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Ananda Sangha of Portland
August 306 Dwapara (2006)
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In This Newsletter
Articles & Letters
Lead Article: Satsang and Community
Meditation Q&ASatsang and the Guru (by Swami Kriyananda)
News, Events and Schedules
Dear
Friends,
Ganga Mata and I have just returned from Seattle, where we spent portions of the last week assisting with the construction of their new Mandir—in one sense this was a reciprocal gesture for their invaluable help here last year. In another sense, it was simply an exercise in the most delightful way to live that we know: service, satsang, and community living.
Service is liberating, it takes us out of ourselves and expands our sympathies—reminding us of our oneness with others. Service with satsang can be even more quickly liberating, for it brings a dimension of shared delight that solitary service can miss.
Satsang literally means “fellowship with truth.” For fellowship to become satsang, it must include the sharing of qualities that are spiritually true—joy, kindness, clarity of heart, selflessness, uplifted silence, as well as overt reminders of God’s presence such as prayer, shared meditation, talk of God, etc.
Simply spending time with others is not necessarily satsang, even if the others are usually spiritual in nature. If the thoughts, words, consciousness being expressed are negative, worldly, or restless, it is simply spending time and can even have a negative impact.
For a person seeking upliftment of their consciousness, it is well to be careful of the company one spends time in.
Swami Kriyananda has observed that people come to Ananda full of the anticipation of experiencing God’s joyful presence inside. There is usually a honeymoon period, where it seems as if the presence of God will be effortlessly available. This is true as long as one keeps their mind focused single-pointedly on His presence.
Unfortunately for most of us, there are other distracting thoughts that eventually creep in, and it is then that the work on the spiritual path begins. Even great souls have lapses, when arrogance, egotism, selfishness, depression, or other troublesome qualities show up. It is in these times that spiritual community can provide the most powerful blessings.
Spiritual community is a deliberate gathering of individuals with the same spiritual aspiration who live together to offer strength and support to each other along the way.
Ananda Communities offer ongoing daily group meditations along with opportunities for satsang and service. In community, we are able to offer our energies to uplift those who are struggling.
It is always hardest to do what will up lift us at the times we are most in need. When we are depressed it is hardest to move energy, yet moving positive energy is the cure for depression. When we are “out of the spine” and feeling frayed, it is the hardest time to meditate, yet meditation is exactly what will bring us back into the flow of joy and wholeness. When we are lonely is when it is hardest to reach out to others, yet uplifting company is what will remind of us of our own wholeness. In community, when one person is down, another who is in a strong cycle can exert an uplifting influence.
The key to community is communion. What makes an Ananda Communities different from co-housing is that we come together, not for social reasons first, not for financial gain first, not for shared outer similarities (like artist colonies, for example). We come together to share God’s light, His joy, His inspiration. Those are the only gifts we take with us at life’s end, and we only have them to the degree that we seek to awaken them as our reality.
Let us together determine to create a greater sense of community this coming fall, filled with satsang, service, inspiration, communion and above all, His Joy. And let’s make that community expansive, including all whom we meet.
In divine friendship,
daiva and ganga mata
In the Essence of Self-Realization Paramhansa Yogananda describes the guru like the length of twine Theseus of the Greek legend used to find his way back out of an intricate labyrinth. As he entered the maze, he unrolled the spool of twine. By following the twine back he was able to find his way out into the open.
This legend has survived the test of time, because it speaks to us; it describes the experience we all have of life, no matter what our circumstances. Labyrinths twist and turn—it’s as if their very purpose it to confuse you. Just as you feel “Ah!! I’m finally headed the right direction!” the path of the labyrinth changes and seems to take you away from the goal. Without the knowledge that this directional change is necessary it is easy to become discouraged.
It is the guru, however, that helps us through this maze. The intricate pattern that we are weaving of our lives (in fact of the many lives of the soul) we can’t see. But the Guru can. The Guru knows what direction is correct and how to guide us through the myriad twists and turns that we face everyday.
