I find that parenting is a lot like Paramhansa Yogananda’s analogy of the spiritual path: running at top speed and doing stunts along the way.

I thought I was fairly well prepared for fatherhood.

Many years ago I was part of Ananda’s first monastic order.

Richard as a monk, working in the dairy

During that time, and for years afterward when I was single, I tried to see how much this body could do while keeping in mind Yogananda’s affirmation: “I can do everything, when so I think.”

I recall, for instance, several years in a row when the month of January was very demanding. In addition to my usual duties as bookkeeper for East West Bookstore, there was end-of-the-year accounting to be done (which included end-of-month and end-of-quarter calculations as well).

At the same time, I was in charge of an inspirational event to celebrate Yogananda’s birthday. So my evenings and weekends were fully booked.

I remember how, during those days, I would be very busy from when I woke up until late at night when I collapsed on my bed, still resisting the thought of being tired.

Although this approach helped with developing will power, after becoming a parent I discovered that pushing oneself to the limit and resting didn’t work when it came to children.

Because, inevitably, when I reached the point of needing to rest, THAT was when my son needed me most.

And so I learned to pace myself, always leaving a little gas in the tank for those unexpected moments when it was needed.

Someone said that the lessons of parenting are “giving, giving, giving” and self-forgetfulness, and I think that is true.

It reminds me of a Herman Hesse story I read many years ago. I’d like to share here my recollection of it.
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A long time ago, a young unmarried woman in Europe gave birth to a boy. Her family and lover had abandoned her and she was alone when her son came.

Without the money to pay for a midwife, she had no care during the birth process and now she was dying.

She was a very spiritual woman, and as she prayed piteously for help an angel of God appeared to her.

The angel told the woman that he was empowered to grant her dying wish. What was it to be?

“I am desperately worried about my son, what will happen to him,” she answered. “There is no one to take care of him. And so my wish is that everyone will love my son, no matter what, so that he will always be cared for and will not lack for anything.”

The angel heard this plea with a sad look, and said to the woman, “Are you sure?”

“Yes!” she cried. The angel sighed. “Let it be so.” And the woman died.

A short time later the woman’s family, feeling suddenly penitent, burst into the room. They found the baby and buried his mother. Taking the little boy to the ancestral mansion, they determined to raise him in the bosom of his family.

Years went by and the boy grew to be a young man. He lacked for nothing and was always sweetly cared for. His grandparents and other relatives could deny him nothing, they loved him so.

But the boy was not happy.

He had learned early on that no matter how he behaved, everyone still loved him.

Searching for boundaries that weren’t there, he experimented with being as bad as he could be. Still, he suffered no consequences.

With no reign on his actions, he developed habits that made him deeply miserable. Over time he began to hate himself, and to hate all the people who smiled at him and loved him no matter how despicable he was in return.

His family, confused by the young man’s behavior but still adoring him, had arranged a marriage for him with a distant cousin who was beautiful and rich.

But the young man had reached the point where he couldn’t stand his life any more. And so he decided to end his life—not only to escape his personal pain, but as one last great injury to all those who mindlessly loved him.

The young man locked himself in his attic room. He was about to commit suicide when the same angel who had helped his mother appeared to him and said, “Wait!”

“Before you take your life, there is a story you must hear.”

And the angel told the young man about his mother and her dying wish.

As the young man heard this story, his heart opened. He suddenly understood everything that had happened in his life, and he wept.

The angel said, “You are free now to do whatever you decide. But, as in the case of your mother, I have been given the power to grant you one wish. Is there something you would ask of me?”

The young man, with tears running down his cheeks, said, “Yes. I want to change my mother’s wish. From now on, instead of others loving me, I want to be able to love others no matter how they treat me.”

The angel beamed and the room was filled with light.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” cried the young man. And his wish was granted.

Immediately, the young man heard shouts and curses emanating from the lower floors of the house. Everyone in his family had suddenly realized how badly the young man had behaved: the biting things he’d said, the cruel tricks he’d played. No longer compelled to love him without cause, they were ready to have it out with him.

The young man opened the attic door and received them. As his family denounced him, his heart filled to bursting with love.

Many people hated this man for years afterward and sought revenge for his early bad behavior, but he always responded with love—a love that grew and grew. A love so selfless that, in time, it reflected the perfect love of God.

And when the man died, surrounded by angels, he was one of the happiest people on earth.
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Of course, this story cautions us about the importance of wise discipline in childraising.

But most of all, it describes the rewards that come with selfless giving.

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” “More blessed,” Swami Kriyananda explains, “because more blissful.”

As we offer our love selflessly to the world—whether as parents, seekers, or friends—we expand our sense of self. And in that expansion we experience the ever-new joy of God.

