I "enjoy" the most is to see written into the faces of thousands the state of mind and the level of consciousness so wondrously presented by Divine Mother. The fact that ba-zillions of book titles (representative of the same) are face out (read: in your face) just adds to the divine circus.

I can never but reflect what a sheltered life I lead among the brahmins and spiritual kshatrias (warriors). I don't mean this judgementally, just that I am not exposed to such a wide range of people normally. The result is always something of a shock or at least I am left in a vibrational daze of sorts.

Travel is always hardest on sadhana and on diet. As we stay on the lovely home with some very high-minded friends, we have relatively good control on both. But the demands of a trade show do take their toll and I look forward to home-coming as well.

Padma meets with fellow publishers every year who have become friends travelling in their own ways the path of service. This year our booth location changed (first time in many years) and we face the Krishnamurti booth. Gyanic and philosohical. A loud and somewhat irritating visual and audio sale pitch for learning Chinese blares at us from across the corridor, diagonally. The constant hum of conversations fills this enormous hall as I type furiously the results of each meeting Padma has with publishers. This year I spontaneously am attempting to photograph each publisher for Padma's records. Everyone seems to love having a photo!

I practice sending out vibrations of peace and divine love to each passerby (and there are thousands)! It's my main job, really. It's also my main sadhana, given the circumstances. I go outside from time to time (there's a little prana in the air) to energize once in a while.

Haribol to the soul of Divine Mother entrancingly manifest in an infinity of faces. Blessings, to all from Frankfurt, German!

Hriman

Hrimananda: Many are the Pathways to Truth

Hrimananda: Many are the Pathways to Truth: "Religious sectarianism is an afront to people of intelligence, sensitivity and goodwill. It's no wonder the number of non-affiliated but rel..."

Many are the Pathways to Truth

Religious sectarianism is an afront to people of intelligence, sensitivity and goodwill. It's no wonder the number of non-affiliated but religious-minded people continues to grow.

In Paramhansa Yogananda's now famous story, "Autobiography of a Yogi," his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, confronts the young swami-in-training (Mukunda, the future Swami Yogananda) and his adverse attitude toward organizations. Sri Yukteswar bluntly (was he ever NOT blunt?) asks Yogananda whether he would have found such wisdom if true teachers, current and past, were not willing to share their wisdom with others.

It was then that Yogananda vowed to do what he could to share with all the wisdom he had received. Thus, in short order, he embarked upon a life of self-sacrifice and service. Not many years later he came to America and against great odds and opposition began a nationwide (indeed, international) spiritual work.

I meet many sincere seekers in my work of teaching meditation, and in my association with the local East West Bookshop (in Seattle, WA). Among such people I find a distinct reluctance, even disdain, for participation or commitment in any form of organized spiritual work. This is understandable considering the bad name religion has earned for itself around the world. (Is not religion but organized spirituality--at least in principle?)

Oddly enough, despite sixteen years of Catholic education (grade school through university), I never felt the weight or burden of the organization. I took what inspiration I was blessed with and left the rest at the curbside. So I can't say I am a "recovering" Catholic. I treasure the inspiration and the great tradition of the saints and of mystical union that has been (more or less) preserved.

At Ananda, too, in my over thirty years of participation, I see the necessity of organization as separate from my inner relationship with God and Self.

What Swami Kriyananda has been saying in more recent years includes encouraging high-minded souls to join together in affirming their ideals. He points out that more good can be accomplished by cooperation and harmony than by separation and independence.

Ours is simply not a time nor an age where disappearing into the caves or hermitages either satisfies Spirit-seeking souls or serves the spiritual needs of those around us.

Yes, organizations are a pain. Indeed, both Yogananda and Kriyananda call them "evil" though in both cases I think more for effect than for absolute! After all, is not the creation, including our bodies and personalities, being dual, a kind of evil--at least if one defines evil as that which obscures the transcendent Divine nature of all things?

To grow spiritually we must learn to accept things as they are and be willing to serve and sacrifice. Self-sacrifice ("Yagya" in the Vedas) is a term that, in American culture at least, seems only to apply to military service! (Ironic, no?) We are, I believe, in the beginning throes of having to relearn this universal truth: all good comes from sacrifice.

Furthermore, to refuse to commit is all too often an affirmation of ego-separateness, perhaps hiding behind the veil of disdain and critique. It is a common truth that pride hides fear.

Therefore, I encourage those of goodwill and high ideals to "make your ideals practical" (advice Yogananda gave to Kriyananda long ago) and get involved. Better yet, committed. Like the old joke about breakfast: "The chicken's involved, but the pig's committed!"

Only by merging ourselve into a greater reality, expanding our sense of Self, can we ever find true and lasting happiness.

Joy to you,

Hriman

Hrimananda: Fall Equinox Service Recordings!

Hrimananda: Fall Equinox Service Recordings!: "Dear Friends, we wanted to share with you the Fall Equinox service (Saturday evening in Bothell, WA, September 18) recordings. There are 3 s..."

Fall Equinox Service Recordings!

Dear Friends, we wanted to share with you the Fall Equinox service (Saturday evening in Bothell, WA, September 18) recordings. There are 3 separate tracks: the introduction and chanting; the music, and the talk.

As the event was very well attended and well received, we thought you, too, might enjoy having access to it in this way.

Introduction and chanting:
http://www.anandaseattle.org/downloads/special/2010-09-18-FallEquinox-chanting.mp3

Music:
http://www.anandaseattle.org/downloads/special/2010-09-18-FallEquinox-choir.mp3

Talk:
http://www.anandaseattle.org/downloads/special/2010-09-18-FallEquinox-talk.mp3





Blessings,

Hriman

Intuition is Simple; the Intellect, Complex

In an age where complexity is growing exponentially, sensitive and aware souls cry out for simplicity. Not necessarily the simplicity of camping or farming (neither of which are really simple at all), but, in reality, a simplicity of heart and a state of inner peace.

Don't you find that, as I am doing right now, sitting at the computer, using a cell phone, driving, working over a spreadsheet to be a bit unnerving especially day after day? There is in our modern, electromagnetic lifestyle a tangible visceral feeling of being edgy, slightly nervous, and a tad bit anxious.

Few of us are in a position to join the Luddites and banish all electronic devices from our lives, nor do most of us even want to. Fortunately there is a simpler solution and, as you might have guessed, it's INSIDE you!

I have had the privilege and blessing to have known Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. Now here's a man who actually likes the latest gadget. At the same time he is completely lacking in any trace of excitement about any of them, nor is his peace of mind imposed upon in the slightest by them. Oh, yes, he's lost his share of documents by a power outage or some other computer glitch (whether due to his own actions or otherwise).

What he has that I want to have more of is that simplicity of heart, that clarity of mind, and that deep relaxation of form that is reflected in his natural but erect posture, his quick smile, deeply calm eyes, and ever-new, creative solutions and new ideas that flow seemingly without effort from, as he describes it, his "fertile brain."

The antidote to modern complexity is a flow of movement of thoughts, feelings, and actions from within oneself. The crushing influences (electromagnetic or human) that crowd around us can stifle any sense of our true and unique Self. Combining periods of quiet, inward reflection and stillness born of the science of meditation techniques with an active life that stays in touch with one's own center (good posture helps a lot, more than you might suppose) brings such vitality, poise, confidence, and in-joy-ment to life that you will never want to slump back into your "bad old haunts" of lousy posture and reactive tendencies.

So, sit up straight but relaxed! Look up. Now, open your palms upward on your thighs or even hold them up a few inches above as if a gift is about to dropped into them! See? You can't help but smile, relax, and be ready for new opportunities!

Intuition, Paramhansa Yogananda explained, is the soul's power to know God. Now that sounds mighty big. But bring it down to size in this way: the power to know anything instantly, without resort to cumbersome reason, blood, sweat or tears, or even Google, is something worth having. And it's right inside you: in fact you may find it at the point between the eyebrows, or in your own heart (depending somewhat on your own temperament).

