Nayaswami Jyotish, Author at Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi

Devi and I are currently participating in a weeklong Kriya Renaissance course at the Ananda community near Assisi, Italy. We recently spoke on the theme, “The Time for Knowing God Has Come,” and I thought you, too, might find this subject inspiring.

Since Paramhansa Yogananda used the term Self-realization as the ultimate goal of life, let’s rephrase the theme as “The Time to Become Self-Realized Has Come.” But what exactly is Self-realization? Fortunately, Yogananda gave us a clear picture in Autobiography of a Yogi. When I first read the chapter “An Experience in Cosmic Consciousness,” I was thrilled to the very marrow of my bones. At last, I understood the vast scope and potential of human consciousness. This became even clearer with his great mystical poem, “Samadhi.”

As for many at Ananda, Self-realization has become my personal goal in life. But how do we achieve so lofty a purpose? Here are four steps to use as a guide:

1. Clarify

Of course, not everyone will share the same goal. What is yours? One of the most spiritually beneficial things you can do is to introspect and take the time to let your life’s purpose become clear.

Who Tells Me Thou Art Dark?, by Nayaswami Jyotish.

2. Commit

3. Concentrate

“Do you know why some people are never able to acquire health or make money, no matter how hard they seem to try? First of all, most people do everything half-heartedly. They use only about one-tenth of their concentration. . . . Don’t believe that you are incapable of doing anything. Often when you can’t succeed at something, it is because you have made up your mind that you cannot do it. But when you convince your mind of its accomplishing power, you can do anything! This is a great law to remember.”

4. Connect

These four steps—Clarify, Commit, Concentrate, and Connect—apply equally to successful meditation as to a successful life. When you sit to meditate:

Yogananda prayed:

“Teach me to worship Thee in breathlessness and in deathlessness. In the fire of devotion burn away my ignorance. In the stillness of my soul—come, Spirit, come. Possess me and teach me to feel Thy immortal presence in and around me. Come, Spirit, come! Come, Spirit, come!”

In the quest for Self-realization,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (9:55):

Paramhansa Yogananda tells us that God hears every prayer, but that He doesn’t always respond in the way we expect. Many of our prayers, if granted, might draw us deeper into delusion. Often, the answer we truly need comes only when we seek to change ourselves rather than our circumstances. God is far more likely to grant those prayers that help us in our efforts to uplift our consciousness.

We recently heard a beautiful example of how God responds to a sincere soul-call. While we were visiting a small Ananda community—Ananda Giri—near Milan, Italy, a young man shared a touching story. He had grown up without parents, and as a young adult was dealing with depression and various lifestyle problems. Feeling desperate, he prayed earnestly to God for help. In the stillness of prayer, he felt an inner answer: He needed a better environment, a spiritual community, and a way to get grounded—perhaps through working in a garden.

God had clearly heard his prayer. Soon afterward, he was inspired to call a childhood friend and open his heart to her. She replied, “I have the perfect solution. I’m living in exactly such a community—Ananda Giri—and we would be happy to welcome you as part of our family. And, as it happens, we also need someone to tend our expanding gardens.”

This story raises an important spiritual question: Why did God respond to his prayer, when He seems to ignore others? There are two main reasons: First, the karmic circumstances were right for him to ask for and receive help. Second, and more importantly, his prayer was for God’s help in his soul growth—not merely for outward comfort or gain.

God grants each of us a degree of free will. It would be simple for Him to wave His hand and end all wars, disease, and poverty. But He doesn’t—because they are goads to seek our fulfillment where ultimately it can only be found, when we use our free will to offer ourselves into His light.

Yogananda writes in Autobiography of a Yogi:

“The Mahavatar [Babaji] is in constant communion with Christ; together they send out vibrations of redemption, and have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age. The work of these two fully-illumined masters—one with the body, and one without it—is to inspire the nations to forsake suicidal wars, race hatreds, religious sectarianism, and the boomerang-evils of materialism. . . . [They realize] the necessity of spreading the self-liberations of yoga equally in the West and in the East.”

