The blessed role of Kriya Yoga in the West . The organization vaunted itself on keeping things SRF clean. For my money, it was a bit too clean. The Gnostics, meanwhile, practiced their methods of inward communion quietly and in secret. In fact, SRFs legal arguments sometimes approached the ludicrous. On each of these occasions, the giving of help was done as naturally as breathing. I found the book deeply, unexpectedly inspiring. Ironically, the meditation class was to help her with stress reduction, she said. Mahalo for your in depth and neutral portrayal of Srf and ananda. This is a term used to describe uncritical articles that are more positive spin and/or froth than substance. This behavior is documented in A Place Called Ananda. But nothing, certainly, that convinced the courts. ABP Ananda LIVE. Elsewhere, I have told two storiesof my own inspiring encounters with her. The same was true of my rare encounters with Daya Mata. Like countlessothers in the 1960s, I had sought meaning through drugsand had been sadly disappointedthough the fire of my search for understanding burned as brightly as ever. We are, in fact, fighting to save SRF from itselffrom the grip of sectarianism and self-serving institutionalism that betray Paramhansa Yoganandas spirithis compassion, kindness, tolerance, and his unflagging zeal to spread the message of Self-realization freely to all. by | Dec 17, 2021 | termination letter to employee due to business closure | national board for health and wellness coaching | Dec 17, 2021 | termination letter to employee due to business closure | national board for health and wellness coaching A special day dedicated to the Temple . While reading books written by other Indian saints, I would wonder at the relatively pale expression of Yoganandas thoughts, as edited by SRF. Twenty years after moving to Ananda, I was asked by the communitys manager, Vidura Smallen, in January 1996 if I would be willing to move to the branch community in Mountain View, on the San Francisco peninsula, to help with Anandas legal defense against the SRF lawsuit. In numerous news reports former members have spoken out about the abuse they endured under Spriggs harsh totalitarian rule. Om Peace Amen. Amazingly, the community tolerated this behavior, primarily because of the gentle urging of Swami Kriyananda. although he was supposed to be celibate. Its title pretty much describes what you'll see: " Miss . Ananda became more and more famous as Walters tirelessly promoted it around the country. Ananda Meditation Retreat is located 6 miles from Ananda Village. Many of his followers left in the 90s. David Hoffman a retired psychiatrist writes a dear doctor column dispensing advice and answering questions through the La Jolla Light. One recent column was rerun within the Mammoth Times. She says that his practice is designed to awaken Kundalini energy., Well, if Kundalini energy means collecting cash and sex scandals, Bhajan certainly has conducted something of a wake up call.. So it seems that there may be more to the diet doctors regime than meets the eye. After recounting his personal history Hoffman eventually answers a readers inquiry about the meaning of dreams. The yogi makes money from businesses run by his yoga disciples, but was sued for assault, battery, fraud and deceit. He decided to settle out of court. More recently a controversy arose regarding an Integral Yoga International (IYI) student in New York City who attended a 30-day retreat at Yogaville, the groups retreat in Virginia. Is a yoga website promoting cult groups? Study, practice and serve surrounded by diverse andspiritually supportive friends. This world is a mixed bag, poorly accommodating to the tidy, black-or-white divisive tendencies of the human mind. Ananda Village is a spiritual community of over 200 residents approximately 25 minutes north of downtown Nevada City. How Much Respect Did Masters Chief Editor Have for His Judgment? This is certainly not the first precedent-setting case for Green. Some of the scheduled Ananda events and activities take place in this lovely setting. SRF even sought to gain exclusive rights to the term Self-realization.. In such puffery reporters largely let the cult tell the story, without asking anything really tough, or follow-up questions. (Paramhansa Yogananda said that Mr. Black was second in spiritual stature among his male disciples, after Rajarsi Janakananda.). But despite such observations Westerners often suppose smugly that they are somehow less susceptible to spiritual hucksters, than say people in Calcutta. Nearly always, the pictures showed him in far-flung lands, usually India or Southeast Asia. When disciples wrote to Mt. They were talking about their activities as Christian devotees. Far from being covered up by the communitys leaders, they were circulated openly: how SRF refused to sell us books for sale at Anandas guest retreat. A video visit to Ananda Assisi Millions will die., On one occasion he cried: You dont know what a terrible cataclysm is coming!. This was particularly true of Yoganandas writings and printed talks, which to my writers ear and eye, appeared to have been subjected to an editorial handthat was overly concerned with propriety, as if it were more important to portray the Master as a good grammarian than to convey his vibrations. However, there