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
How I Got Devotion
most Indians, having faith in God is easy, we are born with it. I feel it was the same for me too. Everybody would stress on the importance of devotion and I would think, “Well, that is not a problem”. When I came to Ananda, took Kriya initiation and started with my spiritual practice there was lot of excitement and … Read More
The Grace of Sorrow
“In the valley of sorrow till thousand years or till tomorrow, My Lord I want only You, You, You, just You. My heart’s aflame, my soul’s afire, just to see You, You, You, just You.” These heart-touching words are of a song by Paramhansa Yogananda that convey to us with utmost clarity the heart-cries of a sorrow-stricken devotee whose only … 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
A Spirit of Oneness
During a nature walk on the retreat day of the Ananda Pilgrimage to Babaji’s cave (Oct 2018), my senses were drawn to a small plateau-like elevation with two trees growing together from it – like twins – sharing, as if going along in life together. Somehow, this took my attention to our group of pilgrims: East, West, North, South – … Read More
Yearning for Thee
“I Love You!” coos assuringly the heart of a lover; whispers lovingly the heart of a mother; emphasizes promisingly the heart of a friend and goes on the infinite variants of a pure and intense call from one heart to the heart of another! What happens, though, when life’s bitter challenges fade the colour of seemingly ever-lasting love between the … Read More
Effective Prayer Requires Affirmation, Not Petition
A classic book by Arthur M. Abell, Talks with Great Composers, published in 1955 by Philosophical Library, reports fascinating conversations Abell had with a number of nineteenth-century composers on the question of how they got their inspirations. Johannes Brahms stated that he received his inspirations, always in a prayerful state. During those times of inner upliftment, he said, he felt … Read More
God First
Before the baby sky was born as the blue, out of the dark breast of Eternity, who existed? God first. It was He who with His omnipresent brush spread blue all over the ceiling of dark space. Who was it who peopled the hall of space with the family of planets? – God first. Naught could breathe without His first … Read More
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