It is important to understand that while the masters will inspire us, they will neither force us to change nor do the work for us. Our prayers are far more likely to be answered when we ask for help to transform ourselves.

This is as true for the world as a whole as for individuals. Many sensitive souls wonder why God allows such darkness to persist. The answer is that the world will remain in shadow until people choose leaders who seek the light. And God will allow each of us to remain in darkness until we decide to step into the light.

I am writing this blog on my birthday, August 12th. The greatest gift I could ask for is God’s grace and guidance, and the opportunity to do my small part to share His light.

In joy,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (8:41):

Currently, over 150 teachers and administrators of the Education for Life (EFL) system have gathered together in India. They’ve come from more than twenty countries and dozens of schools around the world. EFL is dedicated to uplifting the children it serves, and stands on the brink of great expansion—especially in India.

Setting aside the many details of curriculum, lesson plans, and classroom activities, the essence of EFL is this: Each soul is unique, and the purpose of education is to help every individual blossom into the highest possible expression of themself. This kind of education is the real hope for a better future. When individual souls are empowered, society itself can regain its center.

We can visualize the soul as a globe of light—carrying both our past, shaped by the influences and tendencies from countless former incarnations, and our future, glowing with the vast potential of cosmic consciousness.

In this life, we incarnate not only with the influences of our personal karma, but also with the confining mindset of the age we live in, the family we are born into, and the country and culture we inhabit. If we are seeking freedom, we need wise guides to help us navigate delusion’s labyrinth.

Most of us, born into societies that value the ego over the soul, already face a difficult challenge. We struggle to rise above the mixed influences of family, friends, coworkers, and politicians. But other souls are born into a world that actively tries to suppress them.

One of the most inspiring aspects of EFL is an online high school that serves seventy young Afghan women. These brave students must confront the active repression and threats of the Taliban. And yet—even in those circumstances—the soul cannot be suppressed.

Last week, I received a poem written by one of these young women. I was deeply inspired—not only by the beauty of her words, but even more by the strength and clarity of the spirit behind them. I’m sure you will be as touched as I was:

Crossing

When I stood at the edge of a vast boundless ocean,

I think you’ll agree that her final lines apply to each of us:

With hope for the future,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (07:12):

Devi and I have been writing these blogs since 2013—over twelve years and more than six hundred entries now. For us, each one feels a bit like a message in a bottle, tossed into the vast ocean of the internet. We never know who receives these messages, or whether they find them useful. In a way, it’s a good thing not to know—a modern expression of nishkam karma, action without desire for the fruits of action.

Jyotish and Devi at a book signing of Touch of Divine Wisdom, the fifth volume in the Touch of Light series.

And yet, it’s always heartening when someone tells us a blog was helpful. Just a few days ago, a friend mentioned how much they had gained from a piece I wrote called The One Percent Solution. The essence of that blog is simple but powerful: small improvements, made consistently, lead to big changes. (It’s included in our book Touch of Joy, dated 9/24/2015.)

In that same spirit, I’d like to share another simple practice: The One-Minute Solution.

The idea began when I read an article in which people shared small habits that had made a big difference in their lives. One woman wrote that she had committed to doing three one-minute tasks each day—scrubbing the sink, cleaning out a drawer, and writing a long-overdue thank-you note. These little efforts were satisfying and helped her feel productive.

But I believe the real power of the one-minute solution lies in applying it to our inner lives.

Paramhansa Yogananda once said, “The minutes are more important than the years. If you fill the minutes of your life with thoughts of God, you will find the years of your life automatically saturated with the consciousness of God.”

This beautiful guidance takes only a few moments to follow, yet it helps lift our minds toward divine awareness. And there are many other applications as well for the one-minute solution.

It can help us form good habits—or break bad ones. When you’re resisting something you know you should do, try saying, “I’ll just do it for one minute.” “I can stretch for one minute to ease my stiff back.” Or, “I’ll take a one-minute walk around the block.” You’ll find it easier to begin—and often you’ll end up doing more than you planned.

