Ananda Family News

Re-Landscaping at the Temple

2012-05-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

One recent Saturday, 17 souls from the “Sadhaka Excel” Monday night satsang group swept like a swarm of avenging landscapers over the front gardens of the Ananda Sangha temple on El Camino Real. The gardens which once served to frame our lovely church building were last reworked 13 years ago, and have more recently begun instead to hide the beautiful old mission-style building from motorists passing by. And hiding isnʼt something an organization with a worldwide message wants to do.

So, after morning snacks and an opening prayer, the Sadhaka group went to work. Under Sahadevʼs able guidance, they cut, hacked, dug, and took the old vegetation right down to the roots. Some of the old bushes had grown over 6 feet tall, completely blocking the view of what was behind them. A few of the best old plants were saved to use around the edge of the parking lot and the piazza, filling in gaps where older trees had passed on into the arboreal astral world. Climbing ladders, the sadhakas tore the old vines off the walls, allowing the original arches to show themselves off again. The trees along the sidewalk were pruned of drooping branches.

Thanks to a day of joyful devotion and energy, passersby can again see what a wonderful shape our temple has. New flowers are already planted to give instant color to the front garden until the next major revision is mapped out. This workday is envisioned as the first of many more steps yet to come in restoring the exterior of our temple site to all its former glory, and more!

(More photos here.)

On the Migratory Patterns of Swamis

2012-05-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

Swami Kriyananda is nowadays dividing each year roughly between Italy, India, and Ananda Village. Palo Alto has the privilege of being relatively convenient to a major international airport, and so we occasionally get to host him as he rests up between legs of a journey. Swami and entourage arrived last Wednesday evening from Italy, and spent a few days in Chela Bhavan before making the drive up to the Village. His arrivals and departures are always occasions for “driveway satsang,” with devotees gathering to shower him with rose petals and pranams as he passes through. (Photos are here.)

In between comings and goings this time, Swamiji paid a visit to the Living Wisdom School. Such visits tend to be rather last-minute affairs, but they still managed to assemble all the students, teachers, and even a fair number of parents there to greet him. He gave a short talk, leaving everyone with the advice to “make your mission in life helping others to be happy.”

By the way, if you haven’t already heard, Swamiji will be coming back through Palo Alto in September, and will be giving a public talk on Sunday the 16th. Save the date!

Jyotish, Devi, and the Annual Appeal

2012-05-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend we were pleased to have Jyotish and Devi visiting Palo Alto from Ananda Village. After giving Sunday Service, they shared with us all the ways in which Ananda’s worldwide outreach has been growing over the last year (hint: it’s impressive). The presentation also included a video of many people who are directly involved in the different projects sharing highlights and success stories.

Some of the ways in which Ananda is serving the world include the Ananda.org website, the Online with Ananda classes and webinars, the Healing Prayers ministry, Crystal Clarity Publishing, Clarity Magazine, meditation support, and much more. See the whole list here (and make a donation, too, if you like).

The Annual Appeal in support of all these ministries reached its goal of $325,000 last year, with about $21,000 of that coming from Palo Altans. It’s incredible what we can do with that kind of support, so let’s get there again for 2102!

You can see some photos of Sunday Service with Jyotish and Devi here.

Easter Celebrations

2012-04-12T20:31:00.001-07:00

Easter Sunday began with a very special Sunday service, featuring a number of reprised choir pieces from the celebratory end of the Oratorio. Rita also led the entire congregation in a dance to Velvali’s performance of “Children of God.” If you weren’t one of the volunteers up on stage with her, you have to try that next time. It’s a beautiful sight.

From there, we shifted our base of operations to the community courtyard, where the smaller-bodied among us very conscientiously divested the grounds of eggs. Our local Easter Bunny aided the proceedings and supplied “spiritual Easter eggs” to those of us too tall to compete for the ones on the ground.

Our outdoor Easter banquet (in perfect weather, by the way) consisted of carrot-ginger soup, salad, spinach frittata, roasted potatoes, various tasty dessert items, and lots of laughter and fun satsang.

