Swami Kriyananda’s Last Will, Testament, and Legacy states: “My spiritual successor shall be John E. Novak (generally known by his spiritual name, Jyotish).”
Nayaswami Jyotish became a student of Swami Kriyananda in 1967 in San Francisco, California and soon after began assisting him in a variety of ways, including teaching meditation classes in San Francisco.
Nayaswami Jyotish
Working closely with Kriyananda, Jyotish became one of the founding members of Ananda Village, which officially started July 4, 1969, and for ten years served as the community’s general manager. Jyotish has lived and taught in Ananda communities throughout the world, and has lectured widely in the United States, Europe, Russia, and India.
Jyotish and his wife, Devi, who has also worked closely with Kriyananda since the early years of Ananda, currently serve as Spiritual Directors of Ananda Sangha Worldwide. Jyotish and Devi are ministers and also Kriyacharyas, those designated by Swami Kriyananda to initiate people into Kriya Yoga.
In Los Angeles with Swami Kriyananda
Swami Kriyananda’s Last Will, Testament, and Legacy provides that the nine-stone astrological bangle, which Kriyananda has worn in his capacity of Spiritual Director of Ananda, should be “worn by my spiritual successor and his successors.”
During a simple ceremony at Ananda Village on May 19, 2013, Jyotish formally received the nine-stone astrological bangle reflective of his new position as Kriyananda’s spiritual successor.
