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SWAMI CHETANANANDA: Selected Articles
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Swami Chetanananda is the founder and spiritual director of The Movement Center, based in Portland, Oregon. He studied under Swami Rudrananda (Rudi), who passed away in 1973. Upon Rudi's death, Swami Chetanananda became the spiritual director of the various ashrams established by Rudi. He is now the abbot and spiritual director of The Movement Center, a non-profit based in Portland, Oregon. The Movement Center offers a variety of programs, including instruction in meditation and hatha yoga.
Swami Chetanananda has studied and practiced kundalini yoga for over 30 years. After many years of practice, he encountered the teachings of Kashmir Shaivism and found that they articulated in a very elegant and thorough way what he had experienced in practice. He embraced the study of the teachings of Shaiva practitioners with enthusiasm, and The Movement Center has sponsored scholarly studies and translations of their works. Swami Chetanananda has explained these teachings and their enduring relevance in many of his talks and programs; they are also the subject of his books Dynamic Stillness Parts 1 and 2, published by Rudra Press, the publishing division of The Movement Center.
Swamiji has studied many of the texts of other spiritual traditions, including Vajrayana Buddhism, in order to broaden his understanding of spiritual development.The articles included in this site reflect his ability to synthesize the elements common to all spiritual traditions, as well as his originality in expressing his ideas about them. He is capable of presenting obscure concepts from difficult texts in ways that are accessible and practical for Western students.
Following is a selection of articles by Swami Chetanananda
that span over two decades and demonstrate the development of his expression
as well as the continuity of the major themes of his teaching. The articles
are listed in chronological order (according to the date of their first appearance).
Many of them first appeared in periodicals published by The Movement Center, formerly known as Nityananda Institute.
You'll find more information about Swami Chetanananda here.
"About
the Maharthamanjari"
first appeared in the November 1980 issue of Rudra, published
by Nityananda Institute.
Swami Chetanananda shares his thoughts about an 11th century
Shaiva text by Mahesvarananda.
"The
Mind" first appeared
in the March 1981 issue of Rudra.
"The Mind" outlines how, through spiritual practice,
we come to understand the source of our mind and become free
from suffering.
"The
Problem of Complacency"
from the Winter 1982 issue of Rudra.
Change, not comfort, is the prerequisite for spiritual growth.
"The
Living Presence of Grace"
from Rudra, December 1986.
Through the mysterious interplay of grace and effort, we participate
in the miracle of transformation.
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"Five
Keys to Mastery" from
Rudra, November 1987.
Swamiji applies the principles of mastering an athletic endeavor
to spiritual practice. (also available on audiotape from Nityananda
Institute).
"To
Participate Fully in the Flow of Life Itself" from Rudra, July 1988.
In this piece, Swami Chetanananda shows how an understanding
of the process of exchange unfolds into a profound appreciation
of the underlying interconnectedness of all of life.
"Stillness" from Parabola, The Magazine of Myth
and Tradition, Vol. XVII no. 3 (Fall 1992).
This short article discusses the how ritual and mantra help us
to achieve the experience of stillness.
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"The
Symphony of Life" from
Music: Physician for Times to Come, edited by Don Campbell,
copyright 1991, 1993, 1995.
This paper addresses the theory of sound and vibration from a
Shaiva perspective.
"Self-Realization" from the Nityananda Institute News,
Summer 1995.
What we are willing to give determines the depth within ourselves
from which we will be able to live.
"The
Power of Spirit" from
Personal Transformation, Spring 1998.
This is an account of Swami Chetanananda's quest for transformation
in his life.
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"The Myth of Personal
Control" from the Institute News,
published by Nityananda Institute, Winter 1999.
Here Swamiji talks about chaos—or total uncertainty—as the core
of our existence.
"Tantra" from
the Spring 2003 issue of Yoga Northwest.
This article discusses the relationship between hatha yoga and tantric practice,
dispels common misconceptions about tantra, and reviews the history, philosophy
and practice of tantra.
Swami Chetanananda's home page includes talks, questions and answers, interviews, a collection of related links, and more photos: www.chetanananda.org.
Books by Swami Chetanananda are available from Rudra Press: www.rudrapress.com.
Site updated August 24, 2010