Those who live by inspiration, by inner guidance, and by intuition (all words for the same level of consciousness) are those for whom life is a steady flow that brings the cool jet stream of inner peace, vitality and wisdom. Even in writing this little piece, I had the idea that perhaps I should say something about what is, in fact, today's Sunday Service topic at the Ananda Centers around the world. I had no idea what to say until I began typing. I was confident something could be said. There is no emphasis upon me: truth is truth. All I need to try to do is to tune into it. And, in fact, that's what I have tried to do.

Blessings, Hriman

Fall Equinox : Time to Reflect

Fall is in the air. The burning colors and hues of red and yellow are beginning to appear. The Fall breezes re-fresh the intensity of the summer sun whose strength is beginning to wane but whose brightness remains cheerful and caressing. Yes, here in the northwest, the rain has returned, perhaps a little too quickly for many of us. But the harvest of summer memories of fun and sun, inspirations and perspectives that relaxation and rest can bring, and the revitalizing effect of the solstice's ascendancy.are abundant.

The Fall reminds us that we will "reap that which we sow." This wondrous universe is but waves, tall, proud, or humble and subtle, upon the great ocean of consciousness. These waves are essentially Light and vibrations of Aum: intentions made manifest!

We cannot therefore hide the fruit of our actions from the seeds of our thoughts and emotions which which we have planted in the Spring of our life and in the soil of our consciousness. Fall represents the harvest of our intentions which are comprised of the seed of our thoughts, the rain of our emotions, and the soil of our karma that allows them to grow and bear fruits.

There is a saying that we are born with the face God gives us, but after forty we wear the face that we have created in this life. Well, don't take that too literally but it's the same idea, isn't it?

I know that early in life, I, perhaps like many of you, felt the call of high ideals and of the spiritual life. Like many, young adulthood had some detours and distractions, but the time came when the call returned. How many people I have met who say, one way or another, "Oh, yes, I saw (or read) "Autobiography of a Yogi" twenty years ago but now it calls to me again, and that's why I have come to Ananda!"*

In that great book, which many consider a scripture in its own right (you can open the book on any page and find inspiration appropriate to your own needs in that moment!), Yogananda writes "The trivial preoccupations of daily life are not enough for man; wisdom too is a native hunger." No matter how successful you have been in your pursuit of income, health, career, or human love, these, however sought by humankind with great effort, can never satisfy us. When we consider that most people are in fact NOT all that successful in achieving material and ego comforts, the dissatisfaction is compounded exponentially. For what successful person can view the world around them without compassion? So even if WE achieve our natural human material goals (and so few do), can we truly rest content when see the suffering of others?

Swami Kriyananda, founder of Ananda, gives us an example of unstinting service to humanity with the message of Self-realization. There is no security in this world of unceasing change except in the transcendent state of God's omnipresence. The key to that is right attitude, right action, and inner communion.

May the fruit of your soul's efforts be sweetened by the grace of God's transforming Light.

We invite your to join us in celebration of our Oneness in Spirit at our Equinox Service, Saturday night, September 18, 7:30 p.m. at Ananda Meditation Temple in Bothell, WA. It's free, open to all, and a very popular event that draws friends, family members, students, and local community. There is a power in the Fall crisp air that invites us to go within and be rejuvenated by the soil of God-contact.

Blessings,

Hriman



*Autobiography of a Yogi, 1946 First Edition by Paramhansa Yogananda

What is Eternity?

Eternity is a big idea, isn't it? The opposite can be experienced in the unceasing flow of restless and usually trivial and self-centered thoughts that preoccupy our attention throughout the day. More outwardly, the ephemeral experience of transitoriness is found in the unending attempts we make in action or in thoughts to stimulate our senses and get a quick but fleeting high: food, sweets, caffeine, alcohol, drugs, daydreams, TV and entertainment, sights, feelings, music, sex and romance, money, travel, recognition and position. These, in turn, are countered like the troughs of rough seas, with depression, despair, pain, suffering (mental or physical), disappointment, dislike, revenge seeking, criticism, judgement, gossip and so much more.

It is not until we achieve even a limited degree of self-awareness (and meditation is the preeminent discipline that accelerates this awakening) do we become aware of this constant flux. With awareness we begin to tire and to become weary of the constant flux. Thus it is as a person and his body and mind age, excitement, stimulation and their opposites begin to loosen their hold upon him because his nervous system can no longer tolerate the extremes (physical, emotional, and mental) that result. This may be some combination of exhaustion and wisdom -- or not! In truth, we discover that what we thought was life is but death (to our soul's true and eternal nature). As Paramhansa Yogananda put it in his now famous story, "Autobiography of a Yogi," it is when the soul feels "anguishing monotony" at the prospect of endless rounds of birth, life, and death does it rebel and seek a higher and permanent beatitude. Then, and only then, does life become truly life: abundant and joy filled.

But herein we enter the borderland, the wilderness that surrounds eternity. The soul must needs traverse that seemingly endless emptiness (wilderness) wherein the flux of opposites has ceased. By itself this is NOT eternity. It is a place and a rite of passage. It is purification and cleansing. Once again, meditation is the intentional process and methodology that takes us to this hinterland of consciousness.

In this process we glimpse the promised land that awaits us: a state of being wherein joy reigns unbroken upon the throne of consciousness. Endlessly beguiling however and not a static state of boredom and malaise, joy (the bliss of the soul) is both ours for ever and yet ever-new. Afterall, it is eternity itself. It has no border, no condition, no fixed and final description. Perhaps illogical but intuitively sound.

Blessings, from the shores of Eternity! In joy,   Hriman

Why Religion is Divisive

Religion is all too often a source of conflict, division, and judgment between the adherents of different faiths. It doesn't help that religion is inextricably linked with cultural and national identifies with their numerous biases, prejudices, language, dress, and traditions.

It is experienced spirituality that unites hearts. And not the superficial spirituality born of intellectual speculation or passing sentimentality but the realized spirituality that fosters action, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice.

I remember as a boy, growing up Catholic, being taught that the word "catholic" meant universal. I was thrilled at that thought. Later as I grew and became more aware of other faiths and the rigidity of my own faith did I experience the deep disappointment that was inevitable.

I was not alone, and indeed I joined the ranks of millions including such notables as Emerson and Thoreau in experiencing the thrill of discovery of the scriptures and philosophy of India. It was in my college years at Santa Clara University, halfway between Berkeley and Haight Asbury in 1969 when it seemed the staid and jaded adult world around us was breaking apart in favor of a new and hopeful reality. In the vision of the rishis, all time and space were united in the underlying consciousness of Spirit. At last a spiritual view that matched the goals and unfolding vision of modern science which sought the truth underlying all phenomena.

It is not really religion that divides us: it is matter, or outward appearances that command our attention and hypnotize us in seeing the difference rather than the underlying similarity. Our bodies, skin color, gender, language, dress, occupations, attitudes and customs divide us.

Paramhansa Yogananda, whose life story, "Autobiography of a Yogi," has been read by millions came to the West from India to bring a new expression of the ancient revelation of the Oneness of life. But the battle of form vs spirit is also universal. Whereas he would claim that the work he began did not constitute yet another sect, one of his closest disciples simply scoffed, "Of course, we are sect." What she meant is obvious: that to others what else could his work and teachings be but another sect? Yet what he meant is that he was offering an experience of reality that could help individuals transcend that narrower view of reality!

And so the division and multiplication continues. Spirituality represents the realization of Oneness and religion represents the effort to share and spread that revelation for the upliftment of others. Thus we find that even in the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, and indeed adding to that those of his guru-preceptors from India (Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya and Swami Sri Yukteswar) there have been spawned different branches, teachers, books, and organizations.

That among some of them would arise disagreements, different points of view, attitudes, and controversy should hardly surprise us. Our souls have long been held captive to the body and the hypnosis of outward appearances. The soul's native omnipresence and oneness with God and all life is but a child trying to crawl, to stand, and to walk however haltingly.

Since Yogananda's message and his life's persona was so loving and accepting it seems especially a betrayal when the other human tendencies assert themselves and appear uppermost. For this reason has Swami Kriyananda recently returned "home" to Los Angeles where Yogananda took up residency so long ago and where he, Swami Kriyananda, lived for many years to share the purity of Yogananda's message and the love of Yogananda's heart.