It can also help when you’re struggling with temptation. Suppose you feel the urge to snack on something unhealthy, or to go down the rabbit hole of doomscrolling the news. Pause and say, “I’ll wait just one minute.” During that minute, repeat an affirmation, or take a few deep breaths. Even if you decide to give in to the urge afterward, you’ll be doing so mindfully. But more often than not, you’ll find the desire has passed, and you’ve reclaimed control.

This approach can be especially helpful in meditation. How often have we told ourselves, “This time I’m really going to concentrate,” only to end the session feeling discouraged because our minds have wandered. Instead, try this: “For one minute, I’m going to stay fully focused on the breath.” It’s a small goal, easy to attain. Then do it again. Success builds on success. A concentrated mind tends to stay focused, while a restless one keeps drifting. By practicing one concentrated minute at a time, you’ll finish your meditation feeling reinvigorated rather than frustrated.

I’ve started using this little one-minute solution in my own life and have found that it really works. I think you’ll find it helpful too.

There’s a beautiful passage in Metaphysical Meditations by Paramhansa Yogananda that captures the spirit of this practice: “Bless me, that I may find Thee in the temple of each thought and activity. Finding Thee within, I shall find Thee without, in all people and all conditions.”

In divine friendship,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (08:37):

I’ve just finished writing the manuscript of my book, The Heart of Service. It’s been a major, multiyear project that required consistent willpower—especially when added to our many ongoing responsibilities. Now that it’s done, I find myself facing an unexpected challenge: It’s hard to let go, and simply relax. Have you ever faced something similar in your own life?

We live in a world that values effort, but often overlooks the importance of relaxation. We count our steps, track our workouts, and even “work” at our tennis games. Where is the element of fun in all this? Where is the relaxation? While discipline is essential, too much effort—especially if it becomes tense or joyless—can be counterproductive. This is true not only in our outer lives, but in our spiritual practices as well.

Swami Kriyananda shared an instructive story from his early years with Paramhansa Yogananda:

I was having difficulty receiving the results in meditation that I wanted. One evening I found the Master alone and said to him, “Sir, I keep trying and trying, but I’m not going deep. Am I not trying hard enough?”

The Master shook his head. “You are trying too hard,” he said. “You are using too much will power. It becomes nervous. Just be natural. As long as you try ‘hard’ to meditate, you will not succeed—just as, if you try hard to fall asleep, you won’t be able to do it. Will power should be applied gradually; otherwise, it can be detrimental. That’s why it is good in the beginning to emphasize relaxation.”

“Calm,” by Nayaswami Jyotish. A scene at Carmel, California.

After Swamiji completed a book, he would usually take a vacation. We were fortunate to join him on many trips to Carmel, California—a place he loved. With its art galleries, European charm, and excellent restaurants, it offered a refreshing change of pace. But it also offered another advantage: the sea. It’s officially called Carmel-by-the-Sea, and is blessed with ocean breezes and the healing presence of negative ions—a deeply relaxing environment.

Devi too is finishing a book she’s been working on for many months, and when she’s done, we’ll take a short vacation. As Swamiji showed us, it’s important to step away from your usual environment, which carries its own web of routines and demands. A change of scenery helps loosen inner knots we may not even realize we’ve tied. Since we live in the forest, it’s especially renewing for us to spend time near water.

Relaxation, however, doesn’t mean passivity. True relaxation comes not from letting our energy sink, but from doing something enjoyable and uplifting. Fun is an echo of joy, and the deepest relaxation arises when we rest in our own innate, God-given joy.

Of course, we can’t always take a trip to unwind. Nor is it necessary. Even a good movie can provide a little mental reset. But passive relaxation should be like spice in cooking—a little bit helps the recipe, but too much will ruin it. For more lasting renewal, find an activity or hobby that engages and uplifts you. If there’s one takeaway from this blog, it’s this: Find something you enjoy doing, and weave it into your regular life.

