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The Blessings of Pilgrimage
a letter from Shivani
Blessings and Transformation
As our souls journey the pathway to enlightenment, there are many destinations along the way. We learn much about this journey in Autobiography of a Yogi, where we see the youthful Yogananda (Mukunda) entirely dedicated to visiting saints and spiritual sages, and making numerous attempts to undertake pilgrimages to the Himalayan temples and caves.
As it says in one of India’s most famous scriptural passages: “Even one moment in the presence of a saint, will be your raft to cross the ocean of delusion.” There is no doubt: Visiting saints and holy places can transform our consciousness in ways that nothing else can.
Just being in India puts us immediately into another frame of mind: Forgotten and superseded are the preoccupations and monotonies of daily life, and we find ourselves calm, perceptive, open to the unexpected, aware of the longer rhythms and the farther vistas of our life. The insights and experiences we gain on pilgrimage, stay with us forever. As one pilgrim wrote: “So much time has gone by and yet my journey with Ananda to India has shaped the way I am today, five years later!” ~Josephine, Australia.
A closing word, from Swami Kriyananda: “Indeed, the benefit of going on pilgrimage to holy places, such as the Holy Land, is not because of their rich history, but for the fact that divine blessings can be experienced when visiting them. Their very soil is impregnated with a higher consciousness.”
With Ananda in India
Pilgrimages, Ayurveda, and Adventures
in the Holiest Land on Earth
For information and reservations:
info@ananda.it Tel: +39 0742-81.36.20 Fax: +39 0742-81.35.36
Ananda is located in the tranquil hills of Umbria, Italy on “Strada Statale 444” between Assisi and Gualdo Tadino. It is the largest retreat center in Europe for Yogananda’s teachings.
Ananda Associazione • Via Montecchio, 61 • I-06025 Nocera Umbra (PG) • ITALY