Temple of Light – Page 4 – Music. Life. Joy.

November 4, 2019

Be still

Getting to “fall back” an hour can be a big help for people like me, for whom “early to bed and early to rise” is an ongoing struggle. Thanks to the time change I made it to the Temple of Light to meditate this morning (true, it was after group sadhana, but it’s a start)!

It’s such a blessing to meditate in the Temple, but — even so — I could tell that feelings of anxiety and restlessness had a grip on me. Sometimes when that happens, doing my specific “practices” can feel like a chore, something to be resisted rather than embraced. So instead of practicing “techniques” I started an inner dialogue: “Be still. Be still. Be still. Breathe. Be still….”

After a while I realized “Be still” was directed to my body and I inwardly added: “Be calm” for my mind. “Be calm. Be calm. Be still. Be calm…” And finally…

RELAX.

That’s for my heart. I remember being in Assisi and hearing Swamiji say to a friend: “Relax in your heart.” It was a new concept to me and I’ve always remembered him saying it. But I haven’t been very consistent about doing it and lately I’ve been feeling an increasing tightness there. So, “Relax in the heart. Relax in the heart. Be still. Be calm. Relax in the heart…”

Afterwards I suddenly recalled a beautiful experience from years and years ago. I was attending a Unity church in San Francisco, and one of the ministers (Troy Wheeler; I still remember his name!) did something different for his sermon. First he asked us to close our eyes and then he shared the following scripture, repeating each phrase several times, with gradually increasing pauses in between.

Be still and know that I am God…
Be still and know that I am…
Be still and know…
Be still…
Be…

I think that might have been one of my first experiences of true stillness; it was truly peaceful and I’ve never forgotten it.

By the way, I did manage to get still and calm and relaxed enough so I could also practice my techniques this morning! 🙂

September 22, 2019

Aaahhhh…

This afternoon I finally dropped everything and went to the Moksha Mandir at Crystal Hermitage to “spend time” with Swami Kriyananda.

I had been feeling more and more out of sorts, and I finally realized it was mostly due to my routines being so out-of-whack that I had started vibrating out-of-whack as well. And when that happens I start trying to operate on my power rather than tuning into divine, cosmic power.

So this afternoon was a major corrective. A pattern interrupt. A chance to simply stop and recalibrate. And, my goodness, did it feel good!

In fact, as I was driving home afterwards, I felt the impulse to stop at the Temple of Light and spend some quiet time there as well.

Words can’t adequately convey the sense of peace and stillness I felt meditating there. I’ll simply say that it was just what the doctor ordered and leave it at that!

August 10, 2019

Another first

The “firsts” continue…!

Tonight was a beautiful Kriya initiation, the first in the new Temple of Light sanctuary. And what an amazing space for Kriya it is; especially because it’s so profoundly still and silent during even the shortest meditation.

Another eagerly anticipated “first” will be this year’s Christmas concert and the 2020 Oratorio. We can hardly wait!

July 13, 2019

The new normal

The cool thing about tomorrow’s Sunday service is….it’s just a regular Sunday service! Well, except that it’s in the Temple of Light. 😉

Last Sunday we ended the amazing 50th anniversary week with our first Sunday service in the new Temple. This Sunday is another first: our first plain old regular service there!

It’s going to take a little while to acclimate ourselves, but the fact is that our “new normal” just happens to include the Temple of Light.

How cool is that?!?

July 10, 2019July 10, 2019

Still here

All last week we all practically lived at the Temple of Light, being there every single morning, plus most afternoons and evenings as well. So it felt really good to have a couple of mostly stay-at-home days where I didn’t set foot in the Temple even once.

But this afternoon I needed to go back into it. True, I had to pick up some forgotten items, but mostly it was a necessary part of my integration process.

It was all very quiet, with only a few other people around; a great contrast to all the commotion of last week! I went into the Sanctuary and sat for a little while in meditation, marveling at the profound stillness and the uplifting beauty…

…and was struck yet again by the realization that it’s ours! It’s still here and right here is where it’s going to stay for basically forever. And we are blessed with the opportunity to use it Every Single Day!

I know all of life is only a part of God’s dream, but I have to admit to very much enjoying the dream, and our part in it, right about now!

July 8, 2019

Life Mantra (part 1)

During last August’s Spiritual Renewal Week, we were in the still under-construction Temple of Light for an event which included some spontaneous singing. Afterwards, a choir friend commented that she felt the inspiration that Life Mantra should be the first piece of music performed in the completed Temple.

Swami Kriyananda said about Life Mantra: “I was inspired to write this music while musing on the topic of choirs of angels. Suddenly, words and music came pouring over me like a waterfall of sound.” Also known as Chant of the Angels, Life Mantra is eleven-minutes long; an a cappella choral piece that presents our Ananda choir(s) with many challenges of intonation and stamina. It was a beautiful idea, but those of us planning the music for the 50th anniversary and Temple dedication events couldn’t really see where it would fit in or how we could pull it off.

So we just let the idea go, but as time went by things shifted and changed and shifted again. And, all of a sudden, Life Mantra was the absolute perfect choice of music for the “Welcoming the Light” opening event–the very first event in the brand new Temple of Light!

(to be continued…)

July 7, 2019

My cup overfloweth…

I have loved and appreciated Ananda–the teachings, the people, the communities, the culture, the music–for two full decades. But this past week saw my love and appreciation for all things Ananda soar to new heights!

The 50th anniversary/Temple of Light dedication week was awe-inspiring, transformational, life changing, intense, moving, profound, fun, high energy, and exhausting. Now I’m looking forward to catching up on rest and finding time to integrate the experience.

Jai Guru! Jai Swamiji! Jai Ananda!

July 1, 2019July 1, 2019

United in joyful service

Another first! This morning our humongous “Global Choir” sang in the Temple of Light for the first time, and it was beyond amazing! There were singers from (literally) all around the world; many of whom we were meeting for the first time. Some are quite new to singing, but from the first notes of the warm-ups they all sounded glorious!

I think it’s because meditating together, serving together, and singing together are beautiful ways of uniting our energies into one harmonious whole.

What a joy it was to be in front directing, able to see all the joy-filled faces and feel myself a part of (surrounded and uplifted by) this incredible energy.

July 1, 2019

A riddle

What do you get when you combine the new Temple of Light, hundreds of devotees coming together from around the world, and Swami Kriyananda’s absolutely astral melody, Life Mantra?

You get energy rising so high and so fast that you hardly know what to do with it! And you get swept away on a wave of bliss.

What a joy and a privilege to be a part of this experience with our choir tonight. An amazing start to an incredible week.

June 29, 2019