Lahiri Mahasaya’s birth is so significant because without his birth and without his life, we would not be here, meditating today. We would not have the Kriya yoga technique. Not only was he so integral in getting Kriya available to many people, but he was also an example of how Kriya yoga is applied in our daily life. He was … Read More
How Saints Are Made
As a teenager I spent some months working in a paint factory, where paint was mass produced. Today I feel like I’m living in a saint factory in India, as I hear first-hand accounts every day of heroic love and selfless giving. Of course, one can’t mass produce saints like paints. But we are now seeing so many souls rising … Read More
Holding a Retreat During the Time of Coronavirus
On March 8, we decided it would be wise to cancel our all-India Kriyaban Retreat outside of Bangalore. That sounds like a simple decision, but we cancelled three days before the retreat was to begin, with over 100 people scheduled to fly there from all over India! Coronavirus was only beginning to show itself here — but with a number … Read More
Blessed Are the Pure in Heart
I didn’t understand what the small girl in her mother’s arms was saying. I was staying with Ananda friends in Argentina, where little girls speak only Spanish, while I speak only English. Miranda was 2-3 years old, and very shy towards this stranger staying in her home with her parents. Miranda pointed to me, and with the quiet authority that … Read More
A Delightful Lesson About Karma
“A finite cause cannot have an infinite effect.” Swami Kriyananda often quoted that statement to counteract certain Christians who preach that God will punish sinners with eternal damnation in hell. Similarly, all karma is finite and has a beginning and an end. This is helpful to remember whenever we are caught in pain or suffering that seems like it will go … Read More
Radhe, Radhe!
“Radhe, Radhe!” We greeted the saintly Gopali Maa in the traditional way, as we stepped into her humble room in Radhakund, near Krishna’s boyhood town of Vrindavan. The Ananda Monastery monks journeyed to Vrindavan to serve the widows who are supported by the Paramhansa Yogananda Public Charitable Trust. We were joined by Ananda friends from Kolkata and from the U.S. … Read More
Diwali – Bringing the Light into Our Lives
It’s interesting that nearly every spiritual tradition sees God as Divine Light in one way or another. Diwali is one celebration of that Light, which is really in each one of us, and not just ‘out there’ somewhere. Swami Kriyanandaji wrote a ceremony celebrating that Light, called A Festival of Light. While he wasn’t directly addressing Diwali, he was recognizing … Read More
One Picture and a Thousand Words
There is an old saying: “One picture is worth a thousand words.” This blog tells the story of one well-known picture of Swami Kriyananda—that photo is also worth using a thousand words. As a photographer of many years, I would look at photos of Paramhansa Yogananda and wonder: “What was going on in the room during that photo? Why does … Read More