Winston Churchill turned to painting, as I did, to find balance in his demanding life. He made an interesting observation: “We get fatigued from repeatedly using the same part of the brain.” He said that the best relaxation comes from shifting to a completely different kind of activity. If your work requires constant decision-making, then find a less mental activity—not bridge or chess! Do something physical, musical, or even better, something with an intuitive flow.

Swamiji encouraged me when I began painting. He said, “You’re too intellectual. Painting will be good for you. It will help you develop intuition.”

So, my friends, find time to relax. Choose something different. Something fun. Something that draws you inward to the joy already within you. As for me, I’m trying to follow Master’s advice: not to try hard to relax, but simply . . . to relax.

In joy,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (09:16):

Swami Kriyananda shares an amusing and instructive story in Conversations with Yogananda:

“It was after a luncheon guest had left, and I was sitting alone with him at the table. Idly he tried to flip a fork into an empty glass by striking downward on the curved prongs. Several times his attempt failed, but he persevered. On about the fifth try, the fork finally went into the glass—which broke! The Master looked at me, smiling almost like a child. ‘But it went in!’ he said, as if proudly.

“He seemed to be telling me that, whatever one sets his mind to, it should be carried through to completion—even if, in the process, the glass gets broken!

“How often in my life have I had to resolve to carry something through even though I knew the very attempt would cause me, personally, great hardship. I’ve reminded myself with a smile, ‘Even if the glass breaks, my duty, which I’ve accepted, is to flip the fork in!’”

We saw countless examples of this in his life. He was unwavering in finishing what he’d begun. While he was writing The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita in India, we lived in a room just outside his office. Often, in the middle of the night, we would see his office light go on. If inspiration struck, he would immediately climb the stairs, go to his keyboard. and write it down.

When he was editing, his concentration was so deep that we learned not to interrupt him. Only when he had finished the task did he look up. Then he gave his full attention to us. If he said he was going to do something, such as make a trip into town to buy a newspaper, he followed through on his promise, no matter how unnecessary or inconvenient it had become.

For the small things in life, follow the advice in one of Swami’s books: Do It NOW! Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink. Try answering all your emails before going to bed. You’ll be amazed at how much freer your mind will feel.

For larger tasks, don’t let them languish on a shelf. Leaving something unfinished is like leaving a faucet dripping: It drains your energy. I’ve had this lesson brought home to me recently.

Several years ago, I began writing a book on service as a spiritual practice. Then life intervened, and I had to set it aside. But it never really left me: The thought of it lingered, quietly pulling at my attention. Finally, when I resumed writing, it took two months to regain the momentum I had lost. But now, I’m happy to say that the book, The Heart of Service, is nearly complete. I’m absolutely determined to let nothing stand in the way of finishing it.

Nayaswami Jyotish at Rajarshi Day, repainting at the Crystal Hermitage boutique at Ananda Village.

There is a deeper, spiritual reason to finish what we start. Unfinished business carries over into future lifetimes. Many of the challenges we face are rooted in things we have left undone in the past—especially those unfulfilled desires and bad habits we failed to overcome.

Paramhansa Yogananda wrote: “Unfulfilled desires remain in the heart. And what is the harm in harboring them? It is this: Every desire consists of specific forces, either good or evil, or a mixture of both. And when you die, though your body is gone, those forces do not die.

“The behavior of even the smallest child reveals certain characteristics of past lives. Some children have terrible temper tantrums; others are moody. God did not make them that way. Unfulfilled desires of past lives fashioned those psychological tendencies, and, because of them, the soul, even though made in the image of God, appears as something different.”

So, my friends, finishing what we begin—even in small matters—is more important than we may realize. It seals energy leaks, builds strength of will, and helps form the habit of finishing what we start. This simple practice could save us many lifetimes of suffering.

With joy,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (9:12):

We need more stillness in our lives. Stillness—and silence. In our overstimulated world, nearly everyone lives amid a constant barrage of noise, distraction, and overstimulation. Periods of deep silence are not just a luxury; they are essential. Silence allows us not just to relax, but to reset our nervous system, and reconnect with our inner peace.

