“I do not desire monuments upon the human peaks of fame,
but to remain hidden in the caves of divine love within souls,
silently serving them with invisible thoughts of help.”

Divine friendship, service, and deep union among souls — this is the special gift we experienced in our hearts during the retreat for the leaders of the Meditation Groups, organized at Ananda during the last weekend of October. It was a time of exchange that transformed 27 disciples and kriyabans into courageous warriors of Light, ready to answer the call of our beloved Guru, Yoganandaji.

Two special days of inspiring satsangs, songs, and prayers planted as many seeds as there are divine qualities of the soul — qualities that the practices, devotion, and love of the great Masters of Kriya Yoga continue to awaken in the world. It was a powerful call to find Peace and Calm within ourselves and to spread them outward — to bring Joy, Wisdom, and Light into our daily lives, dissolving worries and fears where the waves of duality keep us trapped in the outer world. There is a divine Power that is continually regenerated in contact with God, and that grows ever greater when shared. All of this is a powerful key that opens portals of light and helps spread throughout the world the sacred teachings of our path — the royal road of Dwapara Yuga, the age of energy and divine power.

Guided and inspired by the sharings of Shivani, Darshan, Anand, and Kirtani, we lived a profound experience — a blessed time filled with teachings that left a deep imprint on all of us. Everything began with the remembrance of a vow we made long ago to the Divine Mother and to our Guru through Discipleship: the promise to make room in our hearts and become servants of love and joy, instruments in service of a will greater than all of us.
It is the highest responsibility: to help others live Yogananda’s powerful teachings with faithfulness and determination. As Shivani reminded us, Yogananda’s message is for the new age, and each of us carries the responsibility to spread the powerful vibrations of his words and practices with perseverance, preserving the original strength of his message so that his work for the world may continue.

“I will persevere and accept all things with calm faith in God,” the Master taught us in one of his healing affirmations — and with that same perseverance, as was the message of this retreat, every disciple can make a difference. When we took discipleship, we spoke important words: “I offer myself with devotion to the service of Thy cause and of the ray of divine Light (…). Make me an instrument of Thy blessings. As I receive, may others too receive the grace to do so.” It was powerful to remember together that promise made long ago and to renew our commitment to become messengers of Light and pilgrims of Peace.

INNER COMMUNION

Through his beautiful satsang, Darshan led us deep into the ocean of devotion. The spiritual path is a slow and sometimes difficult journey, often scattered with stones and obstacles that recall the climb to Mount Krizevac in Medjugorje — a tiring path if faced with our own strength alone, carrying a heavy backpack full of ego, yet so powerful and transformative when walked with prayer and deep connection.

It is within those very obstacles that the Divine Mother pours Her love and helps us, step by step, to fulfill the mission that Swami Kriyananda urged upon us: to dissolve the ego into the Infinite. Meditation, Darshan reminded us, is an Inner Communion — an upward current that connects us with our higher Self, the Masters, and God. And it is in that upward surge — like the hill of the cross in Medjugorje — that we rediscover the space and the yearning to unite with the Divine in ever-new bliss.

But the path to the Divine Mother also includes deep communication with others, through magnetism and spiritual teachings. A strong sadhana is the rock on which our service rests, and when we feel lost, we need only return to the center of our hearts and remember these beautiful words: “Create Babaji’s cave within you, and there you can return to rediscover your sacred self.”

COMMUNITY

During the retreat, it was uplifting to share and realize that the challenges that often weaken perseverance or seem to dim the magnetism of our Meditation Groups are the same ones we all face on the path. The mission that Swami Sri Yukteswar placed in Yogananda’s heart and hands was to build Communities — to help people find God and live Sanaatan Dharma in daily life.
 Community means creating a strong, cohesive spiritual family capable of awakening divine friendship and the desire to share, support, and help one another on the spiritual journey.

How do we overcome the worldly obstacles we all encounter within our groups? “Through Kriya, you can solve all problems,” said Lahiri Mahasaya. Meditating together is the answer — a strong sadhana is the key to strengthening the magnetic aura of every spiritual group, to dissolving the ego that divides and judges, and to understanding that every person who arrives in the group is a resource sent by the Guru.

SERVICE

Meditate together, serve together, rejoice together. Kirtani and Anand reminded us how the union among souls awakens that sense of spiritual family that strengthens the roots of our communities, large or small. Meditation builds the foundation of this family; turning our gaze to the spiritual eye to find God awakens a higher power — and doing so together with brothers and sisters on the path is the cement that unites us through magnetism and is the spark that makes shine the Light the world so greatly needs.
 But to be a family also means to serve — making ourselves available to the Masters and to others. As Yogananda taught, there can be no true spiritual evolution without service — and to live in joy, rejoicing together. “Simple living and high thinking,” was Swami Kriyananda’s message: a call to responsibility, but also to joyful sharing — in service, in prayer, and in delight.

“I will try to make others truly happy,
 in gratitude for divine spiritual happiness.
 I will serve all through my spiritual happiness.”
 (P. Yogananda, Metaphysical Meditations)

ATTUNEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

Shivani spoke of the three main responsibilities that every disciple must take on — for their own spiritual life, for others, and for the world in which we live:
 To grow as devotees, strong and steady in faith and anchored in the teachings;
 To create Meditation Groups and ever deeper, larger families of devotees;
 To be channels for the original teachings of the great Masters.

Responsibility and leadership. “True leadership is mastery of the emotions — that is, imperturbability,” Shivani explained. The more we master our emotions, the more we can help others. “Leadership is more than guiding a group toward a result; it means creating a collaborative and dynamic environment in which others can grow, contribute, and thrive.” Building, day by day, a strong vision and bringing it to life through determination and willpower is the responsibility of leadership — and it becomes possible through the power of prayer and meditation.

ENTHUSIASM

The retreat concluded with an uplifting wave of enthusiasm from the wonderful Expanding Light Team, who, with passion and a desire to be ever greater channels of light, inspired us all to remain in tune with the Masters — even through the tools of Dwapara Yuga: in this age of energy, social media and the web are powerful means to carry divine messages into the world.

“I will try to make others truly happy,
 in gratitude for the divine happiness You have given me.
 I will serve all through my spiritual happiness.”