Treasures Along The Path

We sometimes find ourselves in a situation in which we simply don’t have as long for our meditation as we would like. When this happens, the solution is not to ...skip our practice, but to do a shorter sadhana with greater intensity. In a short meditation it is especially important to make an effort to concentrate deeply. This principle of intensity works on the physical level too. A friend of ours recently recommended a book about exercise, called P.A.C.E., by Dr. Al Sears. Dr. Sears begins the book with many scientific studies showing that short, intense periods of exercise are remarkably beneficial. We actually build greater lung volume (an important indicator of health), stronger muscles and bones, and improved cardiovascular capacity by exercising intensely for 12 to 20 minutes than with longer, more moderate efforts. The essence of his system is simple. Do brief periods of increasingly intense activity spaced apart by recovery periods. Any type of exercise that causes you to get out of breath will do. Be sure to build up gradually, especially if you aren’t starting out in good physical shape. When time is short, we can apply the same principle of intensity to meditation. On those days it is helpful to include other spiritual practices during the rest of your day. Swami Kriyananda used to tell a charming story about this. There was a devotee who never missed his three-hour morning meditation. This, of course, vexed the Devil, who decided he had to take action. He told his assistant devil, Tomorrow make sure the man oversleeps so that he doesn’t have time to meditate. After having carried out this scheme, the assistant asked the Devil if he wanted him to do the same the following morning. No, the Devil said with a sigh. Tomorrow make sure to wake him up on time so that he can do his usual meditation. But, why? asked the perplexed imp. The Devil replied, Normally, after meditation that man just goes about his business. But, today, he spent the whole day thinking about God and apologizing to Him. I would rather have him meditate for three hours and then forget God than have him think about Him all day long. Swami always had a great laugh over this story. One way to think about God throughout the day is to take a simple chant and let it repeat in the back of your mind. Periodically, when you can, give it your full concentration. I have been doing this lately by inwardly chanting Jai Guru and AUM Guru, which is what Swami Kriyananda told me to repeat after I had asked him if I should take a mantra. Of course, we shouldn’t make a practice of short meditations. It is important that we give our spiritual search priority and make time for it. Unlike physical exercise, we won’t exhaust ourselves by longer spiritual efforts. As Paramhansa Yogananda said in his great mystical poem, Samadhi, By deeper, longer, thirsty, guru-given meditation comes this celestial samadhi. I’ll end with one of my favorite prayer-demands from Paramhansa Yogananda’s book, Whispers from Eternity: O Divine Sculptor, Chisel Thou My Life: "Every sound that I make, let it have the vibration of Thy voice. Every thought that I think, let it be saturated with the consciousness of Thy presence. "Let every feeling that I have glow with Thy love. Let every act of my will be impregnated with Thy divine vitality. Let every thought, every expression, every ambition, be ornamented by Thee. "O Divine Sculptor, chisel Thou my life according to Thy design!" In joyful devotion, Nayaswami Jyotish From this week's blog, "When Time Is Short." Share a comment with Jyotish here or listen to this week's behind-the-blog commentary: https://buff.ly/3vdkrvV

Study Group 5/24/21 5:30pm - 6:30pm Pacific Time How to Know God... * A relationship with God develops as we meditate and commune inwardly, and look outwardly for the presence of God in everything, and in everyone. Listen to an excerpt from the talk https://cdn.treasuresalongthepath.com//how-to-know-god-cli Attend on Zoom https://zoom.us/j/120319612 Attend on Ananda Worldwide FB Live or watch video there later https://www.facebook.com/ananda.org