Swami Kriyananda's efforts are a dynamic and courageous example for all of us to live by. He has affirmed Yogananda's unitive teachings and love in the face of scorn, indifference, and derision from some of his fellow disciples. Those of us who, as Yogananda's disciples, seek to represent him should especially take to heart his example. But for all souls, to seek truth, God, and love beneath the surface of all else that divides us is the noblest aspiration and our highest duty.

Blessings,

Hriman

Success is One (Won)!

Today I and hundreds of others travel to Ananda Village, CA on pilgrimage for an annual week of Spiritual Renewal with Swami Kriyananda, founder of the worldwide work of Ananda. Our subject is the new era of consciousness known by its Indian astrological name, Dwapara (or Second Age). Our era is estimated to be of some 2,400 years in length and to have begun about 100 years ago. It is characterized by an increasing awareness of energy as the reality beyond the multitude of forms. During this cycle of the ages we will advance rapidly in the "conquest" of space as the technology of energy unleashes new forms of communication and travel..

I have the privilege and opportunity of a brief talk this coming week on the meaning and form of success in such an age. Success in the last two thousand years or so was defined by mass and size, and determined by conquest and one's birth. Land was the primary measure of wealth and the power over others and their production that came with ownership. Success meant control and domination.

As we've moved away from the prior age, money and ownership of the means of production have been the measure thus far of our wealth and success. But this is a transitional step as old ways and new ways vie for expression. Note how suddenly we are seeing currencies and all forms of monetary measurement and wealth being eroded by the trillions. Instead, the onset of Dwapara Yuga shows us that information, intelligence, skills and adaptability are the measure of value and success of a human being.

Success will become increasingly defined by integration, balance, and harmony. Cooperation rather than conquest will and is becoming the language of successful people. Success in health means cooperation with laws of natural health and healing; in relationships at work, at home, and in government, cooperation, respect, and mutual support will lead to the greatest success as we recognize that we, and all life of this planet, are united by common goals and interests (regardless of race, creed, caste, or form (human or otherwise)).

Spiritually speaking, success means finding true, and lasting happiness. Happiness is found by seeking it where it exists: within ourselves. Thus meditation will become the dominant characteristic of spirituality where seekers find inner peace, creativity, joy, and vitality at their source. We become devotees when we re-discover the intuitive, soul knowledge that that happiness is not ours alone but is the very nature of creation, of all matter and that behind this energy and consciousness lies the Infinite consciousness of Spirit.

Success is One(ness)!  Joy to you, Hriman

Narrow is the Way?

Dear Friends,

Someone dear to me remarked recently that in her opinion the Ananda Communities and Sangha groups (wherever located though with some variations) are focused upon themselves and not welcoming. This was not the first time I have heard this comment. As much as I would like this not to be the reality, I had to ask myself why this might be true, is it a problem, and what can we do about it?

Putting aside any individual expressions of narrow mindedness or parochial self-interest, we have several aspects of Ananda that are relevant to this perception. For starters, a spiritual lineage that focuses so strongly upon meditation is bound to seem a bit "inward" to newcomers for whom meditation is not a daily or deep practice and lively and entertaining church services are perhaps the norm.

For another, a work so "alternative" and new is bound to require a much larger focus upon its core work than one better established and expanding outward in its interests. Ananda has been in existence barely forty years and while there are some eight residential communities and numerous centers and small groups around the world, this is far from explosive and the road has been a rough one on every level.

Though thousands of small communities were begun during the Sixties and Seventies when Ananda first started, few remain today. The odds against survival have been great and I won't attempt to catalogue the cultural, economic, legal, and environmental challenges. Even in the intentional communities movement (which as movements go is all but insignificant, socially), Ananda's communities are orphans. First because religious and not relying upon a consensus decision making process. The presence of a single founder, a spiritual leader and Swami, who is dynamic and a leading public figure, is itself anathema to most of the communities' movement.

Second, because not defining itself in terms of farming, ecology, sustainability, or social engineering goals, Ananda is largely ignored in the communities movement. (Ironically, in these areas of activity, Ananda has had a strong and long-term interest but simply hasn't made these a point of self-definition.)

Thirdly, Ananda's essential message is one of Self-realization. This relates to the goal of "moksha" or finding Oneness with God. This is not exactly your typical Sunday church-going message of doing good and behaving. It's not one that naturally spawns support groups, activities, or spiritualized entertainment for singles, marrieds, or youth groups. The intensity and revolutionary message of Self-realization (what to mention the effort required) comes across as somewhat "off-putting" to anyone seeking only comfort or even spiritual solace. (It should be acknowledged that religion does legitimately serve the human need for healing, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Ananda has a dynamic and active healing prayer work around the world.)

Ironically, however, many of the support group activities mentioned above do in fact exist. But the goal of ego-transcendence does tend to dampen the proliferation of outwardly obvious emotionally satisfying expressions of ego-comfort. Nonetheless, you will see individual kindnesses and personal support expressed in many different forms from the birthday celebrations to medical advocacy. You just have to look more deeply perhaps.

Fourthly, the teaching of the need and role of the guru is very much a challenge to many. Perhaps some take umbrage at the outward signs of devotion and respect that are naturally tendered in speech and action. I know some object to even at the presence and role of ministers, what to mention having a charismatic leader (Swami Kriyananda), and not just one guru, but FIVE masters whose images command attention the moment one walks into an Ananda home or sanctuary.

Fifthly, the practice of kriya yoga meditation is, unlike all the other yoga practices at Ananda, only given after intensive training and discipleship initiation. In our modern era of freedom of information, this time-honored spiritual test of the student's commitment and intention are often not understood or appreciated. One pledges, moreover, not to reveal the kriya technique to others without permission. Holding to one "way" tends to offend modern (especially Western) sensibilities. Loyalty, as a human trait, is much lacking in modern culture and the value of going deep and staying true (in relationship, health habits, career, etc.) is not understood or valued in the age of texting and sound-bites.

Sixth and last is that "energy" is the basis of the spiritual practices. I could explore this from numerous angles but suffice here to say that at the heart of Ananda's philosophy, practices, and, most importantly, culture is the opportunity, often extolled, to put out "high energy." Few, especially those exploring tentatively a new faith or spiritual path, are prepared for embracing this message and not reacting to the intensity of energy encountered when first meeting a group of people, experiencing the ceremonies, and participating in the activities at Ananda.

For the no-less-than cosmic broadness of scope, and the emphasis upon individual self-effort that is characteristic of Ananda's philosophy, it is ironic that some might feel that Ananda members are self-enclosed in their interests.

In the end, however, each person's path to spiritual freedom is unique and each one's need and form of spiritual support and association must needs reflect that uniqueness. More than this is the undeniably deep commitment to personal self-effort to achieve "moksha" which is modelled by our guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, and our founder, his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda.

While room for improvement is a constant need, I cannot help but conclude that some of this unfortunately negative impression comes with the turf of what it takes to strive for Self-realization amidst a culture so committed to ego gratification. At the same time, joy and humor are in no short supply at Ananda. I sincerely hope this is no mere self-justification, but as the sands of this life's time on earth show signs of running out,  I find myself drawn more and more to remain "in the Self." I admire Swami Kriyananda's unremitting commitment to be a divine friend to so many.

In time, Ananda's message, communities, and Sangha will expand and include many others with a wider range of commitment and understanding of that message. Swami Kriyananda has frequently redefined and redirected Ananda's work to keep inspiration fresh and energy high. I have faith that Ananda will carry on this legacy far into the future.

Joy to you,

Hriman

Who am I?

In the reading at the Ananda Sunday Service for July 11, Jesus explains that as a branch of a tree cannot bear fruit unless it remains part of the tree, so life itself comes (and comes more fully) as we consciously live in the awareness of God’s presence within. Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita, declares that all who are glorious are but a spark of the glory of God.

Some of us have just returned from the July 4th weekend at Ananda Village where we welcomed Swami Kriyananda back from India and Italy. His life is a dynamic illustration of what it is to live consciously as an instrument of God.