A few days ago I got into the car at 5:30am to begin my day of activities. There was a meditation, a meeting, then school and then work at the temple waiting for me. It was dark and cold and my family was still sleeping in the house. The car wouldn’t start.

I woke my saintly husband and we problem solved together. I thought the gas had been siphoned off so I walked to the gas station and then we tried again after putting a couple gallons in. It still wouldn’t start. My husband offered me his car and he called the mechanic.

We learned we had a broken fuel pump. The fuel pump is essential for getting the fuel into the engine where it does its job of making things go. I could pump in fuel all day, but if the fuel pump doesn’t work, nothing moves. It didn’t seem like a lesson in energy at the time, it seemed like a lesson in how to let go of $600.

This morning, I received a very sweet, friendly email reminding me that my scheduled posting for this site was overdue. I, of course, already knew this because I have been hitting “snooze” every time the little reminder window would pop up on my computer screen.

I had plans to sit at my computer and write this morning – and then all day, but not for this blog. I have a curriculum writing project I’ve been part of for over a year and that deadline is months overdue.

Living Wisdom School, where I teach part-time is on spring break, but there are hours of planning, classroom clean-up and preparation to do before the kids return. I will spend half of the break helping my mother in her recovery from surgery so I won’t be in town.

I’m still working at the Portland Temple and Teaching Center (which doesn’t take spring break) and we have two significant events this week, besides the regularly scheduled classes and daily opportunities to serve. There will be a Nayaswami Renunciate Order initiation for the first time in Portland. I will be taking a Pilgrim vow and as part of the staff I am involved in the preparations and planning for the event.

We will also be hosting Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi, Spiritual Directors of Ananda worldwide, for the annual appeal to support the outreach work of Ananda.

The home scene involves ferrying kids to friends and classes today too, along with the daily piles of laundry, dishes, and spring chores.

All this is to say – each day is full to overflowing with opportunities to learn that God is the Doer. I can get anxious, tense and on the verge of panic if I think about every THING that must be done and the inadequate time I have to do it. There simply is no way to succeed.

As I practiced Yogananda’s energization exercises this morning, the words of the prayer seemed to vibrate with meaning: O Infinite Spirit, recharge this body with Thy conscious, cosmic energy. Recharge this mind with Thy concentration and determination. Recharge this soul, and all souls, with Thy ever-new joy. O Eternal Youth of body and mind, abide within me forever and ever. Amen.

There is infinite cosmic energy flowing all the time – all I need to do is to open up to the flow. I had a sudden flash back to the early morning car episode. My consciousness is the fuel pump!

My daughter is here practicing piano while I write and her fingers are flying over the keys. I can almost see the energy flowing into her and producing the beautiful music. If her fuel pump wasn’t working there would be no beautiful music filling the house. It’s her willingness and openness to the divine energy that makes it happen. I can let beautiful things happen through me too, if I open the fuel pump of my consciousness and allow the energy to move where it can do the job.

Whenever I experience a deepening understanding of universal truths, there follows an overwhelming gratitude to my guru, Yogananda, and his devoted disciple, Nayaswami Kriyananda, for the teachings that make the understanding possible. Without access to what is offered through Ananda, I would still be struggling in the dark wondering why things don’t work the way I want them to. How to say thank-you for such a gift? Allow God to be the Doer.

In friendship, joy, and gratitude,
Lorna

I teach science at a public high school in a southern California suburb. This is my third year of teaching and though not a veteran yet, you can say that I have mastered it quite a bit. But I thought I’d share with you some of my experiences as a brand new teacher. While on one hand they did not feel pleasant, especially at the time, on the other hand they are some of the most cherished experiences of my life as a devotee, as Master’s (my Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda’s) child.

Let me give you a little background about myself. I had very little experience of the school system in the U.S having completed K-12 in India. An American high school classroom felt very “foreign” to me; the teenage jargon, the dress code, the behavior, the attitude – I was at times completely overwhelmed! – not to mention the pressure to perform anew in front of a 40 member class audience five times a day and the need to come up with new lessons every day, five days a week! I was exhausted!

Also since I had opted for what is called the internship instead of traditional student-teaching, it meant I had no mentor or guide to lend me a helping hand. I was on my own. However I did have Master and Divine Mother by my side.

Our school has a strict electronic policy that students cannot use electronic devices in the classroom. One day, and this was probably within the first three months of my first year, I had confiscated the cell phone of a student who was using it in the class and kept it on my table. It had never crossed my mind that it is possible for my students, the 14-15 year olds, to steal! Yes, I was naïve as I soon found out to my horror! The cell phone was gone and I realized it right after the class got over. It was very embarrassing as a teacher! What am I going to do?

