Ananda Village, California - an eco-spiritual community
“From joy I came, for joy I live, in sacred joy I melt again”—Paramhansa Yogananda
It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a conscious community to grow and thrive as a human being.
I grew up in a little village in central-west part of India in a big family with 18 people living under one roof. Not just my parents, grandparents, uncles or aunts but the entire community looked after me. It was a feeling of being rooted to the land, being seen, being heard, being known and being cared for by everyone in the village.
As a child, I used to roam freely around the village and explore the natural world. The experience of time and space was expansive in those early formative years of my childhood. I remember walking with my grandfather to the village temple every morning and him narrating stories from the Jain tradition. I would ask him deeper questions on the lines of - ‘What does heaven look like?’ ‘Where is the wishing tree?’ ‘What is karma?’ ‘Who is God?’
Childhood pictures with grandfather and village friends in sugarcane fields
Fast-forward 30 years and I now find myself moving between multiple worlds and realities that are in a constant flux. I ask myself – Where do I come from? Where am I going? Who am I? What matters to me the most? What is happening in today’s world and what is my role?
Over the years, I am witnessing a degeneration of the village community that I once grew up in. With the ever accelerating forces of market globalization, the unabated infiltration of media and technology, rapid urbanization, commoditization and monetization of our collective social and natural capital, I sense a gradual loss of values and structures that have held us together as a community for generations. The culture of caring and sharing, of spontaneity and leisure seems to be at odds with human beings trying to reach a limited idea of ‘success’, to maximize personal ambitions and outsmart one another. From a sense of security and abundance, we dwindle into a sense of insecurity and scarcity. I reflect on my own schooling and how this competitive, self-centered way of being had seeped through my own psyche over the years.
There is a feeling of nostalgia, sadness and grief as I write this. I am also in touch with a deeper longing in my heart to reconnect with the land, with a community, to belong and to contribute to the larger whole. I am reminded of Gabor Maté in his book ‘The Myth of Normal’ - "A society that fails to value communality -- our need to belong, to care for one another, and to feel caring energy flowing toward us -- is a society facing away from the essence of what it means to be human."
Something in me feels constricted in urban box-settings, a rather fast-paced, fragmented modern lifestyle. The resultant stress, isolation, loneliness and the loss of connection with Mother Earth, loss of a sense of belonging lead me to a provocative question that Gandhi posed humanity a century ago – ‘To what end all this (mad rush)? What's the purpose?’ My bank balance, material wealth or worldly success can never really compensate for the many losses suffered in pursuit of hyper individualism, I humbly realize.
Sometimes it feels too hard to harmonize the diverse realities that my mind-body-heart traverses between. The distances - socio-economic-cultural-geographical-political and psychological–are often too vast to reconcile. Detached-engagement, empathy, integration, adaptability, curiosity and respectful dialogue become key skills as a citizen of our new ‘global village’.
Over the years I have learned the art of making myself feel at home wherever I go and to consciously cultivate friendships that I have begun to call as my ‘soul family’. And yet, something feels amiss at the core – it is the feeling of a slower, natural, human pace and rhythm, a more integrated way of living, a deeper, meaningful anchoring, a sense of ‘home within’ and living in the ‘here and now’. Being a privileged (?) citizen of the ‘global village’ cannot be a substitute for the tangible, sustainable way of being a local villager. Where do I find such a village – a conscious, intentional community or a Sangha that continues to renew and re-center itself in service of the larger whole? This has been the quest of my pilgrim heart – to re-root and reconnect. Along the path, I have come across many fellow pilgrims whose hearts too long for a similar sense of community, purpose, connection and belonging. That is how we as human beings have lived since millennia--close-knit tribes, surrounded by abundant time, space and nature. We were meant to thrive and not just try to survive as a human species!
What gives me hope is to witness and partake in a growing movement of eco-spiritual communities in India and around the world.
On my recent visit to the United States of America, I was blessed to be able to spend a month at one such special community called ‘Ananda Village’–which literally translates to ‘Village of Joy’. Located in Northern California, Ananda is inspired by Paramhansa Yogananda, and was founded by his direct disciple Swami Kriyananda. One of its kind, the community has stood the test of time for over 5 decades since its inception in 1969. Spread over 800 acres, more than 200 residents live together in this village, many of them in small clusters of families. The community also attracts thousands of short-term and long-term visitors/guests throughout the year for various programs and retreats.
I discovered about Ananda when I watched ‘Finding Happiness’ while on a monsoon self-retreat in India. This documentary film on Ananda Village instantly resonated with many of the deeper longings of my heart. At first, it almost seemed incredible that a community like this actually exists on planet Earth! An intention arose in me - to visit and experience Ananda firsthand. Soon enough an opportunity did manifest! I signed up for their ‘Karma Yoga’ residential service program. Friends chuckled at me for traveling all the way to California to explore Yoga and Indian spirituality. In a way, this felt like a continuation of my ‘Spiritual Pilgrimage to America’ taken a year earlier by living at Upaya Zen Center in New Mexico.
I have been keen to understand how the deeper spiritual principles and ancient wisdom traditions can be applied in a community and the modern context in order to meet the practical needs of our times. I was also curious to see how the East and the West are coming together in their understanding and application of spirituality.
Ananda turned out to be the most incredible place to explore these and so much more. It exceeded far beyond anything I had imagined a community could be. The childhood villager in me came back alive in full force, filled with joy and refreshingly high energy! It offered me a glimpse into the highest of our collective human potential.
In this article, it would be impossible for me to capture the immense significance and magnitude of the body of work that both Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda left this world with as a precious gift for humanity. It calls for a journey of a lifetime (or many more!) to fully grasp and embody their teachings.
