*The Glendale Temple Young Adults Group -- people between the ages 18 - 39 -- will be gathering today for fellowship. Look for them near the bookroom after the service. If you are 40 or above you'll have to wait for your next incarnation.
*The Glendale Temple Annual Craft’s Faire will be a part of our Fall Festival again this year. We are looking for creative people who like to make beautiful and/or useful things. Do you sew? Do you like to work with wood or decorate with plants? Are you an artist, a photographer, a maker of jewelry or do you just like to help out? If so, please come meet with us on Saturday, September 11th at 11:00 am in the Temple Social Hall. We look forward to sharing ideas with you.
*September's Day of Service is on Saturday, September 18th. If you're looking for ways to get involved with this temple, this is a great opportunity to meet fellow devotees, and to serve God and Master. The opening meditation begins at 10a.m. A delicious Chilean vegetarian lunch will be served at 1:20p.m.
*We welcome you to join us in commemorating the Mahasamadhi of Lahiri Mahasaya on September 26th with a meditation at 5p.m. and a devotional service at 8p.m. It is traditional to bring a flower to symbolize devotion.
*All are invited to celebrate Lahiri Mahasaya’s birthday on September 30th with a meditation at 6:30p.m. and a devotional service at 8p.m. It is traditional to bring a flower symbolizing devotion, and an offering as a symbol of loyalty to the Guru and his teachings.
*Lake Shrine Retreat Weekend for Glendale Temple members which was originally scheduled for October 8th, 9th and 10th has been canceled. Those who wish to plan a private retreat at Lake Shrine are still welcome to do so.
This upcoming Saturday evening, August 28th, Glendale Temple will host an evening of Bhajan chanting in preparation for Janmashtami, the celebration of Lord Krishna's birth. From 7:00 p.m. to 8:30p.m., our talented Kirtan group will lead devotional chanting interspersed with short periods of meditation.
On September 2nd, Glendale will observe Janmashtami. We welcome you to come celebrate Krishna's birth with a special meditation starting at 6:30p.m., followed by a commemorative ceremony at 8p.m. It is traditional to bring a flower as a symbol of loyalty to the Guru and his teachings.
Please join us in our gorgeous and comfortable sanctuary for both evenings of devotion and inspiration! Catch the spectacular effect of the sun setting through our stained glass! We hope to see you there!
On Sunday August 2, 2010 over 400 devotees from around the globe joined fellow truth seekers for an uplifting morning of spiritual fellowship. The morning began with a guided meditation, which was followed by a devotional lecture service.
The talk focused on various aspects of living the spiritual life, including the necessity of bringing God into the now. Also mentioned was the need to create inner peace in order to construct balance in a world where outer chaos is inevitable.
At the end of the service Brother Satyananda invited Reverend Bonnie Rowsell, who donated the building to SRF, to stand with him in the greeting line. Devotees from Master’s world-wide spiritual family delighted in the chance to greet and thank Reverend Bonnie. As they left the service that day, visitors commented that they felt inspired and uplifted as the week of convocation was about to begin.
The following is a list of local holiday events for the Glendale Temple congregation. Please join us for holiday cheer, fellowship, and inspirational meditation!
Mother Center Open House Friday, December 11th: 6pm - 9pm
Self-Realization fellowship warmly invites you, your family, and friends to a Christmas Open House at the Mother Center on Friday, December 11th, from 6pm to 9pm. The open house provides an opportunity to meet informally with the monastics and each other in the spirit of Christmas fellowship. Light refreshments will be served. Paramahansa Yogananda's shrine will be open and you are welcome to visit the reception hall to enjoy the Christmas tree and other decorations. For driving directions to Mt. Washington's Mother Center please click here.
Christmas Family Potluck Lunch Sunday, December 13th: Noon - 2pm
The potluck lunch will immediately following the Sunday service. This year we'd like to celebrate our diverse cultural backgrounds by asking members to bring favorite vegetarian main dishes and salads from "Around the World." Join us for an afternoon of fabulous food, stories, musical entertainment, and fun with Santa for the children.
All Day Christmas Meditation Saturday, December 19th: 10am - 6pm
We welcome you to join meditating devotees around the globe for this day-long Christmas meditation to usher in the spirit of Christ with the tradition begun by our Guru, Paramahansa Yogananda. If you are able to attend only part of the meditation service, please come either at 10am for the first part, or join in the afternoon at 2pm, when you can enter during the intermission.
Christmas Visit to Path Achieve
Monday, December 21st: 6:30pm - 9pm
Please join us as we host a holiday party for residents of "Path Achieve," a homeless shelter in Glendale. You may purchase a gift for a resident or come to the Christmas Party to join in on the caroling and gift-giving festivities. Please see the sign up board in the main lobby for event information, donation deadlines, and driving directions to the shelter.
