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An invitation to membership
““Good company is essential on the spiritual path. Whether your energy will move inward toward God, or outward toward the world, is determined, to a large extent, by the company you keep.””
Has your heart has been touched by your experience of Ananda? Do you feel a connection with the people you have met? Perhaps you would like to make a deeper commitment to your spiritual life. If so, you are invited to become a member of Ananda Sangha. Sangha is Sanskrit for “company of truthseekers.”
Ananda friends after an Easter celebration
What membership means
Membership in Ananda is an expression of support for this spiritual work, and of your desire to connect with others traveling along the same path.
Membership is akin to becoming a member of a family and is a meaningful step on the spiritual path. The desire to share, give and receive deepens with that commitment.
Our core values are:
To learn and live the teachings of Self-realization as taught by Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda
To have a personal spiritual practice
To have committed spiritual relationships with other truth-seekers
Membership is not a requirement to take advantage of everything Ananda offers. While one can be an active part of Ananda without becoming a member, the desire to make this commitment is a natural step as one’s heart opens to embrace these spiritual teachings.
Why become a member (PDF)
““What is Ananda’s mission?” asked a visitor to Ananda. “To have fun,” replied Swami Kriyananda. Once people stopped laughing at this unexpected answer, he added, “What I mean by having fun is this: experiencing God within, enjoying His presence in one another, and sharing the Divine with all.””
Monthly giving
“Be like the sunlight: offer life, healing, and encouragement to all. People who gladly share with others feel themselves bathed by a constant, inner stream of happiness. Sharing is the doorway through which the soul escapes the prison of self-preoccupation. It is one of the clearest paths to God.”
—Swami Kriyananda
Members make a regular donation, usually monthly. The amount you give is up to you. Many members tithe 10%, some tithe a smaller percent, and others donate a fixed amount as they wish. The decision of what to give is personal and confidential. What is tithing and why is it considered a spiritual practice?
Members may attend many classes at Ananda free of cost, excepting:
classes at the Ananda Yoga Center
holiday banquets
HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER
The best way to explore membership is for us to meet personally and learn more about each other. It will be a joy to welcome you into the spiritual community of Ananda. Contact us to arrange a time to talk with someone on staff.