Our task then as devotees is not to pay attention to the labyrinth, but to turn our attention to the Guru. Through attunement with the Guru we will know whether to turn left or right in both trivial concerns and the most difficult trials we face. We need to cultivate this attunement each and every day, indeed every moment.
Guru night (details below) is a perfect opportunity to spend time with each of the Masters in our line. Yogananda has described in beautiful stories the essence of each of the Master’s in the Autobiography of a Yogi: Babaji-Krishna (the Yogi Christ of Modern India), Lahiri Mahasaya (the householder yogi), Swami Sri Yukteswar (great gyanavatar - incarnation of wisdom), and Jesus Christ (the power of unconditional love and forgiveness).
The descriptions of the lives and teachings of these Masters, however, is only just the beginning. It is only through inner communion with these Masters that we can truly experience their consciousness.
On Guru night, we will have five shrines located throughout the Ananda Community dedicated to each of these Masters and Paramhansa Yogananda (the last Guru in the line). As the night proceeds we will have time at each shrine to commune deeply with each Master.
Join us. Discover the consciousness of each one touching your heart.
-
Membership—For those of you who are members of the Ananda Portland Sangha (Gold, Blue, or White) we have created a special graphic icon next to the description of classes that will indicate that your membership benefits apply. Look for the special star µ symbol throughout the newsletter! Want to become a member? Talk with Daiva or Ganga Mata Glazzard.
-
Women’s
Retreat—The spring women’s retreat (held in Manzanita) that was snowed out
has been rescheduled for the weekend of September 29-October 1. There is still
a few spaces left, so if you would like to attend please talk with Ganga Mata.
Cost is $225-250 depending upon accommodations. -
Car
Wash! & Beaverton Farmer’s Market Parking—Find the perfect parking space
for the Framer’s Market and support the Living Wisdom School seventh &
eighth grade! Parking is only $3 and if your car needs washing while you
shop—its only an additional $5 (minimum donation)! -
Summer Family Activities! Join us at the Ananda Community for joyful family-friendly evenings of satsang and friendship. We’ll start with a vegetarian potluck at 5pm then enjoy an activity together like family movies, storytelling, kirtans and more! Join us on Saturday Evenings August 5, 12, 19, & 26.
-
Baby Shower & Blessing—Satyaki
& Iswari are expecting their first little bundle of joy (a boy!) in October.
We invite everyone to join us (women, men & children) on Sunday evening
September 10th at 6:30pm in the Ananda Community Room to bless Satyaki &
Iswari on their new journey as parents! Bring a potluck dessert dish to share
with everyone. If you would like to help with preparations, please talk with
Ganga Mata. Also, please note: If you would like to attend the regularly
scheduled community dinner at 5:30pm please call Ganga Mata at the mandir to
RSVP. -
Guitarists
& Harmonium Players: would you enjoy learning to play the songs for the
Festival of Light on Sundays? It’s a wonderful way to become part of the
Sunday Service team! If so, talk with Satyaki
(satyaki@anandaportland.org).
-
Ananda Seattle’s Mandir is Nearing Completion—With
construction progressing to the finishing stages, the Ananda Seattle Mandir
will be completed by this fall! Many folks from Ananda Portland traveled to
Seattle to participate in their 2-week hands-on portion of their construction
project. Daiva & Gangamata Glazzard, Usha Dermond, Bob Ausbeck, and Satyaki &
Iswari Brockschmidt were among those from Portland who joined the many hands
of Ananda folks from all over the country. Some of the projects they tackled
were painting, tiling, landscaping, cooking, sewing and much more! -
Join
Crystal Clarity’s Each One—Reach One Campaign!
The Each One - Reach One Campaign is, in some ways, like the Random Acts of Kindness and Pay It Forward movements that swept the nation a few years ago. These movements inspired people to reach out beyond their immediate family and friends, often to people that they didn't even know and maybe wouldn't ever know, and give them an unexpected gift. Our Each One - Reach One campaign offers, in the form of The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, a tool to help bring uplifted consciousness, deep inner peace and bliss.Do you know someone who would benefit from uplifted consciousness, deep inner peace and bliss? Then join our Each One - Reach One Campaign. When you purchase a copy of The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita at the regular cover price, we will provide you with additional copies at half price! Purchase additional copies to give away to family, friends, co-workers, local libraries, and others you would like to reach out to and help us uplift the world one person at a time.
from Meditation for Starters by Swami Kriyananda
Question: I find that in the welter of activity I become almost afraid of peace. Is there anything I can do to overcome this fear?