are those reporters who seem to be more interested in presenting a pretty picture for their community, than exposing the truth about cults. Maybe so, but meditation can also render practitioners more suggestible. She also alleged that J. Donald Walters--known to devotees as Swami Kriyananda--made unwanted sexual advances toward her when she turned to him for help. The day will come, he predicted, when this idea will spread through the world like wildfire. I have seen hundreds of children being educated in living wisdom, discovering that life has a deep meaning and a joyful purpose, and that positive values are the surest path to happiness. Bombay is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala.The film tells the story of an inter-religious family in Bombay before and during the Bombay riots, which took place between December 1992 and January 1993 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid led to religious tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities. It was not only the form of the letter that had changed, but the contents, which seemed to be cut from a mold, whereas Brother Bhaktanandas letters had been rich with inspiration and individual advice. They consider themselves freer for their possessions, and dont see how their possessions in turn have possessed them!. It was simply an advanced disciples rendering of the Gurus aid to a disciple who desperately needed it. I say this in indignant refutation of SRFs claims to the contrary. Three recent stories about well-known groups often called cults, expose what looks like a penchant for puff pieces. It existed one hundred percent on the planeof spiritual aspiration. One or the other trend will eventually define the organization. Check first, enroll later, might be a good motto. You can visit Ananda Village, join classes and immersion programs in person, or you can take a wide variety of classes at a distance through Online with Ananda. Brother Dharmananda began the interview by asking me some questionsthat were clearly intended to test my spiritual mettle. Buy land in the country. Pool your resources. Thats exactly what it is!. I had simply prayed with total zeal, and I had frequently found God answering my prayers through these inspiring people. The Guru zealously helps his children, using whatever instruments are at hand. Far from leaving me bereft, the realization that even saints can make mistakes, eventually inspired me. Isnt this a bit like the foxes guarding the hen house? It has helped me as I have family in SRF who question why. "You really find out who your friends are," she said. Many Westerners are enthralled with the practice and hope that yoga will help them to shed pounds and firm up. (How long have you been meditating? About eight years. Well, thats nothing! I know), I said, Ive been thinking of moving to Ananda Village, and Id like to know your thoughts on the matter. Dharmananda fell silent. A plethora of neo-eastern gurus and New Age types are hoping to cash in on the yoga craze. Like all God-inspired prophets, Lahiri Mahasaya gave new hope to the outcastes and down-trodden of society. Presumably, then, the organization exists solely for the propagation of the methods of inner communion, Yet the instances of Daya Matas service to disciples as a direct channel for her Gurus blessings are too well known among SRFs own members even to require mentioning. One yoga website seems to do little if any meaningful research before recommending classes or styles to potential yoga beginners. Anandas founder J. Donald Walters was found guilty of sexual misconduct and plaintiffs were awarded a staggering multi-million dollar judgment. I still hold them in the highest regard. Now you can learn the true story in the words of the Ananda members themselves that reveal their sincere dedication, and their devotion to serving the Gurus work creatively, free from top-down, micromanaging, Kali Yuga centralized control. Before moving to Ananda, I had an interview with Brother Dharmananda, to discuss whether I should apply to enter the SRF monastic order, or if I should move to Ananda Village. On the weekends, I regularly spent the entire day walking in nature and praying to Yogananda while I pursued my hobby of photography. With Brother Bhaktanandas encouragement, I had taken up running for exercise. I was a member of the Lay Disciples group during the latter part of that period, and I served briefly as a part-time volunteer gardener and second service leader at the SRF church in Redondo Beach. This was true of each SRF gathering I ever attended. The award is given to the lawyer or lawyers who make the greatest contribution to the public interest by trying or settling a precedent-setting case, reports the Alameda Times-Star. And then there is the lucrative faith healing business, which supports apparent posers such as the popular Benny Hinn. What is the matter with you people? The Twelve Tribes has a horrific history of child abuse, terrible custody battles, kidnappings and harsh exploitation, which rivals some of the worst cults in America. Ananda needs no special place for its existence; it could thrive in the middle of New York City. A few members left over the years, as would be expected of any organization with over 700 resident members worldwide. Kriyananda is a good monk. Browsing