Listening to God is possible only in silence: the more our emotions, the less we can we hear Him; the more our thoughts, the less our divine perceptions are; and more our physical movements, the less it is possible to listen to Him. In daily life the same principle of silence holds true: worries, tension, waves of emotion, rushing about … Read More
A Test of Titiksha: Yogananda’s Nine Day Diet
Enjoying our daily meals day after day has made many of us forget the pangs of hunger, for we pamper our taste buds with delectable delicacies of our choice, more often than needed. The very thought of not getting our routine meals for nine whole days creates a ruffle in the minds of most of us, a few almost feel … Read More
The Guru: Think Him Near, Draw Him Near
Many blessings to everyone on this special day of Paramhansa Yoganandaji’s birthday! As humans, sometimes we feel lonely, we want to have our guru with us, we want to touch his feet, and we want to come close to him. Well, we have to uplift ourselves to be able to do that we have to raise our consciousness; we have … 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
Getting To Stillness
How does one get to the stillness at will? This question often teases us in our spiritual journey. Sometimes you have a deep meditation experience, and for a brief while, there is the experience of stillness and oblivion as to the passage of time. The moment you rise from the meditation seat, however, the world rushes in, clamoring for attention, … Read More
Flowers Along my Path: A Pilgrimage to Badrinath
A Spiritual Celebration For a very long time, taking a pilgrimage to the Himalayas has been a cherished dream. My idling wish materialized at a crucial point in life when I needed it most. This journey reshaped me in many ways and was a divine celebration of my spiritual journey. The Himalayas have been the abode of sages, saints and … 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
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