Christmas Eve Service
Thursday, December 24th: 8pm - 10pm
The “Temple Singers” will entertain with harmonious caroling and there will be a reading of the biblical "Christmas Story." Light refreshments will be served in the Social Hall. Family and friends are welcome!
New Year's Eve Service Thursday, December 31st: 11:30pm - 12:15am
All are invited to join us on New Year's Eve for a special meditation. We will meditate and chant Aum into the New Year! Bring a bottle of chilled sparkling juice and take part in a toast to 2010. The chapel will also be open for individual meditation from 8pm to 11pm.
On Sunday, August 2, 2009, Self-Realization Fellowship Glendale Temple extended a special invitation to Convocation devotees to our Sunday meditation and lecture services.
Approximately 450 visitors joined us for an uplifting morning of spiritual enlightenment and friendship with fellow truth seekers.
The morning began with a guided meditation, followed by the lecture, "Divine Aspiration: Cultivating Our Longing for God," presented by Brother Satyananda, Minister-in-charge.
Please click Read More to view the entire article and to access the Photo Album!
This month’s spiritual homework is taken from my Convocation presentation during the first week in August 2010. The discussion was focused on a 4-staged model of living during ancient times in India as described by our Guru below:
4 ASHRAMS OF VEDIC LIFE:
MASTER: In the early days, the ordinary family life was called a life of the hermitage. The family man knew that there were four ashrams or shelters through which we must pass: brahmacharya (celibate student life); garhasthya (married householder life); vanaprastha (retirement and contemplation); and sannyas (monastic life). Life then was not an endless struggle after money until all ended in disease and disillusionment. (God Talks with Arjuna, pg. 486)
I explained how this follows a universal progression of human needs as we pass through life:
Youth needs training and wisdom guidance
Middle age needs structure, clarity and purpose
Older age needs more freedom for spiritual renewal
Elderly needs new heights of spiritual striving
Please click Read More to view Brother Satyananda's spiritual homework for August 2010.
Self-Realization Fellowship Glendale Temple extends a special invitation to Convocation devotees from around the world to join us for our Sunday, August 1, 2010 Meditation and Lecture Services.
Tours of the temple will be conducted after the morning service. Please join us for an uplifting morning of spiritual enlightenment and friendship with fellow truth seekers!
Schedule for Sunday, August 1, 2010
10:00am - Meditation
Experience the wonderful peace of a guided meditation.
11:00am - Lecture: Satsanga - answers to your questions on spiritual living.
Given by Brother Satyananda, Minister-in-charge, SRF Glendale Temple.
Please CLICK HERE to submit spiritual life questions for the Satsanga. Please label your questions "Sunday Satsanga."
12:00pm - 1:00pm - Fellowship and Tours
Meet the ministers and congregation. Docent tours of the temple will commence in the Main Lobby.
Temple Location & Directions
For additional information regarding our temple location, hours and parking, please visit our Temple Visitor Guide.
In the Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda relates that Babaji would occasionally say, “Dera danda uthao,” which translates “let us lift our camp and staff.” These words are the signal for moving his group instantaneously to another place.
On this glorious eve of India Night, we put ourselves where Master’s near, and swept around the earth as swift as thought, to touch our feet in India, to allow our hearts be caught. We are a band of devotees, wrapped in Master’s light, and though we are in Glendale, it’s India tonight!
Please click on Read More for full event coverage and photos!
Selections from the Writings of Paramahansa Yogananda
"Behind the light in every little bulb is a great dynamic current; beneath every little wave is the vast ocean, which has become the many waves. So it is with human beings. God made every man in His image, and gave each one freedom. But you forget the Source of your being and the unequaled power of God that is an inherent part of you. The possibilities of this world are limitless; the potential progress of man is limitless."
On Saturday, March 13th Glendale Temple held a Saturday Night Live Story Night. Devotees from near and far came to share stories from their lives. Some shared several 50 word stories, while others spoke of longer tales. Additionally, the crowd was also entertained by short inspirational YouTube videos, including Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture and an eleven year old boy’s story of reincarnation.
Love for Divine Mother, tattoos, Peace Corps, serendipity, and Master’s omniscient presence served as the topics for the stories that delighted and entertained the audience as they sipped tea and snacked on a variety of homemade delights.
We hope to see you at our next Saturday Night Live Event on May 29th!
Click Here to view the SNL Story Night photo album!
BHAGAVAD GITA 9: 26: The reverent presentation to Me of a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, given with pure intention is a devotional offering acceptable in My sight. (God Talks With Arjuna, pg. 763)
Master teaches us that offering ourselves completely is the greatest gift and that God happily accepts and is well-pleased with any offering given with the right spirit.
