Treasures Along the Path

The talk discusses the concept of accepting what comes naturally in life, particularly focusing on the difficult aspects. It emphasizes that while it's easy to accept good things, the real challenge lies in accepting hardships and tragedies. The talk shares various anecdotes and stories to illustrate this point, including experiences from religious fairs in India, personal encounters with ascetics, and the teachings of spiritual masters. It highlights the importance of not seeking extreme austerities deliberately but rather accepting the challenges that life presents. The talk also underscores the idea that God or a higher power is always present and...

The talk discusses the importance of energy and willpower in achieving success and healing. It introduces the idea of dividing retreat participants into smaller groups called "channels" to receive special attention and help. These channels are named after natural elements like trees, rivers, and clouds, with the aim of drawing divine power through these elements 1. The talk emphasizes that the same energy can be channeled into different talents and skills, and that strong willpower can lead to overcoming habits and achieving greatness 1. It also highlights the role of divine energy in healing and the importance of attuning oneself to...

The talk discusses the concept of success, emphasizing the importance of balancing material and spiritual achievements. Here are some key points:

Is Renunciation in Today's World? delves into the concept of intuitive guidance and how to discern and align with God's will. It emphasizes the challenges of recognizing divine guidance amidst personal desires, attachments, and cultural conditioning.  provides practical advice on cultivating openness, non-attachment, and humility to better perceive spiritual direction.
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Yogananda’s Birthday – Jesus and Yogananda

Yogananda’s birthday is January 7. This talk was given the next day at a Sunday Service. After the Sunday service reading.
1/8/84

Jesus was born Jewish, but they couldn’t accept his teachings of truth.

There was too much formalization of religion at the time.

Jesus taught his disciples how to get back to the true spirit of religion, a true and direct experience of God. Yogananda taught this as well.

Kriyananda talks about the deeper meaning of the gold, blue and white aspects...

1/11/1983

Yoga Postures as an Aid for Spiritual Growth – yoga practice can deepen meditation and make you more centered.

This talk offers good advice about daily life on the spiritual path.

Learn to control the mind and become more aware.

We are here to find out who and what we are.  Hatha yoga can be an aid to spiritual development. It can  help us go about daily life in a more harmonious and centered way and help keep the body healthy.

When you practice hatha yoga you become awar...

Circa 1996

Yoga and Daily Life: commentaries for a ‘thought for the day’ – interspersed with music by Kriyananda.

Sample thought for the day:

Make everyone feel that they are special in your eyes – not in any particular way, necessarily, but above all, because every human being is your brother or sister in God!

This is a nice recording to listen to in the car.

These passages were first published in a book: Do It Now.  Later published as the book Do it Well.
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August 5, 1984
Suffering brings wisdom and leads us toward higher reality.

The ultimate cure for suffering is God.

If you look at suffering abstractly, you can say there is no suffering. The only reality is God, and God is joy, not suffering. When joy diminishes, it can appear that you are suffering.

Evil is that which pulls us away from our central joy.

God created everything from thought. The underlying reality of energy is thought, and the underlying reality of thought is divine consciousness or God.

Good and evil...

What Next for Mankind – mankind has taken a turn in the wrong direction by looking for happiness and stability in outward things

As long as we look for solutions outside ourSelves, we will suffer.

People all over the world are facing economic challenges as well as the growing potential of war.

The consequence of taking what you want from other people without regard of giving back, is that you get a feeling of tension, something doesn’t feel right, yet people continue to act in this way. The result is unrest within and with...

8/8/82

What is success – a manifestation of God’s grace.

Kriyananda encourages us to measure our success more by the spiritual qualities rather than by our outer accomplishments.

Be an open channel for God’s grace to flow through you. The channel is blessed by what flows through it.

Success, the way it is normally understood, will not necessarily give us what we are really looking for – happiness and inner freedom. If we really want to succeed in life, Kriyananda explains, we must challenge ourselves and reach for the highest in all t...

