Ananda Meditation Groups

12/01/2023

**What Problem?** A TOUCH OF LIGHT WEEKLY BLOG

We were discussing some major themes in *Autobiography of a Yogi* with a group of close friends. This great spiritual classic is so rich in expansive wisdom that every time I open it, I find some new truths revealed. It no doubt provides unique inspiration for each person who reads it, according to the level of their own spiritual understanding.

During the discussion, one of our friends shared a thought that had never occurred to me. “The *Autobiography,*” he said, “can be seen as a Dwapara Yuga epic in which many problems occur, but are all resolved with the understanding that energy and consciousness, not matter and form, are the ultimate reality.” What a brilliant insight!

Throughout the book, Master faces many challenges large and small, all of which are overcome by faith and divine intervention: being healed of deadly cholera by Lahiri Mahasaya’s intercession through his photo; passing his high school exams through the help of a scholarly friend and a Sanskrit verse in an empty lot; finding his guru standing before him in Benares after desperately searching for him; overcoming his brother Ananta’s skepticism through his courage and faith during his penniless journey to Brindaban.

Through these stories and many more like them, Master is teaching us invaluable lessons. First, don’t expect life to be easy, even for devotees. Here is a wonderful affirmation Master gave us: “Life is a struggle for joy all along the way. May I fight to win the battle on the very spot where I now am.” Accept that difficulties are a part of the spiritual path, and go into the fray with strength and courage.

Master is also showing us how to detach from any problem and approach it with the understanding that only consciousness is real. Another affirmation he’s given us is: “When fear or anger or any kind of suffering comes to me, I will view it as a spectator. I will separate myself from my experiences. At all costs I will endeavor to retain my peace and happiness.” Behind the form of every test is the opportunity to transcend it and to grow spiritually. By holding firmly to this thought, we come to understand what Master also teaches us: “There are no obstacles, only opportunities.”

Finally (for the purpose of this brief blog, because one could go on at length) his autobiography shows us that, come what may, God is always protecting and guiding us. Faith in Him/Her is the best tool we have to face and overcome all of our problems.

Speaking for each one of us, Yoganandaji declares: “My earthly experiences serve as a process of destruction of my limiting mortal delusions. In God even the most ‘impossible’ dreams are realized. (‘I will give him the morning star.’ —Revelations 2:28)” This “morning star” is the divine light which shines within us, revealing God’s unwavering presence in our life.

As I write these words, Jyotish and I are in Mumbai for the few days before returning to America after four months of traveling and teaching. My heart is filled with gratitude and joy as I realize how smoothly everything has gone. In the face of a myriad of possible problems, each step has been filled with protection and grace. When challenges have come, we’ve been given the strength to face them with joy. In part this is true because we’ve offered our life and our service to God and Guru. Perhaps the *Autobiography’s* most important lesson for overcoming problems is this: Give your service, your devotion, your life wholeheartedly to God. In time you will behold, hidden behind every test, His smiling face.

With love and joy,

Nayaswami Devi

P.S. Watch this video of children from an orphanage near the Mumbai ashram, who are being taught by devotees according to Education for Life principles. Their song seems to fit perfectly with the thoughts I’ve been sharing.

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Listen to this week’s podcast with Devi: https://www.ananda.org/video/series/a-touch-of-light-podcast/

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KLGaV7OLMdA

07/03/2023

03/24/2023

**Finding God in the Big City** A TOUCH OF LIGHT WEEKLY BLOG

Twenty million people! That’s the population of the Greater Los Angeles area, we were told recently when we visited friends and Ananda centers there.

For one of our satsangs, in Torrance, the center leader asked us to talk about how to find spirituality in big-city life. I thought you, too, might be interested in the thoughts we shared that evening on the challenges faced by city-dwellers and some of the spiritual solutions to them.

*Distraction vs. Focused Attention*

Driving on big-city freeways is an experience in itself. It’s almost overwhelming to deal with the long commutes, the speed of the traffic, and the constantly flashing billboards screaming (as a friend of ours once humorously put it), “Eat me. Buy me. Take me home!” The mind gets scattered in a myriad of different directions, and even after arriving at your destination, it takes an effort of will to get focused again.

This is no small obstacle to achieving peace of mind, but the opportunity is also there: to keep the mind more concentrated on whatever we’re doing. Build up the habit of attentive awareness in everything you do—talking with a friend, working on a project at your job, going for a walk. While driving, listen to something uplifting—beautiful music or an inspiring talk—and give it your attention.

The more you make the conscious effort to concentrate, the more will you find yourself actively and rewardingly engaged in every area of your life. And the greater will your ability be to go deep in meditation.

*Self-Interest vs. Self-Giving*

The forces of competition and self-interest are strong in any large group. Even lab rats turn on one another when placed in overcrowded tanks. The seeming cold indifference in a big city may lead us to think, “If I don’t look out for ‘Number One,’ how will I get by?”

The opportunity here is to counter the pull of self-interest by consciously finding ways to serve and give to others. We have a friend in Los Angeles who would give her daughters a small weekly allowance, and then (at their request) drive them to an area where homeless people lived, so that they could give their money away.

Find ways to help others, even at your own inconvenience or loss. Keeping the heart open to those in need frees us from preoccupation with the demands of our limited self. Ultimately we realize that God alone is the provider, and that the more we give, the more we are given. Self-giving also leads us to experience a loving connection with all of life.

