Dear John,
In 1937Yogananda wrote to his most advanced disciple, Rajarshi Janakananda, “I used to come home, my hair saturated with smoke and my eyes burning after luncheon talks. I felt even suffocated. One day I made up my mind, Divine Spirit was smoke and light, and I was never bothered since. Mind is everything, whichever way you train it.”
Mind is everything. What a powerful truth! It is almost as if the entire spiritual path can be reduced to this concept: The essential spiritual battle is to see that fulfillment lies within, rather than by changing outside conditions.
The world of the senses and maya (illusion) constantly tries to trick us into focusing outward, on things and circumstances. This is the lesson of the famous gambling scene in the great epic, the Mahabharata. Yudhisthira, who represents discrimination, and Shakuni, who represents material attachment, play a game of dice in which Yudhisthira loses his kingdom. With every roll of the dice, Shakuni proclaims, “Lo, I have won!” Of course he wins. He cheats! We, too, gamble with delusion, but delusion always wins. As Yogananda put it, one thing you can be certain of is that delusion never keeps it promises.
“Mind is everything, whichever way you train it.” With a puff of smoke, Yogananda gives us a universal solution to the problems in our lives.
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So how can we train ourselves to be happy regardless of circumstances? Here are several ways that have worked for me, although you may well have other strategies that work for you.
1) Reframe the problem. Yogananda couldn’t change those smokey rooms, so he reframed the problem. He realized that smoke was not the real difficulty, but rather his seeing smoke as something other than Divine Spirit. As soon as he reframed the problem as one of perception rather than conditions, the battle was won.
2) Practice our techniques. There are many techniques that can help us choose to be happy in spite of what is happening. In tense moments, we can gain control of the mind by controlling our breath through regular breathing. We can use affirmations to help us turn our thoughts and reactions in a positive direction. We can focus our energy powerfully at the spiritual eye. For those who know them, both the Energization Exercises and Kriya are very powerful, even life-changing.
3) Shift to the here and now. Many problems, such as worry, judgment, or disappointment, exist only in the mind. By focusing in the present we can stop these mental tapes from cycling through their incessant repetitions.
4) Divert the mind. The first step toward reversing negative reactions is to introduce a positive flow of energy. Sometimes, the best short-term solution is just to do something fun. Take a walk in nature, have a good laugh, paint, cook, dance, or sing. It doesn’t matter what you do, only that you enjoy it. During enjoyment, you forget yourself and your problems for a little while.
The most important thing of all is to realize, I can choose! I can choose to be happy in all circumstances. I can choose to be loving regardless of how I am treated. I can choose to be calm and peaceful no matter what storms howl around me.
Joy, love, peace, and calmness are all different aspects of the Divine. By choosing these, we choose to swim in the sea of Divine Spirit. Then, as Yogananda said in his great poem, “Samadhi”:
“A tiny bubble of laughter, I
Am become the Sea of Mirth Itself.”
In joy,
Nayaswami Jyotish
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| | | Jyotish and his wife, Nayaswami Devi, serve as Spiritual Directors of Ananda Worldwide. Longtime devotees of Yogananda, they worked closely with Swami Kriyananda for over forty years, and were personally trained by him to guide Ananda’s work worldwide. They have taught and lectured around the United States and in Europe, Russia, and India. Jyotish and Devi are both Kriyacharyas, designated by Swami Kriyananda to initiate people into the sacred art of Kriya Yoga. Since Swamiji’s passing in 2013, Jyotish has served as his designated spiritual successor.
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Listen to This Week's Commentary |
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| | I Can Choose A Touch More Light is a behind-the-blog podcast series with weekly commentary by Jyotish and Devi. Listen to stories, inspirations, and expanded meanings of each week's topic. Now on Apple Podcast.
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 | | New Video Clip | “The award for Global Ambassadors of Peace by an affiliate organization of the United Nations is really an award on behalf of the work that Ananda as a whole does to bring about peace, harmony, and unity throughout the world.” —Nayaswami Jyotish
In this clip, Jyotish and Devi share how they were honored as Global Ambassadors of Peace by an affiliate of the United Nations.
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Upcoming Events & Latest Content |
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| Ananda’s tithing program, “Thank You, God” has been revisioned and is now launching with this wonderful short video. You will see and hear from friends from all around the world. Hear the stories of others, but test this teaching in your own life and see what transpires
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| Ananda Sangha Worldwide
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