On Sunday, June 6, 2010, I gave a presentation on making offerings to God. The special theme was focused on sharing ourselves—our lives, our experiences, our love—with God. We imagine that our offerings must somehow be perfect in order to be pleasing, but the message of scripture and the testimony of saintly souls say that the spirit with which we share is more important than the gift itself.
Please click Read More to view Brother Satyananda's spiritual homework for June 2010.
Blog Talk Radio's Karen Monroy conducted an Internet interview on Thursday, May 28, 2010 with Brother Satyananda on meditation practices and the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda.
During the course of their conversation Brother Satyananda discussed how calming the mind can positively impact all aspects of life. He focused on how finding a higher purpose, moving out of "spiritual poverty", can sustain us through difficult times.
Master: Do not take your earthly experiences too seriously. The root cause of sorrow is in viewing the passing show with too much emotional involvement. (Man’s Eternal Quest pg. 239)
In a Sunday lecture on May 2, 2010, I discussed the value of taking life’s experiences less seriously. I drew from our Guru’s commentary on chapter 3, verse 23 of the Bhagavad Gita, to illustrate the way we often become identified and influenced by the changing conditions of daily life. If, through discipline, we can train the mind and emotions to be less dependent upon outer conditions and more inwardly dependent upon God, then great personal freedom can be attained.
I shared the way in which I first began working toward achieving this—by playing a game: I declared one day each week to be “Take Nothing Seriously Day.” At the beginning of the day a prayer was offered and a resolve initiated that no matter what happened that day, it would not be taken too seriously. Doing this, one day per week, proved an invaluable exercise in lightening and liberating my consciousness from mundane worries.
Please click Read More to view Brother Satyananda's spiritual homework for May 2010.
At Glendale Temple’s Day of Service, volunteers from our congregation continued renovation on the Temple’s exterior. One team of volunteers worked diligently to prep and paint the front of the Temple, while another group began the process of landscaping one of the front planter beds. Inside the Temple, others worked with care to clean the Temple Sanctuary and surrounding areas. Wherever people served, laughter and fellowship abounded.
As reward for everyone’s service, following a monastic-led meditation, the volunteers were treated to a gourmet Italian lunch prepared by our congregation’s chefs. All in all, the day was a tremendous success! For our next DOS, we will continue to paint the trim around the main temple and the gardening crew will be ready to plant spring flowers! Please join us for the July DOS and become a part of TEAM GLENDALE!
We look forward to meeting, eating, and serving with you!
Click Here to learn more about the many volunteer opportunities that await you at Glendale Temple!
Service is a unique and wonderful opportunity to deepen one’s spiritual growth and cultivate divine friendship with fellow devotees. As volunteers, we are Master's representatives. Our behavior reflects aspects of who we are, and our sincere desire to change for the better sets an example for others.
Our devotion makes every act of service a gift to God. We value service as essential to our individual Self-realization. Service expands our consciousness beyond ourselves, bringing us closer to God, Guru, and each other.
Interested in serving at the Glendale Temple? Each month, the temple dedicates one Saturday as our Day of Service. By helping to keep our temple beautiful, you will in turn feel energized and inspired. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow devotees, and to serve God and Master in a unique way.
To sign up for one of our Volunteer Committees, you can complete the volunteer form located at the temple Information Center or click here to fill out an online form. Be sure to select the services which fit your time and interests, and a volunteer coordinator will contact you shortly.
Any service you provide to the Glendale Temple is greatly appreciated!
Aspiring worldly people are benefited by occasionally seeking solitude, or better still, by visiting a hermitage where they can see and absorb the true and proper ways of divine living....The value of occasional solitude is not to be underestimated, for it affords man an undisturbed opportunity to think of God and nothing else. Then the refreshed devotee can return to the world... to assume his usual duties. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda, God Talks With Arjuna (534)
On Sunday, March 28, Bro. Satyananda gave a presentation on how to take a quality spiritual retreat. During his talk, Brother emphasized the value of dedicated time for God alone and the need to plan such experiences in advance into our calendar. There is advantage in taking retreats at locations dedicated to that purpose, such as beautiful SRF sites in Encinitas, Lake Shrine, and Hidden Valley for men. However, retreats can also be taken at home, even for a half-day, and successfully arranged in near-by quiet locations such as a rented cabin or lake cottage.
Please click Read More to view Brother Satyananda's spiritual homework for April 2010.
Spring is in the air! And it's time for Glendale Temple's 2nd Annual Spring Celebration - a fun fest for the young and young at heart! All are invited to join us on May 2nd immediately following the Sunday service for pizza and salad and family-friendly activities including a magic show, an ice cream bar, a balloon tier, face painting, and sports activities for older kids.
