Ananda Politics

“Never the twain shall meet.” This well-known line from Rudyard Kipling’s 1889 poem The Ballad of East and West depicts incompatible differences. The poem tells a story of a British colonel’s daughter kidnapped by an Afghani bandit and rescued by a brave soldier. The two adversaries fight a fierce battle, and despite their opposition, develop a mutual respect for one another’s honor and bravery. This is an important spiritual value: we can find common ground even amongst incompatible circumstances.

We are living in an age of political and social turmoil, which ebbs and flows according to the mass karma of the globe, its nations, populace, and leaders. The term and concept of politics comes from ancient Greece, referring to the affairs of “polis,” meaning cities or states. From a spiritual perspective, the functions of government powers and policies—despite their many real and lasting impacts on individuals—are relatively superficial compared to the far greater and more lasting work of raising one’s consciousness and that of the world. How can we reconcile human suffering and problems with lofty spiritual ideals?

Ananda is a spiritual family, community, and organization devoted to the mission and teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, as expressed by his direct disciple Swami Kriyananda. This path of Self-Realization is universal because absolute: it transcends every definition of religion, race, credo, or other separating factor. Thus, Ananda is inherently non-political in the traditional sense of directly endorsing or engaging with any political party or dialogue. God is love, truth, and bliss—far beyond any conceivable human construct. “Never the twain shall meet” except to find a harmonious blend of living right spiritually in this imperfect world.

Within this modern arc of national and global politics and karma, we are now looking down the barrel of an extended turbulent, possibly even violent period. People everywhere, especially those lacking strong moral and spiritual foundations, are being swept up in powerful currents of polarized thinking and behavior. By many objective accounts, this karma will get worse before it gets better.

The other side of the coin reveals that such karmic periods are accompanied by profound spiritual opportunity. If we keep our spiritual practices and principles in order, we can maintain our inner peace and act rightly in every circumstance. Some twenty-five years ago, during another period of karmic unrest, Swami Kriyananda outlined a powerful yet simple list of priorities for Ananda:

1. Our inner relationship with God and Guru

2. Our service to them

3. The friendship we have with one another

4. Our need to meet dharmically the tests life has given us

5. Yogananda’s advice “You must be practical in your idealism” *Adding that while practicality is important, faith is the most practical thing of all.

This little blueprint gives us the Ananda recipe for not just weathering but thriving through a difficult time. There will always be exigencies and personal hardships to bear, but it is helpful and important to keep coming back to these essential priorities. In a way, these are the Ananda “politics” that guide the governance of our organization, communities, and members. As long as we stay true to these essentials, Ananda will always be a divine light shining in whatever darkness prevails and a safe haven for storm-tossed spiritual seekers everywhere.

Paramhansa Yogananda influenced many powerful people in his life and beyond it, including politicians and business magnates, scientists and artists, and mystical saints of east and west. Yet his power of influence was beyond anything of this world, directly from God. That same supreme power continues to guide and influence all those who, avoiding the many lesser streams of influence of this world, seek and strive to be in tune with God.

If we quell the cross-currents of news headlines, social media, and politics, we are left with the simple fact that these are human issues concerning the well-being of individuals. Ananda too is concerned above all, spiritually, with the well-being of the individual. Ananda’s spiritual politics are not a dismissal or means of negating the many important and challenging issues we are faced with. They simply provide a framework of priorities for how to successfully navigate, individually and collectively, through the political tempest.

We celebrate Easter to remember the resurrection of Christ–a sybmbol of the hope and transcendent power of Spirit over every human suffering and hardship. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

In a certain sense, Ananda is doing the greatest political work of all: raising mass consciousness by wholehearted dedication to the spiritual welfare of individuals everywhere. This is a divine ray of out great gurus including Paramhansa Yogananda, Jesus Christ, and our founder and guiding light Swami Kriyananda. Our mission finally is simple but not easy, unwavering through every possible karmic challenge: to bridge the gap of living above all in attunement with God through this ray, and meeting the challenges of the day with the right spirit.