By Amala Cattafi, SVA Board President

The inner experience of Self is closest for those whose yearning is strongest. — Patanjali Yoga Sutras 1.21

Everyone experiences spiritual yearning, but not everyone acts on it.  — Joseph Campbell

Most people find ways to divert this powerful yearning into other, more conventional, safer things.  Baba Muktananda explained:

• Out of 100 who feel the yearning, one recognizes it as a yearning for something the world cannot provide.
• Out of 100 who recognize it as a spiritual longing, one looks for a Guru
• Out of 100 who look for a Guru, one finds a Master who can give the experience as well as the teachings.
• Out of 100 who find such a Master, one opens their heart and mind.
• Out of 100 who open their heart and mind, one does the discipline.
• Out of 100 who do the discipline, one comes to know God.

When we started our “Lokananda:  Your Bliss Place” capital campaign last fall we knew that many of you Svaroopis are included in the 1 in 100. You are not only dedicated to your personal practice and the source of those teachings, but also to your community and the space she has dedicated to serving you.

We knew you were out there, and you did not disappoint! We have raised $100,000 of our original $150,000 goal. This achievement is due to a great many of you who have selflessly (and Self-fully) stepped up to support the physical location that is the heart of our Svaroopa^® Sciences. BUT WE ARE NOT YET DONE.

Your generous donations to date in this Capital Campaign have paid for renovations and the costs incurred in buying Lokananda. But we will soon need a new roof, and have several additional improvements planned to make your retreat experiences even more comfortable.

If you have previously opened your heart and given generously, we want to share our gratitude. Please know how much you have done to benefit your Svaroopa^® community. We hope you will do it again!

If you have not yet found the impulse to give for this very important purpose, NOW IS THE TIME! I can tell you from experience that the act of opening your heart and your hands, even when you think you can’t, is one of the most deeply satisfying acts that a human being can experience. Live your life every day as the 1 yogi in 100 who not only cares, but takes action to help.

Consider Baba’s teaching about the 1 in 100 yogis. He is talking about Self-realization. With Swami Nirmalananda as our Master Teacher, we are positioned to reach the ultimate state that yoga promises. We belong to the small percentage of the world population who recognizes the inner longing for what it truly is, the desire to know the Self.

Join me and the SVA Board in completing our Lokananda Capital Campaign successfully. When you contribute to its last leg, you securely establish the place filled with Grace, your spiritual home in which you will always fulfill your yearning for the “More.”