Haridas came to Ananda Village in 1970, shortly after the community was founded. His good humor and enthusiasm brought smiles to countless visitors at The Expanding Light, Ananda’s guest retreat, during the years he served there. Haridas and his wife Roma now help guide Ananda’s growing work in India. Q: You’ve worn many hats … Read more
Shivani came to Ananda in the early years of the community. A whirlwind of energy, she naturally assumed positions of responsibility, first in the Ananda Village biodynamic organic garden, then as director of Ananda Publications, and finally in the outreach programs of the Ananda Europa community in Assisi, Italy. Q: Tell us about your life … Read more
Asha, whose name in Sanskrit means “Hope,” met Swami Kriyananda in 1969, soon after the Ananda community was started. She now serves as Ananda’s global ambassador, traveling in the U.S., Europe, and Asia to share Paramhansa Yogananda’s teachings. Q: You served as Swami Kriyananda’s secretary for six years, and for several years you managed … Read more
Sadhana Devi reports, “My husband Jaya and I now spend most of our time serving our work in India, with classes and spiritual activities, and enjoying the spiritual friendships that seem to grow easily, regardless of language and cultural barriers.” We spoke with Sadhana Devi in 2005. Sadhana Devi: I’d like to tell you a … Read more
Everything in life necessitates cooperation. Breathing itself is an act of cooperation with Nature. Great works of genius require the work of many: those who make the tools used in creativity; a general foundation of awareness from which the individual can soar; the inspiration of others’ thoughts; an appreciative audience. Would Leonardo have produced his … Read more
It’s strange that something I have puzzled over for fifty years should suddenly come clear to me now, simply because it was someone else who asked me the question. It has happened to me often, however: I’ve pondered something for years, but only when the same question was put to me by someone else did … Read more
I have made occasional reference in these pages to the karmic threads or patterns of coincidence that run through human life. Those patterns can be discerned not only in the lives of individuals, but in the vast tapestry of history with its panorama of nations, cultures, and religions. History, as has many times been said, … Read more
I had to get a permit from the Building Department before beginning construction at the meditation retreat. At the Building Department I learned that I also needed a permit from the County Health Department. Hal Cox, the Superintendent there, placed us in the category, “church camp.” Had we been categorized otherwise, we’d have needed a … Read more
As I reflect how I breasted the waves in towing Ananda to shore, I realize that those efforts were, in a sense, a repetition of what I had put into the “Delhi project” in my efforts to obtain the Indian government’s approval. There, too, I had faced obstacles that seemed, and that everyone agreed were, … Read more
My first thought had been to let others come and build near me. Matters didn’t turn out so simply, however. This step would have meant, for most people, a major commitment. To me, the commitment seemed quite simple, but then, they hadn’t been through years of mental and spiritual preparation for it as I had. … Read more