Ananda Sangha Chennai

Once Master said to his most advanced disciple, Rajarshi Janakananda, “Never forget where your power comes from.” Rajarshi replied, “I won’t, Master. It comes from you.” The great ones know that God is the source of everything.

From the latest blog:
https://www.ananda.org/jyotish-and-devi/god-given-powers/

Child, for the faults of the many, judge not the whole. Everything on earth is of mixed character, like a mingling of sand and sugar. Be like the wise ant which seizes only the sugar, and leaves the sand untouched. Though many sadhus here still wander in delusion, yet the mela is blessed by a few men of God-realization.

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda

Divine abundance follows the law of service and generosity. Give to the world the best that you have, and the best will come back to you.

How to Spiritualize Your Life by Paramhansa Yogananda

Above all, cultivate the habit of meditation. This is the inner switch you turn on to connect yourself with the Infinite. Hold on to the after-effects of meditation by your attention. You will then find that you are a reservoir of power in body, mind, and soul.

How to Awaken Your True Potential by Paramhansa Yogananda

All sorrow left me; I realized anew that God wants His children to love everything as a part of Him, and not to feel delusively that death ends all. The ignorant man sees only the unsurmountable wall of death, hiding, seemingly forever, his cherished friends. But the man of unattachment, he who loves others as expressions of the Lord, understands that at death the dear ones have only returned for a breathing-space of joy in Him.

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda

God brought the universe into existence out of His own consciousness. All of creation is one ocean of Spirit expressing as many little waves. We are manifestations of the Infinite; there is no other reality. When we shrink our awareness down to the little ego, we suffer. When we expand our awareness to embrace a greater reality, we find fulfillment. It is as simple as that.

Jan 5, 1980
From the book, Swami Kriyananda: Lightbearer by Asha Nayaswami

“God cannot escape if you catch Him in the net of divine meditation and divine service. One of these without the other, however, is spiritually dangerous. You need the balance.”

Conversations with Yogananda by Swami Kriyananda

"You recall how often our blessed guru used to say: 'Banat, banat, ban jai.' So keep up Kriya Yoga ceaselessly, and reach the divine portals quickly."

One of Lahiri Mahasaya's favorite remarks, given as encouragement for his students' perseverance. A free translation is: "Striving, striving, one day behold! the Divine Goal!"

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda

“Don’t bother to think, ‘I am not worthy.’ Just say ‘YES!’ to life, to the divine life flowing through you. Make everything you do a puja—an act of worship—and soon you will be brimming over with inner joy. It doesn’t matter what we do; what matters is the spirit with which we do it.

“This is God’s dream. Always live with one foot in Eternity. Tell yourself every morning and every evening, ‘This could be my last day.’ Eventually, everything we have done in this world will be left behind. The only thing that goes with us is how much we love: love God, love one another. The divine consciousness was born into this world through Master that we might all get out of this world and into Bliss.”

Jan 5, 1977
From the book, Swami Kriyananda: Lightbearer by Asha Nayaswami

I (Walter) was having difficulty receiving the results in meditation that I wanted. One evening I found the Master alone, and said to him, “Sir, I keep trying and trying, but I’m not going deep. Am I not trying hard enough?”

The Master shook his head. “You are trying too hard,” he said. “You are using too much will power. It becomes nervous. Just be natural. As long as you try ‘hard’ to meditate, you will not succeed – just as, if you try hard to fall asleep, you won’t be able to do it. Will power should be applied gradually; otherwise it can be detrimental. That’s why it is good in the beginning to emphasize relaxation.”

Conversations with Yogananda by Swami Kriyananda

Discipline had not been unknown to me: at home Father was strict, Ananta often severe. But Sri Yukteswar's training cannot be described as other than drastic. A perfectionist, my guru was hypercritical of his disciples, whether in matters of moment or in the subtle nuances of behavior.

