The Essence of Gratitude

by Swami Kriyananda First published in Clarity Magazine on December 1, 2005 Used with Permission     In observing people I’ve noticed that the capacity to be grateful is a mark of spiritual refinement. I don’t mean the capacity to express gratitude but to feel it. Many people express gratitude outwardly, but the real expression […]

Balancing Material and Spiritual Success

A popular misconception is that being materially successful and prosperous is exclusive of being a yogi. Many yogic principles go against the mainstay of Western consumption and comfort. The Niyamas and Yamas, for example, are specific guidelines on what we must do, how we must live, to attain the ultimate state of yoga (union with […]

Why Americans Pray

In an article in the Christian Science Monitor, it was revealed that prayer is both widespread and meaningful; something practiced by majority of people in making big life decisions. In a Pew survey cited in the article, 9 in 10 religious Americans say they rely “a lot” on prayer while 1 in 10 with no religious affiliation turn […]

My Inner Path

My Inner Path

April 2016, I took my discipleship vow at the Ananda Meditation Retreat, where I’ve been living and serving since January. A year ago, while living in Ananda’s contrast, Las Vegas, a friend told me about this vow and I remember thinking to myself, “I would never do such a thing.” Having been raised Catholic, it was repulsive to think […]

Advice from the Happiest Man in the World

“We deal with our mind from morning till evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.” -Matthieu Ricard Matthieu Ricard, heralded “the happiest man in the world,” is the French translator and right-hand man for the Dalai Lama. Ricard, originally trained with a PhD in molecular genetics, left the science world […]