there on a Saturday evening in 1974, I picked up a copy of Swami Kriyanandas book, Cooperative CommunitiesHow to Start Them, and Why. Swami Kriyananda had founded Ananda as the fulfillment of one of the fourteen points that Paramhansa Yogananda listed in the first edition of Autobiography of a Yogi as main elements of his world mission: To spread a spirit of brotherhood among all peoples, and to aid in establishing, in many countries, self-sustaining world brotherhood colonies for plain living and high thinking. All references to the world brotherhood colony idea were removed by SRF from editions of Autobiography of a Yogi published after the Masters death. Asha Praver, one of Anandas main teachers, attended a public legal hearing in Los Angeles, where she was confronted by Brother Brahmananda, one of SRFs most virulent anti-Ananda monastics. Since she left Ananda, her husband has been very supportive, she said. Washington, they were answered by a mens or womens correspondent. I recall, during my first days as a resident at Ananda, once telling Swami Kriyananda, I believe youre my spiritual teacher. He was pulling on his boots in the vestibule of the publications building. Rich McCord, Chairman of YAs pivotal Standards Committee, actually teaches at the Ananda Church of Self-Realization, which has been labeled a cult in court. The time is short, he repeatedly told his audiences. The saintslie? Beyond a certain point, however, restraint became improperI am referring to the point at which SRF removed its kid gloves and began trying to bankrupt Ananda with its crippling lawsuit. I hope to visit Ananda 1 day although I not done Kryananda or lessons but am drawn all the same. I was consumed with zeal to experience God, and in my search, SRF served me admirably. With its lawsuit against Ananda, SRF is fighting for much higher stakes than the destruction of a single rival organization; it is attempting to send a warning to all future devotees: Dont cross us, or try to receive the Masters teachings without our approval, or you will feel our wrath. In my view, Ananda is a vitally important test casefor the future of Masters work. But others in their enthusiasm regarding this pop craze have been less prudent. 50 years: past, present, and futureexpressed by different Ananda communities and ministers from around the world. I laugh, when I compare my memories of the eternally tidySRF monastics with the specter of Ananta McSweeney, the outsized and formidably good-humored former head gardener at Ananda Village, consuming a lunch of baked spaghetti squash seasoned with butter and molasses, in soil-dusted overalls, his long red hairbraided and graced with protruding straws. ananda village controversybuddy miles them changes lyrics. I discovered from my own, direct experience how absurd it is to claim, as certain SRF members have, that the Guru doesnt need instruments. One of our Ananda members, Shivani Lucki, put it well: Lord, you dont have arms and legs, and I dont have a brain. When Brother Anandamoy violently criticized Swami Kriyananda to a group of Ananda members, for example, Swami Kriyananda wrote him a letter in which he said (I am paraphrasing): I thank you for your criticisms, because they impel me to bless you even more than ever. As for mocking the SRF organization, the truth is, SRFs own statements and behavior made invention superfluous, even if we had been so inclined. The spirit of Paramhansa Yogananda permeated SRF. Ananda has given me many blessings. And its important to understand just who you are becoming suggestible to and within what type of environment. I have seen many of them grow profoundly in their attunement with the Guru, to the point where to be in their presence is a blessing. In the mid-1980's Ananda Europa was founded in Assisi, Italy. And eventually that cannot be ignored, even in Ithaca, Kingston or Sydney. Not for a moment did I feel that by leaving the organizationhe had founded, I had offended him, or that I had been expelled from his spiritual family. The group Ananda Marga first initiated Steven Landau, Chairman of the YA Newsletter Committee. The monks are encouraged to run daily.) Learning of the famed Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco, I entered and had a wonderful time. For 39 years, Nayaswami Asha faithfully recorded the life of a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. Daya Mata had said that she would never be able to die until this Ananda matter is resolved. In other words, until Kriyananda and Ananda were once and for all put out of business. Roberts writes, Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) devoted 45 years of his life to studying the teachings of Parmahansa Yogananda.. Does America need a crack down? Unless otherwise noted, all material on this site is Copyright Rick Ross. In terms of actual techniques do they vary much? Instead, I meet with a small group of friends for worship. The SRF headquarters were not yet called Mother Center at the time. But who it depicts and the time during which it was erected here has ignited new firestorms of emotion. "When I learned what other people had gone through, I decided to go forward," she said. I loved the SRF senior monastics as older, more experienced brothers and sisters in God, and I felt profoundly inspired in their presence. Far from