"Good manners without sincerity are like a beautiful dead lady," he remarked on suitable occasion. "Straightforwardness without civility is like a surgeon's knife, effective but unpleasant. Candor with courtesy is helpful and admirable."

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda

Rejuvenation means to live fully and to feel youthful to the end of your days. You must learn how to rejuvenate the body not only through proper diet but through Life Energy, by developing will power. You can bring energy into the body by will power. Each one of you can rejuvenate yourself. When your body becomes recharged from the Infinite Source, then you will learn to smile from your soul.Behind your body wave is the vast ocean of God; behind your soul is the wisdom of God; behind your mind is the great intelligence of God. Attuning yourself with Him, you will know that you are the child of God.

How to Achieve Glowing Health and Vitality by Paramhansa Yogananda

Art also provides the artist with a priceless opportunity for introspection and self-development. It is a mirror in which he can view himself as he is. For the singer, for instance, a tape recording can be his most accurate critic. To hear on tape the exact tones one has produced is not only an effective way of improving one’s technique, but also – if one listens with calm, impersonal feeling – a means of detecting qualities in oneself that might be improved. A painting, similarly, reflects back to the creator an objective appraisal of his own inner development.

From the book, 'Art as a Hidden Message: A Guide to Self-Realization' by Swami Kriyananda

In the early years, Swamiji rarely saw a photograph of Ananda that he felt expressed the real spirit of the community. So he began to take pictures himself. Then he started carrying his camera when he traveled—and soon had an impressive photo collection, not only of Ananda, but of people and places around the world.

“The secret of good photography is feeling a sense of communion with the subject,” Swamiji said. “Of course, people respond to your vibrations of love and good will, but so also do plants, animals, even Nature herself. Mountains, sunsets, flowing rivers all appear more vibrant when the photographer feels an inward connection with all of life.”

Year 1981 from the book Swami Kriyananda: Lightbearer by Asha Nayaswami

Mistaken Identity

Intuition must be distinguished from self-confidence. Real intuition can never be wrong, but there are psychological states that pose as intuition and can bring trouble.

Once, on a farm, I met a man who had semi-developed intuition and bothered everybody with the display of his “intuition.” He tried it on me several times, until I had an overdose of his semi-intuitional practices and decided to enlighten him.

One day, while we were sitting in his farm parlor, we heard a knock at the front door, so I asked my semi-intuitive friend, “Will you please tell me who is at the door?”

He immediately replied: “It is my uncle coming home after many years, and he never even wrote to tell me.” The door was opened and the uncle appeared. When questioned, he said that he had come suddenly without notification.

My friend triumphantly exclaimed, “See, I have fully-developed intuition and not semi-developed intuition as you often say.”

I remonstrated, “My friend, beware, or you will make a horrible blunder some time. You have had a little intuition all your life, but you have not practiced the technique to develop it to the point where you can totally depend upon it.” He laughed at me, but soon I had the occasion to laugh at him. My mischievous prayer was answered.

One dismal, rainy day, as we sat in the farm parlor again, suddenly there was a loud knock on the closed door. I said to my friend, “Please use your semi-intuition and tell me who is knocking.”

He concentrated for a moment, then said, “My brother has unexpectedly arrived. Open the door.”

I laughed at him and replied, “No, not I. I wouldn’t go near the door; my intuition tells me not to. You had better open the door yourself.”

Saying this, I ran to the other side of the room. He opened the door, and in rushed the farm bull with menacing horns, angrily seeking shelter from the rain. My friend jumped aside frantically, and the bull ran after me. Of course, I was prepared for it and just stepped aside, loudly exclaiming, “My friend, your semi-intuition was indeed correct: your brother has arrived.”

Stories by Yogananda

Somehow the Mother aspect of God is more personal. You have confidence in the mother, whereas the father has more to do with law, justice – he’s a bit more removed. Yogananda used to say, “When you pray to God as the Mother, pray, ‘Naughty or good, I am still your child. You must receive me.’”