Over the years I’ve learned a lot about life by observing parents shopping with their children. Once in a supermarket I watched a little girl who was noisily de...manding of her mother some goodie she wanted. After trying repeatedly to placate her child with noncommittal answers, the mother finally blurted out in exasperation, The answer is maybe, and that’s final! This kind of answer has proved very useful to me over time. I witnessed another drama at a different grocery store: this time at Master’s Market at Ananda Village. Shortly before the dinner hour, a mother had brought her young son along as she shopped for some items for the evening meal. The boy, a quiet, thoughtful child, saw an array of chocolate bars and cookies on the counter and asked his mother if he could have one. Not before dinner, dear. It will spoil your appetite. Her simple reply brought a profound change in him, and his eyes began to look distant and sad. It was as though he was remembering many such occasions, perhaps from other lifetimes, in which his expectations for happiness from material things were thwarted. Looking earnestly at his mother, he said, Mommy, I don’t want to be in this world anymore. Quickly doing a complete turnaround, his mother replied, Here, why don’t you have two candy bars? But the aha moment had already happened. The cords of his attachment to this world had begun to fray. Those aha moments are the portals through which deeper insights come to us and change our lives. Watch for them, for example, when you’re trying to make a decision about which course of action to follow. Usually we approach such decisions rationally, weighing the pros and cons. Once in a while, we have an aha moment in which we can see the ultimate outcome of each choice. Then we know confidently which road to follow. Watch for such moments also in understanding others. There is a tendency in human nature to categorize people and put them in boxeswhether it’s a person we’ve known for a long time, or someone we’ve just met. Sometimes, however, we’ll have an aha moment when we see a certain look in their eyes, or hear something they’ve said almost to themselves, and we can see who that person really is. Hold on to this deeper understanding and your friendships will continue to grow and blossom over time. In meditation, it’s especially important to watch for these moments of awakening. From time to time, we may find ourselves plodding along in our spiritual efforts, but not having the breakthroughs that take us to a deeper level. Then, one day, as Yoganandaji put it, From behind the clouds of drudgery of routine meditative habits, there burst upon my consciousness the aurora of bliss. When these moments come, and they will, don’t let the experience fly away like dry leaves in autumn. Emblazon it on your mind. Try to return to that state of consciousness in meditation as often as you can. The intensity of the aha moment may fade over time, but if you inwardly cling to it, you will never lose it entirely. Finally, watch for those magical moments in seeking God’s presence in your daily life. A friend of mine was sitting in a secluded garden at Crystal Hermitage on a quiet, windless day, and was silently sending her love to God. Suddenly, without a hint of breeze, the wind chimes hanging in a nearby tree began playing one of Yoganandaji’s chants, I am the bubble, make me the sea. At first she thought she had just imagined it, but when after a few minutes it happened again, she knew that God was listening and responding. If we continue to look for God’s presence around us, we may be surprised to realizeAHAthat He was always there. Master has written a beautiful prayer-demand: O Father, may I behold Thee: above, beneath, behind, aroundwherever I turn my gaze! Train the children of my senses never to stray from Thee, who dwellest at the heart of everything. Turn my eyes inward, to Thy changeless beauty. Attune my ears to silence, that I may hear Thy subtlest music. Breathe on me the heavenly scent of Thy sacred presence. When the veils of delusion part, we will realize that these aha moments are not random occurrences. They are God’s way of lovingly answering His children’s demands and guiding us forward through life. With joy and blessings, Nayaswami Devi You might enjoy the new book trailer for our upcoming release of Touch of Peace: Living the Teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, the fourth book in our Touch of Light series. Visit https://buff.ly/3fNMXA0 for links and to share comments with Nayaswami Devi.

