Ananda Sangha—"fellowship of divine joy"—is a
worldwide group of individuals who share the search for higher
consciousness and the ideal of service to others by following
the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. These teachings emphasize "Self-realisation" as
direct inner experience of God. Non-sectarian, they are based
on India 's timeless universal truths and offer practical
solutions to the challenges of modern life.
Ananda was
founded in the USA nearly 40 years ago to support people in
search of spiritual growth. Across 16 countries on 6 continents,
Ananda Sangha provides classes, events, satsangs, study materials,
and other resources around the world, through a network of
individual devotees, communities, teaching centres, and meditation
groups.
The Ananda
Joy Logo (seen above, and also at the upper left of all Ananda
India Web pages), represents the soul's aspiration upward toward
God and outward to embrace all beings in its quest for enlightenment.
The downward curve shows the corresponding descent of divine
grace.
Ananda
Sangha India
Every Indian
is familiar with the basic truths of Paramhansa Yogananda's
teaching. Still, his message of Self-realisation and Kriya
Yoga is a new expression of these truths. It is a spiritual
revolution for India just as in the West.
"There
are so many receptive souls in India", Swami Kriyananda
has said, "that in time the work here will dwarf everything
else Ananda is doing."
With a small
international group of Ananda devotees, he moved to India in
2003, his 78th year, that he might dedicate his remaining life
to make his guru's teachings better known in the land of his
birth.
Soon Swami
Kriyananda began a nightly TV show, A Way to Awakening (AASTHA),
reaching millions in India as well as many nearby southeastern
Asian countries and the USA. Ananda Sangha Publications was
set up to print and distribute many of Yogananda's and Kriyananda's
writings and musical recordings.
Swami Kriyananda's
1st publication in India was a correspondence course, Success and Happiness through Yoga Principles, on applying dharmic
principles to India's rising economic opportunities. It is
now also available for group study and corporate seminars,
and in both print and audio format. In turn came several more
books, including what is often considered his crowning achievement, The
Essence of the Bhagavad Gita.
Having long
encouraged Ananda communities to develop economic means of
support in areas compatible with spiritual focus, Kriyananda
inspired several such enterprises in India. The first was a
boutique, Kalyana Kalpataru—The
Wishing Tree—in Gurgaon's Metropolitan Mall, carrying
spiritual books, music, gifts, and yoga and meditation aids.
The main
work of Ananda Sangha India, however, is the same as in other
countries: presenting the teachings of Self-realisation through
classes and satsangs. These are held weekly in Pune. Please check our Calendar of Events for more information.
Ananda
Sangha Pune's Future Vision
In Pune we have now purchased the land for India's first world brotherhood community! What a joy and a blessing for all of us! Swami Kriyananda has
determined to build a universal temple of Self-Realisation
dedicated to Paramhansa Yogananda. He also envisions opening
schools and a university-level institute specializing in training
teachers in the Education for Life methods so well proven in
Ananda's "Living Wisdom" schools in the USA; a hospice
for the elderly; and an orphanage for the young.
Swamiji invites
all who are inspired by these goals and ideals to join in any
aspect of this divine service to Yogananda.
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