The youth in our temple are helping to coordinate this event, and proceeds will benefit the Summer Youth Program Scholarship Fund. Your donations will help us to support Self-Realization Fellowship's Youth Services.
Please join us for a joyous day of spiritual fellowship and fun!
This month began with the March 7 anniversary of our Guru’s mahasamadhi—conscious ecstatic exit from his body into omnipresence. In Bro. Satyananda’s Sunday lecture on that day, he talked about the unconditional love which our Guru offers each disciple. Our Master has expressed these sentiments throughout his teachings in both prose and verse, but never more beautifully than in his "Prayer for SRF Disciples." A prayer and a pledge made directly to God.
Two-thousand years ago, Jesus Christ also expressed these very same sentiments in a prayer recorded in the book of John, chapter 17. It is an amazing experience to carefully read these two prayers, one right after the other.
Please click Read More to view Brother Satyananda's Spiritual Homework for the month of March!
In the spirit of giving to those in need, and what has become an annual tradition for the past 11 years, members and monastics of the Self Realization Fellowship Glendale Temple volunteered their time to celebrate a fabulous Christmas at Path Achieve homeless shelter in Glendale.
Since 1997, Path Achieve Glendale has worked with homeless families and individuals. In addition to providing for their basic needs (such as food and clothing), they have also created a portfolio of tools and resources that help them move from the streets into permanent housing.
Click Read More to view the entire article, the Path Achieve Letter of Appreciation, and the 2009 Path Achieve Photo Album!
On Saturday, March 13th at 6:30pm, Glendale Temple will be holding a Story Night in the Social Hall. On this night we invite you to challenge yourself to tell a story in 50 words or less. Write a funny, inspiring or touching story that has a beginning, a middle and an end—you’ll be surprised at how much insight can be revealed with 50 words! 50 word stories have been an emerging trend in the past few years and an Internet search will turn up many fun examples!
If you prefer longer prose, we encourage you to tell a true story, about some lesson or experience that has affected your life, in 7 minutes or less. Rehearse your story so it can be told in a way that engages the audience, and makes them laugh or cry. Please come to listen, come to be touched by the lives of your fellow friends, and come to tell a story. We’ll have tasty food, too!
Jesus said: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). Our Guru comments in the 26th discourse of The Second Coming of Christ: "By the perfect blending of pure discrimination and pure feeling, the penetrating eye of all-revealing intuition is opened, and the devotee gains the true perception of God as present in one’s soul and omnipresent in all beings—the Divine Indweller whose nature is a harmonic blend of infinite wisdom and infinite love (441)."
Cultivating purity or virtue within ourselves enables us to see virtue, or “God” in others. In a two-part Sunday series on developing noble character, Bro. Satyananda encouraged everyone to discover a mature and living virtue within ourselves. Each one of us brings into this life at least one virtue that has been developed in past lives and manifests as a natural spiritual strength in this life. Brother called this a signature virtue. Recognizing such virtue within ourselves, we can then seek and more easily discover virtue in others.
Please click Read More to view Brother Satyananda's Spiritual Homework for the month of February!
Located off of the main lobby, Glendale Temple’s bookroom offers the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, including the timeless classic The Autobiography of a Yogi, now available in multiple languages. The bookroom carries inspiring books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, pictures, and gifts related to the SRF spiritual path.
Asimismo, en nuestra Librería nos complace poner a su disposición la selección completa de los libros en español de Paramahansa Yogananda y de algunos de sus discípulos, entre los que se encuentran la agenda anual Destellos de inspiración, Autobiografía de un yogui, los cuadernillos de la serie "El arte de vivir", La ciencia de la religión, La ciencia sagrada, Meditaciones metafísicas, La búsqueda eterna, El gozo que buscas está en tu interior, el DVD titulado La vida de Paramahansa Yogananda: Sus primeros años en América, y otras obras.
Please click Read More to view the entire feature article.
Le rogamos pulsar Read More a fin de ver el artículo completo.
New year’s greetings to all who read and benefit from these monthly spiritual homework assignments! Our beloved Sri Daya Mata has disseminated a beautiful January message which has been mailed out and is also posted on the Mother Center website.
January’s "Saturday Night Live" will be a movie night! The selected film is the inspirational Jodhaa Akbar (2008), a historical, romantic and spiritual epic depicting the reign of Akbar the Great. Jodhaa Akbar is a sixteenth century love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa.