A friend was amused by a sign she saw while visiting a convent: “Don’t speak unless you can improve upon the silence.”

In this same spirit, Paramhansa Yogananda deeply valued silence, and urged his disciples to embrace it. To escape the unceasing busyness and demands of his life in Los Angeles, he would occasionally visit an enchanted place called Palm Canyon, home to the world’s largest grove of California fan palms. There, in a quiet stream shaded by magical trees, he would bathe, then sit on the rocks to meditate while his long hair dried in the filtered sunlight.

He often brought a few disciples with him, but wouldn’t allow them to speak. Silence, for him, was sacred: the altar of God.

It was during one of these silent retreats that he wrote the chant to Divine Mother, “Come Out of the Silent Sky,” also known as “I Give You My Soul Call.” The words express the soul’s deep yearning for the Divine:

Mother, I give Thee my soul, soul, soul call;

The Science of Silence

A friend recently sent me a remarkable study titled “The Shocking Ways Your Brain Changes After Just 3 Days of Silence.” Although the article is long, it is fascinating and important. The study demonstrates that silence is profoundly beneficial: not only spiritually, but also physiologically and psychologically.

After just seventy-two hours of accumulated silence, the brain undergoes measurable changes typically seen only after weeks of intensive cognitive training or physical exercise. Brain scans conducted before and after periods of stillness reveal the growth of new brain cells—especially in the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory and learning. Just three days of silence allows the brain to activate and reset what scientists call a “Default Mode Network Revolution,” facilitating deep cognitive restoration.

Here’s a brief summary of some of the findings:

Sensory Improvements

Psychological Improvements

You can find a link to the full article at the end of this blog. I highly recommend reading it.

Silence, Stillness, and Meditation

“Master in Rhode Island,” by Nayaswami Jyotish.

Aside from deep meditation, there may be nothing more beneficial to our well-being than taking a few days of complete silence. The deepest stillness, however, comes not from outer stillness alone, but from the withdrawal of life-force from the body and senses. This inward turning of energy is a primary goal of meditation.

As Paramhansa Yogananda wrote in Autobiography of a Yogi: “The world illusion, maya or avidya”—literally “not-knowledge”—“can never be destroyed through intellectual conviction or analysis, but solely through attaining the interior state of nirbikalpa samadhi.”

Union with God is the ultimate goal, but in the meantime each of us can certainly manage three days of silence—and experience its profound blessings.

In stillness,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Link to article: https://techfixated.com/the-shocking-ways-your-brain-changes-after-just-3-days-of-silence/ 

Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (9:29):

Paramhansa Yogananda tells us that there is no one whose prayers haven’t been answered in some way. But he warns us that God listens to our hearts, not just our words. The little wishes that loop quietly in the background of our thoughts—those are our real prayers. That’s why he urges us to keep “the spotlight of our mind ever turning toward God, God, God.”

Prayer is both important and effective—when done correctly. Prayers should be offered with full concentration, with the awareness that we are children of God, and with complete faith that He hears us and knows our needs. When praying for others, it’s best not to ask for any specific outcome, but simply that God’s will be done.

Yogananda suggested this prayer: “Divine Mother, Thou art omnipresent. Thou art in [name of person or group]. Manifest Thy healing presence in their bodies, minds, and souls.” Make it a regular practice to pray for others and for the world at the end of every meditation.

Personally, I follow Swamiji’s example and never pray for anything for myself. I feel that Divine Mother already lives within me and knows what I need better than I do. But every day, I do pray that all my thoughts, words, and actions may be in perfect harmony with God’s will.

Whether spoken or silent, God knows our needs—and more importantly, what our souls require for freedom.