And then, of course, there was the entertainment, which left no stop un-pulled-out. Graham performed a pair of Mary Poppins-inspired songs (can you say “sabikalba-nirbikalpa-karma-dharma-smritti” backwards?) and a barbershop quartet brought us Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, to perfectly capture the mood of a happy, Springtime celebration. The grand finale was when “The Colony People” performed their hit single Y.O.G.A. Click all those links to find the videos and lyrics; they are not to be missed. And while you’re at it, here are all the photos.

Funny, isn’t it, how Y.O.G.A. is practically indistinguishable from Children of God in a still photograph? Truly, Spirit unites us all....

Raja Yoga 2012

2012-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

The three-month Raja Yoga class has always been one of the crown jewels of our offerings here. Read on as another delighted graduating class shares their impressions, in photos and testimonials.

“Taking this Raja Yoga class series has helped me to fully experience the transfer and connection of energy throughout my practice and spread it throughout my day to others.”
-Vanessa

“This is a class that helps you understand more of what Ananda is: the teachings and how our life is affected by our own thoughts and choices.”
-Char

“Community creating, sharing and growing together, heart expanding, connecting to Spirit, connecting to all.”
-Simone

“Raja Yoga is a powerful ride that begins so subtly that you don’t realize until it’s too late that you have wandered far away and strangely come home.”
-Brian

“Terrific class for receiving a grounding in everything yoga — philosophy, postures, pranayama, health, diet, and meditation — all the while experiencing a great community. Finally a class that brings the big picture together!”
-Donna

“An engaging and insightful class that is an important stepping stone on the road to spiritual development.”
-Manol

Easter Oratorio

2012-03-30T10:36:00.001-07:00

It’s been a couple of years since we last performed the entire Christ Lives Oratorio here, but we brought it back in style this past weekend after Sunday service. David Eby came down from the Village to conduct and inspire the choir, whose ranks were swelled by a number of singers from the Village, Portland, L.A. and, apparently, the astral world. Several newer soloists got to perform (including Rita, D’Arcy, and Graham), and we also enjoyed having Chaitanya back for some of his wonderful tenor solos, including “Psalm of David,” accompanied by one of Rita’s dances.

Several much-appreciated volunteers were responsible for videotaping the entire concert, and we’ve been improving our recording process in the temple. So while nothing is really like being there, this at least begins to do our wonderful choir some justice. If you missed the show, or if you just want to re-experience it, you can watch it below, or listen to it as you browse through the photos.

Oratorio concert at Ananda Palo Alto (March 2012)

from Ananda Palo Alto on Vimeo.

Happy almost-Easter!

The Subject Tonight Is Love

2012-03-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

The subject tonight is Love
And tomorrow night as well.

As a matter of fact,
I know of no better topic
For us to discuss
Until we all
Die!

-Hafiz

The subject of this year’s Living Wisdom School play was Love, taking form in the life and poetry of Hafiz, mystic poet of medieval Persia. Over 70 children —every student in the school— took to the stage in a glorious pageant illustrating the transformation of human love into Divine love.

As a young man, Hafiz fell madly in love with the beautiful daughter of a family above his station, and began writing and reciting poetry that quickly gained renown. His feelings finally led him to undertake a 40-night vigil at the tomb of a great saint who was said to grant such a worthy supplicant’s heart’s desire. When he reached the end of the vigil, the archangel Gabriel appeared before him. In the radiant beauty of God’s angel, Hafiz forgot his human love and desired only to know and love God. And so Gabriel guided him to his spiritual teacher Shiraz, who would in time lead Hafiz and his poetry to God-realization.

If you think I am having more fun

Than anyone on this planet

You are absolutely correct.

There is a fascinating quality to LWS productions that was particularly powerful in this performance, which is that there very noticeably seemed to be two distinct plays going on simultaneously. If you tilt your head just right, you can see these are children who have grown into their voices, bodies, and self-control to widely varying degrees. You can feel the poetry’s translation into a new language, and into little bodies. It can almost seem like a school play.

