runbei A devotee prayed to Master, “How can I thank Swamiji for all he has done to help me?” The thought came, “It will soon be Valentine’s Day. You could make him some cookies.” “It was just a small thing, a plateful of cookies,” she said. “But I felt the inspiration came from Master and it … Read more
(Told by an Ananda devotee) I had suffered a severe disappointment and was living under a cloud of sadness that I couldn’t seem to shake. I found comfort in the words of St. Teresa of Avila: “Let nothing disturb you, nothing affright you. All things will pass, but God changes not.” Teresa is a popular … Read more
No one was home at Swamiji’s house, so Tim placed the bowl of pudding in the refrigerator. It was a gift to Swamiji from a spiritual teacher known as Shree Ma. Rather than leave a note, Tim decided he would explain the gift to Swamiji later. But before Tim could tell him, Swamiji found the … Read more
Whenever I cooked for Swami Kriyananda, even if others helped me, I kept strict control of the final product. But once when I was cooking dinner for Swamiji and a dozen guests, a woman helping me asked to take charge of the two main dishes. I didn’t think she had the skill, but I didn’t … Read more
(Told by an Ananda devotee) I was in a bad mood. When the phone rang in the Ananda publishing office where I worked, I answered it in a less than cordial manner. Whoever it was, I made it clear that I didn’t want to hear from him. Of course, it was Swamiji. Others have told … Read more
(Told by Madhavi) When an opportunity came to go to Ananda Assisi for a few months and work in the retreat kitchen, I jumped at the chance. For twelve years, I had been a critical care nurse. Now I wanted to get into a more holistic kind of healing. I also had some body problems … Read more
Ishani and I drove to the Village for a retreat led by Swami Kriyananda. As we settled into our room at the Expanding Light, I decided that I would make it my spiritual practice for the weekend to set myself aside and think first of other people. It worked well, up to a point. It … Read more
The night before, one of the retreat guests had shaved his head. Now he was hidden in the bushes, stark naked, carrying his clothes in a small bundle. Swamiji was giving a class in the outdoor Temple of Leaves and the man’s intention was to lay himself and all he possessed at Swamiji’s feet. He … Read more
As I’ve mentioned ad infinitum in these pages, before I came to Ananda I worked for a small sports publishing company in the San Francisco Bay Area. When I moved to the community, I was concerned about the fitness of the members. The monks and nuns walked to work from the convent, a strenuous hike. … Read more
(Told by Sudarshan) I meant well, but I was too immature to handle the assignment. Eventually I had to admit defeat and go back to Ananda Village. I felt like a complete failure. Soon after I returned, Swamiji had a party at his home, Crystal Hermitage. I was in such turmoil I didn’t feel like … Read more