This epic film shows Akbar the Great’s love for God, love of all casts and creeds, and his Christ-like forgiveness of his enemies. Those at the temple who have seen this movie have felt very inspired by it! Shot on location and superbly filmed with an outstanding cast, musical score, script and film direction, this film is not to be missed!
Because of the length of this movie, the screening will begin promptly at 6:00pm on Saturday, January 30th and will include a brief intermission. Refreshments will be served! The film contains English subtitles, and runs 3 hours and 20 minutes in length.
Rev. Inzerillo conducted a radio interview on Monday December 22, 2008 with Brother Satyananda on Discussions on the mystical life of Christ and life of Jesus the man, an intriguing conversation to evoke the sacred meaning of the Christmas holiday as thought through the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda.
Rev. Therese Inzerillo is your host for "Intuitive Living". Each week she shares spiritual, holistic and inspirational guidance to help one live and empowered, enlightened life.
Warm greeting from Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), Glendale Temple. We are moving to your neighborhood - to what was formerly the Church of Religious Science at 2146 E. Chevy Chase Drive - and we are very much looking forward to being a part of your community.
“Hope for the highest and the best, for nothing is too good for a child of God. Keep on hoping. Move in that light of hope until you finish your travels through pathways of incarnations and reach your luminous home in God.” Paramahansa Yogananda (Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons 57:3)
As we enter into the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is important to reflect on spiritual qualities important to us which we can offer as gifts to others. One of the most universal needs, within the heart of each person, is the need for hope. Hope that we can be happy, that we can experience love and that our highest dreams can come true.
Click Read More to view Brother Satyananda's Spiritual Homework for the month of November!
"How can I convey to you in words the nature of God? He is ineffable, indescribable. Only in deep meditation shall you know His unique essence." ~Paramahansa Yogananda (from Where There is Light, pg. 170)
Our beloved Guru urges disciples to strive toward making today’s meditation deeper than the previous day. A daunting proposal! But there is a secret to achieving this, and on Sunday, December 6th, in preparation for the Christmas season, Bro. Satyananda will discuss vital keys to achieving ever-deeper meditation.
Spiritual homework with essential points on the same theme will follow. Come and join us for the 10am Group Meditation and 11am Lecture Service on December 6th!
Worshipers gather for Sunday services at the newly opened Self Realization Fellowship Temple in Glendale.
Fellowship that combines religious teachings moves its home to Glendale from Pasadena.
by Zain Shauk
Published: Last Updated Sunday, November 23, 2008 10:01 PM PST
Four chants of “om” and a song of “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” closed the Self Realization Fellowship’s first service at its new Glendale temple Sunday.
The sacred Hindu intonation and Christian song were a part of the group’s inclusive practice, which is based on the idea that God exists within all beings, said the Rev. Brother Satyananda, the leader of the congregation.
The fellowship, founded in 1920 by Indian theologian Paramahansa Yogananda, draws from a combination of religious teachings, focusing on meditative components of yoga while referring primarily to Christian and Hindu scriptures to highlight its message, Satyananda said.
On Saturday, October 10th, Glendale Temple held its first annual family picnic at Lower Scholl Canyon Park, a small, wooded park only a few miles from temple grounds. Several long rows of tables served as a smorgasbord of homemade rice dishes, enchiladas, salads, pizzas, middle-eastern dishes, fruits and deserts.
Over 100 devotees relaxed for a few hours in a very informal setting. Following the feast, adults and children participated in a multitude of activities including tug-of-war, a three-legged race, a potato sack race, and a water balloon toss. A game of volleyball finished off the day, and then gradually the pots and platters were gathered, the games put away, and the park emptied of our presence. A wonderful day of yum and fun! We hope to see you next year at our 2nd Annual Family Picnic!
Those entering the temple recently from the East Lobby entrance have probably noticed a new tile surface in the atrium patio. The design represents a koi pond with swans and lotuses. Designed by a temple member, with the help of a graphic artist and our minister, the project began last December.
Please click Read More to view the entire Focus On feature article and for links to the East Lobby Atrium Tile Project photos.
The spiritual homework for this past month has involved performing small actions for God. In this way, we can most easily have a continuous experience of dedicating ourselves to God before, during, and after we complete the action.
Now, the next assignment for the month of October is to expand the effort and perform larger actions for God—but in a unique and specific way...
Click Read More to view Brother Satyananda's Spiritual Homework for the month of October!
Chase Mitchell, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster for Boyscout Troop 1 from Altadena, coordinated several improvement projects at the Glendale Temple as part of his efforts to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.
He started his project on Saturday June 27th, by sanding and beginning to paint the two large cement planter beds on the left and right of the Temple. Chase supervised approximately 15 scouts who were helping him make the Temple more beautiful.