But shift your mind and heart back over that subtle dividing line, and you can feel the enormous power behind these words and bodies, animating the entire hall. That’s where the real performance is taking place. That’s the part that leaves you grinning through tears for the sheer beauty of it. That is God’s power as it acts through our own lives every day, made more visible to us for one beautiful evening on the stage.

The five Hafizes.

You can find some more photos here, and a beautiful slideshow here, courtesy of Heather.

What We've Been Up To

2012-03-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

After Sunday service this weekend (and lunch), we invited everyone back into the temple for our annual-ish church meeting, reviewing the accomplishments of the past year. If you missed the list of what’s been going on around here, prepare to be impressed....

Ananda Church

Initiations & Ordinations

34 Disciples
10 Kriyabans
14 Sadhakas
1 Lightbearer
1 Minister

New Programs & Directions

Meditation 1, 2 & 3 offered in Spanish
Raja Yoga 2
Heart to Heart discussion group
AKASH class series
Gateway to Membership
Wedding Renewal for 16 couples
Kirtans now every week
Introduction to Self-Realization after Sunday Service

Outreach

Meditation groups launched in San Jose, San Carlos, Fremont, and San Francisco.
Weekly email lists: Ananda Family News, Ask Asha
Database shifted to the cloud, using Salesforce
Banner: “Google can't satisfy every search.”
Ananda Palo Alto’s website in 2011:

more than 2,000,000 hits
over 100,000 unique visits
people have listened to or watched more than 250,000 videos of recorded classes, music, and Sunday services

Buildings

Refurbished the outside of the teaching center: stucco, paint, and new windows
Installation of religious symbols in the Temple

Initiatives

Free & Clear raised $425,000 of $1,000,000 needed
Thank You & Goodbye (remember Ananda in your will) now established
Expanded our self-concept to be the Ananda Community for Self-Realization
New membership process with Gateway to Membership monthly gatherings

Ananda Residential Community

Shrine to Lahiri built by the Sadhaka Training Group
Community Supported Agriculture had an outstanding first season
Local Exchange Network (national non-money system) launched

East West Bookshop

Now is the largest independent metaphysical bookstore in California
Management passed gracefully from Tushti and Surendra to Graham and Nooshin
December 2011 sales up 9% from year before
January and February 2012 sales up $30,000 from year before
Again voted “Best Place for Unusual Gifts” (won every year since 1996)

Living Wisdom School

Enrollment higher than ever: more than 70 children this year
Increased interest allows us to be more selective in accepting students
Successful internship program is developing talented new teachers
Theater Magic broke all records for attendance: over 1,000 people

Jai us!

Shivaratri Kirtan

2012-02-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

February 20th this year was Shivaratri, the Hindu festival day dedicated to Lord Shiva. We took the opportunity at Friday’s kirtan of diving a little more deeply into the vast ocean of Indian chants. We had a wonderful turnout of harmoniums, guitars, percussion, and singers filling the temple with devotional chants to Shiva (along with a few to his son, Ganesha).

As Asha occasionally reminds us, our teachings are “about as Hindu as they are Catholic,” and the style of chanting that Master created reflects that uniqueness of his overall mission. But it’s fun sometimes to tip a bit over to one side of the scale or the other. Repetitions of the many many names of Shiva may not be as automatically meaningful to Western ears, but that can also be a good excuse to leave the intellect behind entirely for a time and just become absorbed in the devotional flow of the music.

More photos here.

Members' Candlelight Tea

2012-02-14T20:16:00.001-08:00

On Saturday night we held our annual Members’ Candlelight Tea celebration, in which we dress ourselves up a bit and come together to celebrate the wonderful satsang we have and the powerful community we’ve created by being a part of Ananda. If you were at service on Sunday, you got to see the magnificent display reaching to the rafters and forming a seat for Master, as our guest of honor. It was just too lovely to take down after a single evening.

The “tea” aspect of this evening is a bit of a misnomer, of course. One of the other things Ananda members tend to be good at creating, besides spiritual community, is good food. While there probably was tea available somewhere, the Department of Delicious Delicacies was dominated by a potluck spread of both savories and sweets, including the ever-popular chocolate fountain.