Worshipping God as Divine Mother by Swami Kriyananda

“God is harmony; the devotee who attunes himself will never perform any action amiss. His activities will be correctly and naturally timed to accord with astrological law. After deep prayer and meditation he is in touch with his divine consciousness; there is no greater power than that inward protection.”

Swami Sri Yukteswar

From the chapter ‘The Heart of a Stone Image’

An inspiration seized me. “Tomorrow,” I said, “I am going to the Dakshineswar temple. Please come with me, and persuade your husband to accompany us. I feel that in the vibrations of that holy place, Divine Mother will touch his heart. But don’t disclose our object in wanting him to go.”

Sister agreed hopefully. Very early the next morning I was pleased to find that Roma and her husband were in readiness for the trip...
As our cab entered the Dakshineswar grounds, he grinned sarcastically.
“This excursion, I suppose, is a scheme to reform me?”

As I turned away without reply, he caught my arm. “Young Mr. Monk,” he said, “don’t forget to make proper arrangements with the temple authorities to provide for our noon meal.”

“I am going to meditate now. Do not worry about your lunch,” I replied sharply. “Divine Mother will look after it.”

“I don’t trust Divine Mother to do a single thing for me. But I do hold you responsible for my food.” Satish’s tones were threatening.
..

“Divine Mother,” I silently remonstrated, “Thou didst not come to me in vision, and now Thou art hidden in the temple behind closed doors. I wanted to offer a special prayer to Thee today on behalf of my brother-in-law.”

My inward petition was instantly acknowledged. First, a delightful cold wave descended over my back and under my feet, banishing all discomfort. Then, to my amazement, the temple became greatly magnified. Its large door slowly opened, revealing the stone figure of Goddess Kali. Gradually it changed into a living form, smilingly nodding in greeting, thrilling me with joy indescribable. As if by a mystic syringe, the breath was withdrawn from my lungs; my body became very still, though not inert...

“Divine Mother,” I prayed, “wilt Thou not spiritually change my sister’s husband?”
The beautiful figure, hitherto silent, spoke at last: “Thy wish is granted!”

I looked happily at Satish. As though instinctively aware that some spiritual power was at work, he rose resentfully from his seat on the ground. I saw him running behind the temple; he approached me, shaking his fist.

The all-embracing vision disappeared. No longer could I see the glorious Goddess; the towering temple was reduced to its ordinary size, minus its transparency. Again my body sweltered under the fierce rays of the sun. I jumped to the shelter of the pillared hall, where Satish pursued me angrily. I looked at my watch. It was one o’clock; the divine vision had lasted an hour.

“You little fool,” my brother-in-law blurted out, “you have been sitting there cross-legged and cross-eyed for six hours. I have gone back and forth watching you. Where is my food? Now the temple is closed; you failed to notify the authorities; we are left without lunch!”

The exaltation I had felt at the Goddess’ presence was still vibrant within my heart. I was emboldened to exclaim, “Divine Mother will feed us!”

Satish was beside himself with rage. “Once and for all,” he shouted, “I would like to see your Divine Mother giving us food here without prior arrangements!”
His words were hardly uttered when a temple priest crossed the courtyard and joined us.

“Son,” he addressed me, “I have been observing your face serenely glowing during hours of meditation. I saw the arrival of your party this morning, and felt a desire to put aside ample food for your lunch. It is against the temple rules to feed those who do not make a request beforehand, but I have made an exception for you.”..
On the return journey to Calcutta, Satish, with softened expression, occasionally glanced at me pleadingly. But he did not speak a single word after the moment the priest had appeared to invite us to lunch, as though in direct answer to Satish’s challenge.

The following afternoon I visited my sister at her home. She greeted me affectionately.

“Dear brother,” she cried, “what a miracle! Last evening my husband wept openly before me.

