Re-Landscaping at the Temple

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.