Another thing we’re good at creating? Music. The choir tends to have more than its fair share of that fun, though, so this time everybody was involved. Karen found two songs with nice, simple 2-part arrangements: “I Live Without Fear” and “Brave Were the People.” With everyone divided into four groups, and with a bit of guidance from experienced singers, each group learned one part of one song. Then each half of the audience got to regale the other half with their newfound talents.

As an added treat for the evening, several of our more historical souls put together a fascinating slideshow. Narrated primarily by David G., the Pravers, and pretty much anybody who wanted to call anything out, it stretched from the early days of Ananda Village, through the founding of the Palo Alto colony, to the present day. If you’ve ever wanted to see Asha in a Mickey Mouse hat, the Ananda baseball team, the original East West store, or the church before we renovated it, now’s your chance. You can see the whole slideshow here, and more photos of the rest of the event here.

The greatest blessing in all the three worlds is a true guru, but true gurubhais are pretty high on the list as well. Thank you all.

Farewell to Tushti and Surendra

2012-01-18T17:35:00.000-08:00

The new year has been bringing its new changes, and last week we bid farewell to our dear friends Tushti and Surendra. They’re moving on to new adventures at Ananda Laurelwood, where they’ll help create and develop the new Education for Life campus there.

Over the nine years they’ve spent in Palo Alto, Tushti and Surendra have been managers of East West, shepherding it lovingly through trying economic times. They’ve also directed the yoga center, taught many meditation classes, led the Sadhaka training group, and been tireless examples of devoted service, inspiring everyone who met them.

Tushti and Surendra, with the Masters,

as always, watching over them.

On New Year’s Day we held a going-away party for them at Chela Bhavan (photos here), sharing lots of food, stories, and expressions of friendship and gratitude. And, just so they could take a little bit of us along with them, we even presented them with 108 custom-made fortune cookies, each containing a personal note or a blessing from one of their many friends. At the following Sunday service, we also got to publicly acknowledge them and send them off with a chorus of Aums from the congregation.

Thank you, Tushti and Surendra, for everything you’ve given and shared with us here. We’ll miss you, but we wish you much joy and many blessings in your new roles.

Master's Birthday

2012-01-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, January 5th, was the anniversary of Paramhansa Yogananda’s birthday, the day when we all wish each other “Happy Birthday” in joyful gratitude for the spiritual birth he made possible for all of us.

Of course, we wanted to wish Master a happy birthday as well, but what birthday gift do you get for the guru who has everything? Master used to say that he preferred a soul to a crowd, but he loved crowds of souls. And so, along with the flowers we brought to the altar Thursday evening, we brought crowds of souls before him to remind him (and ourselves) of our dedication to God and guru. From truth-seekers on other paths (or still finding their paths), to Ananda church members, to disciples, Sadhakas, and Sevakas, there was an appropriate vow and moment at the altar for everyone.

The choir sang a couple of songs (“O Master,” of course, a singalong at the end), and there were chants throughout the evening. But the full focus was on offering ourselves back to Master, who offered spiritual liberation to us.

Aum Guru.

(See more photos of the evening here.)

New Year's Eve Ceremonies

2012-01-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

As with our Christmas Eve service, we experimented this year with holding our New Year celebrations earlier in the evening, rather than doing a midnight service. Judging by the attendance at each, we have a lot of early birds in the community who appreciated it!

The evening began with a meditation, and a Nayaswami Order initiation ceremony, in which we welcomed in Adam, Joycee, and Amit as Pilgrims and a conditional (one-year) Brahmachari, respectively.

The initiation ceremony is very simple -- just an introduction from Asha and a recitation of the vows -- but incredibly powerful. Like a wedding, it has the power of human commitment supported by a loving community. But with God on the other end of each person’s vow the intensity is deepened immeasurably.

For the service portion of the evening we tried a completely new format, in which we got to go deeper into mantra chanting than we usually do. We began with 15 minutes of the Hring Kling mantra, for dissolving obstacles of all types, whether physical or spiritual. That was followed by 15 minutes each of the Gayatri and Mahamritunjaya mantras, more familiar from our Sunday fire ceremonies, which are chants for personal liberation, and for the upliftment of all beings. We ended with the Aum mantra, accompanying a purification ceremony -- an excellent way to set a spiritual intention for the new year.

