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The Way of
Ananda Sanghis
In late 2003,
Swami Kriyananda (Ananda's founder) and a group of Ananda members moved to India to begin a work in
our spiritual homeland. Amidst the overwhelming variety of spiritual works
and yoga teachings in India, a clear statement of Ananda's guiding
principles—which have been in place since Ananda's founding in 1968—was
essential. It was also necessary to relate Ananda's work and its
householder monastic order to the more formal renunciate traditions of
India. Thus while the principles in this document (written by Kriyananda) are not new, their
expression represents a
definitive statement not so much of our "beliefs" as of our aspirations, as individuals and as a global work.
All who feel an attunement with these aspirations is invited to
become a member of Ananda.
The Way
of Ananda Sanghis
"May the Divine Light awaken
and purify my heart,
and bring enlightenment to all beings."
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We believe in a single, blissful, eternal consciousness,
Satchidanandam, which pervades the entire universe, unifying it and
all creatures in a bond of mutual service. This blissful consciousness
is the underlying reality of all existence; it precedes the very
manifestation of the universe.
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We believe that one's highest duty is to realize himself or herself as
an expression of all-pervading Satchidanandam.
a) We embrace the way to this Self-realization through the inner
silence, above all, of daily communion with the infinite Self.
b) We embrace, for ourselves, the need to embody this realization in our
own lives by daily performing at least one specific, conscious,
personally selected act of service to our fellow beings.
c) We embrace—again, for ourselves, since we seek not to impose our
understanding on others—the need to honor all, whether friends or
self-named foes, as manifestations of the eternal Satchidanandam,
and to see them as our brothers and sisters in that Supreme
Consciousness which is variously called God, Ishwara, Allah, or Jehovah.
We recognize all names for that Supreme Being as designating our one,
common Progenitor.
d) We embrace the need to give back to our Supreme Source by offering up
every ego-attachment and self-limiting identity in daily acts of service
to others.
e) We seek as our primary goal in life the state of actual, conscious
union with Satchidanandam.
f) We aspire to make our own lives works of art, whether through music,
through the visual arts, or through the simple deeds of our daily
existence, with a view to expressing the bliss that is latent in our
deeper selves.
g) We seek to make our every thought and action a radiation outward from
the center of our being, and not to allow ourselves to become
superficial reflections of the thoughts and actions of others.
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We seek never to convert anyone to our specific cause except, in love,
to inspire all with the desire to reclaim the bliss of their own being.
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We seek fellowship with others willing to join hands with us in this
loving labor for universal upliftment. Thus, by our united efforts, our
hope is to share inspiration with ever-increasing effectiveness.
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We recognize that, whether or not others join us consciously in this
labor, all human beings, each one individually, serve the Eternal
Purpose, doing so by the simple act of seeking, whether ignorantly or
wisely, the bliss of their own being. We condemn no one, therefore, for
ideas he may hold that are different from our own, but embrace all as
fellow seekers of Ultimate Bliss.
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In token of our dedication to these principles, the assumption of which
is our guiding rule in life, we undertake at formal functions of our
Order to wear a color expressive of our hearts' ardor, of the purity of
our aspiration, and of the humility of our intentions. We wear that
color not to set ourselves apart from others, but simply to remind
ourselves to remain focused on our true purpose. The color is a warm hue
of yellow, reminiscent of the sun and symbolic of the joy of our own
being. By donning this color, we demonstrate our willingness to
cooperate with others equally dedicated to this lofty ideal. The color
yellow may be worn in any shape: a tie, a scarf, a shawl, or even a
handkerchief tucked into the breast pocket of a man's jacket.
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We recognize that the way of Ananda Sangha is primarily inward,
not outward; that it leads one by the universal pathway of the spine to
the high state of communion with God at that point in the forehead which
lies between the eyebrows. We follow this path by the daily practice,
after receiving it, of the non-sectarian science of Kriya Yoga
[see
article...], as it was named by its reviver in the nineteenth
century, Yogavatar Lahiri Mahasaya of Varanasi. The aim of Kriya Yoga
is to withdraw one's energy and consciousness from the senses to the
spine, and to lift the awareness to conscious union with the Supreme
Reality: Satchidanandam. Those who practice this sacred science
are known as Kriyabans. The Kriyabans of Ananda Sangha offer
special respect, honor, and reverence to those who inspired the
promulgation of Kriya Yoga in modern times: Jesus Christ, Mahavatar
Babaji (who was, as he has informed his close disciples, Bhagavan
Krishna in a former incarnation), Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar,
and Paramhansa Yogananda, ambassador of
Kriya Yoga to the West and promoter of the underlying oneness of
Hinduism, Christianity, and, consequently, of all the great religions of
the world. Kriyabans revere the great saints of all religions,
but give special reverence and obedience to the line of gurus on whose
lives and teachings we pattern our own lives.
(for those interested in formal Renunciation,
click below:)
Renunciation
Ananda Sangha began with the founding of Ananda Village in 1968, near
Nevada City, California, USA, by Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters), a
direct disciple since 1948 of Paramhansa Yogananda of Bengal, India.
Ananda Village has, since its founding, given birth to six other
communities: five of them in the United States of America and the sixth in
Italy. A new Ananda community is being planned at this time in India.
Residing in these communities there are a total of about one thousand
sevakas. Most of the children of these residents attend Ananda's own
schools, but are not considered members until they themselves reach the
age of discernment and make the decision to join.
Swami Kriyananda, in addition to founding these communities, has written
and published seventy-nine books and composed over 400 pieces of music.
Many of his songs have been sung in countries around the world. His books
and recordings, which have appeared in twenty-seven foreign translations,
have sold some three million copies to date.
Ananda Sangha, with the blessings of God and Gurus, is dedicated to the
spiritual upliftment of our planet, Earth.
Become a
member of Ananda Sangha
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