8/29/86

What is Attunement? – being open to and inwardly connected to a teacher and teaching that help you recognize your highest truth and potential

Look for a spiritual path that will give you these three things: right teaching, right technique, and right teacher.  Attune yourself to the teacher through the techniques and the teachings and you will find that your life will change in away that you could never change by yourself.

What is truth? It is you – your own highest self – who you are. The guru doesn’t give you himse...

The vibration behind all words is Aum.

When we chant Aum we are connecting with the vibration that created the entire universe

Kriyananda emphasizes that merely chanting God’s name or repeating mantras is not enough. We must tune into the deeper meaning behind the words if we want to gain the inner peace, joy, and love we are all seeking.

We can learn to connect with the essence of words, and especially names of God. This can bring self-realization.
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It is possible to understand the unreality of suffering when you practice gratitude.

Kriyananda describes how to express gratitude and accept life as it is – not how we wish it would be.

Suffering can seem difficult or impossible in the moment, but in time, prove to be beneficial to all concerned.
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Unique Essence of Each Soul – each one of us has a distinct core, different from anyone else’s.

Kriyananda encourages us to look beyond outward definitions of personality, position, or words and to see God in all forms.

It is a mistake to categorize people or put them in a box because everyone is different.

This talk is from A Way of Awakening Aasta TV series from India – 365 twenty minute talks

Kriyananda reads a passage from his book Conversations with Yogananda, and gives commentary.
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Unconditional love is not conditioned by any person or circumstance.

The way to cultivate love for others is to first love God and guru. When you feel that love in your heart, offer it to others.

People usually offer love to others after they have received it first.

Kriyananda encourages us to give love to others. When we love others we expand.
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September 3, 1982
Even one moment spent in the presence of a saint can be your raft over the ocean of delusion. 

Swami Kriyananda had the deep blessing of living with and serving Paramhansa Yogananda for three years.

He also spent time with Anandamoyi Ma in India. She said that no other devotee had drawn on her spiritual essence as much as he had. They developed a close relationship. Anandamoyi Ma invited Swami to stay with her in India, but he knew he needed to return to Yogananda and fulfill his destiny to serve his guru’s w...

8/2/83
Conditions are always neutral, yet have the appearance of being positive or negative, good or bad—according to our own attitudes. 

If we are not expressing joy and love, we cut ourselves off from the divine flow—and we suffer. 

When we resolve to see the goodness in everything, we are seeing things as God does.  In this way we can choose not to experience pain.  Swami reminds us of people in concentration camps who became saints in the worst of circumstances.
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The talk delves into the philosophy and practice of meditation, emphasizing the dissolution of karma and the journey towards spiritual enlightenment. It discusses the importance of overcoming negative qualities through active effort and the role of good karma in transcending bad karma. The text also highlights the significance of meditation techniques, the influence of the guru, and the ultimate goal of achieving a state of divine consciousness.
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True Renunciation Involves Sacrifice, but what is really sacrificed in renouncing the limitation and bondage of ego? Isn’t union with God far more desirable?

Everything we give to God becomes blessed a million fold and even more so, when we give our life to God.

Have a “good sense of value” and recognize that in giving our life to God, we are gaining so much more then we could ever have by holding onto the ego and our attachments to this world.

This talk is from A Way of Awakening Aasta TV series...

June 19, 1981
Turning Human Love into Divine Love is an important issue on every level of life.

Kriyananda encourages us to turn our human love into divine love, but also to turn all human feeling, good and bad, into divine feeling.

Our feelings of love or joy can remind us of something much greater. We can commune with God in every human experience. Look for divine qualities in every person.
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Remember then ultimately that the guru lies within your own self. He doesn't need a physical body, but he needs your body to work through. He needs my body to work through and in this way that contact can be a channel through which many can be drawn to God. Isn't it more blessed to be a channel for God than a channel for all the darkness that we see? In this world. How wonderful it is to be a laborer for God. How wonderful it is to be an instrument of joy and of light and of love...