advertising itself as connected with SRF, Anandas residents made it clear to me that, even if they had wanted to pass themselves off as connected with SRF, they could not possibly have done so, since SRF made a special point of publicly and aggressively attacking Ananda and Kriyananda. Walters was also sued by the Fellowship for copyright infringement and lost. At the time, there was a small new-age bookstore in Palo Alto that was run by a Sufi group. While still a monk in SRF, Swami Kriyananda asked Daya Mata about this idea, and she replied, Frankly, Im not interested. SRFs official position is that the time is not yet ripe for this colony idea. To make a long story short, I began doing volunteer work for Runners World, translating magazine articles and taking pictures. Why, then, was I required to wait for months to learn the most basic technique, Hong-Sau? And if you are not interested in their beliefs, their yoga classes are probably not for you. Wurmbrand would often read from the writings of simple Rumanian devotees who, lacking formal instruction from the church, had molded their understanding of Christs teachings directly, from their reading of the Bible and their own devotions. Your experience matches my intuitive feelings about the individuals behind the organizations, and I am grateful to you. Ananda Meditation Retreat offers Personal Retreat and Mentored Personal Retreat stays, as well as Silent Group Retreats, Womens Retreats and more! A spiritual dynamo, Ananta was eventually ordained as a minister and authorized by Swami Kriyananda to give initiation in Kriya Yoga. SRFs policies, if carried to their logical and ridiculous extreme, would dictate that disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda who were forced to live under similar circumstances could never be recognized as disciples, since they would be unable to receive his teachings from SRF. Ive been on the path for 35 years. During my initial visits, and later, during my years of residence at Ananda Village, it was natural for us to talk about SRF, if only because SRF behaved so intolerantly towards us. I settled into an apartment in Mill Valley and kept up my association with SRF, tithing regularly and performing small service projects, such as translating letters from SRFs members in Germany. Is thiswhat the Master wanted? A quick rule of thumb might also be, if you see some gurus picture on the wall, or religious statues in the entrance area or practice room, something more than yoga might be lurking within the instruction. I would come to understand that saints who havent yet fully realized God are like spiritual elder brothers and sisters, holding a light to guide our way. Anti-cult attorney nominated for prestigious award. Hopefully, visitors to her website will do some cursory checking before becoming involved with some of the groups listed. matheson rooftop menu. Swami Satchidananda, Yogi Bhajan and Bhagwhan Shree Rajneesh are three examples of such migrating God men who marketed their supernatural powers in the United States. It is based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and was founded by his direct disciple Swami Kriyananda in 1968. In addition, you will hear the deeply inspiring personal stories of people who dedicated themselves to living by sincere self-offering to God and Guru in prayer and meditation and humble service to Their cause, and how, as a result, they found profound success and happiness. He would have to study the Bible in secret, and meet clandestinely with like-minded friends. Ananda Meditation Retreat offers Personal Retreat and Mentored Personal Retreat stays, as well as Silent Group Retreats, Women's Retreats and more! When SRF sued Ananda in 1990, we would discover that Anandas destruction had become a guiding obsession with SRFa virulent fixation that had been ingrained in the institution by some of its leading lights, most notably Tara Mata. Take a Program Online Online with Ananda Decentralization, not strong central control, is the spirit of this age. Swami Satchidananda, a guru and purported cult leader died last year and moved on to his next life, that is for those who believe in reincarnation. My work in Anandas legal office consisted mainly of mundane chores: copying thousands of pages of legal papers, doing research at the library, formatting legal briefs on the computer, and delivering papers. Her reasoning was, as I say, sound. How an SRF monastic had criticized Kriyananda scathingly to a group of visiting Ananda members at SRFs guest retreat in Encinitas. Former secretaries said he was more of a predator than a celibate. Ms. Roberts doesnt appear to do much research before listing yoga teachers? If the blueprint for Masters work has been sewn in the ether, as he said, we can only assume that the essence of that blueprint, as of his teachings, is love. Not Hindus only, but Moslems and Christians were among his foremost disciples. For 39 years, Nayaswami Asha faithfully recorded the life of a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. Those of us who lived at Ananda found it incredible that SRF would stick to the same old, patently absurd claimsthat Swami Kriyananda touted himself as a guru, that Ananda was trying to pass itself off as part of SRF, etc.when we all knew them to be untrue. And the helping professional