In addition to the two side planter boxes, Chase repaired and repainted the front sign, planted shrubs and flowers around the sign, and installed a bench in front of the Temple on interlocking pavers. The bench serves as a nice resting spot for those waiting for rides or just in need of a respite.
Brother Satyananda joins the Temple congregation in saying a heartfelt thank you to Chase! Many thanks also to Chase's father, Bruce, and to the scout troop members who assisted Chase.
Master says, As soon as you think kindly of somebody else, your consciousness has expanded. When you think of your neighbor, a part of your being goes forth with that thought. And it is not only thinking that is necessary, but being prepared to act on that thought… There is so much happiness in being unselfish. For in unselfishness you guard your own happiness. My goal is the happiness of others for the happiness of myself. You can never know the joy of that achievement unless by unselfishness you include others when you think of your own happiness—not only those who are related to you, but all. -- Journey to Self-Realization (pg. 128)
In my Sunday lecture on September 6th, I shared the scriptural view that the purest action is a selfless or altruistic deed performed for God. Such an action is liberating and in attunement with Divine Will. Spiritual homework for September is to strive to practice this form of pure action in small ways so that we might feel the refined joy of making serviceful offerings directly to God.
Click Read More to view the Homework for September!
The new Self-Realization Fellowship Glendale Temple was dedicated on November 22, 2008 in a beautiful ceremony officiated by SRF Board of Director, Bro. Achalananda. The event was attended by almost 700 disciples and friends, including 50 members of the Church of Religious Science. The Reverend Bonnie Rowsell, husband Richard Rowsell and the church board was honored and thanked for their very generous gift.
A formal ceremony of dedication followed.
Please enjoy the photographs taken on that beautiful occasion.
Path Achieve Homeless Shelter Christmas Party Photo Album is now online.
In the spirit of giving to those in need and what has become an annual tradition, members and monastics of the Self Realization Fellowship Glendale Temple volunteered their time and celebrated a fabulous Christmas at Path Achieve homeless shelter in Glendale.
For weeks prior to the event, members contributed with toys, clothing and financial support that was donated at the Charity Event Party on December 17, 2008.
On Sunday May 31st, following the Sunday service, the Glendale Temple hosted a fun-filled “Spring Celebration” that included a light lunch and a variety of fun-filled activities.
Tables were set-up and decorated in the Sunday school parking lot so the congregation could enjoy fellowship while dining on a delicious vegetarian lunch of pasta and salad, along with a sundae bar for dessert.
Click Read More for details, stories and our photo album.
On Sunday June 7, 2009, Self-Realization Fellowship’s Glendale Temple hosted a Welcome Sunday Open House, inviting friends, family, and neighbors to tour the Temple and experience an uplifting day of spiritual enlightenment and friendship with fellow truth seekers.
Thank you all who came to experience the beauty of our temple, the meditation and those who stayed for the service and movie. And special thanks to all the volunteers who help make this event a great success.
Click Read More below to view the full article and access the Photo Album.
On Saturday evening, October 3rd, we will have an informal "open mic" style event during which we invite you to share a story about something you've learned or experienced on your spiritual path. Perhaps the circumstances leading you towards reading the Autobiography of a Yogi were especially designed? Or maybe a series of unusual events favorably altered the course of your life in some way? Maybe you have something to share about a deep lesson you learned in the course of your life?
If you feel inspired to share one of these stories from your life, please take some time to think about it and consider how to tell the story in a way that will convey something of what you learned and experienced. We want to give all those who wish to speak a chance, so also consider how to keep your story short and meaningful.
Come to share; come to listen; come to be inspired! October 3rd at 7:00 pm in the Social Hall.
Self-Realization Fellowship's Glendale Temple has not been affected by the local wildfires burning in southern California and is open for all services and events.
The Station Fire is currently burning north of the city of Glendale; as of this time, there is no immediate threat to our temple property.
Come into the silence of solitude, and the vibration there will talk to you with the voice of God, and you will know that the invisible has become visible and the unreal has become real.
-- Paramahansa Yogananda
Glendale Temple will host a one day retreat on September 12th from 10am to 4pm. All are welcome!
This silent treat will include meditation and activities throughout the day designed to rejuvenate and strengthen your personal spiritual life.
If you are a student of the Self-Realization Fellowship lessons, plan to do the Energization Exercises on your own before entering the temple. Please bring your own sack lunch; drinks and dessert will be provided.
Please click on Read More to view the retreat schedule. Please join us for a day of spiritual renewal!
There is nothing more propitious for a Kshatriya than a righteous battle.
Our Guru, in his commentary, emphasizes the importance of protecting our consciousness from the invading ego forces of destructive psychological habits. In my Convocation talk this year I offered a strategy for controlling the undisciplined ego-based thoughts so that we might attain freedom and peace.
