In 1955, an obscure socio-spiritual organization dedicated to the twin aims of individual spiritual realization and social service was formed in the state of Bihar, India. It was named Ānanda Mārga Pracāraka Saṃgha (abbreviated AM), literally translated as "Community for the Propagation of the Path of Bliss." AM stands alongside other New Religious Movements of Indian origin that have captured the imagination and allegiance of a substantial number of followers in both Asia and the West. It is in…
Read moreIn 1955, an obscure socio-spiritual organization dedicated to the twin aims of individual spiritual realization and social service was formed in the state of Bihar, India. It was named Ānanda Mārga Pracāraka Saṃgha (abbreviated AM), literally translated as "Community for the Propagation of the Path of Bliss." AM stands alongside other New Religious Movements of Indian origin that have captured the imagination and allegiance of a substantial number of followers in both Asia and the West. It is in much the same genre as New Religious Movements such as Transcendental Meditation and the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. The founder of AM was a charismatic spiritualist and visionary, Prabhāt Ranjan ..