Transforming Emotion into Devotion – make your feelings calmly focused.

Devotion is deepest when not influenced by emotions. 

Yogananda said, ‘to demolish the mountain of delusion before you, inward focus is needed.’

The balancing scales of maya balance every suffering with a joy, every pain with a pleasure.

This talk is from A Way of Awakening Aasta TV series from India – 365 twenty minute talks

Kriyananda reads a passage from his book Conversations with Yogananda, and followed by a commentary.
To support this work, go to: https://www.ananda.org/support/t...

9/1/09

Transcending sense attachment involves working with habits.

Kriyananda discusses the power God and Guru’s grace to change our lives.

The grace of God can help us transcend sense attachment.

Changing habits can transform our consciousness.

In the Bhagavad Gita the mighty charioteers are symbols for the senses.

Kriyananda gives a detailed commentary about a conversation between Duryodhana (King Material Desire) and Dronacharaya (habit).

Kriyananda recorded 108 talks available on YouTube called The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita.
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This is a spiritual talk that explores how to encourage positive qualities like courage, faith, will, peace, conquering moods, and right action, using uplifting messages and sayings from a spiritual teacher. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on inner transformation rather than guilt or negativity, encouraging individuals to see themselves as inherently good and capable of growth, regardless of past mistakes. Kriyananda suggests that true fulfillment and happiness come from aligning with higher spiritual principles, maintaining hope, and living for a greater purpose beyond personal attachments or moods.
To support this work, go to: https://www.ananda.org...

6/5/83

Time - time is movement, it does not exist in the Infinite. The reality of time is not what it seems to be, everything is happening right now.

We experience time by relating things to other things. When there is complete stillness, there is no longer anything to compare it with, so we can experience timelessness, especially in meditation.

Personality is only superficial. Underneath appearances are attributes of courage or its opposite, weakness.

The process we all go through a process of finding out who and what we really...

4/2/1983

The True Meaning of Resurrection – how to meet life’s tests in a Christ-like way

In this fascinating talk, Kriyananda gives us deep insight into the life of Christ and how we can become Christ-like in our own lives. The principles in this talk are timeless.
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7/18/1982

The State of Superconsciousness – our journey on the spiritual path is to learn how to live superconsciously.

Kriyananda explains the qualities and benefits of living with higher consciousness. He tells us what we can do to reach that heightened state.

The primary difference between the subconscious, conscious, and superconscious mind is the expansion of awareness.

Everyone can have higher consciousness by putting into practice basic principles of positive and simple living and high thinking.
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7/12/1983

The Role of Yoga in the Modern Age – practicing yoga principles can change lives and attitudes.

Yoga is vitally important to the evolution of our planet.

Those who practice yoga teachings help bring superconscious solutions to the challenges of our time.

The pivotal point that ‘matter is energy’ can change the thinking of generations to come.
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3/7/1986

The Rhythm of God – be aware of the presence of God and everything will flow naturally

When we feel inner attunement with God, everything else flows.

Obedience to a Self-realized guru helps us to avoid distractions and pitfalls on the path to God.

We need the stillness of meditation to receive perceptions of truth. When you receive guidance in mediation, repeatedly test that guidance. It may may change over time.
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Circa 1978

The practice of joy is a quest to feel the presence of God’s joy in everything we do.

We all know the spiritual truth that “joy is within you” but there are times when this can seem to elude us.

In this “gem,” Kriyananda gives clear guidance how to find joy within and live in joy all the time, no matter what our outer circumstances are.

Joy is the true essence of who and what we really are. When we expand our consciousness and begin to see our unity...

Kriyananda talks about the ego and expanding your awareness beyond the sense of self. He also discusses how the practice of kriya yoga can expand our awareness to more subtle levels of reality.
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10/26/1982

The Paths of Yoga – there are many different paths of yoga including, raja, gyana, bhakti & karma yoga.