The spiritual homework for August is to practice implementing this strategy and review the results. Click Read More to view the Homework for August!
It's time to dust off your favorite salwar kameez and kurtas, as Glendale temple prepares for her first annual India Night on July 18th at 6:30pm, with doors opening at 6pm.
Entertainment for the evening will feature Indian dance, music and a fashion show, as well as a delicious Indian banquet.
Ticket Information
Please note that India Night is sold out!!!
If you have purchased tickets that you will NOT be using, you may turn them in so someone on the waiting list may attend.
Please click on the Contact Us link and fill out the form to notify the webmaster.
Serve as You Celebrate
All are encouraged to make the evening even more special by stopping by the volunteer sign-up board in the main lobby to find the area of service which matches your schedule and abilities. Please note that there are still spaces on the volunteer sign-up board in the main lobby to serve before, during and after India Night. Many have expressed in the past that serving for such an event is far more fulfilling and meaningful than if they had only attended as guests.
Ox Yoke Retreat is situated in the scenic high desert in Twentynine Palms, California, approximately 150 miles east of Los Angeles. Paramahansa Yogananda spent much time in the Twentynine Palms desert, meditating deeply and working on his writings. Ever thoughtful of others, he envisioned a similar oasis of serenity where devotees could find peace, strength, and spiritual renewal.
This dream was realized when Self-Realization Fellowship made the Ox Yoke property available to a committee of lay disciples, who assumed responsibility for its care and management. The committee transformed the three authentic adobe structures into retreat houses with modern facilities. In a radiant desert setting, Ox Yoke, with its rugged beauty and charm, now provides the ideal atmosphere for silence, solitude, and meditation.
Spiritual homework for June is drawn from Sri Daya Mata’s book Only Love.
At the end of the tenth chapter, “The View of the Wise Toward Life’s Experiences,” our beloved Ma offers a formula for daily life, followed by saints and sages of all religions.
1. Each day, accept everything as coming to you from God.
2. At night, give everything back into His hands.
Please click on Read More to view the homework for June.
Bhagavad Gita Study Group Meets Every Wednesday at 7PM!
The Bhagavad Gita is India's most sacred text - the Hindu "Bible." Yogananda's translation and commentary brings a unique and deeply penetrating insight into this great scripture, which is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive books available on the science and philosophy of Yoga. God Talks With Arjuna explains the Bhagavad Gita's profoundest spiritual, psychological, and metaphysical truths, long obscured by metaphor and allegory. Yogananda takes Lord Krishna's counsel to the warrior Arjuna and applies it to our everyday struggles with the human ego.....
Join us!...
Wednesdays
7:00-8:30 PM
Glendale SRF Temple
Family Room
This month, "Saturday Night Live" will be a movie night! The selected film is Padre Pio, Miracle Man, an amazing and uplifting story about Franciscan Monastic Padre Pio (the film is not a documentary).
The film spans the whole of his life from childhood when his remarkable abilities were in evidence, to the end of life when the stigmata he received disappeared before he died. A stunning movie shot on location in Italy with a superb cast.
Because of the length of this movie, we will begin at 6:00pm on Saturday, June 20th. We will serve light refreshments, but you are welcome to bring your own food if you would like something more substantial.
Click Read More for details about this movie and the brilliant actors, filmed on location in Italy. You can also watch a short preview video from the movie.
Next Sunday, June 14th, we are in for a special treat. We will be honored to welcome Sister Parvati from Mother Center as our guest lecturer for the 11a.m. lecture service.
Sister Parvati, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, joined the Self-Realization Fellowship monastic community in 1946 in Encinitas, California, while still in her teens, and received training from Yogananda during the last years of his life.
In her many years as an SRF nun, she has served the work in many ways, frequently lecturing on the universal teachings of Yogananda and, as an SRF minister, conducting services at temples.
Please join us!
Sunday, June 14th at 11am
SRF Glendale Temple
All Kriyaban disciples are invited to join us on Saturday, June 13 for a one day retreat at Glendale Temple. A schedule below outlines the events with times (please click on "Read More" to access the schedule).
The day will be in shared silence with other disicples. We will begin at 10am with a long morning meditation. Plan to do the Energization Exercizes on your own before entering the temple. The meditation will include a portion of guided Kriya Yoga practice.
After meditation we will have lunch together in silence; please bring your own lunch. Drinks and a dessert will be provided.
A class on the science of Kriya Yoga will follow, drawing from our Guru’s teachings in the Bhagavad Gita. There will be time allowed for technique counseling.
SPECIAL NOTE: Bring your Kriyaban card for admittance at the door. If you have misplaced your card a new one can be obtained by contacting Mother Center.