*Self-Indulgence vs. Self-Control*

Big-city life offers many dark pathways that lead to overstimulation of the senses, even to the point of self-destruction. Master set up his headquarters in Los Angeles, and lived there for nearly twenty-five years. He would sometimes walk up and down some of the seedy, bar-lined streets in order to bring light and upliftment to the poor souls there trapped in addictions.

The opportunity for us here is to examine our own life and find areas where we lack sufficient self-control. Take up a challenge with the thought, “I will practice inner discipline so that others may follow my lead and develop self-control in their life.”

When you’ve improved in one area, take up another challenge, until you begin to see that you—not old habits or karma—are in charge of your life. What freedom comes with this realization!

*Downward Emotions vs. Uplifted Feelings*

The sheer number of life stories and struggles in a big city can create a fog of hopelessness and despair. Especially now with economic and political uncertainty rife, and worse to come seeming to loom on the horizon, it’s easy to be pulled down into negativity.

To counter this tendency, we should strive energetically to keep hope and joy foremost in our minds. One of my favorite quotes of Master’s is, “Life is a battle for joy every step of the way. May I fight to win the battle on the very spot where I now stand.” These words have stood me in good stead through many a difficult situation.

Once you choose joy under all circumstances, you begin to find that joy is your constant companion.
In sum, finding God in big-city life comes down to this: In each of life’s circumstances, choose the highest and best road to follow. And use all of your strength and commitment to stay the course.

Remember these words of Yoganandaji: “There are no obstacles, only opportunities.” Your very effort will uplift those around you, whether you live in a big city or a small ashram. Then you become, as Swami Kriyananda used to say, “part of the solution, not the problem.”

In divine friendship,

Nayaswami Devi

We love to receive your comments, share with us here: https://www.ananda.org/jyotish-and-devi/finding-god-in-the-big-city/

Listen to this week’s behind-the-scenes commentary with Devi: https://www.ananda.org/video/series/a-touch-of-light-podcast/

02/24/2023

**Take That Step!** A TOUCH OF LIGHT WEEKLY BLOG

Driving on a stormy night to an uncertain destination is a daunting experience for all of us. It’s also a perfect analogy for the challenges on our spiritual journey.

First, we get in our car and are glad for the moment to be out of the storm. (This is our first step on the path to God, in which we have a longing to escape the turmoil of life and find peace of mind.)

Next, we’re uncertain about driving in the storm. We even begin to question if getting to the destination is worth it, so we decide to cancel the trip. (Some new seekers lose heart before they begin, and decide that the unknown destination of finding God and the demands of the trip are too much. They quit before they’ve even begun.)

Then, if we’re plucky enough, we summon up the courage to start the car, turn on the headlights, and check our GPS unit to get an idea of where we’re going. (We generate the initial energy to start the journey, then put out the positive energy that enables us to find a true guide—the guru—who can show us where we’re headed and how to get there.)

So the journey begins. Since the headlights enable us to see only a little distance ahead, we proceed slowly and cautiously. We hope that the road will become clearer as we continue driving. (Each step on the spiritual path is revealed as we approach it. The techniques and teachings come into focus as we proceed.)

At this point, the storm seems to be letting up, and we begin to relax and enjoy the journey. As we draw closer to our destination, streetlights appear to guide us, the road gets wider, and the signs for our journey’s end are more frequent. (As we continue towards our spiritual goal, the dark karma that obscured our way seems to lift. Our inner path to God becomes more brightly illumined, and reaching Him begins to seem possible.)

Finally, as we approach our destination, we begin to speed up, because we see that we’re nearing the journey’s end. With a sigh of relief, we realize that the goal that for so long seemed obscure is now familiar and welcoming. (Though the spiritual journey is seemingly filled with perils and uncertainty, as we continue the momentum builds. We realize that there was always an Unseen Passenger in the back seat silently guiding our way to our true home in God.)

To complete the journey, we must find the faith to trust that we are never alone on the spiritual path, and that God’s grace is always with us. But we must also have the courage to take the next step, and then the next, until we arrive at our goal.

Once Yoganandaji was correcting a disciple for some behavior that needed changing. The man tried to justify himself by answering, “That’s easy for you to say—you’re a master.”

Yoganandaji replied with great force: “And what do you think made me a master?” In other words, it’s by facing our challenges and overcoming them that we attain soul freedom. The journey may seem dark and daunting, but if we take each step in front of us, with God’s grace, we will get there.

Master, who has the soul of a spiritual warrior, wrote a wonderful poem, “My Soul Is Marching On.” It’s filled with the determination and power to reach the journey’s end. As you read these stanzas excerpted from the poem, try to visualize him in armor of gleaming light holding a flaming sword to guide us forward:

“The flowers bloomed, then hid in gloom,
The bounty of the trees did cease;
Colossal men have come and gone,
But still my soul is marching on!

“Darkness, death, and failures vied;
To block my path they fiercely tried.
My fight with jealous Nature’s strong,
But still my soul is marching on!”

Take the next step with determination, friend. Marching bravely we will reach—each one of us—the journey’s end.

Nayaswami Devi

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Listen to this week’s behind-the-scenes commentary with Devi: https://buff.ly/3bEPieX