Ananda Worldwide

Ananda owes its existence to two remarkable men-Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda. Yogananda was one of the greatest masters of yoga ever to teach and live in the United States. In 1948 Swami Kriyananda read Yogananda’s life-changing book, Autobiography of a Yogi, and took the next bus from New York to Los Angeles to become his disciple. Since that day Kriyananda has spent 55 years spreading the teachings of self-realization which his guru exemplified.

Ananda was founded in 1968 by Kriyananda who, from his youth, had dreamed of creating small communities based on cooperation and high ideals. When he discovered that Yogananda, too, was committed to the concept of “World Brotherhood Colonies,” he vowed to do his utmost to make this dream a reality.

Yogananda often said that what the world needs is a blend of the best qualities of the East and West: the spiritual insight of the East (India) and the practical efficiency of the West (America). One without the other leads to a society barren of human fulfillment, but a balance of the two can bring peace, harmony, prosperity, and happiness. Yogananda predicted that world brotherhood colonies, based on the twin principles of “plain living and high thinking” would be the social pattern for the future.

Swami Kriyananda has dedicated the last 35 years to the creation of Ananda Village, located near Nevada City, California, and to the development of its sister communities in Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Sacramento and Palo Alto, California; a rural community in the state of Rhode Island; a European community near Assisi, Italy; and numerous Ananda Centers and meditation groups throughout the US and in many foreign countries.

The exceptional challenge of this task lay in the fact that nothing like “world brotherhood communities” has ever been done before. Indian teachers had started ashrams where students dedicated themselves to the mystical search for God. Visionaries had founded small communities based on utopian dreams or economic theories. But the goal in creating Ananda was to build a community with the blending of the best of East and West-a dedication to seek the Divine balanced with the ability to operate practically and efficiently in the world. In America, Ananda was the first and foremost spiritual intentional community dedicated to following the teachings of yoga and meditation. Ananda communities are comprised mainly of householders, single residents, and families with children. The goal of Ananda members is to live a God-centered life while still maintaining one’s worldly responsibilities.

There are two main principles that Ananda communities follow. First, people are more important than things, which in practice means that people’s spiritual well-being is more important than anything else. Secondly, another motto of ours has always been, “Jato dharma, tato jaya: “Where there is adherence to truth, there lies victory.” As devotees, Ananda’s outlook is fundamentally different from that of the worldly person. For one thing, where worldly people define wealth in terms of acquisition, the devotee defines it in terms of inner happiness. Where the worldly person defines fulfillment in terms of desires satisfied, the devotee defines it in terms of desires transcended. Security, to the devotee, is not a bank account but a sense of constant inner peace.

Today, there are nearly 1,000 people living in Ananda communities in America and worldwide, and several more thousand members of Ananda Sangha, Ananda Centers, Ananda Meditation Groups, and the Ananda Church of Self-Realization. The Ananda Schools (now called the Ananda Living Wisdom Schools) were founded at Ananda Village in 1970 and today include several sister schools in the Western US as well as summer camps and teacher-training programs. These schools serve children from pre-school through 12th grade. The first “Ananda college”, the Ananda Institute of Alternative Living, begins its first term in the fall of 2004.

Ananda operates guest retreats and facilities throughout the US and Europe as well. The Expanding Light, America’s premier yoga retreat, was founded in the ‘70s and today serves guests throughout the world who come to the facility for yoga teacher training and various programs in yoga, meditation, healing and spirituality. The Ananda Meditation Retreat, Kriyananda’s first home in America, was founded in 1968 and continues to offer spiritual seekers seclusion cabins and retreats for Kriya Yoga, the basis of Ananda’s teachings. Ananda Rhode Island offers retreats for spiritual aspirants in the Eastern US. Ananda Assisi operates a large guest retreat where seekers from all over Europe and Russia come for spiritual training and renewal.

All Ananda communities strive to offer members a wholistic setting where God is the center of member’s lives, but where “home, business and church” exist harmoniously to the benefit of one’s spiritual growth. For instance, at Ananda Village, the community includes many business that are owned by Ananda, plus many businesses that are privately-owned by members. Members can work in the community or outside the community. Ananda Village includes a market, deli & bakery offering vegetarian, organic food; a school; two guest retreats; a publishing company; and many more private businesses. Several Ananda communities located in urban areas operate East West Bookshops. The East West Bookshops were first founded by Swami Kriyananda as a way for community members to work together serving others. Today, there are several East West Bookshops offering a wide selection of metaphysical, spiritual and religious books and gifts.

To learn more about Ananda Worldwide, you please visit these websites:

Ananda Worldwide
http://www.ananda.org

Living Wisdom Schools
http://www.livingwisdom.org

The Expanding Light California Yoga and Meditation Retreat
http://www.expandinglight.org

Ananda Meditation Retreat
http://www.meditationretreat.org

Uplifting Books, Music & Videos
http://www.crystalclarity.com

Ananda Healing Prayer Council
http://www.ananda.org/sangha/prayer/index.html

Crystal Hermitage Chapel, Museum & Gardens
http://www.ananda.org/ananda/hermitage/index.html

Yoga & Meditation Home Study
http://www.thecourse.org

Autobiography of a Yogi online
http://www.autobiographyofayogi.com

Ananda Village
http://www.ananda.org/ananda/village/index.html

Ananda, India
http://www.anandaindia.org

Assisi, Italy retreat center
http://www.ananda.it

Ananda Rhode Island Retreat
http://www.anandaeast.org/

Ananda Palo Alto Community
http://www.anandapaloalto.org/

Ananda Seattle Community
http://www.anandaseattle.org/

Ananda Portland Community
http://www.anandaportland.org/

Ananda Sacramento Community
http://www.ananda.org/sacramento/

Ananda Design & Construction
http://www.anandaconstruction.com

Master’s Flower Essences
http://www.mastersessences.com

Meditation Benches
http://www.meditationbench.com

Sharing Nature Foundation
http://www.sharingnature.com

Inner Travel Books
http://www.innertravelbooks.com