Tag: Temple of Light

Posted on

Pilgrimage

Ananda Village has been a pilgrimage site for years. Now the Temple of Light will be a powerful new pilgrimage site as well. As I write this, hundreds of people are on their way here to visit these holy places.

Village residents have been encouraged to see ourselves as being on pilgrimage this coming week as well; attending the events and soaking up the inspiration of this blessed time.

This point was brought home to me today as Ramesha and I made up a careful list, then I went grocery shopping. I really stocked up on things and later I found myself reflecting on the idea of “provisions”.

I feel like a throwback to an earlier era, “storin’ up provisions”! But I realize that the motivation behind it is that I want to minimize time spent thinking about mundane things like what to eat, so that I can be as present as possible to the blessings of the experience. Which is definitely part of what being on pilgrimage is about.

Posted on

Becoming real

Can’t think about anything except the 50th and the Temple.

Well, that’s not entirely true…I do still manage to think of God and Guru occasionally throughout the day! 🙂

But today was bookended by the Temple: helped unload the new “meditation” chairs this morning and finished the day with a choir rehearsal in Wisdom classroom (part of the Temple complex). In between were emails and meetings and phone calls and copious details–all about the 50th and the Temple!

It’s becoming more and more real every day.

Posted on

Moving in

The new Temple of Light is wonderful, powerful, and inspiring on so many levels… but right now the music ministry is feeling particularly thrilled about having a closet of our own! And in the same building where we perform, so no more back and forth schlepping of stands and keyboards and crates and binders.

Today we made the big move…

All cleaned up and ready to go.
Can we really fit all that stuff in there? Prashad and Ramesha think so!
Mission accomplished!

In our eagerness to move into our closet, we overlooked one tiny little detail… with all our stuff there, we had to go ahead and switch tomorrow night’s rehearsal there as well! But, since they’re laying carpet in the sanctuary, we’ll rehearse in Wisdom classroom instead.

And so a new era begins!

Posted on

Getting ready

At the request of the Sound Dept, a number of musicians–including Ramesha and I–spent time this evening playing and singing in the new Temple of Light.

The idea is to allow the sound team to become thoroughly acquainted with their new equipment and the new venue–all before the start of the biggest event in Ananda’s history.

The acoustic is amazing! You don’t get the full effect in this brief video because the sound folks were experimenting with equipment and levels, but trust me…it’s incredibile!

There really are no words to adequately describe the blessing it is to be part of bringing this Temple into manifestation, even in these little teeny ways.

Jai Guru! Jai Swamiji!

Posted on

First time

Tonight the Ananda Village choir had the first of what’s sure to be many “firsts”: we met–and had a (very brief) rehearsal–in the new Temple of Light!

There’s still scaffolding on the dais and lots of work yet to do between now and the start of the 50th anniversary/Temple dedication event, but we were fully able to experience the temple acoustic…which is amazing!

We also spent some figuring out how we’re going to make room for one hundred twenty (120!) singers on the dais for the 50th anniversary concert.

Mamma mia! 🙂

Posted on

Service is joy

Today was Rajarsi Day at Ananda Village…and what a day it was! (Thanks for the wonderful photo, Barbara Bingham!)

Every year we honor Rajarsi Janakananda (aka James Lynn)–self-made millionaire and foremost disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda–with a community-wide workday. This year was extra special because devotees from all over the Ananda world joined in helping to finish the new Temple of Light.

I served in the kitchen and was struck anew by how much joy is generated when we consciously dedicate everything we do to God! Plus soooo much gets accomplished when there’s lots of joy and energy levels are high.

In fact, all those willing hands make miracles happen, just like Swamiji’s song says:

Many hands make a miracle:
Let’s all join hands together!
Life on earth is so wonderful
When people laugh and dance and struggle as friends:
Then all their dreams achieve their ends.

Many hands make a miracle:
People climbing together!
Soon we reach to the pinnacle
Of every mountain peak we hazard as one.
We’ll lift our hands to welcome the sun!
We lift our hands to welcome the sun!