We recently read a remarkable book: Small Miracles of the Holocaust. It’s filled with stories of how light can emerge even in the darkest of circumstances. Here is one:

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, a beloved teacher and musician, spent his life traveling and uplifting Jewish communities around the world. On one airplane flight, he met a young woman who had converted to Judaism. She asked for his help. She was deeply in love, she explained, but the man’s Jewish parents totally opposed their marriage because she had been born a Christian. Would the rabbi speak with them?

Rabbi Shlomo called the young man’s father, but the conversation quickly turned hostile. “Listen,” the man snapped, “I’m a Holocaust survivor. Because of what God did to the Jews, I hate religion. But still—if my son marries a non-Jewish woman, I’ll kill him!”

The rabbi called the young woman to break the bad news to her, but her father answered instead. He, too, was angry and closed. Yet something in Rabbi Shlomo’s voice touched a hidden place in his heart, and the man began to cry.

“I’ll tell you a secret that I’ve never told anyone,” he said quietly. “My wife and I are not really Christian. We’re Jews—Holocaust survivors. But because of what happened, we renounced our faith and have pretended to be Christians ever since.”

Rabbi Shlomo, seeing that a door had opened, asked if the man would be willing to meet the boy’s father and share with him the secret he had just revealed. A meeting between both families was arranged.

When the two fathers met, they turned pale in astonishment.

“Herschel!” cried one.

“Yankel!” exclaimed the other.

They had been best friends before the war. Afterwards, each believed the other had died in the Holocaust. One of them explained, “When we were young boys in school together, we promised that we would be friends forever. And to solidify our friendship, we pledged that when we would marry and have children, we would betroth them to one another. It seems that even though we forgot our pledge, God didn’t.” With the families reconciled, the young couple were happily able to marry.

God never forgets us, even for a moment. But He does remain hidden—sometimes deeply so. In these difficult times, how can we find our way?

The best answer is: faith.

As Swami Kriyananda wrote:

Security is his alone whose faith rests in the Lord. Most practical of men is he who offers his life to God, praying, “My safety is Thy responsibility, Lord.” This does not mean we should not be conscientious. But after doing our very best, we should leave the worrying to God!

In divine friendship,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (8:43):

Fear of the unknown is deeply ingrained in human nature. But for the spiritual aspirant, fear becomes not an enemy, but a valuable teacher. I’d like to share three stories—each one illuminating a reason why it’s important to face our fears with courage and faith.

The first story is a charming tale from Autobiography of a Yogi, shortly after Yogananda meets his guru, Sri Yukteswar:

“Guruji, I would like to hear some stories of your childhood,” Yogananda asked.

“I will tell you a few—each one with a moral!” Sri Yukteswar replied. “My mother once tried to frighten me with an appalling story of a ghost in a dark chamber. I went there immediately and expressed my disappointment at having missed the ghost. Mother never told me another horror tale.”

Moral: Look fear in the face, and it will cease to trouble you.

A similar experience happened to me when I was a boy. I grew up in a small town, across the street from a large park. Near our home stood a dark, brick house surrounded by a high, impenetrable hedge. None of my friends had ever seen the owner—a mysterious man named Mr. Johnson. To us children, sneaking into his yard to grab a fallen chestnut was the ultimate test of courage.

One evening, my mother said, “Mr. Johnson wants to talk to you.”

Unimaginable terror gripped me. To us, Mr. Johnson was our version of Sri Yukteswar’s ghost. Seeing my fear, my mother kindly offered to accompany me. When we arrived, I discovered the real reason no one had seen Mr. Johnson: he was elderly, wheelchair-bound, and lived alone.

He looked at me with piercing blue eyes and said, “Your mother tells me you like to fish.”

“Ye–ye–yes, sir,” I stammered.

“Would you like me to help you build a fly rod?” What a surprise! 

Over the next few weeks, I visited him every evening. As we worked together, he became a grandfatherly figure to me. He had grown up fishing the streams of Norway and was an expert in the art. Not only did we build that fly rod, but he also taught me how to tie my own flies.

Moral: Most of our fears are illusions, kept alive only by the imagination.

Dedication of Lake Shrine with Paramhansa Yogananda.