Answer: This is one of the classic obstacles on the spiritual path: False notion, in the present case fearing the very thing you may desperately need and want.
The fear you mention is quite simply the consequence of physical and mental tension. If you fight that tension, you’ll only become more tense. Concentrate first, therefore, on relaxation—physical, first, then mental. Later on, I’ll go more deeply into the subject of relaxation and how it can be achieved.
Question: You mentioned “rest points.” Are there such points also in the way the body functions, comparable to those in objective Nature?
Answer: There are, of course, for we are inextricably a part of Nature. That is why we resonate with outer events in Nature. Between every breath, for instance, and the next there is a rest point. A rest point occurs between the exhalation and the inhalation, and again between the inhalation and the exhalation. You will find it a good practice to watch the breath during meditation. Concentrate especially on those pauses between the breaths. Enjoy them.
Be aware also of the pauses at other rest points in your life: at the end of a sequence of thoughts or of feelings; at the moment of a shift in your activities; at the moment of waking or of going to sleep. Learn to live more at these pauses. Don’t drown your awareness in a vortex of constant activity.
A good technique for changing directions in your life that you don’t like—a bad mood, for example, or a fit of jealousy, anger, or despair—is deliberately to create a pause, both physically and mentally—then use that pause to affirm the change you want. Here’s how to do it:
Inhale, and tense the body; throw the breath out, and relax. Then hold the breath out for as long as you find it comfortable to do so, Keep the mind free from all thoughts for the time being. When you need to inhale again, inhale with the breath the thought of an opposite energy to the one you want to change. At the same time, fill your mind with happy and constructive thoughts: kindness and acceptance toward all, if your problem is jealousy; calm non-attachment and good humor, if it is anger; courage, if it is despair. And so on.
* * * * *
The daily practice of meditation is the foundation of all that we do at Ananda. Each month, we offer both introductory (one-night) and comprehensive (four week) classes. Look for Meditation for Starters, (one night) in September, 7:30-9pm $40 (includes materials) or Developing and Inner Life: Learn to Meditate, (four weeks), beginning September 5, 7-9pm, $150 (includes materials). µ
from The Art & Science of Raja Yoga by Swami Kriyananda
How
is man, lost and stumbling in a darkness of self-perpetuated ignorance, ever to
find his way to the clear light of wisdom? He needs a guru. Alone—consider, what
path can he safely follow? So many paths have been mapped; their very diversity
renders them suspect. Many a well-plotted route has led hopeful travelers
windingly to an unbridgeable chasm. Many a broad highway, seemingly sure, has
struck off boldly across flowering plains only to spend itself at last,
crumbling, in desert sands of unfulfillment. Even those few paths which lead
truly over deserts and high mountain passes to the land of divine promise must
cross dark regions first; only with great care can they be followed. And
everywhere pitfalls of delusion await the unwary; deep ruts of desire lead off
into ditches of bad habit.
Man thinks by moral maxims alone to find the way to enlightenment. He might as soon expect to pick his way over a windy plain with the help of a small, unshielded candle! He thinks to find the way by his own strength alone. And then, belatedly recognizing his own helplessness, he waits pathetically to be carried, not even caring who the porter is—priest, soothsayer, palmist—so long as this fellow pilgrim promises to do all his work for him.
Who but the blindest egotist would claim that only by his own power is an electric lamp lit? And who but the merest dreamer would claim that since it is electricity that actually lights the lamp, it is up to the electricity also to turn the lamp on? Man, a creature of the universe, cannot even walk two steps without the strength he derives from the universe. Yet it is up to him alone to draw that strength; nature cannot walk his path for him.
We need help on the path to enlightenment. We need a guru. It is not enough merely to be shown the way—even if, out of countless detours and dead ends, the right way be mapped for us. The pitfalls are too many. We need help, but that kind of help which will enable us, too, to walk surely by our own power.