Swami Kriyananda was the sculptor who chiseled my heart and soul. My life has been transformed by trying to live according to his example. His birthday is May 1...9, and it seems fitting, as a kind of birthday present, to thank him for some of the ways he changed me and countless others. *Divine Friendship.* Swamiji usually signed his letters, In divine friendship. For him, this wasn’t just a phrase, but a living reality. He embraced everyone in an aura of acceptance. The day I met him, Easter Sunday in 1967, I arrived uninvited at his door in San Francisco along with my brother-in-law. He and a small group of friends had plans to go to Golden Gate Park for a picnic. He could easily have told us that he was busy and sent us on our way. In fact almost everyone else I’ve ever known would have done just that. But not Swamiji. He greeted us with delightful enthusiasm (another of his characteristics) and invited us in to join the group. If, at that critical moment, he hadn’t enfolded me in his divine friendship, my life would probably have taken a completely different courseI shudder even to think of what meandering road it might have followed. Thank you, Swamiji, for inviting me into your life, and thank you for your friendship. It has been my constant support and guide, especially in times of trial. *Living Wisely.* Swamiji exemplified Yogananda’s teachings of simple living and high thinking. I read a beautiful quote from Anandamayi Ma that captured Swami’s life. To a human being, the most noble, irreproachable line of conduct should alone be acceptable. It is a matter of great rejoicing if anyone strives to mold his life upon this pattern. Only actions that kindle man’s divine nature are worthy of the name of action, all the rest are non-actionsa waste of energy. Swamiji didn’t waste much energy. Even in times of relaxation, his life-force moved in an upward direction. We often joined him with a small group to watch his favorite movie, Bambi. He liked it, not so much for the story, but for the lovely music, the beautiful colors, and, most of all, for the charming, innocent friendships among the creatures of the forest. It was, for him, a depiction of divine friendship in nature. When the movie ended and we walked home, it was always with a happier, more open heart. Thank you, Swamiji, for showing me how to uplift my heart and mind. *Leadership.* Swamiji was an amazing leader and accomplished a great work for Master because of it. While there were many aspects to his leadership, they might be boiled down to two principles. 1) Don’t let leadership be an ego game. 2) The job of a leader is to bring out the highest and best in others. In our various leadership roles over the years, Devi and I would meet regularly with Swamiji. He would listen sensitively and guide us. When Ananda started the work in Italy, that first winter was very cold and very difficult. When Swamiji visited a few months later, we told him about the many difficulties we had faced. Rather than commiserate with us he said simply, No great work is ever started without someone’s tapasya (self-sacrifice). Swamiji always wanted us to think about others, not our own problems. That preceptnot thinking about yourselfis one of the great keys to a successful and happy life. Thank you, Swamiji, for helping me to avoid the pitfall of self-focus. *Discipleship.* The very core of Swamiji’s life was his discipleship to Master, and a continual love offering to his guru. He strived to let all of his words, thoughts, feelings, and actions be guided by Yogananda. Toward the end of his life he would say, I don’t know any longer where Yogananda ends and Kriyananda begins. I pray that I, too, will be able to say the same when I am ready to exit the stage. Thank you, Swamiji, for your discipleship, and the purity of your life. And thank you for taking on the task of sculpting my life and those of so many others. In divine friendship, Nayaswami Jyotish We invite you to join hands in supporting the COVID-19 India Relief Fund. More information on this week's blog or ananda.org. Share comments with Jyotish: https://www.ananda.org/jyotish-and-devi/thank-you-swamiji/

If you wish to join the Study Group, please go to Zoom https://zoom.us/j/120319612

Free Treasures Satsang - December 14th 5:30pm - 6:30 PST About the Talk and listen to excerpt: Secret Teachings in the Bible Part Two https://www.treasuresalong...thepath.com//december-2012-secr/ Kriyananda reads and explains Bible passages describing principles of Kriya Yoga. Fascinating! Please Join Us! See more

You can attend our satsang Nov. 30 at: https://www.facebook.com/ananda.org

Free Treasures Satsang - December 21st 5:30pm - 6:30pm PST Talks by Swami Kriyananda: Christ Lives in You 12/23/84 - 15 min. Christmas Day: Children of God - 12.../25/88 12 min. Second Coming of Christ - 25 min. Please Join Us! We will have Satsangs December 28 & January

Free Treasures Satsang - November 30th 5:30pm - 6:30 PST How to Know God Please Join Us!

The Tools for Superconscious Living Satsang November 16 will be broadcast live on Ananda Worlswide Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ananda.org/