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Dear Friend,
No matter how different each of our lives might seem, what we are all looking for is the same — when seen through the eyes of wisdom. “Happiness that is delightfully varied, though its essence is changeless,” Paramahansa Yogananda said, “is the inner experience everyone is seeking.”
The problem is that mostly we have been looking for that type of lasting happiness in the wrong place. We fulfill a desire only to find the accompanying joy wanes as a fresh desire takes root. We might even attain great wealth or achievement to realize we have yet a deep yearning for “something more.”
Can that longing be satisfied in this life? Is it actually possible to possess a joy that we never tire of, which the saints of all spiritual paths have told us is our birthright?
Paramahansaji explains how you can definitively answer that eternal question for yourself by daily applying a science of meditation — Kriya Yoga — revived in this modern age by his renowned lineage of gurus.
Through that step-by-step method of going within, anyone who pines for more than the false promises of fickle pleasures can gradually prove the soul as that long-sought ever new joy — and then let that joy overflow into all arenas of life.
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From the talks and writings of Paramahansa Yogananda:
We are all seeking happiness, a happiness that does not come and go. We want lasting happiness — happiness that is always new and ever-existing. We do not want the kind of happiness that will grow stale. We want ever new joy.
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I have never known any pleasure of the world as great as the spiritual joy of Kriya Yoga. I would not give it up for all the comforts of the West or all the gold in the world. I have found it possible through Kriya Yoga to carry my happiness always with me. | |
Kriya Yoga, practiced deeply, will dissolve breath into mind, mind into intuition, intuition into the joyous perception of soul, and soul into the cosmic bliss of Spirit. | |
Every good action you perform digs like a pickax into the soil of consciousness and brings forth a little spray from the fountain of God’s joy. But the pickax of meditation, which is the highest form of good action, opens the inner surface of consciousness and lets all the joy of life spout forth. | |
Uniting the soul with Spirit is Yoga — reunion with that great Happiness everyone is seeking. Isn’t this a wonderful definition? In the ever new Bliss of Spirit you are convinced that the joy you feel is greater than any other happiness, and nothing can get you down. | |
I met a very wealthy man in New York. In the course of telling me something about his life, he drawled, “I am disgustingly rich, and disgustingly healthy —” and before he could finish I exclaimed, “But you are not disgustingly happy! I can teach you how to be perpetually interested in being ever newly happy.” He became my student. By practicing Kriya Yoga, and by leading a balanced life, ever inwardly devoted to God, he lived to a ripe old age, always bubbling with ever new happiness. | |
To learn more about how to find true joy through meditation, please visit the SRF blog and read an excerpt from a talk by Paramahansa Yogananda that further explains the difference between ordinary states of consciousness and experiencing within the ever new joy of Spirit. | |
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The Voice of Paramahansa Yogananda
To hear Paramahansa Yogananda’s inspiring testament to the bliss-producing power of Kriya Yoga, please visit the SRF website and listen to “Kriya Yoga — The Key to Heaven,” a short excerpt from a talk given by the great Guru on December 23, 1951.
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“Choosing to Be a Conqueror — That Is the Remedy” by Brother Chidananda (Video) | |
Would you like to know how you can “take shelter in yoga” — no matter what difficulties the world or you may face — as the Bhagavad Gita has advised for ages? Watch this excerpt from a talk Brother Chidananda gave this past February in India, to find out how you can do just this — and live with the victorious consciousness of a spiritual conqueror. | |
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Brother Chidananda Dedicates SRF Bay Area Temple (Video)
On May 20, 2023, SRF/YSS President Brother Chidananda presided over the dedication ceremony for the Self-Realization Fellowship Bay Area Temple, located in Walnut Creek, California.
During the ceremony Brother Chidananda shared wisdom from Paramahansa Yogananda on how to dedicate within yourself an inner temple of sustaining joy, peace, and divine encouragement.
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2023 SRF World Convocation | |
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This unique immersion in the Kriya Yoga teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda begins this month and all are welcome — so don’t forget to register to attend for free online!
Dive into classes, meditations, kirtan devotional chanting, virtual pilgrimages to SRF locations blessed by Paramahansaji’s divine communion with Spirit, and opportunities to connect with other seekers and SRF monastics throughout the week in fellowship sessions.
Through this experience you will have the opportunity to find sustaining inspiration, inner peace, and guidance.
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A YouTube Playlist on the Science of Kriya Yoga | |
Explore SRF videos discussing the history of the Kriya Yoga science — and its ability to infuse our lives with joy and understanding. | |
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More and More SRF eBooks Available in Multiple Languages!
Thanks to the teamwork of SRF volunteers around the world and SRF’s design and translations staff, a new series of SRF ebooks in multiple languages is reaching an ever-widening audience.
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Mahavatar Babaji Commemorative Meditations | |
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In 1861 Mahavatar Babaji, the supreme guru in the SRF lineage, resurrected the science of Kriya Yoga and bestowed Kriya initiation on his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya.
Paramahansa Yogananda said: “This auspicious event did not happen to Lahiri Mahasaya alone; it was a fortunate moment for all the human race. The lost, or long-vanished, highest art of yoga was again being brought to light.”
Self-Realization Fellowship holds commemoration meditations in honor of Mahavatar Babaji on July 25, the anniversary of the day in 1920 when Babaji visited Paramahansa Yogananda in Kolkata to bless the young monk’s mission to America to spread Kriya Yoga worldwide.
On July 22 SRF monastics will conduct a six-hour meditation; and on July 24 and 25, commemorative meditations in multiple languages. All of these online meditations will be on the SRF website. There you will find a complete schedule for the meditations and information about how long each meditation will be available.
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Many of our temples, centers, groups, and circles worldwide will be holding in-person commemoration services on July 25 to honor Mahavatar Babaji. Please check with your SRF location to confirm and for the exact times. | |
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Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons
“God is the joy felt in meditation. By practicing the techniques of the Kriya Yoga science given in the SRF Lessons, you shall find that joy. I know of nothing in the world that gives that happiness.” — Paramahansa Yogananda
Experience the same soul-joy Paramahansaji is describing, and gain the “how-to-live” wisdom necessary to transform your life! The SRF Lessons are the core of the Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings, and present the essence of India’s profound and comprehensive understanding of seeking the Divine within ourselves.
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Thank you for receiving the SRF Newsletter. We hope this edition celebrating the efficacy of Kriya Yoga meditation has provided you with great inspiration for your next steps on the spiritual path.
In divine friendship,
Self-Realization Fellowship
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Copyright © 2023 Self-Realization Fellowship.
All rights reserved.
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