Watching Swami in Italy watch us

Last Monday, on May 19, 250 devotees in 7 different colonies celebrated Swami Kriyananda’s Birthday with a LIVE video conference.

Early Dwapara Yuga sees many technological and social advancements. For instance, we have long offered the time shifting capabilities of viewing recorded videos of Sunday Services or recent talks by Swami Kriyanananda on our website. We videotape these events, work our computer magic to put them into a form that is suitable for internet viewing and put them on our website where you can view them on demand any time from anywhere which has served tens of thousands of devotees over the years. These audio and video recordings are also offered by some of the colonies including India and Italy.

Now we have begun to remove the geographic barriers to being with Swami and each other with real time live conferences and broadcasts. As with all processes at Ananda, this is growing organically, one step at a time.

Earlier in the spring, the decision was made to acquire and install a new technology which enables Swami Kriyananda to communicate over the internet to a larger audience. Called video conferencing, it enables 2 way live simultaneous audio and video communication between parties. What’s the big deal? Telephones have been around for ages and now, with internet, there is skype, etc. What is new for us is the ability to send and receive a clear, LARGE, and live conference.

We started out with 2 way conference between Swami who is currently at his home in Assisi, Italy and our community residents at Ananda Village who gathered for these satsangs at Hansa Mandir (where we hold Sunday service) after morning meditation. Swami could hear and see us on his large screen TV in his home and we could see him on a big screen set up with projector and hear him via a large speaker. LIVE, I mean live. no delays. Just like talking on a telephone except the image of Swami projected on a big screen in front of Hansa altar. Residents were deeply touched by the sense of true satsang with Swami despite the 9,000 mile distance.

We then, at a subsequent satsang, tested our ability to broadcast this conference to one viewer which turned out to be Ananda Seattle. They watched and heard whatever we saw and heard. Thanks to high speed broadband connection, they had a very satisfying experience.

Last week, for the birthday celebration we sent the live stream to a server in Canada for rebroadcast and it was then viewed simultaneously at community gatherings India, Seattle, Portland, Palo Alto and Los Angeles. Ananda Italy moved their side of broadcast to their beautiful mandir and we saw 50 residents from the Assisi community present. The World Brotherhood choir at Ananda Village sang several songs and a quartet of musicians played several instrumental pieces.

What is next is future more widespread live broadcasts of some of the summer events here at Ananda Village and maybe even some 2 way live satsangs with Swami Kriyananda from wherever he resides. We are removing the the geographic barrier in his ability to have satsang with other devotees around the world. Truly a major shift for the future. Stay tuned for more on the ananda.org website.

Tomorrow, May 19th, is Swami Kriyananda’s birthday. There will be many celebrations throughout Ananda Communities worldwide—I’m sure you’ll have a chance to read more posts about the proceedings. However, I wanted to tell you about one small celebration that you probably haven’t heard about.

At Ananda India, in addition to serving our many local members in the Delhi area, we also travel to most of the major cities: Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.

My wife, Dharmini, and I visit Bangalore each month, along with other Ananda teachers. In addition to offering public classes on Yogananda’s philosophy and techniques, we also spend time getting to know our Bangalore members. In between our visits, our friends meet on Sundays to chant, pray, and meditate together.

Today they dedicated their Sunday session to Swami Kriyananda, in honor of his birthday. Here are excerpts from letters written by two members, Priyanka and Neelam:

“We had a wonderful meditation cum birthday celebration today. We chanted the Mahamritunjaya mantra (ancient Sanskrit chant for soul-liberation) for Swamiji and the vibrations were very strong. After the meditation we cut the cake for Swamiji; the cake was cut by friends whose birthdays fall in the month of May. We all sent out healing prayers to Swamiji for a healthy long life.”

All but one of these people have never met Swami Kriyananda personally. Yet through his writings, music, and the people he has trained, they have met him. It is touching to witness our newest friends express their gratitude to Swamiji for all that he has done for each one of us, and the world, by spreading Yogananda’s teachings.

Twenty years ago my husband and I welcomed our firstborn into the world, and the Ananda Portland meditation group became a true Ananda “colony”. There may have been other significant events in 1988, but I don’t remember them.

As we plan the 20 year anniversary celebration of Ananda Portland, my memories of those growing up years of the colony are all linked to my memories of growing children.

Our first full-time minister, Nitai, welcomed me, with babe in arms, to Sunday Service held in the room above the New Renaissance Bookshop. The tears of joy on that day were partly due to the presence of the little one in my arms, and partly due to the realization that my prayers for a “real” Ananda presence in Portland were answered.

Of course, my children have always known an Ananda presence here in Portland. They would tell you of going to the “blue church” (the first Ananda temple) and playing in the empty rooms while mom cleaned. They may remember the Christmas trees Ananda sold as a fundraiser.

They could certainly tell you of years of Sunday School, with their mom teaching, and the many friends made there. My son could tell you of a buddy made in grade school who will be getting married in the Ananda temple next month.

