(Told by an Ananda devotee) Nothing else but karma carried over from past lives could explain the intense antagonism I felt for a woman in the community and the equally intense antagonism she felt toward me. One night I had a vivid dream of a previous life in which she had inflicted great suffering on … Read more
“I am grateful to my parents for giving me a good home and treating me with kindness and respect,” a devotee told Swamiji. “Beyond that, however, I don’t feel much of anything for them. Is there something wrong with me?” “Sometimes a devotee deliberately incarnates into a family where he doesn’t have a deep connection,” … Read more
When Ananda ran a bookstore and café in San Francisco, Vairagi often worked the late shift. Many times all alone, at 11pm, she had to take a city bus back to the ashram. The route went through a rough part of town. “I want to be a good devotee, and do what is needed,” she … Read more
When personal computers became available, because of all the writing he did, Swamiji was one of the first people at Ananda to buy one. When he needed to upgrade his printer, he heard that a woman in the community had one she needed to sell. Her son, hoping to make her retirement more secure, had … Read more
The fever was so severe that Swamiji was shaking with chills and panting to breathe. In those days, his whole house was the dome that is now just the living room of Crystal Hermitage. His bedroom was a loft a few steps to the left of the front door. Several of us were sitting in … Read more
“I felt I was in a certain box at Ananda and I’d never be able to break out of it unless I left, at least for a time,” Marcus* said, years later. “Maybe it wasn’t true, but that’s how it looked to me at the time.” A friend had some land and a few cabins … Read more
(Told by Dhyana) In my first year at Ananda I also studied Reiki, a form of hands-on healing. It seemed consistent with Master’s teaching, and I saw no harm in studying both. With great enthusiasm I told Swamiji how much I was learning in my Reiki classes. “If it’s that good,” he said, “then maybe … Read more
“I don’t think I have the spiritual depth to carry through with the job you have given me,” a devotee wrote to Swamiji. “I am not asking you to do this job because it will help others,” Swamiji answered. “I am asking you to do it because it will help you develop the qualities and … Read more
A devotee was about to make an important decision, and spoke with Swamiji about it. After the meeting, Swamiji said, “He asked for my advice, but what he wanted was my approval. I can’t approve, because what he plans won’t bring him happiness. He wants to do the right thing, but he doesn’t have the … Read more
Ananda is an ashram. We don’t advertise to find the most qualified people for the jobs that have to be done. We welcome devotees and find a way for them to serve. We do the best we can with whomever God sends. “People are more important than things,” is one of the principles Swamiji taught … Read more