Simple Living Manifesto

(Italicized words are from the June, 12, 1949 talk by Paramhansa Yogananda, 

‘How to be Blissful and Happy all the Time’)

Freedom lies in simplicity. 

The commitment to live simply is, ultimately, the commitment to live for God alone. This means to tune your will with God; to find and know him. Then you will know that you came on earth for a destined purpose. 

Why can’t we see a divine design for human life? For even my own life? 

Desires. Born of ego identification, desire-nature keeps us bound to the dual nature of the world and enmeshed in the senses, habits, and attachments. You think you came here for yourself! 

Therefore, as brothers and sisters of simplicity, we aspire and attain to be free from a life guided by selfish motives and desires, and to realize the divine purposes of life as a human on planet earth. If you have a desire, cut it off, you’ll be happy right away. 

The Goal of life is Plain Living, High Thinking, and Freedom.

Yogananda called the coalition of life’s goals Brotherhood Colonies, or the living Church of Christ, whereby work, worship, education, play, meditation, creativity, and all aspects of life are integrated into one holistic, natural and spiritual community of life. It is based on Brotherhood and Love, and what is possible only when you have God.

He revealed the “goals of life”, as 4 fold: 

The first is to be happy in God, all the time, no matter what happens. 

The second is to grow one’s own food.

The third is health through natural living, and freedom from the dis-ease that accompanies modern, unnatural life. 

The fourth is to provide all other basic needs (like clothes, building, art, medicine, etc) as a community, and thereby become independent from the ways of the world. 

These purposes coalesce into a single purpose of Freedom, to realize God within and without, as the true and abiding reality of all Life. The purpose of life is to have God, and to do His will. 

This message of a simple, happy life, is not a message of primitivism or going backwards; it is the mission of soul freedom. It is not for weaklings or prideful people; it is for the spiritually courageous and the humble. 

It speaks not to the passing cultures and fads of humanity in a day, but to the timeless and universal path of life, which is always here to be known when a human-Soul is ready to be born anew. What you need is these colonies if you want to wake up.  

It is the immortal path of happiness which God has designed for humanity: To live close to Nature, in brotherhood and in harmony with all life. This is the actual, practical application and realization of Yoga (Union) and Christ’s teachings in this world. In our own lives.

That is the kind of church we are going to build. The church Jesus Christ preached. 

Yogananda stated that this way of life will be the way of the future of humanity: A perfect blending of East and West; of inner spiritual-realization, and of outer harmony with nature; That we should go forth in all directions, and demonstrate that simplicity of living, combined with high thinking and self-realization, will lead to the greatest happiness and freedom. 

This is the way that I am showing you, and this shall spread all over the world, and nothing can stop the power that God has given me. I am showing the way to freedom. 

And don’t forget this plan. Each one of you can do it; the work needs you, and you need the work. This is the way of freedom.” -P. Yogananda

Master’s Aphorisms

How to be Blissful and Happy All the Time. 

Everybody has a job, but it is because of your desires that you do not know what job God has destined for you.The best way is to tune in with God. Then you will know that you came on earth for a destined purpose. When you know that purpose, you will do the will of God, and the work that you are destined to do to the finish. When you tune your will with God, then you will know what is right, and know (that) you should guide your will by divine will.Your first duty is to meditate upon God, and to find and know him.

You are directly dependent on God. Therefore you must find God. Then you will know what he wants you to do.Then you will know his cosmic plan. Then you won’t mar the drama of life by your own desires.You think you are here for yourself. That’s why you are in trouble. I want this. I want that. That is the source of your troubles.

I don’t seek any pleasure – I have the divine pleasure. My pleasure is not conditioned by anything. That’s the secret of happiness. Happiness includes everything. If you had happiness as your motto, you would have everything.

Seek ye the kingdom of God, seek ye happiness first. Then Divine happiness – which comes by meditation – and all things, will be added unto you. Nor be ye of doubtful mind. 

You don’t trust God. You don’t love Him. You love everything else, that is why you think God is a bugaboo… and he won’t answer you. 

This is the truth: he will answer to every move of your life. You can’t be without him. Everything is that eternal life. And you are unaware of Him because your desires are concentrated on things, not on the Giver.

I have seen that throughout life. So I sought the kingdom of God first – the kingdom of happiness. And God means when you are all the time happy, and that happiness is not an abstract state of your mind, but you feel happiness is building you; then you have attained the purpose of life.

First motto must be happiness. Money is not the standard of happiness. Go back to simplicity of living.

I have a plan; a plan that will never fail. A plan that is the only way out if you want happiness.

First, keep the state of your mind happy, no matter what happens. You shall see that by so living, you can be happy.

I want you to follow this law. This law will never fail you. 

What is the solution? I have the solution and it is working. I am very encouraged to see the health and happiness… in our two colonies, Mt WA and Encinitas.

Your motto must be changed. Happiness is the first thing you want. Next is food. I want you to see the purpose of life. Next, health, freedom from disease. And then freedom from the slavery of desires for what they have in the shops, and the machines they want you to buy. They rope you in and keep you a slave.

Purpose of life is plain living and high thinking. I am not preaching primitivism; I am preaching Freedom…I am showing you a new way to freedom.

You think happiness is the will of the wisp running away from you. Be Happy Now. That is the secret. By laughing off lots of desires, you can be happy.

