Sunday Service

June 23, 2013

  Woke up this morning to birds chirping and squirrels running around in the leaves. They sound the huge bell gong at 6:30 that creates a vibration throughout the property. I went to the morning yoga/energization/meditation class but I had a very distracted meditation and left after only 15 minutes. After breakfast they had a fire ceremony which wasn't to far off from the vedic fire ceremony I've been to with Amma. It was short but we chanted the same mantra's (different styles) and got to burn our blockages or what we want to manifest in our lives. I meditated a lot during this time and all throughout the Sunday service.
 The service was clearly an integration of eastern tradition and traditional Christian service. We sang hymns, but called it chanting. Everything was sung with a harmonium, songs of devotion. Then 4 people dressed in blue that are much like the spiritual priests or nuns of Ananda all sat and channeled "masters" blessings. These people have dedicated their lives to God and Yogananda's teachings and renunciated worldly pleasures like sex and drugs. We all walked up in a line (much like taking communion) and kneeled or sat in front of them as they activated out heart chakra's until they say "Master say's you are free" and then we get up walk to the fire and burn our letter to the universe.
  I didn't feel a whole lot when these people blessed me, and I didn't care for the chanting portion of the service. I tried to keep an open mind, but I feel resistance towards the idea of devoting myself to God as something separate from myself, especially when that something is another human being.I believe we are all incarnations of God, so really it's the worship of another human being that I can't feel comfortable with. I see all saints sages and guru's as my friends, and I talk to them as though they are my friends. I don't sing devotional songs to my friends, or worship them. Especially if they've transcended ego and don't care anyway.
After all that I did my service work required of me to stay at Ananda. It consisted of cleaning and restocking, basic maintenance of the Expanding Light.
Later in the day I went for a walk by myself. I walked down to Lotus Lake and it started to rain, so I sat under a tree and watched the ripples in the lake. Under the shelter of tree, watching the raindrops fall around me and seeing the ripples expand in the lake... I contemplated the Cosmic Ocean, non dualism and interconnectedness. I watched some deer roam around in the rain and eventually continued my walk. Being in nature, undisturbed and undistracted reminds me that nothing is without meaning. Being aware to this is to start decoding the messages being sent constantly by the universe.