Christmas,
2008
Dear Friends at Home and Abroad:
"Although
this world is God’s world, permeated by God’s
love, yet we often lose sight of that side which represents
Godhood and are conscious only of the side which represents
matter. when our life thus becomes overwhelmed with
materialistic thought and we lose balance between
the spiritual and the material, then a mighty character
comes to readjust it, and He comes in human form because
as long as we are human we can only understand a human
being. What is a Savior? He is one who manifests the
attributes of God more than of a man. It is that which
makes Him stand out from among all and which leads
man to take Him as their ideal. Christians call Jesus
of Nazareth the Savior of humankind. The Hindus also
have a similar conception of incarnations, Great Ones
who bring light from heaven and make heard the voice
of God…”
--- Swami Paramananda,
1916
In
January, we have the blessing of entering the 100th year
of Swami Paramananda’s work in the United States
and we honor this most truly by carrying on the traditions
that have been given to us and to live the life based
upon the Vedanta principles embodied in the lives of Swami
Paramananda, Mataji Gayatri Devi and the Great Ones we
emulate. We will continue to observe all the Holy Days
with ever deeper appreciation and devotion. There will
also be special occasions to honor this year-long celebration.
We have published a beautiful 2009 Centenary calendar.
I
was at Ananda Ashrama from January through March, and
again in August. We welcomed the visit of David Hirschberg
who was a little boy when he spent summers at the Cohasset
ashrama when Swami Paramananda was there. The La Crescenta
Historical Society toured the buildings and grounds of
the ashrama, an historic treasure of the Crescenta Valley
and I made a presentation of the ashrama’s history
at a society meeting which attracted a large audience.
In August, we consecrated a new recording studio to produce
all the ashrama music CD’s which we have in the
works. At Vedanta Centre, two devotees gave us centenary
gifts which will last far into the future: the beautiful
restoration of the oak temple doors and a handcrafted
cabinet for the closed-circuit television in the living
room which we use on Sundays for the overflow congregation.
The
work continues to flourish in the loving hands of our
monastics, consecrated workers and the wonderful people
who are so generous in giving service and support throughout
the year.
All
of us wish you a joyful Christmas and a most blessed New
Year. Please check our websites for announcements so you
can join us during our Centenary celebrations.
Rev. Mother Sudha Puri and
the community of Vedanta Centre and Ananda Ashrama, La
Crescenta, CA.
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