Bro. Satyananda, from the Glendale SRF Temple, participated at the International Ayurveda and Yoga Conference in Sydney, Australia during the month of April, 2009. Here below is the writeup on the event by the magazine "The Indian Down Under" He also visited the Sydney SRF Group.
Here are some of the highlights of the article:
A Conference of Spiritual Masters
“ The motto finally had been drummed into us that it can all be achieved by - Simple living, in harmony with oneself and the nature can bring health at all levels - body, mind and spirit if we set our mind to it with a genuine conviction and belief in the power of the divine."
By Neena Badhwar
from "The Indian Down Under"
The Second International Ayurveda and Yoga Conference 2009 organised by Ayurveda Yoga Australia ( AYA) during April 3- 8 at the City Recital Hall and the Sydney Masonic Centre presented world leaders in alternative medicine and lifestyle - such speakers as Dr Svobada, Prof Kulkarni, Swami Maheshwarananda, Dr. Smita Naram, Dr. Gopalakrishnan, Dr. Ian Gawler among a host of others, presenting an intensive six day program of lectures, workshops and free yoga classes.
Photos taken at the Day of Service, Self Realization Fellowship Glendale Temple on Saturday, April 21, 2009 are now available to view online.
On a bright and sunny day, perfect for gardening and spring cleaning projects, devotees volunteered for a memorable day of service at the new Glendale Temple.
After an initial period of meditation, attendees were assigned to different projects, gardening, maintenance, kitchen, making the temple more beautiful. At noon, a short meditation preceded a delicious vegetarian lunch prepared by our kitchen chefs. After lunch activities continued until 4PM.
Interested in serving at the Glendale Temple? Serving is a unique and wonderful opportunity to deepen one’s spiritual growth and cultivate divine friendship with fellow devotees.
To sign up for one of our Volunteer Committees, you can complete the volunteer form located at the temple Information Center or click here to fill out an online form. Be sure to select the services which fit your time and interests, and a volunteer coordinator will contact you shortly.
Any service you provide to the Glendale Temple is greatly appreciated!
Please join us for one of our day of services available every month.
Check our online calendar for specific dates and times!
Photos taken at the Day of Service, Self Realization Fellowship Glendale Temple on Saturday, March 18, 2009 are now available to view online.
Devotees welcomed the beginning of spring with a memorable day of service at the new Glendale Temple.
After an initial period of meditation, attendees were assigned to different projects, gardening, maintenance, kitchen, making the temple more beautiful. At noon, a short meditation preceded a delicious vegetarian lunch prepared by our kitchen chefs. After lunch activities continued until 4PM.
Interested in serving at the Glendale Temple? Serving is a unique and wonderful opportunity to deepen one’s spiritual growth and cultivate divine friendship with fellow devotees.
To sign up for one of our Volunteer Committees, you can complete the volunteer form located at the temple Information Center or click here to fill out an online form. Be sure to select the services which fit your time and interests, and a volunteer coordinator will contact you shortly.
Any service you provide to the Glendale Temple is greatly appreciated!
Please join us for one of our day of services available every month. Check our online calendar for specific dates and times.
Photos taken at the Day of Service, Self Realization Fellowship Glendale Temple on Saturday, February 14, 2009 are now available to view online.
On a bright and sunny Valentine's Day, devotees volunteered for a memorable day of service at the new Glendale Temple.
After an initial period of meditation, attendees were assigned to different projects, gardening, maintenance, kitchen, making the temple more beautiful. At noon, a short meditation preceded a delicious vegetarian lunch prepared by our kitchen chefs. After lunch activities continued until 4PM.
Interested in serving at the Glendale Temple? Serving is a unique and wonderful opportunity to deepen one’s spiritual growth and cultivate divine friendship with fellow devotees.
To sign up for one of our Volunteer Committees, you can complete the volunteer form located at the temple Information Center or click here to fill out an online form. Be sure to select the services which fit your time and interests, and a volunteer coordinator will contact you shortly.
Any service you provide to the Glendale Temple is greatly appreciated!
Please join us for one of our day of services available every month. Check our online calendar for specific dates and times!
Photos taken at the Day of Service, Self Realization Fellowship Glendale Temple on Saturday, January 24, 2009 are now available to view online.
In spite of the rain and cold, over 50 people showed up for a memorable day of service at the new Glendale Temple. After an initial period of meditation, attendees were assigned to different projects, gardening, maintenance, kitchen, making the temple more beautiful. At noon, a short meditation preceded a delicious vegetarian lunch prepared by our kitchen chefs. After lunch activities continued until past 4PM.
Please join us for one of our day of services available every month.
