After the earthquake in Assisi, Italy in 1998, tourism dropped off for a while. Many small businesses went bankrupt. The Ananda community there is twenty miles outside of town on a rural road. A small restaurant, serving mostly coffee and sweets, opened on that road just after the earthquake happened. “When so many businesses are closing,” Swamiji said, “It took … Read More
Make Me Anything: A Christian or a Hindu – Anything to Realize Thee
Let me be Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Mohammedan, or Sufi: I care not what be my religion, race, creed, or color, if only I can win my way to Thee! But let me be none of these if that identity enmeshes me in an enclosing net of religious or social formalities. Let me travel the royal high road of realization … Read More
An Unhappy Couple
Once when Swamiji was traveling with Lawrence in Europe, they went out to dinner with a married couple who are friends of Swamij’s but not connected with Ananda. Afterward, Lawrence exclaimed, What a relief to get away from those two! The negativity between was so thick you could cut it with a knife.” “It was?” Swamiji said. “I didn’t notice.” … Read More
The Great Blessing of Giving Your Life to God (With Swami Kriyananda)
Swami Kriyananda reads and comments on his book “Conversations with Yogananda.” TV series “A Way to Awakening” recorded in India. ABOUT SWAMI KRIYANANDA In 1948 at the age of twenty-two, Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) became a disciple of the Indian yoga master, Paramhansa Yogananda. Yogananda is best known for his spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda moved to … Read More
Soul to Soul
By the time I got to Swamij’s lecture it was standing room only and I had to sit on the floor of the middle aisle. It didn’t matter where I was in the room; when Swamiji began to speak, I felt as if he were inside my spine, speaking directly to my soul. I don’t know how else to explain … Read More
God Is for Everyone (With Swami Kriyananda)
Recorded July 1, 2003 at Rhode Island ABOUT SWAMI KRIYANANDA In 1948 at the age of twenty-two, Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) became a disciple of the Indian yoga master, Paramhansa Yogananda. Yogananda is best known for his spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda moved to America and developed the energization exercises and taught the meditation techniques of Hatha … Read More
The Love of One Devotee
During the hours when Swamiji was having open-heart surgery, I led a prayer vigil in the temple of the Ananda Sacramento community where I lived. A few others joined me, but mostly I prayed alone. Swamiji was in a hospital nearby, and afterward, I wanted to go see him. Each time I tried, however, so many others were there before … Read More
It Must Be Lonely
Adjacent to the lobby of the hotel where Swamiji and a few of us were staying there was a small jewelry store. For hours every day, a woman sat alone behind the counter. “I never see any customers in there,” Swamiji said. There was nothing in the shop that Swamiji wanted to buy, but the next day we went in. … Read More
True Renunciation Involves Sacrifice (With Swami Kriyananda)
Swami Kriyananda reads and comments on his book “Conversations with Yogananda.” TV series “A Way to Awakening” recorded in India. ABOUT SWAMI KRIYANANDA In 1948 at the age of twenty-two, Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) became a disciple of the Indian yoga master, Paramhansa Yogananda. Yogananda is best known for his spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda moved to … Read More
Never Say You’ve Failed. Say Instead You Haven’t Yet Succeeded. (With Swami Kriyananda)
Recorded July10, 2003 ABOUT SWAMI KRIYANANDA In 1948 at the age of twenty-two, Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) became a disciple of the Indian yoga master, Paramhansa Yogananda. Yogananda is best known for his spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda moved to America and developed the energization exercises and taught the meditation techniques of Hatha Yoga and especially Kriya … Read More