In the closing chapter of his renowned classic ‘The Autobiography of a Yogi’, Paramhansa Yogananda expresses his vision and the need for creating eco-spiritual, intentional communities around the world – which he called as ‘world brotherhood colonies’. At an event in Beverly Hills, CA back in 1948, he proclaimed emphatically –
“My spoken words are registered in the ether… and they shall move the West… thousands of youths must go North, South, East and West to cover the earth with little colonies, demonstrating that simplicity of living and high thinking lead to the greatest happiness!”
Ananda is a living testament to the power of a land-based, intentional community, rooted in spiritual values and higher consciousness.
The moment I stepped on the Ananda land, I knew I was in the flow of divine grace. People were being extra kind and caring, it was almost unbelievable! So much joy, art and beauty permeated every moment and space. One of the key operating principles at Ananda is that ‘people are more important than things’, the other one being ‘where there is Dharma there is victory’. Dharma meaning righteous action or the timeless truths, the eternal laws of nature.
With several years of Sadhana (inner practice) under their belts, every resident seemed to blossom into their highest and fullest potential as human beings – modern day Rishis and great stalwarts bringing their unique gifts to the collective good of not just Ananda community but also the wider world.
Some examples may include--a very special, caring goat farm, a beautiful permaculture field, an annual Tulip festival, spreading flower essence remedies, training for a spiritually-oriented Ananda Yoga program, ‘Education for Life’ and ‘Living Wisdom Schools’, ‘Sharing Nature’ environmental education programs, an all-inclusive, multi-faith, open-to-all Sunday service-- everything felt like a well-crafted and a highly perfected art form! Ananda has explored deeply and manifested beautifully many of the ways of how we as human beings could design our spaces, how we heal ourselves, how we educate and raise our children, how we grow our food, how we spiritualize our partnership and marriage, how we organize ourselves and resolve conflict, how we magnetize resources and create a wholesome livelihood and so much more.
With Virani, who manags the Yogoata Farm at Ananda Village and Bharat who led a powerful Nature-based meditative practice and runs eco-spiritual programs called 'Sharing Nature'
What was most remarkable and inspiring was to notice how every thought, action, intention was seen as a sacred offering to the divine or the highest good of all and was imbued with prayer. Be it cleaning the toilets, cutting the vegetables, washing dishes or weeding in the gardens, every activity was an opportunity to grow inwardly as much as to serve outwardly. The community culture was infused with the highest excellence and caring action for collective joy and wellbeing.
“As you forget self in service to others, you will find that, without seeking it, your own cup of happiness will be full.”—Paramhansa Yogananda
Dishwashing, gardening and Sadhana time with the Karma Yogis
Ananda offers great hope for humanity. Apart from rooting myself in such a community, my sincere wish and humble prayer is that may many more such communities take birth around the world. Each one may have their own unique flavor and expression. Our times call for it!
With Nayaswami Jaya - one of the founding members of Ananda Village
My explorations and experiences of living in diverse communities across India and elsewhere have offered me insights into some of the key ingredients that make up a wholesome community. They are not set in stone and may need further inquiry. Nevertheless, sharing them here briefly -
Philosophy – a core set of values that act as a north star and bind everyone together. It may revolve around a religious or spiritual belief system or a clearly articulated common, higher vision.
Practice – a set of rituals or practices that the collective dedicates to on a consistent basis. Practices that help cultivate the inner field of silence and guidance. Practicing together creates a powerful field of collective energy and supports one another to go beyond our ego selves.
Purpose – a collective sense of purpose that the community continues to revisit on a regular basis, reflecting on deeper motives for ‘why we are here?’ Purpose to serve the larger whole is foundational in keeping the community vital.
Project(s) – various creative expressions and applications of the core philosophy and purpose – in real world settings and often even in the practical, mundane aspects of human life.
Processes – methods, systems, tools and guidelines that continue to support the collective endeavor. These maybe co-creative, dynamic and ever evolving. Processes for membership (if any) into the community, for decision-making, conflict resolution etc. are some examples.
People – how are people called to a specific community? How does a community continue to position itself and put out the invitation in such a way that it magnetizes and self-selects people who feel aligned with its core vision? Does it create space for more inclusivity and diversity? It is ultimately the people that make up a community.
Place – where is the community located and how is it designed? The aesthetics, the access to nature, the facilities and architecture with basic comforts create an inviting, warm, welcoming environment for all. I have also been a part of some of the most amazing virtual communities–grounded in kindness and service – ‘Service Space’ for example.
Patience and Persistence – a community is a constant work in progress. (As are human beings!) There is no perfect utopia. Any process of birthing and growth inevitably involves challenges and difficulties. People need to feel empowered and committed to persist with patience.
Petite (Small is Beautiful) – while the optimal size of any community may differ depending on numerous factors, a community that is large enough to realize its fullest potential and small enough to remain grounded is crucial.
I would love to hear your thoughts, experiences, reflections or ideas on this!
With much Gratitude and Peace,
Vipul Shaha,
Pune, India
Educator-Facilitator,
Presence-Oriented Psychotherapist,
Gap-Year Coach, Youth Mentor,
Yoga and Mindfulness Trainer
vipul.shaha@post.harvard.edu
@mindful_being_india
The Temple of Light at Ananda Village, CA
The Temple of Light at Ananda Village, CA
References –
1. Ananda Village, CA : https://anandavillage.org/
2. Ananda Sangha, India: https://anandaindia.org/
3. Cities of Light--A New Vision for the Future by Swami Kriyananda:
https://anandasanghapublications.com/products/cities-of-light
4. List of conscious communities in India:
5. The relationship between gifts and community - Charles Eisenstein
https://www.dailygood.org/story/255/the-relationship-between-gifts-and-community-charles-eisenstein/