Hare Krishna teacher abuses children in Dallas, ABC News show GMA3 promotes purported cult leaders as inspirational couples counselors and thought leaders, Rudolf Steiner, Racism and Waldorf Schools, Order of Christ Sophia has become a dangerous and destructive organization, Racist, sexist, homophobic cult leader dead at 83, Nature Boy and the cult called Carbonation, Animal Rights and Environmental Extremists, General Assembly Church of the First Born, Lyndon LaRouche and Executive Intelligence Report, Oklahoma City Bombing, Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols, Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, True & Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the L. Even people whose luxuries have been paid for are not free. I recall my first formal meeting with Swami Kriyananda. These benefits are priceless, especially when I compare them with the circumstances in which most devotees of our path must live, isolated from others who share their beliefs, and forced to work among people who are at best indifferent to their spiritual aspirations. Working to serve God and Guru, I never felt the frustrating sense of meaninglessness that can accompany work in companies that are run strictly for profit. 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. 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. He was, quite simply, a spiritual friendand, if we requested it, a willing mentor. A towering figure among them was Reverend Richard Wurmbrand, a Rumanian Baptist preacher who achieved a high degree of Self-realization through his unrelenting dedication to Christ, even under imprisonment and torture. The upstate New York journalist then essentially dismisses virtually every allegation against the Twelve Tribes offering readers instead their version of events. NEW! When Swami Kriyananda was a young monk the Guru told him on many occasions, You have a great work to do.. A few members left over the years, as would be expected of any organization with over 700 resident members worldwide. Does ISKCON and its Child Protection Office effectively protect Krishna kids? Monists and dualists, those of all faiths or of no established faith, were impartially received and instructed by the universal guru. I moved to Ananda Village in February, 1976. Menu. I immediately moved to Mountain View, on the San Francisco peninsula, and began working at Runners World as an assistant editor and staff photographer. For twenty-five years, I have observed hundreds of devoted disciples at Ananda, toiling happily to spread his message of inner communion to a world in desperate need. I am concerned only with your continual improvement!. The new two-story Alamo Exhibit & Collections Building will be 24,000 square feet and cost $15 million. The County anticipates adopting a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project because all impacts can be mitigated to a level that is less than significant. Some journalists write hard-hitting news stories about destructive cults, which have often led to further action. The spirit of Paramhansa Yogananda permeated SRF. And its important to understand just who you are becoming suggestible to and within what type of environment. Satchidananda accumulated prime real estate in Manhattan, which provides space for an Integral Yoga International (IYI) school and a vegetarian grocery store. They expanded steadily, purchasing several hundred more acres of the foothills and bringing in ever more seekers of self-realization. I have, in short, seen communities built up from noble ideals, proving their beliefs with noble behavior. Walters was also sued by the Fellowship for copyright infringement and lost. Roberts writes, Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) devoted 45 years of his life to studying the teachings of Parmahansa Yogananda.. Sarkar the founder and God-Man of Ananda Marga who died in 1990 did some time in an Indian prison. I certainly had devoted no energy at all to rooting out theirfaults, or testing their attunement. Two-and-a-half months later, at the end of June, a forest fire destroyed 21 of the villages 23 homes. I personally feel the same in terms of if I feel good and see results does it matter, but it is good to know some more specifics. I recall, for example, sitting transfixed in the audience at a talk by Brother Anandamoy, during an SRF annual convocation. 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 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. (He now serves with his wife, Maria, as the spiritual director of the Ananda community in Sacramento, California.) Historically, many Indian gurus and swamis sensed this and moved to the United States. They also have farmhouse style vases that don't scream . Swami Kriyananda discusses this in his book, A Place Called Ananda: Master had informed me that he hadnt organized the lessons himself. Her reasoning was, as I say, sound. It seems that there would be no proper place for such a practice amongst ethical psychiatrists, who should remain objective and not project their personal beliefs into the lives of their patients. 