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The
Way of Ananda Sanghis
"May the Divine Light awaken and purify
my heart, and bring enlightenment to all beings."
- We believe in a single, blissful, eternal consciousness, Satchidanandam,
which pervades the entire universe, unifying it and all creatures
in a bond of mutual service. This blissful consciousness is the
underlying reality of all existence; it precedes the very manifestation
of the universe.
- We believe that man's highest duty is to realize himself as
an expression of all-pervading Satchidanandam.
a) We embrace the way to this Self-realization through the inner
silence, above all, of daily communion with the infinite Self.
b) We embrace, for ourselves, the need to embody this realization
in our own lives by daily performing at least one specific, conscious,
personally selected act of service to our fellow beings.
c) We embrace—again, for ourselves, since we seek not to
impose our understanding on others—the need to honor all,
whether friends or self-named foes, as manifestations of the eternal
Satchidanandam, and to see them as our brothers and sisters
in that Supreme Consciousness which is variously called God, Ishwara,
Allah, or Jehovah. We recognize all names for that Supreme Being
as designating our one, common Progenitor.
d) We embrace the need to give back to our Supreme Source by offering
up every ego-attachment and self-limiting identity in daily acts
of service to others.
e) We seek as our primary goal in life the state of actual, conscious
union with Satchidanandam.
f) We aspire to make our own lives works of art, whether through
music, through the visual arts, or through the simple deeds of
our daily existence, with a view to expressing the bliss that
is latent in our deeper selves.
g) We seek to make our every thought and action a radiation outward
from the center of our being, and not to allow ourselves to become
superficial reflections of the thoughts and actions of others.
- We seek never to convert anyone to our specific cause
except, in love, to inspire all with the desire to reclaim the
bliss of their own being.
- We seek fellowship with others willing to join hands with us
in this loving labor for universal upliftment. Thus, by our united
efforts, our hope is to share inspiration with ever-increasing
effectiveness.
- We recognize that, whether or not others join us consciously
in this labor, all human beings, each one individually, serve
the Eternal Purpose, doing so by the simple act of seeking, whether
ignorantly or wisely, the bliss of their own being. We condemn
no one, therefore, for ideas he may hold that are different from
our own, but embrace all as fellow seekers of Ultimate Bliss.
- In token of our dedication to these principles, the assumption
of which is our guiding rule in life, we undertake at formal functions
of our Order to wear a color expressive of our hearts' ardor,
of the purity of our aspiration, and of the humility of our intentions.
We wear that color not to set ourselves apart from others, but
simply to remind ourselves to remain focused on our true purpose.
The color is a warm hue of yellow, reminiscent of the sun and
symbolic of the joy of our own being. By donning this color, we
demonstrate our willingness to cooperate with others equally dedicated
to this lofty ideal. The color yellow may be worn in any shape:
a tie, a scarf, a shawl, or even a handkerchief tucked into the
breast pocket of a man's jacket.
- We recognize that the way of Ananda Sangha is primarily inward,
not outward; that it leads one by the universal pathway of the
spine to the high state of communion with God at that point in
the forehead which lies between the eyebrows. We follow this path
by the daily practice, after receiving it, of the non-sectarian
science of Kriya Yoga, as it was named by its reviver
in the nineteenth century, Yogavatar Lahiri Mahasaya of Varanasi.
The aim of Kriya Yoga is to withdraw one's energy and consciousness
from the senses to the spine, and to lift the awareness to conscious
union with the Supreme Reality: Satchidanandam. Those who
practice this sacred science are known as Kriyabans. The
Kriyabans of Ananda Sangha offer special respect, honor, and reverence
to those who inspired the promulgation of Kriya Yoga in modern
times: Jesus Christ, Mahavatar Babaji (who was, as he has informed
his close disciples, Bhagavan Krishna in a former incarnation),
Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar, and Paramhansa Yogananda,
ambassador of Kriya Yoga to the West and promoter of the underlying
oneness of Hinduism, Christianity, and, consequently, of all the
great religions of the world. Kriyabans revere the great
saints of all religions, but give special reverence and obedience
to the line of gurus on whose lives and teachings we pattern our
own lives.
Renunciation
Because God must be realized, in time, as the soul's only Friend
and Companion-indeed, as the only Reality—those who seek the
Divine Companion above all, if they are free from family ties, would
do well to consider the path of outward renunciation.
All Sanghis must realize that human relationships, since they are
outward, pertain to the realm of duality. For those Sanghis, therefore,
who are able to remain unattached, even solitary, in their search
for God the spiritual gains are potentially great. As Paramhansa
Yogananda often stated, "Seclusion is the price of greatness."