Here’s a third story, one that took place after Yogananda received the Lake Shrine property and began its transformation. The land was rugged—steep and rocky—and the young monks worked hard planting trees and shrubs, often late into the night. One evening, a potential new monk joined the crew.

That night, with Master directing the operation, they were planting palm trees. He wanted them put in a straight line. After a couple had been placed, Master said, “You’ve planted that one out of line. Dig it up and plant it in line with where I’m standing.” They did so, but he corrected them again: “Still wrong. Do it over.” This went on. And on. One of the monks, out of the corner of his eye, noticed that Master had subtly shifted his position after they began digging. He smiled, realizing: He’s trying to teach us something.

Finally, they finished well past midnight.

The next morning, the new postulant said, “I’m leaving. I can’t follow a man like that. I’m afraid I might end up as crazy as he is.”

When Yogananda heard this, he simply said, “I knew he wouldn’t stay.”

Moral: Our fears are often tests sent to help us grow. If we trust in God and guru, we’ll pass the lesson. If not, we’ll run away—only to face a harder one later.

Swami Kriyananda writes in Affirmations for Self-Healing:

“Divine courage comes from living in the awareness of God’s presence within, and in the realization that He is the sole Reality. Live more in Him, for nothing and no one can touch what you really are.”

In divine friendship,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (8:31):

As devotees, we have a responsibility to do our best not only to live in the light, but to share it with the world. I read an interesting article recently that said:

“When you do an act of kindness, you inspire positive change far beyond the person you’re helping, not by just one degree—but three. Kindness spreads through social networks in ways we might never have imagined. Research shows that when you perform a simple act of kindness, it doesn’t just impact the recipient; it can create a ripple effect that influences people up to three degrees of separation away.”

We recently heard a wonderful example of this from a friend of ours, Riccardo Pes, a member of the Ananda Assisi community. Riccardo is an internationally recognized cellist and composer, and wrote a very special piece of music, “Lament for the Sycamore Gap Tree.” Here is the story behind it.

In Northern England there stood a very famous, ancient sycamore tree, so picturesque that it became one of the most photographed trees in the world. It even famously appeared in the well-known movie, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. Located next to Hadrian’s Wall, an ancient Roman fortification, the tree was so striking that the area became known as “Sycamore Gap.”

Tragically, in 2023 vandals cut down the tree, plunging the whole nation into mourning. Riccardo was in Rome when he heard the news, and having studied in England, immediately felt moved to compose a lament for the tree in the Gaelic tradition. Feeling an urge to do even more, he flew from Rome to London, undertaking the challenging journey to the fallen tree. The last forty minutes he spent trudging through the rain and mud carrying his cello in order to play his composition to the tree.

Finally reaching the spot, he sat near the stump and played his lament in tribute, the rainy weather perfectly complementing his poignant music. Riccardo shared a recording of his song online where it quickly went viral, inspiring countless people around the globe.

You can listen to Riccardo’s moving performance, shared during our recent Easter Sunday service. It beautifully resonates with the story of Jesus’ resurrection, as new sprouts are now rising from the stump of the fallen tree.

Riccardo’s act of creative compassion vividly demonstrates the power of countering darkness with light. In this world of duality, distressing events are inevitable. But reacting negatively only deepens the darkness. How much better it is to respond creatively, illuminating the world with acts of kindness and compassion.

Buddha and the Eagle, by Nayaswami Jyotish.

Similarly, when the Taliban destroyed the giant sixth-century Buddha statues carved into the cliffs of Afghanistan, I felt deeply disturbed. My response was to create the painting you see here. In a forthcoming book, Meditation-Born Art, showcasing my paintings, I gave this description of it: “The free spirit of an eagle in flight is ‘pronaming’ before the enlightened master, who could be touched by neither men’s guns nor their foolish pettiness.”

The key takeaway is clear: Each of us can, and must, become agents of the light. As Swami Kriyananda writes in one of his inspiring songs:

Brother, I’ve a faint suspicion

In the spreading light,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (7:31):