I remember visualizing holding Master’s hand for support; “Everything is fine” – I felt calmer and centered. I talked to another teacher and she advised talking to the class which I did the following day. I told them how deeply disappointed I am and why I do not expect such behavior from the class. At the end of the class two students quietly came up to me, after everyone else had left, and said “We know who took the phone!”
Eventually the thief confessed and the phone was returned to the owner. I quietly thanked Master.

Another time I had left my thumb drive on the desk computer in my classroom. Again something one should never do, as I learned very quickly. As it turned out I had to call sick the following day. When I finally returned the day after the thumb drive was gone! Now that thumb drive had not only all my lessons, power point presentations and files, it also had all my assignments that were due at the university where I was completing my teacher preparation course. Remember that was my year of internship which means I had to go back to the university to my student-teaching class every week and yes, all my homework and papers ready to be submitted to the State was in that thumb drive. And it did not have a back-up. I was lost! Also there was a little hub like connection in the classroom where the video player, CD player, computer and speakers were all interconnected and connected to the overhead projector. Someone had pulled out every cord out of every socket and everything was lying in a big meshed up pile on the floor!

I went to see my department head about this incidence. He said this happens. As teachers we happen to enrage teenagers who then take out their anger on us. He also told me not to take it personally and that he too has lost his zip drive in a similar way. I was grateful for his support and kind words. However even though I understood it all, I was panicking in my mind – “what will I do without my lessons and assignments?”

I didn’t think I had the time and energy to recreate the lost work again – something that is sure to take months. I didn’t have all that time. I returned to my classroom and closed my eyes and tried to meditate. I mentally gave my problem to Divine Mother. “Thy will Ma, thy will; and whatever that is, its ok with me.” I felt lighter and relaxed and started to get ready for the next class.

Later that same day, I got a call from my department head. He said he’s found a zip drive and wanted me to check if it was mine. As it turned out it was mine! He, while keeping an eye out for his lost drive, by chance, saw something zip drive-like lying on the roof of one of the classrooms. The science building being a two-storey building allows a view of the rooftops of surrounding single storey buildings. Some students(s) might have thrown the zip drive and it landed on the roof. The recovery felt miraculous and I felt so grateful, both to him and to Divine Mother, that words didn’t come easy to me. I prayed that he find his drive too.

There were so many similar incidences that first year as I went fumbling my way into the school system and every time I experienced the guiding, protecting hand of Master and Divine Mother. We devotees do have an umbrella, in form of Divine Mother’s love and guidance, to protect us from the storms of our karma. We might get a little wet but isn’t it wonderful to experience the umbrella around us? And I’m thankful for all the storms. Looking back, how else would I have experienced Divine Mother’s umbrella?

Do you feel joy when using your physical skills to learn and grow and experience life? Perhaps you lead with your heart and feel most alive when you are in a beautiful natural setting, or caring for animals or babies. Maybe you live for a challenge – such as tackling a new project, or raising money for a cause or finding a solution to a problem. Then there are those who love to make lists and use their mind to discover and learn.

Body, Feeling, Will and Intellect – those are the four tools of maturity that Swami Kriyananda describes in the book Education for Life, which is the foundation of the Ananda Living Wisdom Schools.

I teach at the Living Wisdom School in Beaverton, Oregon. We recently had a workshop for parents and experienced the tools of maturity in a fun, interactive way. Learning through direct experience is an important tenet of Education for Life and Living Wisdom Schools. So we didn’t sit around all evening talking about the tools of maturity; we played games, built towers out of blocks, looked through animal pictures, wrote about our feelings and had a great time.

The parents went home with a real understanding of how we teach and how Living Wisdom Schools approach education differently than the mainstream schools. They were all smiling and laughing and asking for more classes as they left. I could tell that the evening they had anticipated – important perhaps, but an imposition on other, more entertaining activities – had turned into an engaging and enlightening time with people they enjoyed.

Education for Life will change the way we learn and teach all over the world. The technology available now is making it possible to share with other educators and parents who are not near a Living Wisdom School, or who really want to create one. With online classes teachers in India can share with those in Wisconsin.

Find out more about Living Wisdom Schools and Education for Life. What is your dominate tool of maturity – body, feeling, will, or intellect?

In joy and friendship,
Lorna

Many of you know that I am blessed with a wonderful family. My wife and I have been married seventeen years, and our very dynamic, energetic daughter is 4 years old. They are a great source of joy and inspiration to me.

My wife and I have chosen a life of dedication and service to God and Guru, but how does it interconnect with our role as parents? With my commitments as a teacher and music minister, and my wife’s as Production Manager at Crystal Clarity, we are often busier than we ever imagined. Through all of our busy days, we constantly strive to seek a balance between our family, our service, and our spiritual practices, which isn’t always so easy to achieve.

