Rev. Ellen Grace O'Brian

Rev. Ellen Grace O'Brian is the Founding Minister and Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment (CSE) in San Jose, California, an interfaith ministry in the tradition of Kriya Yoga now in its 27th year of service. Rev. O’Brian was ordained to teach in 1982 by Roy Eugene Davis, a personal disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda who brought the teachings of Kriya Yoga to the west. She is the author of several books on meditation and spiritual practice including Living the Eternal Way: Spiritual Meaning and Practice in Daily Life, as well as CD commentaries on the classic spiritual works: The Gospel of Thomas, The Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, the guide to superconscious meditation. She is a frequent speaker at conferences and retreats on the value of meditation for seekers of spiritual truth and the importance of ethical and spiritual awakening to contribute to world peace.

Her ministry received a commendation from the City of San Jose for its contribution to fostering peace and understanding among the diverse populations of San Jose and Rev. O’Brian was recognized as an Ambassador for Universal Peace 2005 by the African International Islamic Mission for World Peace. In 2006, she was a US delegate at the Satyagraha Centenary, the 100th anniversary commemoration of the launching of Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolence movement (September 11, 1906) in Durban, South Africa.

Rev. O’Brian received the 2008 Human Relations Award from the Santa Clara County Office of Human Relations in recognition of the work her ministry does to promote positive human relations and peace in Santa Clara County. She currently serves as a member of the Advisory Council of the Association for Global New Thought; on the Executive Board of the International New Thought Alliance; and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.