I could tell you how wonderful it is to have an entire apartment complex full of Ananda friends, my children would agree, and add that the pool is fun too.

I remember when a school was hoped for, but not yet a reality. Now I’ll be teaching in the Living Wisdom School this fall, which has enjoyed over 10 years of success.

I look into the joyful faces of newcomers as they walk through our beautiful temple and enjoy the classes, events and meditations that happen every day of the week, and I remember the days of meditating with a few brave souls in a small living room. My children may remember when the temple was torn up during a major remodel, but they can’t imagine having no temple at all.

Ananda has grown here in Portland, and we are looking forward to the next 20 years of growth and service. We envision a healing center, a yoga studio, more schools, more temples, and Ananda helping Portland to become a city of light, where spiritually centered living is a reality for thousands.

I’m grateful to be a part of this work and the opportunities we have here, and I’ll always remember those years “before”. I imagine my children laughing someday and saying, “Remember when we celebrated 20 years? That was fun, but the 50th is really something!”

In joyful friendship,
Lorna

I’m in the midst of preparations for our final Ananda Concert Series program, entitled Ananda Classics. We’ll be performing on Saturday night, May 17th, at 7:30 PM at the Crystal Hermitage, surrounded by the beauty of the gardens.

This will be the first time in nearly twenty years that Swami’s String Quartet will be performed in its entirety, comprised of four movements based on songs of Shakespeare. I’ll be joined by Ramesha and Krishnabai (violins), and Ben Skillman (cello). Swami has often spoke of how he wrote his String Quartet, giving the melody to each of the instruments in turn, providing each with an opportunity to shine.

Also on the program will be Amrita, for flute and keyboard, The Divine Romance, Swami’s Piano Sonata performed by Mukti Deranja, and I, Omar, featuring Bhagavati on flute, backed by the lush string section.

The final piece will be Life Is the Quest for Joy, featuring 3 violins, 3 cellos, and our dear friend, Steve D’Amico on string bass, from the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. This is one of Swami’s greatest masterpieces, which always takes the audience into a very deep awareness of the Divine. In fact, it is this piece that best teaches me how I should live my life, as it naturally expands my consciousness and opens my heart. I merely have to think of the melodies for my energy to rise in my spine.

We are all overwhelmingly grateful for the opportunity to attune ourselves with the Divine Inspiration that has flowed so beautifully through Swamiji, and in this, his birthday weekend, wish to offer this opportunity for our audience to tangibly feel his presence.

April 17-21 of this year, 2008, I was blessed to return to my “ole stompin’ grounds, deep in the heart ‘o Texas.’” Actually what that means, ya’ll, when translated out of Texan into Amurrrri-can, is that I flew to out Dallas to give classes and get-togethers at the Ananda Dallas Center. My flight was over 5 hours late due to tornadoes, hail, and huge thunder storms in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. But hey! That’s springtime in Texas. The carpets of blooming bluebonnets (the fragrant state flower) and many other colorful wildflowers made up for it.

There was a time, back in the late 80’s and early 90’s, when I flew out to Texas many times a year, supporting our meditation groups and Ananda connected folks in whatever ways I could—offering classes, retreats, and so on. But during this visit, I realized that it had been several years since I returned to Texas and that was way too long to be out of touch with those fine, faithful folks, some dear old friends (and some newer ones too), and all my fellow disciples in Texas. There is a flavor of deep joy, a sweetness there among Texas devotees, which is hard to describe, but simply wonderful to feel first-hand.

In reflecting on how inspiring this visit was for me, I thought it might be interesting to write down a little of the history of Ananda’s presence in the Lone Star State—a history that actually goes back quite a few years.

In 1975, the year I first visited Ananda, I had been living in Texas for 13 years. I returned from my 2-month visit to Ananda Village (the only Ananda community there was in those years) determined somehow to create some sort of “Ananda in Texas.”

My first step was to start teaching Hatha Yoga at the closest university—which happened to be Texas A&M. I am now amazed at my courage in doing this back then, for 3 reasons:

1) Nobody asked me for credentials, which was a good thing, because I had none—except my 2 months at Ananda, being led in Energization Exercises, Ananda-style yoga, and meditation twice a day;

2) Texas A&M was a very conservative place indeed, most people in central Texas in those years not knowing yoga from yogurt;

3) Having not been officially trained to teach yoga, and none of my students having a clue what it was anyway, we all had a great time together!

Based on the success of this venture, I began offering classes and retreats in other locations, teaching meditation to whoever was interested, leading sadhanas in my home many afternoons each week, to friends who were interested, and starting a small meditation group (I think at its peak we had 3 participants).

I continued to visit Ananda Village in the hopes I could figure out a way to move there. During my Christmas visit of 1977, I heard that Swami Kriyananda was going on a nationwide tour which might be passing through Texas. I told him I lived there and perhaps I could help in some way. Little did I know what that suggestion would do!

