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If you meet a person who is peaceful and compassionate… Someone who is expansive and serviceful…
Someone who lives in
harmony with the world around them and
You might think,
“Well, they’re just a special person.
Dear Friend— Our planet, as you are probably well aware, is experiencing a time of tremendous change and upheaval. New ideas, new technologies, and a greater awareness of our interconnectedness are challenging institutions and traditions that have stood for centuries. As a result, there is also great conflict, not so much between different political or social systems, but between different movements of consciousness. While many are striving to embrace progressive levels of understanding and cooperation, others seek to merely preserve the status quo or, worse still, drag humanity back to the repressive dogmatism of ages past. In this environment of conflict it's imperative that we each choose to align ourselves with the upward movements of consciousness lest we give passive consent to those who would pull us down. This choice must be active, for the conflict that is so often expressed socially and politically also affects us within. We may talk of peace and love and understanding yet betray in our very actions a tendency toward anger and selfishness. Even a sincere desire for personal growth is often resisted by habitual desires for comfort, familiarity, and even the so-called “bliss” of ignorance. If we would thus see more peace and love and understanding in the world at large (and consequently less of their opposites), the real work begins with ourselves, as individuals. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Change yourself and you have changed the world. This is your first, indeed only, responsibility. It's also imperative to join our energies to those who share and support our aspirations, lest we become discouraged in the face of mockery and derision. Together we also have a much greater influence than we do in isolation. So how do we truly align ourselves with the upward currents of consciousness? Where can we find others of like mind? And how do we effectively join our energies to theirs? These are the questions for which Ananda offers not only abstract or lofty philosophical answers, but immediate and practical ones.
The Secret of Self-Transformation What’s needed in the world today, on many levels, is a transformation of consciousness: a higher level of awareness in which so many of our modern problems are easily solved. Yet what is it that has the power to transform consciousness? If what we need is more peace, more love, and more joy, how do we actually become more peaceful, more loving, and more joyful? It won't happen merely by reading books or talking about peace. Not will it come through new laws, new social programs, new politicians, or new possessions. Something more is needed, something more personal and dynamic. That missing piece is an inner relationship with the very Source of peace, of love, and of joy. Call it God, call it Truth, call it Spirit or Peace, or simply call it your own Highest Potential—it doesn’t matter. Whether you simply wish to be happy in your own life or bring happiness to others, a relationship with some kind of greater reality is essential. Without it, no growth is possible. This relationship is not with an abstraction, merely, but with something immediate and personal: what's most important is not definitions, but love. For when you love something you naturally seek to bring more and more of that experience into your life. And when you love something, you naturally seek to open yourself to its uplifting influence and to give active expression to that influence in the world around you...
The Science of Yoga Thus, as the ancient sage Patanjali put it, “we come to the study of yoga”—namely those systematic, scientific techniques and practices that have, as their aim, an ever-increasing receptivity to the flow of Spirit in every corner of one's life. These practices includes not only the physical postures of hatha yoga but also principles of right living, energy control, concentration, study, devotion, selfless service, and much more—all of which fall under the umbrella of Raja (“royal” or “complete”) Yoga. Central to the whole of Raja Yoga—especially as clarified and presented by the great modern yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda—is the practice of meditation. This is the process of quieting the mind and concentrating it on the object of one's meditation. Technically speaking, one can “meditate” on anything. In Raja Yoga, however, you specifically focus on that greater reality that will uplift and expand your consciousness. Little by little, absorption in that higher consciousness transforms you from the inside out. As it’s been well said, “You become what you concentrate on.” True concentration means to focus all your internal energies single-pointedly. Techniques of Raja Yoga—like yoga postures, breathing exercises, diet, methods of healing, and especially the science of Kriya Yoga—release energies that are otherwise committed as habits, tension, and attachments. Other techniques then exercise and develop the will and the ability to concentrate, enabling these energies to flow upward toward spiritual realization. Supporting these techniques is also the broad understanding of life’s overall purpose. This helps you consciously direct those released energies, with your will, toward that which alone fulfills the secret, eternal hunger behind all striving: inner joy. Not just the joy of a desire fulfilled, but a joy that remains untouched by external circumstances and brings success to everything you do...a joy that, when we allow it to radiate through you, has the power to truly transform the world.
Ananda: Where the Dream Becomes a Reality Ananda, the Sanskrit word for “joy,” is more than just a place, an organization, or a group of people. Ananda is, at its heart, a progressive movement to bring a higher level of awareness to the world—not through “society” or any other abstraction, but through the transformation of individuals. Ananda is a movement that encompasses a higher consciousness on many levels: bringing harmony to oneself, harmony in relationships, the basis for unity among religions, and even a new model of social organization, namely intentional spiritual communities. Yet these things in themselves are not the goal. They are but natural expressions of the inner joy we experience when we touch the Divine within ourselves. Indeed, Ananda is primarily a movement of those individuals who have discovered this inner joy and continue, even after many decades, to deepen their experience of it. While our individual expressions are quite diverse, we are united in the love and fellowship we share and in an approach to life that has proven itself time and time again. Ananda’s members are also committed to channeling light, love, and joy to others through serviceful activity. In doing so—and in joining together with others doing the same—they bring that light and understanding to the world at large in ways that are not possible for isolated individuals.
This is Ananda, and the teachings and services we offer can make this a reality for you. We hope you’ll explore our site and the many ways you can literally revolutionize your life and your service to the world, drawing from the wellspring of inspiration that Ananda has to offer. Perhaps you'll simply pause for a moment with us along your life’s journey. Maybe you’ll feel to share that journey with us for a time. Or perhaps you’ll find your spiritual home with us. No matter the case, our friendship, support, and welcome are forever yours.
Getting Started The Way of Ananda Sanghis: a definitive statement of our guiding principles and practices.
Related Articles Finding the Joy in Life by Paramhansa Yogananda (the inspiration behind Ananda) The Hidden Reality Within by Ananda's founder, Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) The True Purpose of Human Existence by J. Donald Walters
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