What do our spiritual practices look like? We are faced daily with the challenge of finding time for meditation. Our daughter has the superhuman ability to know exactly when we awake. Just this morning I awoke before dawn and exclaimed, “Ahh! she isn’t up yet! I can meditate!” only to hear the pitter patter of little feet coming down the hall.

We don’t feel comfortable with shutting her out of our awake time, so usually I do my morning Kriyas with her playing in the same room. She’s gotten comfortable with me being there, and not yet fully there, thank goodness! At night after I’ve tucked her into bed, she often will ask me to stay in her room and meditate.

Other aspects of our spiritual practice are akin to weight lifting, as we constantly have to raise our energy to meet hers, with positive solution oriented consciousness. We strive to see her as a divine gift from God, though sometimes she seems to be a divine test when she pushes boundaries and tests our limits!

Yogananda is often referred to as the “Flawless Mirror” who could reflect back to us our own highest potential. Children are mirrors as well, reflecting back to us our own energies, tendencies, and consciousness. We must be supremely vigilant in how we respond and interact with her: with love, understanding, patience, and positive energy, which by far is the hardest challenge.

Some moments are deeply treasured: the other night she said “let’s say a prayer, Daddy!” and led me in a prayer to the gurus, pronouncing their names the best she could, asking our bodies to be filled with light and love.

Since she is often with me as I go to work in the recording studio at the Crystal Hermitage, she has had the great blessing of meeting Swami Kriyananda on several occasions. On one of them, Swami ever so graciously gave her a tour of his apartment, treating her not as a nuisance, but as a dear friend, answering all of her questions with utmost respect. Once again, Swamiji has shown me how every moment of our lives can be filled with appreciation, seeing God in everyone, and in every situation.

I am eternally grateful to be able to raise a child here in the Ananda Village. There are great challenges, to be sure, but I couldn’t imagine a more nurturing environment. She is surrounded by countless friends of every age, and is greeted with great love wherever we go.

For myself, never has my heart been so opened, not only in caring for my family, but also in gratitude for the many blessings received in living together for God.

Read the Stories of Yogananda Introduction

Mukunda’s parents were deeply devoted to Lahiri Mahasaya. They always kept a beautiful picture of Lahiri on a small altar in their home. Many times Mukunda could be found meditating in front of the altar with his mother. He learned to love Lahiri more and more as the years passed. Often, during his meditations Lahiri’s picture would change from a photograph to a living form and sit before the young Mukunda. However when he would try to reach out and touch the master’s feet, the vision would return to being a photograph again.

When Mukunda was eight years old, he became very ill. He was so sick that he couldn’t get up from bed. The doctors could do nothing and everyone was afraid that he might not live. Mukunda’s mother was very scared, but she had great faith in her guru. She motioned to the picture of Lahiri that hung on the wall above Mukunda’s bed. “Bow to him mentally!” She knew that Mukunda was too weak to do it physically. “If you really show your devotion and inwardly kneel before him, your life will be spared!”

Healing Light from Lahiri Mahasaya

As Mukunda gazed at the photograph a bright light came out of the picture and filled his whole body as well as the entire room. Instantly he was healed. His illness was gone and his strength returned. Yogananda knelt to touch his mother’s feet to thank her for her wondrous faith in her guru. Gyan Prabha repeatedly pressed her head against the little picture of Lahiri saying, “O omnipresent master, I thank thee that thou hath healed my son!” Mukunda realized that his mother had also seen that beautiful healing light that had come out of the photograph. Mukunda loved that photograph which had been given to his father by Lahiri himself.

Download the PDF The Healing Light from Lahiri Mahasaya (2.65 MB)

View the Stories of Yogananda introduction

In the ancient land of India, in the year 1893, Bhagabati Charan Gosh and Gyan Prabha Gosh had a son they named Mukunda. This divine child would grow up to be the great master Paramhansa Yogananda.

Lahiri’s Blessing

Mukunda’s mother was a very saintly woman. She knew he was a great soul even when he was still very young. When Mukunda was still but a babe, she carried him to see her guru Lahiri Mahasaya. While she held little Mukunda in her arms, she prayed silently that Lahiri notice her, even though she could hardly see him from behind the throng of disciples that gathered around the master. Lahiri sat rapt in deep meditation. She prayed with deep, divine love that he would give her child a spiritual blessing. When she opened her eyes Lahiri Mahasaya had come out of his meditation and motioned for her to come forward. She knelt to touch her guru’s feet to show her love and respect. Lahiri took her baby on his lap, and placed his hand on the baby’s forehead to bless him. He then said, “Little mother, thy son will be a yogi. As a spiritual engine he will carry many souls to God’s kingdom.” Gyan Prabha Gosh was overjoyed that her great guru had answered her secret prayer.

Download the Lahiri’s Blessing story and picture in PDF format (1.62 MB).