The different paths of yoga are interrelated. The paths unite in the stillness of meditation.

The essence of raja yoga is meditation and communion.

Yogananda taught the teachings of Krishna along with the teachings of Christ.

You need devotion to be able to renounce the fruits of action. You do it because you want to please God.

The higher states of consciousness include the realization that God is th...

8/22/90

The Path to Divine Union is an in-depth discussion of the guru-disciple relationship.

Divine love and deep meditation is necessary for divine union.

The path of raja yoga transforms human consciousness into divine consciousness.

The Path to Divine Union is the fourth in the series of 5 classes given during Spiritual Renewal Week 1990. It is based on Kriyananda’s book The Essence of Self-Realization. The readings from the book are direct quotes from Yogananda.

Tribute to Lorne Dekun

Treasures issued the 1990 Spiritual Renewal Week cl...

8/20/1990

The true purpose of life is to find God. The Need for Self-Realization is the need to know the truth. “The truth simply is.”  Everyone must be able to know the truth by consulting their intuition. You can accept truth intellectually. It’s more difficult to accept emotionally.  Whenever we have a desire, we are not fully accepting what is.

When you are looking for truth, you need to step back. When you are not so close to the issue you can make decisions with detachment.
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4/16/82

The Guru-Disciple Relationship includes becoming more open and receptive to the guru and to life itself.

Kriyananda discusses key elements of discipleship including loyalty, magnetism and the pitfalls of becoming dogmatic. Understanding loyalty and what it is we are being loyal to, is crucial to right understanding of the guru-disciple relationship.
To support this work, go to: https://www.ananda.org/support/treasures/

4/16/82

The Guru-Disciple Relationship includes becoming more open and receptive to the guru and to life itself.

Kriyananda discusses key elements of discipleship including loyalty, magnetism and the pitfalls of becoming dogmatic. Understanding loyalty and what it is we are being loyal to, is crucial to right understanding of the guru-disciple relationship.
To support this work, go to: https://www.ananda.org/support/treasures/

11/23/1978

The Essence of Thanksgiving – love God in the same spirit in which He gives to us.

What we can be most thankful for is the opportunity to serve God. Kriyananda reminds us not to measure our spiritual lives by the gifts God gives us, but by what we are willing to give to God.

The capacity for being grateful is a mark of refinement, not expressing gratitude, but feeling it. Many people express gratitude but don’t really feel it.  Gratitude is the feeling of appreciation and trying to attune yourself to Go...

9/25/1982

The Balanced Life – be enthusiastic but also use poise rather than just racing ahead

When we get involved in delusion, fluctuations become exaggerated and pull us in different directions. Try to neutralize the differences to remain balanced.

Meditation helps maintain balance in life.

Souls possess both masculine and feminine natures.

When our masculine qualities such as impartial service and dispassion are offered into feminine qualities of love and compassion, we attain a broader type of compassion to all. We are guided by principle and reason.  A perfect cyc...

3/7/1978

Techniques of Joyful Living Part 3 & Rajarshi Janakananda

In our first talk Techniques of Joyful Living Part Three Swami Kriyananda concluded his weekend workshops in Albuquerque, New Mexico in March 1978 with a discussion on willingness followed by a reading from his first edition of The Path. The reading is his first-hand account of Yogananda’s passing at the Biltmore Hotel March 7, 1952.

The second talk Rajarshi Janakananda was given to Ananda Community residents on May 6, 1974. Kriyananda knew Rajarshi and tells many stories about his spiritual greatness. He said that Rajarshi could st...

7-14-1979
Superconscious Living - transform lower energy into higher energy.

The light burns away our darkness. Truth lives at the heart of our mistakes. Love transforms grief. Pain can transform into joy.

Release the negative into the positive.

The more you can live in the state of joy, the more you will find that you have good health and you are in harmony with everything.
To support this work, go to: https://www.ananda.org/support/treasures/