If you follow that law of God, the Lord will not only give to you, but fulfill all your desires, because you are his Son. You are not a beggar.

There is a solution in your life: Colonies beyond the city limits. Don’t live in cities. Don’t seek jobs for money. Jobs (colonies) mean work, happiness, and food, and freedom from sickness, and freedom from slavery from all these government plans that are tying your feet and keeping you enslaved.

Motto of civilization should not be money, but plain living and high thinking. You are not going back to primitivism; you are going to freedom.

Get 25 acres of land beyond the city with a few select ones. Go there and Dig. Produce your food.

Freedom is the goal of life.

…build with small stones, small houses with little baths… Live outside… Have a little fireplace. 

And… have churches encircled with trees under the stars. We don’t need buildings that have to be plastered and painted.

If they want movies, remember it’s only the nicest customs of all nations.

One car will bring everything, but everything will be self-sustained so that we don’t even have to pay bills for care. Twenty five acres for exercise; for stars; to be free of industrialists and slavery of communists…

This is the way that I am showing you, and this shall spread all over the world, and nothing can stop the power that God has given me. And you’ll see colony after colony… in my plan you will be free from money, which is the greatest slavery. I am showing the way to freedom. 

I see those that have a little money… are always worrying what will happen about inflation. Those that haven’t money at all never complain or ask me. As long as a dollar remains in my pocket, I keep giving. 

God showed me that freedom is the goal of happiness. Cut off desires. As soon as you have a desire, say “I can do without it.” 

So you see, follow my way. Our church wants to give you jobs; jobs mean happiness, good health, freedom from sickness and freedom from the slavery of the modern world… Brotherhood colonies is the coalition. 

Freedom lies in simplicity. Have a small dwelling of stone that won’t need plastering. And be free from the slavery of paying bills. You can get everything. And be independent of the world. 

I want 50-100 people in one colony, not more than that, and then we’ll move onto the next. We’ll have hundreds, thousands of them, all over the world. 

That is the kind of church we are going to build. The church Jesus Christ preached. Not under a church. Not going back to primitivism.

It’s a balance of East and West. We’ll have the finest books there and meditation. Cultivation of poetry and music, but free from the world. You won’t have to go out if you have 25 acres in which to move. 

First principle of life is that you can be master over everything you do. Then you will be happy. I eat what I should, and don’t eat what I shouldn’t. I am not compelled to do anything. I can cut off any desires. And remember, as soon as you have a desire, and you feel it is unnecessary, cut it off. And don’t live in a place where you stir up desires!

The thing is this: What you need is these colonies if you want to wake up. Our church wants to give you jobs. Jobs mean happiness. The goal of life is plain living and high thinking and freedom. 

Happiness is the first goal of life. Second, food; third, health; fourth, freedom from disease; Last, freedom from everything you have to pay. 

It is based on brotherhood and love. We don’t have gunmen. What I am preaching is far greater. The idea of brotherhood of men, and what is only possible when you have God.

You must come. It doesn’t require money… money will be made useless. And when you have money, you want more money, and you want to keep it, and you don’t want to share it with others. Force cannot do it, but brotherhood will do it. 

Why do I want to part with every dollar that I get, and never buy clothes? Always they are given to me. I never ask for them either. Only thing that I buy is my shoes. They soak you in this country!

Make your own clothes, and see how little you can get along with. Keep your mind with meditation and happiness and health and exercise and good food. You can do it. When you have a nice apartment you have to pay nice money, and in order to pay nice money you have to work to death until you are dead. Why go that way? I am showing you a way that you can do it now. Right now. 

This solution for happiness is immortal. I have given the word in the ether. 

I want first young people. And marriage. Marriage means responsibility. The first thing you have to show is happiness, the rest God will take care of. 

Those that want to follow God, let them follow Him, for the purpose of life is to have God, and to do his Will. That’s the first thing: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all things will be added unto you. Nor be ye of doubtful mind.”

When you meditate more, you will be happy and cut out all of your desires. If you have a desire, cut it off, you’ll be happy right away. I have done that all my life. God has coaxed me and thrown things in my lap. I say, ‘I can do without these. If you want to starve me, that is all right. I’ll meditate on you.’

If thy hand prevent thee, cut it off. If you are a slave to movies and money and buying things, cut it off.

This plan, don’t forget it. Each one of you can do what I am doing, and the work needs you, and you need the work. And this way of freedom I am telling you, church, nor country, nor anyone has given you. This has come from inspiration. 

I don’t want you to go in rags. I want you to be clean, and you have a mud bath, you don’t require any soap. Do you know that mud has a greater soaping power than soap? Have a mud bath. 

These are the plans. I have worked them out in detail, and I will give you the ideas, and you will be able to have the experience of a lifetime. 

How can you do without money, and live better than a millionaire? You don’t need to beg from anybody. 

So East, West, North, and South, and everywhere, building these colonies. Help free America from the terrible inflations that are coming. And God Bless you. 

The Vow of Simplicity and Brotherhood

As a brother/sister of simplicity of Camano,

I hereby dedicate myself to a life path of simplicity, 

And a life purpose of Self-realization. 

This manifesto was inspired by a talk that Paramhansa Yogananda gave June of 1949 in San Diego, CA linked here.