occupies a position of power and influence in that persons life during the course of their therapy/counseling. But how can a hopeful student find a reputable studio with a good teacher? Doctors like Hoffman may believe whatever the want, but such personal beliefs should not be passed off as part of the practice of medicine. If I were to return in a hundred years I doubt if I would even recognize it.. In its ten-year legal barrage against Ananda, SRFs behavior is hardly reflective of the courageous dedication to truth that Yogananda espoused. Increasingly, more and more Americans are engaging in the practice of Yoga. After the verdict was handed down in her favor on Thursday, Bertolucci told the Weekly that she has been afraid to go to her local coffee shop recently because of all the publicity surrounding the. American law does not look kindly on religious monopolies. I joined Self-Realization Fellowship nearly thirty-four years ago, in August, 1967. Before leaving SRF, I had assumed that matters of church policy were none of my concern. Ford Green is an Advisory Board member of The Ross Institute. Ananda is a worldwide movement to help you realize the joy of your own higher Self. But almost none left because they were persuaded by SRFs claims; nor did they turn against Ananda upon leaving. The organization, meanwhile, left me indifferent. I treasure the blessings I received from Brothers Bhaktananda, Dharmananda, and Turiyananda, as well as from Daya Mata. At the time, I chalked it up to institutional jealousy. I immediately moved to Mountain View, on the San Francisco peninsula, and began working at Runners World as an assistant editor and staff photographer. Their motto appears to be; Make nice, be happy and ignore reality. Since he was kicked out of SRF, he has led hundreds, perhaps thousands of public gatherings. Yogi Bhajan of 3HO is perhaps the most controversial figure listed by Roberts. A flurry of increasingly urgent letters from the Mother Center only exhorted me to keep up my tithes. Did this style somehow awaken criminal energy? How another monk had called Swami Kriyananda the Anti-Christ. How SRF accused Swami Kriyananda of pretending to be a guru and distorting Yoganandas teachings. One sees it everywhere today. It includes a retreat center, multiple temples, a well-known garden, market, school, dairy, goat dairy, and vegetable farm. Down under an Australian journalist seems to be plugging away for Scientology. Gurus faithful continue to manage his substantial assets. In the apartment complex where I live, no one ever complains when someone organizes a rousing kirtan in the beautiful central courtyard on a balmy summer evening. Swami Kriyananda asked several members of the staff to meet with him to discuss the marketing of one of his books. But I find little joy in the thought of going backward in time, toward authoritarian religious institutionalism. Manifest contractive, cold-hearted attitudes based on ruthless organizational pettiness and jealousy? I moved to Ananda Village in February, 1976. In 1946, his guru, Yogananda, in his epic "Autobiography of a Yogi," had expressed his desire to create a Yoga Institute: "I plan to open a Yoga Institute here. This is what SRF would destroy, in the name of sectarian jealousy and doctrinal purity. So far, their efforts have been profoundly unsuccessfulthanks, unquestionably, to the protection of our Guru, but thanks also to the immense hard work of Anandas disciples on his behalf. For a lunch, visitors will find delicious vegetarian fare at the Expanding Light Retreat or at Master's Market in downtown Ananda Village. Kartar Singh Khalsa, Co-head of Teachers Outreach, is a devotee of Yogi Bhajan the founder of 3HO. Some say it may also lead to a sense of inner calm and tranquility. Bertolucci said that she threw herself into her work as a computer programmer in San Francisco and visited her therapist regularly to help her come to terms with the ongoing harassment. According to her attorney Mike Flynn, Bertolucci, then 28, was one of the church's most enthusiastic devotees. But beware. Reflecting on the case, I can imagine that Paramhansa Yogananda intended it to be so. ananda village controversy. I think I speak for others when I say that I entered this path full of joyful expectationthat God can be known as the joyful Spirit residing in each one of us. Louise Royston couldnt realize what presentation would be the most effective in terms of reaching peoples actual understanding, satisfying their immediate needs, holding their interest, and answering their latent doubts before those doubts even arose. Even if SRF bent its rules and gave tacit support, wouldnt the organization, given itspresent mind-set, tend to feel a bit nervous about such groups, lest they, when their countries became free, might decide to create their own, separate churches, based on the strong local focus of spiritual energy and magnetism that had been generated during the times of persecution? I neednt have worried When we arrived, we found Swamiji playing The Vatican Rag, a recording by MIT professor Tom Lehrer, and laughing heartily: First you get down on your knees And what did SRF discover? Left over the years, Nayaswami Asha faithfully recorded the life of a direct disciple Paramhansa. 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