One of the fastest (and happiest) paths to Self-realization is simply to accept things as they are.

“God,” I asked inwardly, “was it really You who came in the form of that desperate man?” I never saw the stranger again. To this day I’ve suspected that the encounter was God’s way of showing me that He Himself receives any act of kindness we express to others.

Nayaswami Jyotish reads a letter of gratitude to God and shares more on the importance of gratitude on the spiritual path.

What touched us the most, however, was seeing the divine love for others that is being offered by Ananda devotees throughout the world. Here are three stories that we heard during our travels.

We recently heard a remarkable story about Sri Yukteswar.

The saints of all religions teach that everything in life is transitory. All human suffering is caused by seeking permanence in an impermanent world. Only through inner detachment can we find lasting peace.

Diwali, the Festival of Light, is celebrated throughout India. Lights can be seen everywhere: strings of it decorating balconies and windows, candles placed in doorways and windows and on the altars of homes, and fireworks bursting like stars in the night sky.

How can this world's fighting ever end? It is only by the upliftment of consciousness. In the teachings of India, the term “maya” is used to denote “delusion.”

Isn’t is interesting that the essence of the spiritual path is somehow magically condensed into a single sacred plate?

Inner self-transformation is never easy, no matter how you approach it. In trying to transcend self-limitations and old ways of thinking, we find ourselves clinging to the familiar, even if it no longer serves our aspirations.