Treasures Along the Path

February 1976
The talk emphasizes that God can communicate with us through various forms and images until we understand that He is omnipresent. It highlights the importance of inner worship and the realization that true religion is about communing with God directly and recognizing His presence within ourselves. The story of Namdev illustrates the journey of understanding that God is everywhere, not just in external forms or images.
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The talk discusses the concept of accepting what comes naturally in life, particularly focusing on the difficult aspects. It emphasizes that while it's easy to accept good things, the real challenge lies in accepting hardships and tragedies. The talk shares various anecdotes and stories to illustrate this point, including experiences from religious fairs in India, personal encounters with ascetics, and the teachings of spiritual masters. It highlights the importance of not seeking extreme austerities deliberately but rather accepting the challenges that life presents. The talk also underscores the idea that God or a higher power is always present and responsive to our needs, even in the smallest of desires, as demonstrated through personal stories of seemingly trivial wishes being fulfilled. Ultimately, it encourages a devotional approach to life, seeing every experience as a blessing and an opportunity for spiritual growth.
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The talk discusses the importance of energy and willpower in achieving success and healing. It introduces the idea of dividing retreat participants into smaller groups called "channels" to receive special attention and help. These channels are named after natural elements like trees, rivers, and clouds, with the aim of drawing divine power through these elements 1. The talk emphasizes that the same energy can be channeled into different talents and skills, and that strong willpower can lead to overcoming habits and achieving greatness 1. It also highlights the role of divine energy in healing and the importance of attuning oneself to this energy for success in various endeavors 1.

The talk further elaborates on the concept that energy and willpower are interconnected. It explains that the greater the will, the greater the flow of energy, and this principle can be applied to various aspects of life, including healing, writing, athletics, and business administration 2. The talk provides examples of how individuals have used willpower to overcome physical ailments and achieve remarkable feats 2. It also discusses the idea that energy can be drawn from the divine source and that this energy is essential for success and healing 2.

The talk concludes by emphasizing the importance of attunement to divine energy and the need to offer one's ego into the greater flow of inspiration. It suggests that true healing and success come from aligning oneself with the divine will and becoming an instrument for divine energy.
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The talk discusses the concept of success, emphasizing the importance of balancing material and spiritual achievements. Here are some key points:

1. Definition of Success: The talk challenges the conventional notion of success, which often focuses solely on material accomplishments. It argues that true success should also encompass spiritual growth and inner fulfillment.
2. Examples of Success: The talk uses historical figures like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci to illustrate different aspects of success. While Michelangelo is praised for his artistic achievements, the talk suggests that his intense focus on work may have come at the expense of his humanity and spiritual grace. In contrast, Leonardo's work is highlighted for its spiritual beauty and magnetism.
3. Personal Growth: The talk emphasizes that real success is about personal growth and coming closer to reality. It suggests that every action should be a means of helping individuals evolve spiritually and become their own greatest masterpiece.
4. Balance and Focus: The talk discusses the importance of balance and focus in achieving success. It acknowledges that sometimes intense dedication to a particular goal may be necessary, but it also warns against becoming unbalanced and neglecting other aspects of one's nature.
5. Energy and Concentration: The talk highlights the role of energy and concentration in achieving success. It suggests that success requires a high level of concentration and the ability to direct one's energy towards a specific goal.
6. Spiritual Perspective: The talk concludes by emphasizing that true success is ultimately about merging one's soul with the divine. It suggests that success should be understood in terms of what it does for an individual's inner nature and spiritual growth.

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Is Renunciation in Today's World? delves into the concept of intuitive guidance and how to discern and align with God's will. It emphasizes the challenges of recognizing divine guidance amidst personal desires, attachments, and cultural conditioning.  provides practical advice on cultivating openness, non-attachment, and humility to better perceive spiritual direction.
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Yogananda’s Birthday – Jesus and Yogananda

Yogananda’s birthday is January 7. This talk was given the next day at a Sunday Service. After the Sunday service reading.
1/8/84

Jesus was born Jewish, but they couldn’t accept his teachings of truth.

There was too much formalization of religion at the time.

Jesus taught his disciples how to get back to the true spirit of religion, a true and direct experience of God. Yogananda taught this as well.

Kriyananda talks about the deeper meaning of the gold, blue and white aspects of the spiritual eye. The ‘star in the East at the birth of Christ was actually the light seen at the spiritual eye and was the symbol of the coming of an avatar.
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1/11/1983

Yoga Postures as an Aid for Spiritual Growth – yoga practice can deepen meditation and make you more centered.

This talk offers good advice about daily life on the spiritual path.

Learn to control the mind and become more aware.

We are here to find out who and what we are.  Hatha yoga can be an aid to spiritual development. It can  help us go about daily life in a more harmonious and centered way and help keep the body healthy.

When you practice hatha yoga you become aware of your body as a body of light. You strengthen the light with your practice.

Yoga postures manifest an upward flow of energy in the body.

The attitudes of the mind can be expressed in the posture of the body, as a physical manifestation of the subtle energies in the body.

It is best to sit for meditation with a straight spine.
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Circa 1996

Yoga and Daily Life: commentaries for a ‘thought for the day’ – interspersed with music by Kriyananda.

Sample thought for the day:

Make everyone feel that they are special in your eyes – not in any particular way, necessarily, but above all, because every human being is your brother or sister in God!

This is a nice recording to listen to in the car.

These passages were first published in a book: Do It Now.  Later published as the book Do it Well.
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August 5, 1984
Suffering brings wisdom and leads us toward higher reality.

The ultimate cure for suffering is God.

If you look at suffering abstractly, you can say there is no suffering. The only reality is God, and God is joy, not suffering. When joy diminishes, it can appear that you are suffering.

Evil is that which pulls us away from our central joy.

God created everything from thought. The underlying reality of energy is thought, and the underlying reality of thought is divine consciousness or God.

Good and evil are dreams of the Infinite.

To love people is to love them with their motives. To love God is to love without motive. To love God within people is to love without motive. And when we have no motive at all, the ego is out of the picture.
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What Next for Mankind – mankind has taken a turn in the wrong direction by looking for happiness and stability in outward things

As long as we look for solutions outside ourSelves, we will suffer.

People all over the world are facing economic challenges as well as the growing potential of war.

The consequence of taking what you want from other people without regard of giving back, is that you get a feeling of tension, something doesn’t feel right, yet people continue to act in this way. The result is unrest within and without.

The solutions lie within each individual to get back in touch with the things that are really important.

The leading mission of every soul is to find oneness with God and know that “we are a part of all that is.” God is in all things and in all people.
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