This kind of help comes neither by egotistical self-assurance nor by passivity, but by understanding and using the very law of magnetism which we discussed in the last lesson.
A bar of iron does not magnetize itself. To become magnetized, it must be placed next to a magnet. Man can, by increasing his own energy-flow, magnetize himself. But this appearance of self-help is often his undoing. Magnetization hinges not on the question of self-determination, but on whether or not magnetism can be created. It cannot. Man can bestir himself to acquire magnetism. But it is in proportion to how well he attunes himself to the universal influences that he becomes magnetized. He is part and parcel of the universe. He has the free will to decide what sort of influences to accept in his life—whether uplifting, or, if his will be perverse, degrading—but he cannot act independently of any influence.
Man grows by attracting to himself powers greater than those he already possesses. Unlike the bar of unmagnetized iron, he can attract magnetic influences that emanate not from any specific locale, but that exist generally, as part of the very structure of the universe. Yet man, too, cannot develop such abstract awareness at one leap. We all need specific examples: our Shakespeares and Bachs to help us grow in the understanding of beauty, even though beauty itself is an abstraction, and as such would remain real even if no man were sensitive enough to perceive it. Bach and Shakespeare themselves had specific models for their genius. Infinite awareness may be—indeed, is—the divinely appointed goal, but without specific aids along the way all one may hope to attain is a sort of spiritual vagueness.
Hence the value of sat-sang (good company). For the beginner, especially, association with others who are firmly on the path is essential. He needs their spiritual magnetism to help him to develop the power to rise above vitiating influences in the world around him, and in himself.
The Art & Science of Raja Yoga Intensive: A Course in Self-Realization
Twice a year we offer a 14 class in-depth course in The Art & Science of Raja Yoga—A Course in Self-Realization. This class is a combination of study and personal application. Through the practice of meditation, yoga postures, pranayam and the eight-fold path as described by Patanjali you will explore the Art & Science of “Knowing God”. The class is an important component of preparing for Kriya Yoga initiation.
Tuesdays
Sept 12—Nov 21 (plus 3 Saturdays), $575 (materials extra)
Taught by Daiva & Ganga Mata
Guru
Night--An outdoor evening of inspiration, meditation, and devotion
Outdoors under the stars, chant, meditate and share the inspirational stories of the lives of the great avatars who have come as beacons of light to guide us out of delusion back to our true home in God. This evening will be devoted to all our gurus (Jesus Christ, Babaji-Krishna, Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar, and Paramhansa Yogananda), each described in extraordinary terms in Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi.
Friday September 1, 6:30-9:30pm at the Ananda
Community, Free
Global
Breakdown or a New Age? Planetary Yuga Cycles
Join Byasa Steinmetz, engineer and scientist, for a look at the Planetary Yuga Cycles of Sri Yukteswar. With a fabulous multimedia presentation Byasa will share with us the keys to understanding our past, explore the changes and conflicts we see in the world around us and look into what the future may hold.
September 16, 9:30-1:30pm, $50
µ Taught by Byasa Steinmetz
Pranayama is the key to a deeper experience of yoga postures and meditation. By withdrawing energy from the body and senses and redirecting this energy inward and upward you can magnetize the spine uplifting and expanding our consciousness. Join David Ramsden in this class for an in-depth experience of Pranayama.
Wednesdays, August 9, 16, 23, 30, 7:30-9:00pm, $40
µ Taught by David Ramsden
Ananda Yoga Teacher Training in Portland!
Experience
the depth and breadth of Ananda Yoga and learn to share the life-changing
experience of yoga with others. With small classes and expert, individualized
instruction, this is far more than a training program on how to teach yoga
postures; it’s a transforming experience in the complete science and application
of yoga. This is a unique opportunity: Ananda Yoga Teacher Training here in
Portland. You can fit Yoga Teacher Training into your active life! Classes are
held weekly on Tuesday evening, bi-monthly on Friday evenings and Saturday
mornings, plus a one-week retreat at the Expanding Light Retreat Center at
Ananda Village in California. Overall, the course is about 6˝ months.