Throughout the mantras and the purification ceremony, we had a large indoor fire, cleverly created out of candles fixed in the copper fire ceremony bowl filled with sand. This was very civilized for most of the hour and a half that it burned, but got much more exciting towards the end. The combined heat of all the candles (not to mention the burning purification papers thrown in with them) burned them down very quickly, until the bowl was one flaming mass of melted wax. It was actually quite dramatically beautiful, though it was also reassuring to have Nirmoha on hand with a lid, ready to intervene if it got out of hand.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Services

2011-12-28T17:25:00.000-08:00

Our always-gorgeous Christmas services had some new tweaks this year.

Christmas Eve featured a live creche scene that built up throughout the Festival of Light. Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus were summoned “by the call of aspiring love” as it says in the Festival, embodied in the song “Cloisters” and Rita’s dance of a devotee. The family was then joined by angels, shepherds, and wise men, all accompanied by appropriate music. Having actual, living presences up on the stage, all so consciously holding the vibration deeply intensified the unfolding of the story. And it gave a powerful focal point for the audience’s devotion, when everybody joined in the arati and offered their candles to the baby at the altar. (See all the photos here.)

The family service on Christmas Day featured the same live creche, but with an extended cast of smaller angels, shepherds, and wise men enacting Asha’s telling of the Christmas tale. This year also included a sweet new scene in which Asha donned a yarmulke and played the part of the rabbi marrying Joseph and Mary.

After the service was the Christmas banquet. The grand finale of the day involved a rendition of “The 12 Days of Christmas” that outdid even our enthusiastic attempts at the Christmas parties. The days were assigned to different tables, and the gifts were acted out with great alacrity and gusto!

More photos of Christmas Day are here. Merry Christmas to all!

Continuing Celebrations: Meditation and Caroling

2011-12-21T16:49:00.000-08:00

This weekend we celebrated what may traditionally be known as “Duality Awareness Week,” in which we juxtapose our most inwardly-focused and outwardly-focused Christmas celebrations. Representing the inward direction, Saturday was our annual 8-hour Christmas meditation. Many devotees gathered in the temple for a day of meditation, interspersed with chanting and recordings of Master and Swamiji. A few lovely photos are here.

On Sunday, we directed our Christmas cheer outward again, with a huge caroling party serenading the neighborhood. Also, in complete contradistinction to last weekend’s party, rather than having a potluck followed by singing, we went out singing first and then ate. Well, to be perfectly accurate, we sang, then ate, then sang again. It was just that sort of a night. (And there was some lovely a cappella harmonizing toward the end of the evening.)

May you feel Christ’s presence within you and around you this Christmas season!

Carols and Calories at the Christmas Party

2011-12-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

This weekend was the annual double-header Christmas party at Chela Bhavan. Having the party on both Saturday and Sunday evenings ostensibly allows people who can’t make it to one come to the other, though they’re enough fun that a huge number of people just came to both. The many potluck dishes included such Christmas miracles as: orange-enhanced brownies that melted in your mouth and in your hand; pumpkin cake, a magical combination of cake and pumpkin pie; and what became known as Asha’s “Jesus Cookies,” that she spoke about in Sunday service. (If you weren’t there, she described the making of them in relation to Meister Eckhart’s quote, “I move my hand and Christ moves, who is my hand.”)

After the eating, socializing, and satsanging, came the singing (an excellent warmup for when we’ll take the carols around the neighborhood next week.) “The 12 Days of Christmas” was a particular winner, both nights. Helen got us organized into 12 groups to coordinate the singing of all the different gifts, and would have had us acting them all out as well, if we’d had any space to maneuver in at all. Shanti led the charge the second night, in what became an even more rousing rendition, thanks to our previous practice. A glitch in the very last verse tempted some people to start it over from the beginning but they were, luckily, outnumbered.

We did manage to get a group photo, but only on the second night. Imagine this times two. More photos can be found here.