Swamiji (the suffix “ji” expresses respect and closeness) frequently recounts the story of how he, as a young minister being trained by Paramhansa Yogananda, experimented with how to have God act through him. Once, while giving a Sunday Service talk, he paused to see if God would speak through him. While the audience was gripped in suspense thinking he had frozen out of fear (of public speaking — he had not), he waited for God to speak for upwards two full minutes! Well, you can guess that God did NOT speak.

He realized in this dramatic experiment that he had to do the speaking but, while doing so, he had also to invite God to speak through him: through his thoughts, inspirations, and understanding. As a popular and effective public speaker who speaks from inspiration and without prepared notes he has demonstrated the power of this approach thousands of times.

Swamiji has composed over four hundred pieces of music but once, when a student commented on the strong need and desire that the student had to compose music. Kriyananda remarked that he felt no such need. Music, he said, simply came to him when he needed it for the purposes of his ministry. In fact, his first foray into composing songs came when he visited Yosemite National Park and sang folk songs with others. He knew that devotional chants would not touch these young people but the usual folks songs had no message he felt in tune with.

So, on the drive home to San Francisco, a song suddenly came to him. While driving (he admits this was unwise) he scribbled the words and melody on a napkin. Thus began several decades of composing music. The songs came in response to the desire to serve God in tune with the teachings of his guru, Paramhansa Yogananda. The inspiration was not, in other words, driven by his own desire to compose music for its own (or his own ego’s) sake.

This illustrates beautifully how we can each act as a divine instrument. “How may I serve Thee, Lord?” is the prayer that opens the floodgates of divine power and inspiration. Most of the time we think in terms of what I want to do; how I feel right now about this or that.

As Krishna teaches in the Bhagavad Gita, we are compelled by nature to act. “I will reason, I will will, I wll act, but guide Thou my reason, will, and activity in everything that I do.” This prayer Yogananda has given to us shows us the spirit with which to act.

Paramhansa Yogananda wrote in his famous life story, "Autobiography of a Yogi," that divine vision is center everywhere, circumference nowhere. God is not to be found in some antiseptic corner of distant space. God is within us. All we need to do is to improve our knowing and realization of this simple fact. Daily meditation is the most effective way to experience God’s presence on a consistent and ever deepening way. In an experience of cosmic consciousness Yogananda said “I cognized the center of the empyrean as a point of intuitive perception in my heart.”

We can no more “kill” the ego than can consciousness itself ever be extinguished. For God, who is consciousness itself, exists at the heart of every atom. Thus to “know thy Self” is to reach that center and dwell there. The more frequently we commune with God within ourselves the more we begin to identify with that center and to act from and in harmony with its innate intelligence (which includes love, joy, and peace).

At the same time we must also work at re-directing the deeply embedded tendency of ego to assert itself and to want to steal the center stage of our attention. Humility is not self-effacement. Instead it is self-honesty! How small we are in size; how brief our lifespan in relation to the universe around us; how few are our talents; scant, our knowledge. In tune with divine grace, however, we are infinite: infinitely wise and unconditionally loving.

The constant reference of all actions, feelings, and perceptions to the false self of the ego is what we should re-direct. I saw a New Yorker Magazine cartoon of a down-and-out man sitting at bar saying to a fellow patron, “I’m nothing, yet I’m all I can think about!” It is not easy to expand our consciousness beyond self-interest. Nishkam karma (action without self-interest) is how Krishna counsels the devotee to act.

A story from India that Swamiji frequently tells is one he heard Yogananda relate. A man who was pestered by a demon came upon a mantra that would get rid of the demon. So one day the man recited the mantra onto a special powder and when the demon appeared the man threw the powder at the demon. The demon laughed saying “Before you could say the mantra I entered the powder!”

One day Swamiji awoke to discover that after working assiduously to develop humility, he was suddenly infected with the (thankfully passing) thought of how “proud” he was of his newly found humility!

You see, we are infected by the demon ego and cannot extricate ourselves from its influence by the mere wishing. We must introduce into the magnetic aura of our consciousness a current of energy from above. This current (shakti) is the awakening of our latent divine memory which is transmitted by the guru directly or through living disciples. Yogananda once remarked to some others “Look how I have changed Walter.” (Yogananda called him "Walter.")

So when we receive, or fail to receive, praise we must learn to re-direct our attention to where it belongs: God. Don’t laugh AT people but laugh WITH them! Another New Yorker cartoon shows two hyenas walking along and one says to the other, “You mean all this time you’ve been laughing AT me, not WITH me?”

Swamiji has often told the story how one evening he hosted a dinner party for well known authors during the course of a conference on communities. Though he was the host and the only one among them who had actually started a community, the others were better known to the public. During the party they completely ignored him as they talked with each other about their upcoming books and programs. Kriyananda simply chuckled to himself and enjoyed the experience of being ignored.

“But you’re famous!” someone once objected to Swamiji when, during a casual sidewalk conversation he introduced himself. Most famous people act self-important creating and perpetuating a cycle of ego affirmation.

Stilling the ceaseless flux of thoughts, emotions, and restless actions is the essence of meditation. Refocusing our attention from the ego-self to the divine Self in the I-Thou relationship using whatever form of God we hold dear (whether guru, deity, or divine attribute) is the key to Self-realization.

Swamiji's life has been one of intense service and meditation. He has shown enormous creativity and inspiration in the arts, in organizational matters and deep wisdom in lecturing and writing. Through him has come the sacred chants, ceremonies, and music that comprises Ananda's devotional services. Creativity and enthusiasm have too frequently been suppressed and condemned in the religious life as being pride filled and assertions of ego. This is an error, if an understandable one.

In his over sixty years of public service, Swami Kriyananda has demonstrated the power, the grace, and the bliss of living for God alone. What he, or anyone else has done, we can do! For as Krishna promises us, “even a little bit of this practice will free us from dire fears and colossal sufferings.”

Joy to you,      Hriman

Independence Day!

Dear Friends, hundreds of Ananda members are travelling to Ananda Village in northern California to welcome Swami Kriyananda (Ananda's founder) back from Europe and India. July 4 is also the anniversary date of the founding of Ananda Village in 1968.

So this is an auspicious moment to consider what is freedom and what is Ananda's relationship to it! Most readers of this article understand that from the soul's perspective freedom means freedom from untruth and ignorance. Freedom from delusion also is the doorway to the one thing we all seek: happiness (or more accurately and absolutely, we would say immortality and unalloyed, ever-new bliss - the soul's permanent and true state of Oneness with God).

The principal of duality (the existence of the opposites which, like an engine, drives the great drama of life) dictates that truth lies at the center of those opposites. But to land with pinpoint accuracy upon that center when we and everything in creation is in ceaseless flux means that this still point is not easy to find and tends to seem like a moving target. Thus it is that on the spiritual path truth cannot be expressed in precepts or examples except by imperfect analogy and with a certain taint of irony and paradox.

To return to the subject of freedom, then, we find that to achieve soul freedom appears to require entering into a kind of voluntary servitude! At least from the ego's standpoint, the spiritual life, with its daily disciplines, ego-submission to inner or outer authority, and the giving up of pleasures and comforts is like going off to jail. But that's the irony and the price of admission. To most people the need and reasons for such giving up are obvious.

The problem we have is that "we" don't want to. Or, to be perhaps more fair and reasonable, we are not sure whether the brass ring on the "other side" is worth the price of the ride! Thus to assuage modern sensibilities, much of what passes as spirituality has been quietly sanitized of the vestiges of "cross-carrying" burdens.

There is a positive side of this, lest we wax too cynical. According to Paramhansa Yogananda and his astrologically oriented guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, planet earth is in a long and upward arc of rising consciousness. We naturally tend to be upbeat and want to look for the positive. We don't find inspiration hanging from a cross (mea culpa, mea culpa).

Indeed, even in past centuries when suffering was the summum bonum of the spiritual life, one Christian mystic proclaimed that "a sad saint is a sad saint indeed!" Or, as Swami Kriyananda wrote in the poetic and inspired Festival of Light ceremony (performed on Sunday's at Ananda temples throughout the world), "And whereas in the past suffering was the coin of our redemption, for us now the payment has been exchanged for calm acceptance and joy."

