Jyotish and I are presently at Ananda’s Assisi community helping with programs here during their busy month of August. This week we’re taking part in a course called “Ananda: A Spiritual Lifestyle,” sharing the principles upon which cooperative communities are based. “World brotherhood colonies,” as Paramhansa Yogananda called them, are an important aspect of his world mission, one that he said would be the “lifestyle for the New Age.”

Whether or not you are a part of such a community, its guiding principles can enrich and enhance every aspect of your life. Swami Kriyananda called this approach to living “Crystal Clarity,” and he defined it in this way:

To live in Crystal Clarity means to see oneself, and all things, as aspects of a greater reality; to seek to enter into conscious attunement with that reality; and to see all things as channels for the expression of that reality.

It means to see truth in simplicity; to seek always to be guided by the simple truth, not by opinion; and by what IS, not by one’s own desires or prejudices.

It means striving to see things in relation to their broadest potential.

In one’s association with other people, it means seeking always to include their realities in one’s own.

Here are five practical ways to express this key concept, Crystal Clarity, which is at the heart of Ananda communities: Cooperation, Communication, Concentration, Creativity, and Conscious Awareness. Ananda means “joy,” and by expressing each of these aspects, you will find an increasing level of joy in your life.

Cooperation is based on the effort always to include others’ realities in your own. At Ananda we recognize that there is a broad spectrum of individual realities. When making decisions we ask not, “What do I want?” but rather, “What is trying to happen?” The result—be it in a family, an office staff, or an entire community—is that each individual feels respected and harmony prevails.

True Communication requires that everyone listen to others, and feel heard by them as well. It becomes possible when truth, not opinions, is made its underlying basis. When people live in accordance with these high principles, group consensus can easily be reached. An unspoken understanding and trust develops among people who have this kind of open, honest communication.

Concentration often results when we can see the big picture, and how our own little part fits into it. This kind of concentration is born not of self-focused tension, but of a calmness that comes when we see ourself as a channel for a higher power. Action undertaken with this kind of attentive awareness is usually highly effective, and brings with it inner joy as we experience ourself as part of a greater reality.

Creativity is a natural offshoot of living in Crystal Clarity, because it helps you to tune in to God’s endless variety as expressed in His creation. We’re having great fun during our visit here watching snails crawl across the patio of the apartment in which we’re staying. As we observe the unique beauty of each shell, the thought arises, “If God can express creativity in every tiny aspect of life, surely we can bring fresh eyes and energy to everything that we do.” Creativity and joy go hand in hand.

And finally, there is Conscious Awareness, in which we seek attunement with a greater reality. Increasingly I realize that expanding awareness is the hidden goal for all of life: from a little moth, to a beautiful snail, to you and me. When we begin to understand—through meditation, devotion, and a conscious effort to know God—that we are so much more than our little ego, true joy naturally begins to fill our life.

When we join together with others in a shared understanding, we magnetically draw divine grace that uplifts each of us beyond our own efforts. This is the true essence of Ananda’s spiritual lifestyle, which is available to anyone who strives to live by these principles.

We invite you to join us in this great community of Spirit.

Nayaswami Devi

Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (9:57):

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