Christmas Concert

2011-12-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, the Ananda Palo Alto choir put on its annual Christmas concert, following service. Well, following lunch following service, that is, which is a very popular way to have concerts around here these days. Many volunteers provided the main dish of vegetarian chili and cornbread, along with numerous other potluck items. We probably fit over 100 people into the yoga studio with all our tables deployed, but the weather was nice enough for folks to spill out into the courtyard as well.

After lunch, we shepherded everyone back into the temple for the concert (much of which was videotaped and photographed). The festivities opened with a women’s ensemble marching in with a rousing rendition of “Alle Psallite,” complete with drum, tambourine, and kirtals. The rest of the program was arranged thematically, starting with songs to Divine Mother (Mary), and moving through the birth of Christ, the rejoicing, and culminating in His Power (you can guess which song that was).

One of the fun things about the Christmas concert every year is that the choir gets to add a few new songs to their repertoire. And lots of good Christmas music has been written over the centuries, so we always manage to find a few gems. Dambara’s spellbinding performance of “I Wonder As I Wander” in the middle of the program really seemed to shift the experience of the entire concert to a deeper level. An ensemble sang Bach’s arrangement of “In Dulci Jubilo,” in a mix of Latin and English. And the whole choir plus numerous audience members sang the tremendously glorious — you guessed, right? — Hallelujah Chorus.

Inspired to start singing yet? Join us for Christmas caroling on the 18th!

Thanksgiving Celebration

2011-11-29T20:44:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving day at our temple started off with a service in which Nirmoha led us in a special ceremony of giving thanks. Two tables had been supplied with pens and a large number of fallen leaves of all colors. During the chanting of “O God Beautiful” we each got to take a leaf and write on it something we were thankful for, before taking it to the altar to offer back to the Masters. As an additional dimension, for those so inclined, we were encouraged to give thanks not just for something obviously good or enjoyable, but for something that we found challenging. Knowing that everything God sends us is for our own ultimate growth helps us to reframe a situation and be grateful for it, even in a moment when it might not seem so desirable. The colorful leaves not only complimented the altar beautifully, but reminded us that change itself can be beautiful.

The Thanksgiving banquet that followed the service was a masterpiece, even by Ananda standards. And I’m sure we were all glad to be eating nutloaf rather than turkey, as we enjoyed a reading from Master’s 1934 Thanksgiving letter. (One of many choice quotes: “Be sure to thank God for forgiving you for compelling the quickening of the turkey’s evolution against its own will. And also thank God that you are not the turkey, to be used for the festivity of Thanksgiving.”)

Other entertainment for the afternoon included “Praise Ye the Lord” performed by a small ensemble, followed by “Zen Gospel Singing,” with Trish and Graham. Accelerating the progression of divine silliness, Steven stole the show with “If I’d Only Meditate,” sung to the tune of “If I Only Had a Brain,” and performed complete with scarecrow costume. This one very much deserves a full reading of the lyrics. (There’s a video, too!)

If I’d Only Meditate

I’d be pious, I’d be humble,
Walk the path without a stumble,
And radiate with joy.
Never dreary, always cheery;
I could be the next Lahiri,
If I’d only meditate.

I’d cure that rash of desperation
’bout my earthly situation,
By hearing Master’s call.
My heart would stop bein’ so fickle,
When I felt my Guru’s tickle,
If I’d only meditate.

Just think how it would be
To wake with God instead of sawin’ Z’s.
Clear the chakras and reside in ecstasy,
Instead of pining for that 50 inch TV.

I’d invigorate my dharma,
Obliterate my karma,
Illuminate my soul.
With my bright and saintly aura
I’d kick darkness out the door - a
If I’d only meditate.

I’d be done with courtin’ maya,
Give up my last desire
For a good cigar and brew.
Wouldn’t carry any baggage,
No more eatin' like a savage,
If I’d only meditate.

Oh, I could tell you why
There’s a star in the spiritual eye.
Or talk with God about that Praver guy.
Pay off the church, he’d say, and make your tithe.