“‘Beloved devi,’ he said, ‘I am happy beyond expression that this reforming scheme of your brother’s has wrought a transformation. I am going to undo every wrong I have done you. From tonight we will use our large bedroom only as a place of worship; your small meditation room shall be changed into our sleeping quarters. I am sincerely sorry that I have ridiculed your brother. For the shameful way I have been acting, I will punish myself by not talking to Mukunda until I have progressed in the spiritual path. Deeply I will seek the Divine Mother from now on; someday I must surely find Her!’”

https://www.ananda.org/autobiography/

“Every action, every thought, reaps its own corresponding rewards.
“Human suffering is not a sign of God’s anger with mankind. It is a sign, rather, of man’s ignorance of the divine law.
“The law is forever infallible in its workings.” - Paramhansa Yogananda

This is Swamiji at the very beginning of Ananda in 1967 or so.

The secret of happiness is doing joyfully and willingly whatever needs to be done.

Secrets of Happiness by Swami Kriyananda

One indication of the health of the body is the skin. Boils and other eruptions are an obvious sign of impurities in the bloodstream. A pallid complexion is a quick indicator of a low vitality. Smooth, soft skin is a sign of good health…

The palms are a good indicator of one’s health and vitality. Soft, flaccid palms are not a sign of good health, or of dynamic vitality. Hard hands are a sign of tension throughout the body that in time must result in breakdowns, inviting disease. The palms should be resilient to pressure from the fingers. A certain rosiness in the color of the hand will be an indication of good health.

When I met my guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, he told me that when giving interviews he did not even feel his body below the chest; so great was his relaxation. The yogi, no matter how hard he works physically, must be able to withdraw the energy from his body, to become relaxed and soft when the body’s need for energy ceases.

The Art and Science of Raja Yoga by Swami Kriyananda

Marks of a True Renunciate
By Nayaswami Kriyananda

1. They have no, or very few, attachments or desires.

2. They are without anger. (Anger appears in the heart when one’s desires are thwarted.)

3. They accept without prejudice whatever life gives them, and live by the principle, “What comes of itself, let it come.”

4. They never seek to justify or defend themselves, but accept all judgment by others dispassionately, as experiences given them by God for their higher good.

5. They keep in their hearts primarily the company of God.

6. They are indifferent to others’ opinions of them.

7. They work without personal motive, to please God alone.

8. They are impersonal in the sense of wanting nothing for themselves, but never in the sense of being indifferent to the needs of others.

9. They see all beings as striving toward the attainment of Satchidananda: ever-existing, ever-conscious, ever-new Bliss, no matter how presently misguided the efforts of some people may be. Thus, they feel kinship with everyone, and with all life.

10. They accept nothing as their own, but only as being “on loan” to them, for the benefit of others.

11. They view pleasure and pain equally, as opposite (or dual) expressions of eternal, divine bliss.

12. They have meditated daily for years.

13. Because they are always happy in themselves, they are impervious to insults, outer suffering, failure, defeat, or disaster. They strive to live the ideal that Paramhansa Yogananda voiced when he said, “You should be able to stand unshaken amidst the crash of breaking worlds!”

14. They strive to love God unceasingly, and ever more deeply, in a spirit of utter openness to be guided by His will.
https://www.nayaswami.org/about/true-renunciate.asp.html

There is a coherency in life, an underlying purpose and meaning. Know that, for every problem, there has to be a solution. See other people, not (to quote Sartre) as “that which you are not,” but as part of your own greater reality. Love them from that inward awareness which you are developing in meditation. All humanity is, in the deeper sense, your own self…

For every problem, similarly, there is a solution. Be solution-oriented, not problem-oriented. That is what it means to think superconsciously. Don’t dwell on difficulties longer than it takes simply to define them clearly. The solutions often come from seeing opposites as pairs in a single unity.

Be guided, above all, by inner joy. The more you let yourself be guided superconsciously, the more you will feel joy in everything you do.

Meditation For Starters by Swami Kriyananda