It is important in these times to emphasize that a life of moderation, simplicity, devotion to God and his saints, service to humanity, and silent inner communion with the soul brings to us a satisfaction that no outer success or pleasure can ever offer.

Nonetheless, the pearl of great price cannot be debased. Freedom is not won without sacrifice. When I read about the Revolutionary War which gave birth to America I cannot be but astonished how few people sacrificed so much and how fragile was their margin of victory. Our political and military leaders never fail to remind us that freedom must won again and again, generation after generation.

And so too our soul freedom. Ananda Communities differ from many intentional communities in what seems a glaring absence of democratic and consensus driven decision making. This is because these communities are also ashrams where individuals willingly work together, cooperate, and attune themselves to "what's trying to happen." This includes listening and tuning into the guidance offered to us through what we describe as the "ray of light brought to earth by Paramhansa Yogananda and his line of gurus as represented through Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple."

It's not that we treat Kriyananda's guidance or that of the leaders appointed by him as infallible. But we do practice the art of discipleship to divine guidance by listening first rather than reacting first; by drawing upon inner guidance and intuition rather than mouthing mere opinion or likes and dislikes.

The path to freedom involves a "give up" and a "take up." The giving up is of inclinations and tendencies inherited or brought over, or which affirm our ego and separate identity. The take up is the taking up of listening instead of talking, of serving without thought of self, and of loving without regard to being loved.

Freedom and Independence to each of you, from Ananda,

Hriman(anda)

Not WHAT but HOW!

  Secret of Right Action! For those who seek to act with integrity and in harmony with Divine will it is far from easy to know what is right action. It is so common, even (perhaps especially) in religion, to justify the means by the ends. How much injury and wrong has been done in the name of a worthy goal, a high ideal, or for the glory of God? How is easy it is to justify oneself. Is it not commonly said, "Even the devil quotes the scriptures."

Not only is it difficult to know what course to pursue but it is even difficult to know which consequences constitute success or failure! Is it "success" if we get by cheating? And don't we sometimes learn from our failures. How many have said that a seeming failure was "the greatest thing that ever happened to me."

For the secret of right action, and by extension, of success itself lies in the intention and the consciousness that motivates it. In cases (such as losing one's job) where we do not initiate the act, the same can be said for our reaction. If we respond with faith, calmness and creative energy, a seeming failure can be a life-transforming turning point.

We see a similar pattern in criminal or civil law. For example, the punishment for the crime of injuring another person may depend on whether the act was intentionally or accidentally inflicted. But note that punishment is not necessarily waived just because the act was unintended.

Many a high-minded soul is at a loss to know which choice is the spiritually right one. In the great scripture of India, the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna admits to his disciple Arjuna that it is very difficult to know what is right action. In Chapter Two of the "Gita" Krishna prescribes the wisdom of achieving union with God as the true and highest path. But in Chapter Three, Arjuna expresses his confusion for the fact that Krishna counsels Oneness with God (through meditation) while also enjoining Arjuna to take part in the great (albeit metaphorical) battle against his cousins (his lower nature) who have stolen his (soul) kingdom.

Krishna then explains that to achieve Oneness one must act. This appears to be a paradox, at least to the intellect. But it is right action that leads us to the actionless state, and right action starts as one performed without selfish motive. But Krishna goes further. Right action is not only one which lacks self-interest but in its highest octave proceeds from, and is expresses the consciousness (and intention) of, God and godly purposes.

It is far less important what we do than how we do it. No legitimate job or task is greater than another. Neither are outward spiritual works greater than mundane jobs as it relates to one's own consciousness if the latter is one's proper duty in life. Regardless of the "what," the how is with intensity of love for God, clarity of purpose, creativity and inner, divine awareness. This is as true for washing dishes as for sharing spiritual teachings. That which pleases God is that which pleases our own higher Self in the manifesation of greater of inner peace, soul joy, perception of God, and unconditional love.

The more that we open ourselves to God's presence in our life the more God will guide us toward right action and to true, soul freedom. Swami Kriyananda in his inspired account of Paramhansa Yogananda's teachings on the Bhagavad Gita (in his book, Essence of the Bhagavad Gita) counsels that to achieve God contact we should learn to relax our awarenness "upward" (to the point between the eyebrows) in meditation. Struggle and tension are self-defeating. To learn devotion to God isn't a matter so much of "trying" as it is to open oneself to receive God's love. By degrees we "fall in love" with God, who IS love!

Daily meditation, combined with right attitudes of self-offering, selflessness, integrity in fulfilling one's worldly responsibilities, creativity, and, perhaps most of all, the joy of God: these are the secrets of right action. Such action leads to freedom from (past) karma and increasing identification with God and soul qualities.

Will Jesus Come Again?

Paramhansa Yogananda, author of the world renown classic, "Autobiography of a Yogi," spoke and wrote frequently in respect to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Many of his students and followers have wondered why he did so, especially in light of his emphasis upon respect for and the need to seek a deeper understanding of the underyling truth of all true religions.

He explained that there exists a special link between the lives of Paramhansa Yogananda and Jesus Christ. Though Yogananda himself gave little by way explanation about the nature of this link, his extensive commentaries on the Bible (especially the New Testament) strongly suggest it. At least once that we know of, he was asked directly why he gave special emphasis to Jesus' teachings. His only comment was "It is Babaji's wish that I do so." (Babaji is the Himalayan Christ-like sage who, indirectly, sent Yogananda to the West.)

In respect to his writings on the New Testament, he claimed to have received endorsement from Jesus Christ in vision for his interpretations. Yogananda would usually get a chuckle from audiences when he commented, tongue-in-cheek, that "Jesus was crucified once but his teachings have been crucified daily ever since" by dogmatic and ignorant followers. (He also added, however, that ignorance, East and West, is "50:50", meaning similar distortions of true teachings exist everywhere!)

But what has become of Jesus Christ since his incarnation in Palestine some two thousand years ago? Where is he now? Will he come again? When will be his second coming?

Curiously, Yogananda termed his work in the West the "second coming of Christ." Did he mean that HE is Jesus Christ? Many disciples of Yogananda report they have experienced a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through Yogananda's teachings. During his lifetime, he was frequently "mistaken" for Jesus Christ by his American students and even passers-by.

When Swami Kriyananda (founder of Ananda) asked Yogananda this question directly to him, Yogananda replied brusquely, "What difference would it make?" When I commented to Swami Kriyananda that Yogananda could not have been Jesus in a past life since Yogananda had a vision (more than one, in fact) of Jesus, Kriyananda replied in a similar manner saying, in effect, "What difference would THAT make?" (Apparently, the ability to bring into manifestation the living presence of a saint of past times is independent of subsequent incarnations, including his own!)

Let us put aside, however, this question of whether Yogananda is a reincarnation of Jesus. For we cannot answer that and, as Swami Kriyananda put it, what difference would it make to us!

Yogananda explained that the term "Christ" is a title, not a name. It means the "annointed one." It is a reference, he said, to the God-realized consciousness that the soul named Jesus had attained through self-effort and grace over many lifetimes of spiritual effort. This indwelling, latent, and innate divinity which is our own soul's true nature can be called "the Christ consciousness." The divinity of which Jesus' consciousness partook is therefore infinite and omnipresent. When he spoke using the personal pronoun "I" ("I am the way, the life, and truth and no one achieves the Father but by Me.") he was speaking in the impersonal voice of that universal Christ consciouness, fully conscious and fully realized. It is the indwelling Christ that is our spiritual guide to the heavenly realm of Bliss in God.

This divinity is most realizable in human beings, with our highly advanced nervous system and energy centers known as the chakras. It is latent and can be reawakened by the touch or living presence of one who is an awakened Christ, or savior (or guru). So it might be said that the "first" coming of the Christ is in the form of the guru. The "second" coming therefore would be its consequent awakening in true disciples.

