Chapter 05: The Expanding Light
The Expanding Light is the place where I was staying; it is the Retreat of the community (or one of them), to which people go from everywhere to visit Ananda Village. It consists in a few houses, a reception building, a boutique, a dining room and a temple, all of whom are simple and yet very beautiful in their simplicity, very well illuminated and aired, and with a peaceful and uplifting atmosphere about them. This atmosphere, or these vibrations, pervades the whole community.
I chose to stay in a shared, normal room because it was the cheapest option available, beside a tent; I got the room #5 of Serenity House. I do not know how the deluxe rooms are, but I do know for sure that I was more than happy with my room. Actually, because there weren’t many people staying at the same time as I, I basically got all the “advantages” of a deluxe, single room, which include being alone in your room (I was alone all the time: the only hint of someone else having been in the room was a messed up bed that stayed exactly the same until I departed, when I cleaned it up) and internet connection (the wireless can be detected from Serenity House, and I was told by the staff I could use it freely). With a comfortable bed, an alarm clock, a good window, internet connection and a place to plug my laptop, I had everything I could ask for in a room. I spent a while every afternoon calling my dad and/or brother and/or sister to let them know how I was doing and ask how they were doing.
The room. Notice: the picture hung on the wall. Do not notice: the mess that is my bed.
I didn’t really explore much of the rest of the house, but all of it is clean and nice, with pictures of Yogananda and the other Ananda Gurus hung on the walls pretty much everywhere. The living room was especially nice, but I only ever went in there to drink water, and once to do homework for school, which was due for the next morning!
Living room of Serenity House.
Living room of Serenity House. The table to the right is where I sat for a couple of hours to do my homework.
Serenity House seen from the outside. The yellow-brown thing is actually grass, not pine tree's stuff.
Going out of the house and walking a bit, we find the reception building. Like everything else, it’s very nice to look at, and there’s where I would go every morning to say hi to the staff there (normally Nirmoha, Jeannie or Maitri) and check for messages for me at the messages board. It was also there where I went to use the telephone, and the place that was normally used as “meeting point” when I had to meet someone.
Behind the reception room is the boutique. What a place! I could easily spend a fortune in there, mostly in gifts but also in books and CDs. I was kept enthralled for the longest time, looking at all those nice books of Kriyananda’s that I didn’t have yet! I was also surprised to find out all the CDs of Yogananda’s classes… I had assumed that, because I didn’t find anything else on the internet to download, I already had all the records of him! I was badly mistaken, but glad to be corrected!
I eventually bought four necklaces there: Saraswati for me, Shiva for my brother, Ganesh for my sister, AUM for my dad; along with the book Sadhu Beware, after being told to read it by Swamiji. I haven’t yet done so, because I want to do it as attentively as possible, but I have skimmed it and it seems to be quite amazing.
Reception building of The Expanding Light
Books in the boutique.
Probably it’s already easy to guess because of the “baggage” event, but I should add that the staff here is really good and always willing to help one out in whatever way they can. Although the people is what makes The Expanding Light and the rest of Ananda Village so special, I am going to leave an account of it until later, in “The Community” and “The People” chapters of this “report”.
Continuing into the Expanding Light facilities, separated by a little garden from the reception building is the Dining Room, with the Temple annexed to it. The dining room is the place where all the meals are served, and you can either sit inside or at the tables outside. Like the other buildings, it’s covered by pictures of the Masters, and it also has a picture of Swami Kriyananda in every table, along with a prayer for the food. Every time I sat to eat, I would turn Swamiji’s picture toward me.
The meals were all good, and it was a relief that, for first time in my life, I could go eat somewhere that wasn’t my house and not have to be wary about what I can eat and what I cannot: every dish is vegetarian! People that live and work in the community often come here to have their meals along with the visitors of The Expanding Light. I normally sat alone, since I like to eat in silence, but most of the time someone would come to sit with me, which I would thank for, since it was my best opportunity to talk to some of them, like Seva, Nirmoha, or Matt.
Three meals a day are served: breakfast at 8:30, lunch at 12:30, and dinner at 6:30. Strangely, I became accustomed to it quite fast (normally I have breakfast after my sadhana, at whatever time I wake up, another “breakfast” between 3 and 5PM, and dinner at about 9PM; I rarely have lunch), although I did notice the lack of sweets, since I always eat at least something sweet at every “breakfast”!
The entrance to the Dining Room
The Dining Room
Going through the Dining Room we find the temple: there is where the guided Sadhanas are performed, with staff of the retreat fulfilling the role of teachers, or guides. If it’s not too cold, they will go outside to start with the Energization Exercises, and then back inside to do the rest of it. The temple is also used sometimes to give classes to the visitors.
Inside the Temple of The Expanding Light. To the left is Byasa, preparing a class on the yuga cycles.
The altar of the temple with images of the line of gurus of Ananda. From left to right: Lahiri Mahasaya, Mahavatar Babaji, Jesus Christ, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, Paramhansa Yogananda.
A little fountain just next to the temple of The Expanding Light.
That’s it for The Expanding Light. It is a relatively small zone of the community, but, as the rest of it, entirely delightful! Even though the grass in most places was dry due to the dry climate (maybe I’ll get to see it in spring someday!), it cannot eclipse the beauty of the area, let alone the beauty of its people.
Sign of the Expanding Light. The symbol in the middle is the Symbol of Joy, designed by Swami Kriyananda and used quite freely all over Ananda!
Previous: Chapter 04: The Climate
Next: Chapter 06: The Community