As I seek that destination
Infused with inspiration,
I’ll know that home is near.
Livin’ life just like the Gita,
Sippin’ cups of sweet amrita,
If I’d only meditate.

The banquet wasn’t the only part of the afternoon to be regaled with music, however. Dambara and Michael managed in a single song (to the tune of “My Girl”) to detail every aspect of cleanup and takedown that needed to happen afterwards. And as Anandans are never inclined to shirk an opportunity for service or a good laugh, the banquet hall was transformed back into a temple in no time.

More pictures are here. Thank you everyone (and Everyone) who made the day such a delightful celebration!

A Church of All Religions

2011-11-23T14:44:00.000-08:00

When Paramhansa Yogananda was living, he called his places of worship, “Churches of all Religions.” In this way he wanted everyone to understand that even though the temples were dedicated to our particular line of gurus, the principles of Self-realization are not unique to this line of masters. Self-realization is the unifying principle behind all true religions.

To illustrate this, Master included symbols from various religions at Lake Shrine, and in other temples. And now, our Palo Alto temple follows in that tradition with seven beautiful new adornments to the walls of the main sanctuary.

Sunday service included a ceremony to welcome and bless these symbols. We chanted “I Will Sing Thy Name,” with the “Aum Guru” chorus being modified as appropriate for each religion. During the chant, designated congregation members took turns carrying candles from the altar and leaving them with a blessing at each symbol. You can see photos of the ceremony and all the symbols here.

Going clockwise around the room from stage left, the religions and symbols are:

Hinduism - Aum
Judaism - Star of David
Islam - “Allah” in Arabic calligraphy
Buddhism - The Wheel of Dharma
Taoism - Yin Yang
Self-Realization - Joy Is Within You
Christianity - Cross

Each one is beautifully carved in wood, and painted blue and gold, and they are all marvelous additions to our sacred space.

Free and Clear Fundraising Dinner

2011-11-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

Our “Free and Clear” campaign to pay off our church mortgage has been having a great year, and I’m sure you’ve all been filling up your special spare-change boxes and avidly watching the progress puzzle being filled in on our altar. (Just $25,000 per piece -- buy yours today! Excellent Christmas gifts!)

We recently had a fundraising dinner at Sapore Italiano in Burlingame that brought a whole new burst of energy to the project. 65 people showed up for good food, good music (some of Swamiji’s Italy-inspired songs, of course), and devotee satsang. And we each got our own little magnetic refrigerator puzzles, variously decorated with our Free & Clear affirmation, joy symbols, and other designs. (More photos here.)

The evening was a success not just as a meal, but as a fundraiser as well. Those 65 people together brought in a very impressive $52,000 at the event itself, with an additional $1,000 and two 1-oz. gold coins pledged. All that plus some other recent gifts (unrelated to the fundraiser) mean that David will be adding three new pieces to our puzzle this Sunday at service, bringing the total remaining on our mortgage down to $700,000!

We started the year still owning a million dollars on our church. Shall we aim to cut that in half by the end of the year? That would put us at $500,000, and the way we’ve been going so far, I think we can make it!

Divine Mother,

manifest through us

Your divine energy

to make this

Ananda temple

of Self-Realization

Free and Clear of all debt,

a gift of love to God and Gurus,

and to truth seekers

now and forever.

Halloween Festivities

2011-11-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

We’ve all seen jack-o’-lanterns carved from pumpkins before, but how about ones made from cantaloupes, oranges, and pineapples? Kids of all ages had fun bending traditions to greater or lesser degrees at the Halloween weekend carving party. (More photos here.)

And then, of course, we had Halloween itself, when 20 or so kids swarmed like adorable piranhas through the apartment complex, reducing the community candy supply to a skeleton in a matter of minutes. Some of those kids seemed awfully tall, too, but they did have costumes, so it must have been legit. (More photos of that evening are here.)

CSA Report: Success!

2011-11-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

Ananda Palo Alto’s CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture program) wrapped up its first season this Saturday, after 26 straight weeks of supplying 12 boxes of fresh produce to 23 members. We celebrated our achievement with (what else?) a potluck, sharing memories of the last six months, and making plans for next year.