Thus any soul who has achieved this liberated, enlightended state is a Christ. The coming of Christ is as much true in one God-realized soul as another. It is not limited to the person known as Jesus, who lived only thirty-three years long ago in a remote outpost of the Roman empire. In India it has long been taught that God descends into human form via a divine incarnation known as the avatar in response to the call and need of souls in every age. But even accepting that such a one as Yogananda came to earth as an avatar, it remains true that his special mission was to give the "keys to the kingdom." The keys he offers are the techniques of meditation (as well as the spiritual power of grace transmitted through those keys).

These keys include access to the special role in the divine plan for the Holy Ghost. Jesus taught that after his earthly passing he would send the Holy Ghost, or Comforter, to guide his disciples. For it is the role of the Holy Ghost to play a part in the process of the devotee's path to the Father. Once the preceptor has re-awakened the disciple's memory of his divinity, the disciple must seek to enlarge his identification with it within himself. For, as Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is neither 'lo here, or lo there.' It is within you."

In the yoga teachings, the Holy Ghost is referred to as the "Aum vibration." In the gospel of St. John it is referred to as the "Word." "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him (the Word)." The Holy Ghost is that first appearance in the creation of God at the inception and as the essence of creating, sustaining and dissolving all things. In Genesis this is explained poetically when it says the "Spirit of God moved across the face of the waters." So the first, or virginal, or primordial vibration of God's creative intention is the Word, or Holy Ghost. It is this vibration that initiates the world of duality through which the seeming appearance and separateness of all things created from their Creator is maintained. This vibration has a sound and is called in various traditions "Amen," "Amin," "Aum," or "Ahunavar." From this vibratory stem cell of creation comes the multitude of differentiated objects both gross and subtle. Each is endowed with the innate intention of the Word to create and the intelligence of God to do so independtly, with free will.

This vibration has both an audible and visual manifestation which the meditator can perceive in the inner silence. The sound usually is generally easier to perceive than the light. God is referred to in forms of sound (lightning, rumblings, many waters etc.) and light perhaps one hundred times throughout the Old and New Testament. It is by inner communion upon the holy Word of God that the devotee begins, in earnest, his ascent toward God. The Aum Vibration is referred to as feminine in many traditions, as it is the mother vibration of the universe.

The meditation technique of communing with the Aum vibration was brought from India by Yogananda. It is taught in the context of discipleship, as the gift of the guru that the devotee might achieve actual divine contact and, by degrees, Self-realization. This technique involves using a mudra (position of the hands) and an arm rest. It enables the devotee to more quickly hear, with "ears to hear," as Jesus put it, this blissfully comforting sound which is the actual presence of God in creation. Communion with Aum reveals to us the remembrance of the truth (that we are children of God) that shall make us free. It also brings great comfort and joy.

Meditating upon Aum is a step towards the next level of Self-realization. By prolonged inner communion with Aum, the devotee comes to the next stage which is to commune with the vibrationless state of the Christ consciousness itself. This sphere of pure consciousness is the only "begotten son of God." It is the only pure reflection of the infinite consciousness of God which is otherwise beyond and untouched by the creation. It is first experienced at the quiet, still center of all vibration IN creation. It can only be accessed through communion with Aum, which witnesses its presence like the sound of motor which reveals that the motor is running. Yogananda explains it this way: the "Mother" of creation is the Aum vibration. In her womb, unseen by others, is the Son of God (whose Father is the Spirit beyond creation). This Son reflects the character of the Father. It is His only begotten because it is the only appearance of the Infinite Spirit which can be found emmanent (in the midst of) the creation itself. It is not Jesus the man who is the only begotten son of God, but Jesus as a Christ who manifests Divine consciousness in human form. As St. John writes in the first chapter of his gospel, "as many as received Him gave He the power to become the sons of God." We are all, potentially, capable of reacquiring our sonship through this process of ascension.

The final stage of liberation (after communion with Christ consciousness in all creation) is to enter the Bliss-state of God the Father that lies beyond all creation. In this way is the "son" (the Christ intelligence IN creation) reunited with the "father" (in the vibrationless sphere BEYOND creation).

So where is Jesus now? Within you, and in all creation. But he can be summoned at any time from the ether of eternity by the devotion and concentration of a true devotee. This has been proven time and again down through ages, just as St. Francis (among many others) walked with Jesus at La Verne, the mountaintop where Francis received the blessed stigmata, over a thousand years after the human life of Jesus.

Jesus can walk with us, too. And Yogananda and many other saints and sages.A true savior comes to earth and directly, or through the lineage of his disciples, to awaken us to the promise of our immortality in God.

Blessings to you,

Hriman

P.S. I will conduct a two part class on the yoga teachings of Jesus, from 7 to 9 p.m., Thursdays, June 17 and 24 at the Ananda Meditation Temple in Bothell. Go online to www.AnandaSeattle.org to register. Prepay and receive a 10% discount.

The Bottom Line

[This should be my last post for a while on American life].

The Bottom Line

Now that financial regulation is looking like it will pass the gauntlet of Congress and politics, I'd like to share a few simple thoughts drawn from the writings of my teacher, and friend, Swami Kriyananda, and especially from his dynamic course, Material Success and Happiness through Yoga Principles.

The idea that we can take our savings and invest in the stock market and make money by doing absolutely nothing creative or participatory is not a far step from superstition, or gambling, at best. Trading on the efforts of other people is just shy of exploitation. Now, don't worry, I know the basics of investing as much as most people. And it could be said that my savings represents MY energy and investing it represents putting my energy into action cooperatively (as capital) with those who contribute their time and creative efforts.

The problem with saying that "I am earning my return, too, and legitimately" starts with one's intentions and ends in the overall or macro effect of millions of people doing this and the combined effect of their intentions and actions. Investing in a stock, e.g., brings no current capital to the benefit of the creative and productive efforts of that particular company. Your buying and selling is simply among other people like you, hardly different than gamblers assembled on the casino floor. It is true that have an active and liquid market for stocks enables and facilitates the raising of new capital for ventures, but the former outpaces the latter by a huge margin.

These days you can trade or bet on just about anything, perhaps even the weather, through the stock markets. With electronic trading and borrowed money and the terms of investing in certain types of hedge instruments, you can go wild with speculative trading. It is this "something for nothing" and gambling pyschology that is, ethically and pyschologically (and "karmically"), hurtful to both individuals and society. (Adding to it the consumerism that has given rise to mountains of debt and we have the makings of a "perfect financial storm.")

I seriously doubt the new regulation amounts to much of anything. You can't legislate greed and the scheming that greed incites. If the act of regulated investing, nationally or globally, were re-directed and restricted to discourage speculation and encourage long term investing (of savings, not borrowed money) we might achieve far greater stability. Too much human creative and energetic capital is, I believe, invested in the financial markets around the world. The riches sought and produced by this giant industry is nothing less than obscene. If the industry can be reduced in size by half or even two-thirds, back to a dull, conservative "invest-for-retirement" purpose in relative simply-to-understand stocks and bonds, the markets could return to their most socially beneficial function of raising capital for worthwhile public (both governmental and corporate) ventures. Such would stabilize jobs, new technology, and the proper act of saving for retirement. Only those who have "long" holdings in certain commodities or stocks have anything legitimate to hedge. Mortgages shouldn't be bundled and sold unless the issuers remain primarily responsible for their collection and who legitimately raise funds by essentially borrowing (not selling) against their mortgage portfolio. Limits on size and incentives to be localized, serviceful, and involved with local communities or regions should be imposed. Global movements of capital should be cooperatively regulated to minimize speculation and rapid turnovers.

Similarly with basic investing: short term and rapid turnovers should be taxed or otherwise regulated in favor of true investing that sees in a company a long-term (well, medium term at least) positive potential.

Of course none of this will happen. So, instead I favor and encourage us to look to the creation of new communitiy investment vehicles where people who know each other or at least live in the same area and share common ideals can invest their savings in worthwhile projects of mutual benefit.

