Tag: inspiration

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Joy at the satsang

Despite the recent snow and today’s unsettled weather, Jyotish and Devi decided this morning to go ahead with their scheduled community satsang this evening.

They wanted to make it fun and festive and informal, so we volunteered to sing a couple of Christmas carols.

But because it was so last minute, our soprano couldn’t join us.

Then I forgot to put the words for “Joy to the World” in the binders that I quickly threw together.

So when the time came to sing it was rather — well, rough. Which was no big deal, as it was just “family” and rather spontaneous. But still…

Then Devi read her most recent blog post — beautiful and inspiring — and Jyotish read a story that had come to him in meditation — powerfully inspiring! Then they both added comments and insights that were deeply moving.

And then, Ramesha asked a question about how best to prepare for the upcoming 8-hour Christmas meditation, and as they both answered the inspiration went through the roof.

And I finally understood. The weather was uncertain enough that if we hadn’t volunteered to sing, we might very well have pooped out and stayed home.

In this instance, singing wasn’t the point. Rather it was the means of making sure we were exactly where we were supposed to be tonight.

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Keeping the inspiration flowing

We continue hearing from many people all over the world about how deeply inspired they were by the AUM Guru vigil and how much they appreciated having the mantra playing throughout the day.

So, we decided to create an audio compilation of the entire six hours worth of chanting!

(In case you’re wondering, the pre-recorded videos were repeated several times to keep “AUM Guru” going throughout the 24-hour chant vigil.)

The compilation includes all the recordings from Ananda devotees around the world, as well as the live chanting from the Temple of Light at Ananda Village, which started and ended the vigil. The six hours worth of chanting is divided into separate tracks, and who’s chanting for each section is listed by track.

We hope people will enjoy having “AUM Guru” playing in the background while they drive, while working, or anytime at all!

Click here for the audio compilation.

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Time for a change?

Hard to believe, but tomorrow will mark the 2-year anniversary of this blog!

I’m feeling like it’s time to change things up a little. We’ll see what inspiration comes…

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More Oratorio inspiration

Tuesday I shared about singing all the Oratorio choir songs during our Easter Zoom Sing-Along, which was both great fun and deeply inspiring.

Now — finally! — I’ve got all the links and can share about two more opportunities to experience the Oratorio during this Holy season. The first option can viewed starting tomorrow night (Good Friday), while the other offering can be yours to enjoy whenever you like!

Christ Lives! An Illustrated Oratorio

with photography and music by Swami Kriyananda

Good Friday, April 2 at 7:00pm (online)
https://www.ananda.org/video/christ-lives-an-illustrated-oratorio/
(It will also premiere directly on YouTube and Facebook.)

This version of Christ Lives! includes footage from a 2008 performance of the Oratorio in Palo Alto, California, together with a slideshow of photographs by Swami Kriyananda.

Swami describes how the music came to him as he meditated at sacred sites while on pilgrimage in the Holy Land in 1983. While there, he experienced the deep inspiration of Christ as a living presence and wrote each piece from that uplifted state of awareness.

The photographs were taken by Swami during that same pilgrimage.​

And for an extra special treat..!

​Christ Lives! A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
(archival recording from 1984)

An Oratorio composed, arranged, and narrated by Swami Kriyananda
Original 1984 Edition (archival) – Remastered
MP3 Download ~ $16.95
CLICK HERE for more information or to purchase

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A day to remember a King

Below are two quotes — one by and the other about Martin Luther King Jr. — that I had never heard before. I found both really powerful and hope you do, too.

“Love is the greatest force in the universe. It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

“The moment I met Martin Luther King, Jr., I knew I was in the presence of a holy person. Not just his good work, but his very being was a source of great inspiration for me…In Vietnam, we refer to Dr. King as a ‘Bodhisattva’, an enlightened being devoted to serving humanity.”

Thich Nhat Hanh
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Priming the pump

Still not feeling truly inspired to write about anything, but couldn’t bear to give in to yet another day of the “dry spell.”

So I started scrolling through Facebook looking for ideas and loved this photo and quote. Plus it reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures: Be still and know that I am God.

Good thoughts to ponder on when when inspiration is lacking.

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A dry spell

The well of inspiration seems to have run dry. Not sure why…except that both Ramesha and I are feeling way overdue for a break in the old routine. One more week to go and then we’re taking a “staycation”.

I’m sooooo ready…

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Celebrating a century of spiritual awakening

We spent pretty much all of today on the computer, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Yogananda’s arrival in America together with gurubhais from around the globe. There was so much inspiration that I’m actually feeling pretty exhausted…and all we did was sing two songs for the East Coast event! 😂

But at the same time, I’m grateful beyond belief that Yogananda came to America…for me! Finding my guru and embracing his teachings has transformed and blessed my life. Thank you, Master. 🌹🙏🌹

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The power of video

I happened to stumble upon an article in blog post about creativity in advertising (no idea how I got there! 😄). It was about a Nike video and had this to say:

“The astonishing editing work is a great way to deliver the message—about the unifying power of sport, at a time when the specter of Covid still hangs heavily over all professional sports leagues’ best-laid plans; and about the pursuit of an equal playing field by athletes looking to create change.”

Needless to say, I was intrigued and promptly watched the video. Which is, indeed, awesome.

https://youtu.be/WA4dDs0T7sM

So then I explored further and watched another Nike ad that I found deeply inspiring. This quote is a statement by the video’s narrator, basketball star LaBron James:

“The whole world, we’re fighting for something bigger than a championship right now. People are struggling, and this continues to be an incredibly difficult time. For me, thinking forward to a time when we’ll be able to play again, it keeps me going. Even if basketball looks different for a while, I’m excited about the possibility of getting back in the game because I know how inspiring and powerful sports can be. I think the lessons we learn from sport can inspire us all.”

https://youtu.be/R-t8qPldklc

So, then the article referenced a Nike ad that was described as:

“this stark meditation on racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.”

And I was blown away by the simple power of its message.

My takeaway? It takes impressive amounts of talent and resources to create such incredibly potent combinations of visual imagery, music, and words. I’m just grateful that the powerful messages conveyed are ones of positivity, inclusiveness, and compassion.

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Unexpected inspiration

I recently found myself thinking about a very inspiring story from a couple of decades ago. I couldn’t remember details so did a quick Google search. Well, I found what I was looking for, ordered the book that so inspired me all those years ago, and will share more about it another time.

In the meantime, my Google search led me to another wonderful and completely unexpected story that I found deeply inspiring. I happened upon this paragraph in the book Legendary Locals of San Francisco’s Richmond, Sunset, and Golden Gate Park by Lorri Ungaretti:

I did a double-take as I was reading! He stopped playing for 60 years, starting up again at age eighty. Think about that! But that wasn’t enough. He also starts making violins! And giving them away. He’s still taking lessons and playing in an orchestra and performing with a string quartet.

Remo Del Tredici is my new hero!