Blessing the garden before the harvest.

The success of this project was due entirely to huge amounts of joyful service from a host of volunteers. Many remarked that the satsang with our gurubais and neighbors was at least as satisfying a part of the experience as the actual food we received.

Ramani and Darlene in the garden.

Not only did we harvest from our own garden and orchard, but we also visited our neighbors around Monroe Drive, many of whom have fruit trees that they don’t harvest. So we had the opportunity to make new friends, help them maintain their trees, and share the produce with them.

Tomato harvest!

We’re planning on expanding next year, so if you’re interested in joining the CSA, talk to Ramani and Amara. And if you like gardening, more volunteers are always welcome! Even though we had our last official harvest already, we’ll be working this weekend on taking out old plants, adding compost and cover crops, and otherwise preparing for the next season.

Darlene, Sharmila, and Amara, showing off
our eggplants, pumpkins, and Jerusalem artichokes.

More photos from the last couple months are here.

Painting the Teaching Center

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

With the matter of the fraudulent colors having been settled, the teaching center is now beautifully garbed in its new palette of orange, yellow, and red. Nirmoha led a team of volunteers in the painting on Saturday morning, with several dedicated souls staying well into the afternoon.

The job is mostly done now, though there’s still a bit left to finish up. If you’re interested in helping out with some detail work, contact Nirmoha.

[You can find more pictures of your paint-spattered friends here.]

Puerta de Mi Corazón

2011-10-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

We held a discipleship ceremony at Sunday service this week, welcoming 5 new members into our spiritual family. There was a fun twist to it this time, though.

Over the past couple of years, Edwin has been teaching the introductory meditation classes in Spanish, doing a great job making these teachings accessible to more people in this area. And he just recently finished teaching his first Meditation 3 class in Spanish as well, so all the people in Sunday’s ceremony were his Spanish-speaking students.

Edwin gave the short talk that accompanied the ceremony, and while I personally couldn’t follow every word, I did like how he described the occasion as “súper especial.” No matter what language you take discipleship in, that rings true. And as the participants took their offerings to the altar and received their blessings, the chanters led us in the Spanish version of “Door of My Heart.”

Puerta de mi corazón
Tengo abierta para tí
Ven a mi, ven a mi
Una vez ven a mi

Pasaran mis dias
Sin verte mi Señor
Noche y dia, noche y dia
Yo te busco noche y dia

Asha remarked that it gave most of us native English speakers a chance to appreciate what some of our friends go through every week here, listening to services or classes in a foreign language. To push it just a bit farther, she then asked Edwin to lead the offertory prayer in Spanish. There were a lot of mumbles as the congregation prayed responsively, but the OM at the end was resounding!

(P.S. While we’re being multilingual here, did you know that the upcoming meditation class in Fremont will also be offered in sign language? Thanks to Saranya for that one!)

Celebrating Ananda

2011-09-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

September has always been a significant time of year for the Ananda Palo Alto community, and so we like to roll a number of celebrations into one big “Celebrate Ananda” event. Some previous Septembers of note have been:

1980 - Purchase of East West in Menlo Park
1989 - Purchase of the residential community in Mountain View
1992 - Beginning of Living Wisdom School
1994 - Purchase of our Temple property
1995 - East West moved to Mountain View

Over 100 people attended this year’s party at the residential community, which began with delightful circle dancing created and led by Rita.

Fine food, of course, is never far from an Ananda celebration. Lunch included tofu and paneer barbecued skewers, Indonesian rice salad, Anika's mother's famous baked beans, a mixed greens salad bar, and desserts extraordinaire lovingly baked and brought in by Marie and Simoné.

The festivities also included the world debut of Ananda Samadhi Bingo. The squares were filled with spiritual qualities and names of our gurus, and completed lines were marked by cries of “Samadhi!”

Congratulations to the winners: Anika with one complete line, and Kasey, Suman, & Eric, with two lines intersecting. (Though all participants are, of course, welcome to achieve samadhi, regardless of the state of their board. Contact your guru for more information.)

Many more wonderful photos of the day here!