Training begins September 5, 2006 continuing to April, 2007 Taught by David Ramsden, Daiva Glazzard, and Lorna Knox The cost of this course is $2800 ($2500 if paid in full by 8/1/2006). Class size is limited to 15 students.
Click here for complete details and a downloadable application!
Try This Out: A Refreshing Summer Salad
Put 4 young spring carrots and 2 young green onions through a
food chopper. Mix with 3/4 cupful of cottage cheese and add one teaspoonful of
salt and one tablespoonful of sugar. Shred enough spinach to make one cupful,
and make a bed for the salad with lettuce leaves. Combine the greens with 1/2
cupful of mayonnaise and the curd mixture shortly before serving, and pile on
the lettuce arranged on a large dish. Garnish with a wreath and crown of cooked
vermicelli or noodles, about one cupful, first chilled, and a dab of mayonnaise
topped with a bit of grated carrot.
Weekly Postures Schedule at the Mandir
|
Monday |
10:00-11:15am |
|
|
Tuesday |
5:45-7:00pm |
|
|
Thursday |
5:45-7:00pm |
$10 per class or $36 for 4 classes. µ
Watch for Prenatal Yoga coming soon!
5 Sofia Joy Bell
10 Larkin Franks
Joe Gamble11 Marie Hayes
22 Gregory Sagmeister
24 Julia Freeman
26 Pepi Pringley
28 Sandi Goodwin
Anna Bredahl29 Helen Gorman
Blessings to all these great souls! If you’re missing from our list, please let us know.
Sept 5
Class: Developing an Inner Life--The Foundation of Daily Meditation begins, 4 Tuesdays, $150, 7-9pm. µ
Sept 5
Ananda Yoga Teacher Training Begins, 7:30-9:30pm (see above)
Sept 7
Class: The Mahabharata, 4 Thursdays of class and storytelling, $50. µ
Sept 8
Event: Satsang with Dave & Maria Warner--The Path of Kriya Yoga, donation, 7-9pm
Sept 12
Class: The Art and Science of Raja Yoga begins (see above) µ
Sept 15
Event: Fundraising Concert with Bhagavati (Sharon) Brooks and Ramesha (Fabio) Nani from Ananda Italy, $5 plus donation, 7-9pm
Sept 16
Class: Yuga Cycles with Byasa, 9:30am-1:30pm (see above) µ
Sept 22
Event: Satsang with Pranabha and Parvati Hansen, donation, 7-9pm
Sept 23
Class: The Spirituality of Giving with Parvati Hansen, $25, 10am-noon. µ
Sept 23
Event: How to Be Happy All the Time--An Ananda Choir Concert, donation, 7:30-9pm.
Sept 29
Meditation commemorating Lahiri Mahasaya's Birthday, donation, 7-9pm
Sept 29
Weekend women's retreat begins (details above)
Oct 5
Class: The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, 4 Thursdays, $50, 7-9pm. µ
Oct 6
Event: Satsang with Ananta & Maria McSweeney, donation, 7-9pm
Oct 10
Class: Developing an Inner Life--The Foundation of Daily Meditation begins, 4 Tuesdays, $150, 7-9pm. µ
Oct 23
Evening Living Wisdom School 10th Anniversary Celebration
Oct 28
Retreat: A Meditation Retreat Workshop--Deepening Your Meditation, $65
Nov 7
Class: Developing an Inner Life--The Foundation of Daily Meditation begins, 4 Tuesdays, $150, 7-9pm. µ
Nov 23
Thanksgiving Vegetarian Potluck at Ananda Community, 1:30pm
Dec 16
5-Hour Christmas Meditation, 8am-1pm
Dec 16
Christmas Gala Evening, 7-9pm
Dec 23
All-Day Christmas Meditation, 8am-4pm
Dec 24
Christmas Eve Service, 10pm
Dec 25
Christmas Morning Meditation, 8-10am
Dec 23
Christmas Vegetarian Potluck at Ananda Community, 12:30pm
Watch for details on these events in upcoming newsletters.
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