Blessings,

Hriman

Age of Energy

Dear Friends,

I'd like to veer back to the mainstream of American life. The basis for my thoughts lies in the perception that humanity has been steadily transitioning from a tribal consciousness towards a self-actualized consciousness. I won't dwell on the objective basis for this but I would like to state simply that advances in communication, health, education and travel are the result of and in turn have stimulated the creative thinking, dynamic energy, and heightened awareness of millions of individuals to seek a better life.

Consider all the various "freedoms" for which people have struggled, and even died for: freedom from racial prejudice, religious freedom, social injustice, economic freedom, gender equality, to name a few. Steadily throughout the world it is as if, over the last few centuries (and at an accelerating pace), people all over the world are "waking up" to their personal identity and their potential as individuals. This constrasts with the medieval or tribal mindset that our station in life is fixed by birth or circumstance (not merit), that privilege and power is inherited or appointed, and that we must fulfill our duties according to our superiors or tribal elders.

The world wide web both symbolizes and epitomizes the latest form by which information and knowledge is being made available to the general public as part of a process that has been taking place for centuries. With growing awareness and the power of technology has come both increasing compassion and instances of wholesale destruction and genocide. I would venture to speculate that, in time, compassion will grow faster than destruction, even if, by necessity, it will do so only after great suffering.

Paternalistic attitudes, such as reflected in colonialism by the Western powers, are a hold-over from the medieval mindset of monarchy and hierarchy. By this I mean the idea that the rulers or elite must look out for the interests of the unfortunate, uneducated masses who in turn are expected to serve their masters. Charity and relief work have steadily moved towards greater sensitivity to the needs of people served and away from a sense of "we know best what you need." But an awkwardness remains in the act of dispensing charity by governments and large organizations. It is the awkwardness of potential judgment, pity, and the dehumanizing impact of large scale administration of charity with its legitimate needs to assess eligibility and enforce its conditions in an effort to steward its responsibilities to the general citizenry.

Western nations may vary in the degree to which their respective governments provide health, education, and welfare benefits to their more needy citizens, but it remains a fact that the worldwide financial recession threatens to curtain their ability to continue at past levels. Thus a crises is pending whereby new approaches to social benefits may need to be tried.

I question whether charity can ever be dispensed appropriately by a government. Caring is something individuals do for one another. The relatively high level of social benefits offered by many governments creates, by necessity of administration, a culture and attitude of entitlement. No matter how loudly we may insist that every citizen has a "right" to health care, legal defense, food, or shelter we cannot mask the equally true reality (one that we take pains to teach our children) that one must take responsibility for his own actions and their consequences. No matter how much we proclaim that "all men are created equal," the fact that individuals possess a remarkably wide range of talents, energy, and atitudes shows that if this platitude has any meaning at all, it must be in the sense that we are all children of God. Reward and punishment, and truth and consequences still rule the affairs of men. To ignore the individual in dealing with people is to court failure in one's communications and joint efforts.

It seems the more societies spend on social benefits the greater the need becomes. Past a certain safety net that a society insists upon for the sake of compassion or guilty avoidance, the result must be to sap the dynamic will, initiative, responsibility, and self-respect of those whom it helps. The consequence will inexorably be to foster resentment, blame, and greater demands by those demeaned (by handouts) in a subconscious and collective attempt to affirm individual self-worth.

Individuals respond to poverty and hardship in many different ways. Some do only what they have to in order to get by. They may not even mind, especially, living in conditions others would find intolerable. Their plight may be due to injustice, abuse, a sense of hopelessness for lack of opportunities, lack of education or simply unawareness of other possibilities. For some, blaming others, including society at large, can be an excuse not to make an effort to improve oneself. For others, it might also be a mere matter of familiarity, or a habit based on the exigencies of day-to-day survival. Some even become quite clever at surviving and self-protection. Others strive arduously to improve their lot, such as parents who work hard to send their children to school and higher education. Some, though probably not as many, set about helping their fellows cope with such circumstances. A rare few become shining examples of peace and goodwill, bestowing their quiet inner peace and comfort upon any who would receive such gifts. Such straitened circumstances can bring out the best, and the worst, in human nature.

In this age when individuality, with its concomitant potential for self-initiative, self-improvement, cooperation, and compassion, is in the ascendant, it makes sense to me that government-provided social benefits emphasize and encourage self-help. Education and training (in all aspects of living, not just academic) is one of the greatest examples of how a society, through its government, can improve the standard of living of its citizens.

Why is it, then, that we bemoan a steady deterioration in the quality of that education? Is not the well meaning but blind emphasis on giving everyone the same quality of education resulting in no one getting a decent education? It strikes me, for example, that notwithstanding the obvious reasons for doing so and the good intentions behind it, that bussing children to school and providing meals via subsidized cafeterias robs parents of basic responsibilities and participation in their childrens' education and life. Though I don't know the facts it is easy to imagine that the cost of just these two aspects of social services alone is enormous and that such funds might be better employed in improving the quality of education itself. For that matter, why is education compulsory anymore? Imagine schools filled with children who actually WANT to have an education!

Obviously some families may need help to get their children fed and to school. Wouldn't this be more sensitively done in cooperation with other families and with local service organizations? Would the not cooperation needed to help families on the ground level of their neighborhood help build more viable and compassionate community? Bussing and meals is just one example. It may be an imperfect one. But I have no doubt there are others.

If the central government provided overall guidance, training, and standards for charitable work and perhaps some facilities or other infrastructure but let local organizations to work out the details and solicit funds from their various interest groups or communities, the results could only be an improvement to everyone.

Whether seeking job training, finding work, or taking responsibility for one's health, the equation for success for disadvantaged citizens is a combination of personal effort and appropriate opportunity. The ratio of self-initiative to straight charitable handout will vary widely, but it strikes me that governmental assistance should focus primarily upon people who want to improve themselves. Let charities focus on helping those who are essentially helpless or who have potential but need personal training or motivation tailored to their circumstances and tied to individual effort. For the latter, government can still have a role in funding and guiding such efforts, but it should leave the caring to caring individuals (presumably part of some NGO, local government, or community based organization).

We live in an age which some call an age of energy. It seems so obvious (as we seek new and rewewable energy sources, struggle with fatigue, memory loss, and the demands of the fast and complex pace of modern life), that helping people cope with these demands is the best social service a government, representing the will of its people, can offer. Let charity be the domain of the charitable and let charity be fostered and encouraged at all levels of civic life. Lastly, the individual is the core motivating energy behind society and improvements to society. To ignore Individual consciousness is to ignore the seed of life itself. One size will never fit all! Let us foster creativity, talent, leadership, and compassion in individuals and we will all benefit.

Blessings,

Hriman

Happy Birthday, Divine Mother!

Creation is our Mother in the form of nature. God, through the power of intelligent vibration, has created and sustains the universe, and is seated at the still heart of all flux. In celebrating Mother's Day, let us include God as Mother, housekeeper of creation. The Bible tells us that God gazed upon His creation and called it good! We, too, should celebrate the manifest beauty, power, and intelligence in all nature, and, most importantly, witness God's loving presence at the heart of all things and all beings.

Endowed with God's desireless desire to create and the intelligence to do so, we are "like gods." The intelligence streaming out from the heart of infinity begins to stretch like a rubber band until it begins to assert itself separate and apart from Divinity. This outgoing force is called "maya," the measurer, or the satanic intelligence and power. It manifests in the larger sphere of creation, and in the hearts of men. Individuality is compelled to seek continued existence, to perpetuate that existence, and to enjoy its existence.

The delusive and suffering-laden consequences of this process are in no way, however, a condemnation of the glory of creation and of God's presence within it. No matter how "far" it seems we may go from our Oneness in Infinity, God remains our sole substance and only reality. Regaining our glory as children of God is a matter of reestablishing our contact and identity with our divinity which, as Jesus put it, "is within you."

In the New Testament story of Martha and Mary, Jesus Christ reprimands Martha for her fussiness (in the kitchen), saying that her sister Mary had chosen the better part (sitting at his feet, quietly, communing with her Lord). But Jesus was not telling her to get out of the kitchen (after all, he was probably going to get a meal from the deal)! Rather, he was saying that when we are active and serving, we should be mindful, joyful, and acting as an instrument of God's power, calmness, and wisdom.

