Ask Me About Truth

You talked about art as being idealized reality — could you expand on that?

Is beauty always in the eye of the beholder?

Is there an absolute standard of beauty?

Why does music have a especial impact on our consciousness?

As we move into this age of greater energy, will the expression of art continue to evolve also?

Is beauty a universal reality?

Have you ever had to overcome writer's block?

How a playwright should write dialogue

The Universe Is God's Consciousness

Swami Kriyananda succinctly sheds light on a subject that has intrigued mankind for eons, namely astrology. He explains that the entire universe is God's consciousness, which is governed by laws. Everything is conscious and connected.

Since everything is tied together, there are influences, and some of these come to us from stars. It doesn't infer, however, that we need to be slavishly a prey to them, though, since the wise tell us there is truth to it, it behooves us to listen to them.

An easy horoscope is not a challenging one and doesn't make you strong. Swami Kriyananda has authored a book called Your Sun Sign Is a Spiritual Guide.

There is an inner astrology and an outer astrology. Higher influences from God inspire us to become strong, pliable, and kindly.

Free Will to Choose God or Turn Away

Kriyananda states that we don't have free will. The only free will we have is the decision to either go towards God or turn away from Him. Yoga as a science can help to evolve us but cannot change us in itself. Through our efforts, it helps for God's grace to come in. We are a battleground and we have to strive to side with higher forces instead of the lower. So astrology is a helpful science as long we don't take it passively.

The chakras correspond with the planets. But this study should not be undertaken by everybody. It can make people judgmental and therefore it's easy to misunderstand the science.

Western and Indian Astrology Have Different Strengths

Western astrology is better for understanding character, whilst Indian astrology is better for life predictions. It's helpful as a tool for self-study.

The astrological bangle advised by Sri Yukteswar is recommended also by Kriyananda, who has been wearing it for decades. He feels a certain power of protection from it.

A True Teacher Helps Us toward Perfection

In summary, the universe is our body, with center everywhere and circumference nowhere. In order for us to get to the center of, say, a vast field of ice, we need to go through at one point, which in this case is our ego. It's not easy, which is why it takes several lifetimes.

On this journey it's only a true teacher who can help us. A false one may end up getting us stuck deeper in delusion. It takes time to find perfection, the ultimate goal.

"We all want divine bliss," Swami Kriyananda says — a statement that is at the core of what he calls "Directional Psychology."

Directional Psychology is not (today) a worked-out system, but only an idea. The idea, explained in more detail in the video, is essentially that each of us are at a different place in our spiritual evolution. What is right for one person may not be right for another, even though each of us, knowingly or not, are ultimately seeking divine bliss.

Questions include:

I understand that you have put your mind to a new system of psychology that you are calling directional psychology?

If you have a fear, for example, how would you overcome that fear?

How do we evaluate where we are on the ladder of spiritual evolution?

There are so many people alive on earth today — if reincarnation is true, where did all those souls come from? Paramhansa Yogananda's answer to this question was "from other planets."

Have other peoples visited earth, from space? What determines if we are born as human, animal, or something else?

Questions include:

What is your opinion about aliens coming from outer space or UFOs visiting this planet?

What do you think about the theory that aliens came to help humanity start on this planet?

Are humans descended from apes or monkeys? If not, would that invalidate the theory of evolution?

What is a "day of Bramha"?

How would you explain the saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions"?

Is there an advantage or disadvantage in being in the "in-between place," the astral world?

Swami Kriyananda discusses the distinctions between Christianity and Churchianity. Institutional urgencies and control are prioritized by Churchianity, and it tends to place convenience over Truth. Christianity stresses the significance of truth, the divine, and God’s omnipresence. You cannot confine truth to an edifice or church structure and institutionalization in itself ought not be the central reality of a religious organization.

Kriyananda shares the importance of forming small decentralized communities to avoid creating a formalized hierarchy, so that a sense of freedom can be maintained where everyone has a say.

Kriyananda says that his guru (Paramhansa Yogananda) spoke of the growing magnetism of people who gather to meditate together that cannot be created by the individual alone. ‘Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’  Kriyananda urges those who seek the spiritual life to come together to think of God and serve others.

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Swami Kriyananda shares esoteric teachings of Christianity that Paramhansa Yogananda brought to the West.

Much of modern Christianity is outward, with an emphasis on religious organizations and their priorities — but the original Christianity, according to Paramhansa Yogananda, had as a priority inner communion with God.

Questions include:

Paramhansa Yogananda often spoke about Christianity vs. "Churchianity" — would you like to talk about the difference?

In the early days of Christianity becoming a religion, there were small communities. Did Jesus recommended that way of life?

Does bringing a group of people together for a spiritual purpose automatically begin to calcify the group?

Can you explain the teaching of Christ, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them"?

How do we become more attuned to Christ's consciousness?

What is God's "name"?

The Holy Spirit is often referred to as "the Comforter" — why is that?

Swami Kriyananda discusses many fascinating concepts related to reincarnation and shares stories and ancedotes about previous lives and the tendencies we carry over many lifetimes of action. Kriyananda states that everything is preordained and explains the role of personal choice.  Kriyananda goes on to describe the astral world as a world of energy and brilliant colors and offers other insights into the spiritual realms, personages, and their relationship with human existence.

You can’t take it with you or can you? We do bring tendencies with us from the next world into our current lives. Why do you like chocolate ice cream but not strawberry? Why do you enjoy hot weather and have an aversion to the cold?

We have certain attractions and preferences. There are people we are drawn to – people we feel we know but we don’t remember meeting them.

These things have been formed through previous lives and actions here and in the astral realms. The astral world is a world of energy and freedom – a world of brilliant colors and light. Learn more in this fascinating talk.

"Rejecting the church is often the first step to having true faith." Swami Kriyananda’s devout mother read and shared this statement with Kriyananda when he was a teenager. He felt that now, after many tears and arguments, she finally understood him. This statement may also resonate with those truth seekers looking for the deepest meanings in their lives.

Kriyananda says that he came to an understanding of Christianity through his guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, whose teachings helped him to make distinctions between "churchianity" and Christianity and the veracity of other world religions, as well.

 

God is the only force in our lives, Swami Kriyananda says, who is completely trustworthy, unbribable, and who is always on our side.Practicing His presence means to be aware of Him as a constant reality in your life — Swamiji describes how to do that and why.Questions include:

How do we develop complete trust in God?

Can you develop that trust by trying it out, a little bit at a time?

You mentioned practicing the presence of God — how does that work?

Popular music expresses the general consciousness of people, but in recent years, popular music has become more and more an expression of low consciousness.

We should look for happiness more in ourselves, Swami Kriyananda explains, because that's the only place where we can ever find it.

Questions include:

You talked about the negative effects on the consciousness of rock and roll or heavy metal music — could you discuss that a little more?

What is reincarnation?