The Message of Easter “…hope for the highest and the best, for, as a child of God, nothing is too good for you. Keep on hoping. Move in that light until you travel through pathways of incarnations to your luminous home in God. Hope is born out of the intuitive consciousness in the Soul that sometime or other we shall … Read More
New Year Thoughts . . . Forget the past, for it is gone from your domain! Forget the future, for it is beyond your reach! Control the present! Live supremely well now! This is the way of the wise…” ―Paramhansa Yogananda Living in the present moment has always been a key part of the great spiritual traditions. We are counselled … Read More
Swami’s Moksha Day – with Blessings from Turtle Pond The sacred ten-year Moksha Day anniversary commemorating Swami Kriyananda’s transition into the Light fell on April 21, less than a month ago. That day, I was given a special blessing, starring a member of the animal kingdom. It was a perfect springtime afternoon. Rich with spiritual symbolism, the scenario seemed like … Read More
Swami Kriyananda, the first all-round Dwapara Yuga leader An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man. Never could I read Emerson’s aphorism, oft quoted by Swami Kriyananda, without a feeling of heavy resistance rising within my heart. It may have been the result of my Dutch mindset, in which every form of determined, visionary leadership smacks of authoritarianism and, … Read More
Shiva and Resurrection Truth is one. It is never of one culture, one tradition, one religion. If Shiva is a truth, as yogis say, it must be found also in Christianity. Where, then, can we discover the parallelism? Shiva is the great destroyer. But to concentrate on that aspect alone would be like concentrating on the cold dark night without … Read More
The New Year has come to greet you with new hopes, new determination, new will-to-achieve, new activities. In the Temple of the New Year renew your reverence for the unlimited hidden power of God within you. The trails of trials and the yawning chasms of woe have been left behind in the dark night of the past–now you are entering … Read More
I didn’t know there was so much joy and fun in having birthday. It is because of your joy I enjoy so much. Words are inadequate to express what I feel. I remember when I went to India in 1935 and ’36, I remembered what Jesus said and why He said: “Who is my father, who is my mother, sister … Read More
The New Year has come to greet you with new hopes, new determination, new will-to-achieve, new activities. In the Temple of the New Year renew your reverence for the unlimited hidden power of God within you. The trails of trials and the yawning chasms of woe have been left behind in the dark night of the past: now you are … Read More
For the community Christmas Eve party, Swamiji suggested we serve alcohol-free eggnog. I was in charge of the Retreat kitchen, but I didn’t know how to make eggnog, so he sent me a recipe (known as ”Swamiji’s recipe,” though he always said he got it from the bulletin board at a supermarket!). Before I came to Ananda, I was a … Read More
Not being an American myself, Thanksgiving Day means little to me, though giving thanks each day means a great deal. There’s not only much to be thankful for, but, actually, everything to be thankful for. In fact, giving thanks for benefits received is itself of benefit, and costs nothing. When the English author, Rudyard Kipling, was at the height of … Read More