In this stressful culture of America, we have much to gain from daily meditation and from bringing the peace of meditation into daily life. Breath breaks, mental "japa" (silent, inward devotional chanting), and attitudes of joy and servicefulness can make work a meditation, and meditation the divine work of seeking God.

Blessings to you!

Hriman

Is Trade Free?

I'd like to walk in a different park today than meditation and spirituality--have a change of pace, perhaps.

Our country and this world face so many challenges and changes it's difficult to make sense of what is happening, what to mention what we think should happen. Seeing the paralysis in the U.S. Congress even in the aftermath of a sweeping victory by Barack Obama and despite his party's control of the Congress, makes one wonder how this nation (what to mention other nations working together) will ever make the substantive changes in economics, attitude, lifestyle, and ecology that are required for life to survive on this planet..

Over the years, perhaps like you, I more or less accepted the doctrine that free trade was good for America and good for everyone else as well. But with the trade deficits, government deficits, real estate foreclosures, personal, corporate, state, and municipal bankruptcies, I have come to the conclusion that when free trade is neither free, nor trade, it can't be good for anyone!

Trade is not free when its consequences destroy entire industries, cause widespread unemployment, or wreak devastation on whole cities and regions. Trade is not free if it exploits people who earn so little that they are virtually enslaved, trapped in a subsistence cycle of work that is unhealthy or otherwise unsustainable and humanly degrading. Such people have no voice, no rights, no practical means to meet their basic needs.

Trade is not free if its environmental consequences are devastating. Though hardly devastating, even just the example of flying in apples from South America to Washington State is like both carrying and burning "coals to Newcastle." It seems wasteful. Trade is not trade when it is not equal because one party has nothing to trade in return but simply goes further into debt. The result is an ever mounting debt spiral that ties both debtor and creditor into an economic tailspin. Trade is not trade when it enriches the rich at the expense of ninety-some percent of everyone else.

I have said many times and in different contexts, and no doubt have many others, that sustainable living goes far beyond not harming the environment. Trade may indeed be "free," meaning markets can be accessible to the conduct of worldwide business, but not without some basic and sustainable parameters or solid basis.

The mature economies such as America's should have sufficient internal production and productivity that we do not rack up trade deficits unendingly month after month. A growing and quickly maturing economy like India or China should, in their turn, attend to the infrastructure and consumer needs of their own people. Trade among us can then be built upon sustainable and balanced economies and can be truly an exchange of goods and services of equal value.

Nations whose primary productivity takes the form of natural resources are already in an unbalanced economic situation. Building for them a healthy economy is not so easy. This goes beyond my subject but I would simply say that if the income they earn from their exports cannot find its way back to their nation in the forms of imports that are useful, relevant and which contribute to at least a long-term greater self-sufficiency, it would seem better for them, at least, to reduce such exports. Easier said than done and, as I say, a different subject. In the case of oil exporting nations, a reduction of supply would certainly add further incentive to consuming nations to work towards greater energy self-sufficiency. In the end we'd all work towards economies that are more sustainable.

The imbalance between mature economies, developing economies and subsistence economies of course fuels the migration of people from the latter to the former. Again we therefore have an issue of unsustainability as witness the current (and long-running) controversary around immigration to America. Balanced and sustainable national and regional economies can benefit all nations.

Coming back to America, it would take some courage and political will to reinvigorate domestic manufacturing and production back to sustainable levels. This is because such steps would appear to be anti-free-trade (superficially but still symbolically) and would probably have to include, among many measures, some degree of "protectionism." Hopefully incentives and cooperation can lead the way and punitive or restrictive measures can be avoided or minimized. Communication and cooperation with those nations who think they depend on exports to America would be of utmost importance.

One way or another, and admittedly, mostly the hard way, America and other nations in a similar unbalanced debt and trade position, will be forced to re-balance their economies. Why not do it intelligently and efficiently, and avoid at least some of the pain and humiliation of bankruptcy and worse.

Look forward to some other thoughts on the financial industry. Blessings, Hriman

How High Should We Aspire?

This topic is based on a reading from the book by Swami Kriyananda, "Rays of the Same Light." (We use these readings at the Ananda Sunday Services around the world.) This particular reading begins with Jesus Christ counseling his disciples that their spirituality ought to be something greater than that of his (self-styled) enemies, the Pharisees, who were religious leaders in Israel in his time. Kriyananda comments that surely surpassing the superficial sanctity of these hypocrites could not have been the yardstick of spirituality Jesus was offering his disciples! It is their self-righteousness that Jesus was warning his disciples concerning, Kriyananda explains.


There are many approaches to this topic but one certainly has to do with the "holier-than-thou" spirituality that masquerades throughout religion everywhere. It is all too common the tendency of religionists to condemn others, sadly those of other religions more adamantly than unbelievers! Or, to preen themselves on the regularity of their church attendance, the size of their gifts to the church, or, closer to home (at Ananda), the length of time they sit in meditation (in full view of others, of course!).

These are the most obvious, almost comical, examples of what is simply religious hypocrisy. More subtly and presumably more useful to most of us is the value in understanding what true spirituality means. One could even take this in the direction of "What is right action?" Or, "What is good (vs. bad) karma?"

Paramhansa Yogananda tells the story of a man who was bothered by a demon and who was given a mantra to say in blessing upon a special powder that he was then instructed to throw upon the demon. When he tried it the demon laughed derisively saying that before the man could intone the mantra he, the demon, entered into the powder! Yogananda explained that the meaning of the story was that we are infected with the very disease we are attempting to rid ourselves of: the ego!

A joke one hears from time to time (with variations) goes something like this: one afternoon in the synagogue the rabbi and his assistant were praying while the janitor quietly went about his work in the room. Suddenly, the rabbi, infused with spiritual zeal, leapt to his feet, ran to the altar, and prostrated himself crying aloud, "I am nothing, I am nothing!" His assistant, suitably impressed and feeling similarly inspired, then leapt to his feet and ran to the altar with the same cry. As they both lay prostrate, the janitor then came rushing to the altar and prostrated himself next to them, saying "I am nothing, I am nothing." In the quiet that followed, the rabbi turns to his assistant and says, "So, look who thinks he's nothing?"

Swami Kriyananda tells the story on himself (in his autobiography, "The New Path") that after working to develop humility he woke up one day to find himself proud of his (new-found) humility!

We caught in the bondage of ego and it is impossible to lift ourselves up, to redeem ourselves by our power alone. This is what St. Paul meant when he famously wrote that "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." He did not mean that we should not strive, indeed, with heart, mind, soul and strength, to do that which is right, and to love and seek God. For, in the sentences that followed that more famous quotation, he writes that we are God's handiwork, created to devote ourselves to the good deed which God has designed for us.

In the centuries from which we have come most orthodox faith traditions portrayed the goal of a God-fearing life to enshrine the ego for eternity in heavenly realms, strumming harps, praising the Lord, or enjoying all manner of heavenly delights (which sometimes bore a curious resemblance to sensory indulges here on earth).

Religion in the past, and to a large degree today still, emphasized carrying one's cross, of giving up pleasures and eschewing an ordinary worldly life. How often one hears how this sect forbids smoking, another drinking, another eating meat, another dancing, and on and on. It is the ego, not the soul, that sees the giving up as a burden. The soul thrives on freedom. It seems that making the distinction between our outward acts and our inward consciousness (intention) has been perhaps just too subtle a point to make to the masses. Yet saintly souls have been known to live in palaces or ruled kingdoms both in the East and the West. Some religious leaders, by contrast, have lived in luxury and self-indulgence, contemptuous of others and arrogantly asserting their authority and demanding obedience of others.

The same Sunday reading from "Rays of the Same Light" ends with a stanza from the Bhagavad Gita in which Krishna extols that rare, wise sage who achieves the realization that "All is Vasudev!" The goal of religion is to find God; to achieve union with the Divine by love for God and by love for God through selfless service to all. Union with God is achieved through our efforts and God's grace applied to the inextricably linked processes of ego-transcendence and devotion.

Blessings to you from Ananda,

Hriman

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!

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......