One is therefore "on the safe side," as a saint once put
it to him when he was young, if he seeks God without a partner.
This is not to say that, to find God, it is mandatory that one
be single. Great saints are to be found in both the single and the
married states. Those devotees, however, who are free to make God
their only Companion must ever recognize that in Him lies all the
fulfillment their souls crave. No lesser love can ever fill that
deepest craving.
Outward renunciation is an aid, therefore, in the spiritual search.
One cannot "have his cake and eat it, too." Ultimately,
the choice one faces is absolute. To find God, the life of outer,
as well as inner, renunciation is safer than involvement in family.
For the spiritual path is, at best, supremely difficult. If formal
renunciation is an option, therefore, it would be wise to consider
embracing it. At the same time, it should be remembered that Lahiri
Mahasaya was slow to give disciples his permission to embrace this
state, for it too presents difficulties and challenges.
There are many possible gradations of formal renunciation—from
partial or conditional to complete. Happiest is that one who can
declare firmly, "Away with these carefully drawn distinctions!
I want God alone." In Ananda Sangha, for those who are not
fettered by family ties, two stages of formal renunciation are available:
Brahmacharya, and Sannyas.
It should be kept in mind that all Ananda Sanghis are renunciates
in the deeper sense that we try to sublimate our ego-identity by
expanding it to identity with the universal Self. Our means of purifying
every desire and attachment is, above all, to offer these up in
meditation for consummation by the Infinite Bliss.
Ananda Sanghis who devote themselves wholly to these ideals, and
particularly if they live and serve with others in community, are
called Sevakas. More formal paths of renunciation are available
also, but are not intended to be seen as qualitatively better.
For true renunciation is inward, primarily. No institution can determine
a person's progress on the path to perfection, for this is determined
by God alone, and consists in personal self-offering to the Creator.
Ananda Sangha, therefore, does not presume to gauge the actual quality
of anyone's renunciation.
Sanghis who are free from family ties may affirm their inner resolution
by assuming outwardly the garb of renunciation as a constant reminder
to themselves of their desire to be free from all further ego-involvement.
Such persons, already unencumbered in an outward sense, may more
fully affirm their inner renunciation by formally embracing the
stages of brahmacharya and (later on) of sannyas.
These stages are not intended to confer greater respect or authority
on anyone, for the only qualifications worthy of these are humility,
and an absence of self-interest. Where renunciation is at issue,
honor in God's work is due not to the individual renunciate, but
only to the principle of renunciation itself.
Brahmacharya:
Brahmacharis of Ananda Sangha are free, as previously indicated,
of family ties and obligations. In obedience to the directives of
their spiritual guide or counselor, they should endeavor always
to direct their energy inward toward the bliss of their own being.
To enter the stage of brahmacharya, no novitiate period is
needed. A brahmachari (or brahmacharini) is entitled,
with the approval of his guide or counsellor, to wear a yellow robe
indicating his, or her, undivided commitment to self-transcendence
and to the other ideals of Ananda Sangha.
Sannyas:
One may be considered a Sannyasin, or Swami, of the
Ananda Sangha Order who, having, for an acceptable period of time,
demonstrated his commitment to the principles that govern the life
of a brahmachari, has shown himself to be centered in the divine
Self to the point of being guided primarily from that center. A
swami is obligated to view all human beings as his own brothers,
sisters, fathers, mothers, and friends. He may not accept personal
family ties for himself. A swami is entitled to wear the color orange,
symbolic of the fire of inner renunciation which, he prays, will
burn away every egoic attachment. As an Ananda Sanghi he should
also, in token of this affiliation, wear in some form the color
yellow—whether in a belt, a shawl, a cap, or some other article
of clothing.
History
Ananda Sangha began with the founding of Ananda Village in 1968,
near Nevada City, California, USA, by Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald
Walters), a direct disciple since 1948 of Paramhansa Yogananda of
Bengal, India. Ananda Village has, since its founding, given birth
to six other communities: five of them in the United States of America
and the sixth in Italy. An eighth Ananda community is being planned
at this time in India.
Residing in these communities there are a total of about one thousand
sevakas. Most of the children of these residents attend Ananda's
own schools, but are not considered members until they themselves
reach the age of discernment and make the decision to join.
Swami Kriyananda, in addition to founding these communities, has
written and published seventy-nine books and composed over 400 pieces
of music. Many of his songs have been sung in countries around the
world. His books and recordings, which have appeared in twenty-seven
foreign translations, have sold some three million copies to date.
Ananda Sangha, with the blessings of God and Gurus, is dedicated
to the spiritual upliftment of our planet, Earth.
Application
for Membership
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