A friend of ours in India told us a very interesting and instructive story. Indu is a lawyer, and at the time these events took place, ran a large legal firm that represented some international companies.
A Touch of Light
Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi
Spiritual Directors of Ananda Sangha Worldwide
A Touch of Light
With Grateful Hearts
No matter how challenging our life has been, each of us has some reason to thank God: for the air we breathe from our first breath, for the sun that gives us warmth and light, for the people that gave us food and comfort.
A Touch of Light, Paramhansa Yogananda
The Cup and the Ocean
Once when Swami Kriyananda was a young monk, he was sitting quietly at the feet of his guru, Paramhansa Yoganandaji. Filled with devotion for his master, Swamiji silently prayed, “Teach me to love you as you love me.”
A Touch of Light, Swami Kriyananda
Discipleship
eptember 12 marks the anniversary of the day when, in 1948, Swami Kriyananda met Paramhansa Yogananda and became his disciple. From then on, in spite of his amazing accomplishments, Swami Kriyananda’s self-definition was simply, “I want to be known as a good disciple.”
A Touch of Light
First Kriya Initiation
My first Kriya Initiation was on December 22, 1967. It was a Friday evening, and Swami Kriyananda felt that those of us who would be attending the all-day Christmas meditation the next day could benefit from having this sacred technique. The ceremony took place in Swamiji’s small San Francisco apartment and was attended by about a dozen people.
A Touch of Light
The Way Home
Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, or eightfold path, is the cornerstone of the science of yoga, and gives us a roadmap for the journey back home to God. I’ve found it clarifying to view the eight stages in reverse order—samadhi, dhyana, dharana, pratyahara, pranayama, asana, niyama, and yama—so as to see how each one rests logically upon the stage preceding it. Samadhi … Read More
A Touch of Light
Accepting Help
We heard a story about a seeker who as a young man in Europe had read Autobiography of a Yogi. He was so impressed by the book that he resolved to move to America and join Yogananda’s work. Then the news reached him that Yogananda had just left the body, and he dropped his plans. Some time later the great … Read More
A Touch of Light
10 Tips for Meditation
1) Meditate. “Beloved God, since no earthly engagement is possible without using the powers borrowed from Thee, I will renounce everything that interferes with my engagement to meditate on Thee in daily awakened silence.” [*] 2) Push yourself a little. If you do too much you risk burnout. But doing too little puts you at risk of tracing endless circles … Read More
Paramhansa Yogananda, Spiritualizing Daily Life
Make God More Real in Your Life: Five Key Practices
We are never separate from the Guru, just as we are never separate from God, but we must realize the Guru’s inner presence by opening our hearts to him and asking for his blessings.
Happiness, Spiritualizing Daily Life, Success
How to Bring Joy into Work
As we move more fully into Dwapara Yuga, we can see the first glimmers of a global shift from competition to cooperation. How can we become agents of change, especially at work where competition is still highly rewarded?