In my brief conversation with Swami that Christmas, I said: “When you visit Texas, do you know where, in which city, you’d like to give classes?”

He answered, “Well, I guess Dallas—it’s the biggest city in Texas, isn’t it?”

I said, “Well yes, I think it is, but I live closer to Austin and Houston, and would be able to be of more help if you chose one of those cities to visit.” [hint, hint]

Imagine my surprise when, soon after my return to my home in Texas, I received a call from Keshava, who (I believe) was Swami’s secretary at that time, who told me gleefully, “Swami is coming to Austin, Houston, and Dallas and we want you to be in charge!” I just about fainted when I heard that, but bravely said I’d try. Fortunately I found other willing souls in Houston and Dallas to help make all the needed speaking engagements happen and to help find places for everyone on the “Joy Tour Team” to stay—while I took care of arrangements in Austin.

March of 1978, the Ananda “Joy Tour” arrived in Texas in full force. Swami and the “team” of a dozen or more Ananda folk, most of whom I had met on my previous visits to Ananda Village, were traveling in a van and a motor home. I worked hard to see that everything went smoothly in Austin, and I think it did! The crowds were large, the enthusiasm great, and Swami was well-received there. Houston was even better, and I think Dallas was best of all, though I didn’t get to join the group there.

In Houston, after one of his evening seminars, I asked Swami if I could have a spiritual name and he graciously blessed me with the name Savitri. What a personal peak-life experience that was!

Several times during the next 2 or 3 years after that first springtime visit, Swami returned to Texas to speak. Ananda Meditation groups sprang up in Austin, Houston, and other locations. I was thrilled to see it all, but by that time, I had moved to Ananda Village myself, and thus simply watched and prayed from afar as the Ananda Texas energy grew stronger.

Texans are indeed strong people, independent-minded, friendly, enthusiastic, and full of joy. I love them! And though I truly loved living at Ananda Village, I still missed that sweet Texas spirit and the many friends I had there. So when the time was right, and Ananda teachers were needed to travel to Texas to help our work there, I was among the first to volunteer.

I’d like to especially mention and honor a few folks who hold an important place in Ananda Texas history. Clara Evans was the first Ananda Dallas Meditation Group leader to invite me to come there to teach in 1988. Happy Winningham was a dynamic part of the Dallas group then and soon after moved to Ananda Village, as did Clara, too. Jan Shapiro took over Ananda Dallas leadership and did a magnificent job for many years. Rex Anderson and Harold Byrd led the group in Houston, Agnes Lundstead led the group in Austin, and Lewis Kreydick led a small group in South Padre Island.

Soon the Ananda Texas energy seemed dynamic enough to send full time Ananda ministers to live and serve in Texas. Pranaba and Parvati Hansen were the first to go in 1992, establishing themselves first in Austin, and eventually in Dallas, (which, interestingly enough, was the first place Swamiji had mentioned he wanted to give classes on his first cross-country speaking tour, all those years ago). Krishna Das and Mantradevi, now serving as leaders of our Ananda Los Angeles Center, also served at Ananda Dallas, 1994-1996.

Right now, Sue Chadwick is the acting Ananda Minister and primary director of Ananda Dallas, the very active Ananda Dallas Meditation & Yoga Center, located at 4901 Keller Springs Road, Suite 103, Addison, TX 75001, on Keller Springs Rd. between the Tollway and Addison Road They have a full calendar of activities, including Sunday Service every Sunday, programs for families, yoga and meditation classes, and so on. Check it all out at www.anandadallas.org

During my visit this past April, I was thrilled to see how strong and dynamic Ananda Dallas has become now, with a great core of dedicated kriyabans who really know the importance of keeping their Center strongly serving as a beacon of light for all truth-thirsty souls. I know from personal experience that it is not easy, living in mid-America and trying to hold yourself together as a devotee of this path, keeping your own spiritual practices strong, and trying to help others to find their own way spiritually also. Therefore, I bow at the feet (and cowboy boots) of all those Texas devotees of past, present, and future, who were and are able to do just that. Bless you one and all. I can’t mention you all by name, but you know who you are.

After countless hours spent by the volunteers and staff of Crystal Hermitage, the gardens opened their doors to the public about a month ago. Nevada County’s local newspaper, The Union, featured a wonderful front-page article, titled “Spring glory over the Yuba”, talking about the beauty of the gardens and inviting the public to visit them. After all, I don’t think there are many gardens in the area with 6000 cheerful tulips.

Rather than talking about the beauty of these gardens, I will let you browse through the pictures that were taken recently. If you are in the area, it’s still not too late to visit the gardens and see especially, the tulips.

tulips with the Middle Yuba gorge in the background

more tulips

more joyful tulips

a feast for the eyes and the soul

tulips and pansies by the front door

vibrant colors

beautiful cherry blossoms

You can find out more about Crystal Hermitage here.

Photos courtesy of Suzanne Ilgun.