Many have asked what happened to Swami Kriyananda since he left Ananda and went to live at Anandas center in Assisi. Recently, some of us traveled to Assisi and saw him there.
When I first met Swami in the ’60s my life was rudderless and without meaning. I found a small advertisement for yoga classes that he was giving in San Francisco, and the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda that he gave captured me completely. I was also captivated by this enthusiastic, energetic, and creative being, whose knowledge obviously came firsthand. It was so refreshing to be around him, because he believed in peoples goodness and their potential oneness with the Divine.
It would seem logical that this enthusiasm would have diminished after the trials that he and the Ananda community experienced these last seven years, through betrayal by old friends and fellow disciples of Yogananda. In fact, isnt this why some people claim Swami went to Assisi
When I saw him in June, he seemed to be more anchored in spiritual joy than ever. The joy was even deeper, with no fear, and no aggression or bitterness. Swami seemed very much as he was during the early days of Ananda: even-minded and joyful, but with a greater awareness now of the love coming to him from the Divine and from Yogananda. His joy seemed so deep that it filled me and all there.
When he greeted us, he sweetly gave each of us a small gift that he had purchased in a shop in Switzerland. The gifts hes given over the 30 years Ive known him remind me of the love of God that comes through practicing the teachings of Yogananda and through following an example such as Swami Kriyananda.
Seva Wiberg