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. In the community, all of my neighbors are friends who share the same spiritual path. It's far from traditional, and it has a long history of controversy. About ten years ago, I visited him to observe his Siddha powers from the point of view of a scientist.. I was consumed with zeal to experience God, and in my search, SRF served me admirably. It is made up of disciples of Paramhansa . After all, whats an ashram without its own credit union? In sharp contrast within the United States God men like Brooklyn born Frank Jones, who calls himself Adi Da, most often operate with impunity. 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. A close look at the resumes of YA board members reveals some interesting connections. Later, I learned that the lessons hadnt been compiled by Yogananda. In India police are cracking down on God men, reports The Telegraph. So sad, God Bless you Ananda Society I offer my Love peace and blessings gained from meditation to you. Books have been written about the vulnerable state of many Western spiritual seekers visiting India such as Karma Cola by Gita Mehta. Ironically, the meditation class was to help her with stress reduction, she said. When disciples wrote to Mt. Money will not be worth the paper it is printed on. Does America need a crack down? http://www.ananda.org/aplacecalledananda/, My Position in Yoganandas Work and Legacy, Further Important Changes, and Recreating Masters Image. And then there is the lucrative faith healing business, which supports apparent posers such as the popular Benny Hinn. The Expanding Light Retreat Center also offers overnight accommodations, with advance reservations. With Brother Bhaktanandas encouragement, I had taken up running for exercise. That IYI student was only at the ashram for two weeks before marrying one of its swamis she had never met, who was old enough to be her father. Such positive spin for cults in not limited to America. For twenty years, we responded to SRFs unprincipled lies with dignified restraint. Was I doing all right? The scenic Crystal Hermitage Gardens and temples are five-minutes away by car. The problem was only that by the end of the second year we had almost no students left.. Kriyananda never remotely claimed to be a guru, nor did he ever expect us to treat him like one. Swami Kriyananda asked several members of the staff to meet with him to discuss the marketing of one of his books. Some yoga students say these common types are simply cults.. Ananda Meditation Retreat is located 6 miles from Ananda Village. Speaking to Daya Mata in his last years, Yogananda lamented, How you all will change the work after I am gone. For my money, SRFs thinking reflected an amazing degree of organizational pride: How could Ananda not be pretending to be SRF? they seemed to be saying. Harmony with nature will give you a happiness known to few city dwellers. View courses and webinars. However, the facts dont support such an arrogant conclusion. One faction, which bore a striking resemblance to the Christian fundamentalistsof today, believed that the Bible was literally true, and that salvation could be attained only after death. Controversial organizations such as 3HO and Integral Yoga International (IYI) may practice yoga, but they also promote a student/guru arrangement and religious belief system with an authoritarian figure at the top. The story of Tara Matas influence, and of SRFs relentless persecution of Ananda, is told in Swami Kriyanandas book, A Place Called Ananda: The Trial by Fire That Forged One of the Most Successful Communities in the World Today. There seem to be plenty of suckers ready to buy or believe almost anything in America. But how can a hopeful student find a reputable studio with a good teacher? Ananda Communities could be described as modern "ashrams" that include individuals, couples, and families from all walks of life and from around the world. In almost every public lecture, no matter what his announced subject, he would digress to urge people to act upon his proposal. Amazingly, they were divided into factions that were so opposed in their beliefs that they were incapable of uniting in mutual aid against the terrible threat that confronted them from the Roman government. But I was deeply committed to helping defend Ananda against SRFs institutional bullying, which now threatened to destroy not only our community, but our access to our Gurus teachings. 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. I had just moved to Ananda Village and had begun working at Pubble, the communitys publishing house. The SRF lessons, too, seemed like over-boiled potatoes, offering basic nourishment but stripped of certain essential vitamins, compared with the fiery spiritual sustenance of Yoganandas unedited words. It's a five-minute walk to Ananda Village spiritual community and the Expanding Light Retreat in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California. But Ornish himself is a long-time follower of IYI and its recently deceased Swami Satchidananda. Now, its like a tomb.. Decentralization, not strong central control, is the spirit of this age. 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 an effort to establish meaningful criteria for judging yoga teachers the California Yoga Teachers Association has established a Code of Ethics. In its ten-year legal barrage against Ananda, SRFs behavior is hardly reflective of the courageous dedication to truth that Yogananda espoused. Therefore, it stands to reason that we speak for the Master. But can anyone honestly believe that Paramhansa Yogananda would countenance the destruction of an entire community of deeply sincere devotees, or the forced subjection of thousands to SRFs doctrinal control? One or the other trend will eventually define the organization. Noted attorney and anti-cult activist Ford Green of San Anselmo, California has been nominated for a Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Foundations Lawyer of the Year award. How an SRF monastic had criticized Kriyananda scathingly to a group of visiting Ananda members at SRFs guest retreat in Encinitas. Under the guidance and blessing of Swami Kriyananda (1926-2013) and our great guru Yogananda, we have developed communities, schools, businesses, music and the arts, and retreat centers throughout the world where spiritual friendships, meditation, yoga, and selfless service thrive. Again, the overwhelming majority of yoga schools and classes are benign, healthy and likely to be beneficial to their students. In 1998, The Union reported the church's legal costs alone approached $4 million between both legal battles, forcing Ananda to file for bankruptcy. This behavior is documented in A Place Called Ananda. ABP Ananda LIVE. Reading another book, Stealing JesusHow Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity, I discovered that there have been two main currents in the history of religiona religion of law and a religion of love. Author Bruce Bawer documents the history of these two streams of thought, going back to the gnostics of ancient Rome and their fundamentalist brethren. They expose wrongdoing and the authorities often follow-up through criminal prosecution or some other enforcement action. 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. On each of these occasions, the giving of help was done as naturally as breathing. Learn more, Ananda Villages main spiritual retreat offers programs year-round on yoga, meditation, holistic health, and spiritual growth. For a lunch, visitors will find delicious vegetarian fare at the Expanding Light Retreat or at Master's Market in downtown Ananda Village. Judge Edward Garcia, the federal district judge in charge of SRFs lawsuit against Ananda, observed during a hearing, It sounds like you [SRF] want to put them [Ananda] out of business. In one of his rulings, Judge Garcia expressed concern for the First Amendment issues that were involvedin the case, namely, the freedom of small groups to practice their religion without fear of legal and financial harassment by larger organizations. Some say it may also lead to a sense of inner calm and tranquility. Should SRF be allowed to remain legally in a position sue them all? Blessings of life in a spiritual community. It is a fore-mirroring of the millions who, as Paramhansa Yogananda himself predicted, will be drawn to this path. "If it was just me, I probably would have just carried on working.". This Australian article puffs on almost like an ad campaign, complete with a price quote per school term and a mention for a booklet by Hubbard called The Way to Happiness. Thus, our teacher and divine friend, Swami Kriyananda founded the global movement called Ananda Sangha Worldwide. Even then, in answering SRFs ludicrous charges, we have strictly observed dharma. And, in response to my question about how to develop more devotion, he wrote inspiringly, Fathomless depths of love for God lie hidden in the human heart, waiting to be uncovered by the Gurus liberating discipline.. It seems that some people once interested in Sai Baba have lost their interest. Surely the theory of meditation could be learned just as efficiently, if not more so, while practicing it. Im 59 years old now. Yoga Movement.com under choosing a yoga style, Cult compound once the home of Charles Meade is for sale. Kriyananda is a good monk. Far from leaving me bereft, the realization that even saints can make mistakes, eventually inspired me. Instead readers are regaled with how happy the little boy is at his new school, which teaches from text originated by L. Ron Hubbard, Scientologys founder. 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. Lacking experience, her approach was based on another theory altogether. 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. I also occasionally attended services at the Richmond and Los Gatos SRF centers. According to her attorney Mike Flynn, Bertolucci, then 28, was one of the church's most enthusiastic devotees. Kriyananda returned to face the sexual civil case from Ananda's campus in Assisi, Italy, where he was living at the time and where he passed away on Sunday. SRF even sought to gain exclusive rights to the term Self-realization.. 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. I received a reply from Daya Matas secretary, in which she said that Daya Mata wished me well in my new life. Even though SRF spent over $30 million of its members money, hiring one of the worlds largest law firms in its effort to destroy Ananda, Ananda prevailed, winning (again in the judges words) at least 95 percent of the issues in the case. In the company of other truth seekers it will be easier for you to meditate and to think of God., What is the need for all the luxury with which people surround themselves? 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. After all, we are the standard bearers for Yoganandas work!, These calls got to be quite a joke. 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. 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