There is a peace and quietness surrounding Swami Kriyananda that give a hint of his spiritual stature. Many times I listened to him speak, and have always come away feeling refreshed and energized. It is not only his lectures, teachings, and books that shed light on areas of darkness and confusion in people’s lives. Above all, it is the example of the man himself, the peace and calm that surround him, the spiritual power that emanates from him, pointing the way to each person’s own inner path to enlightenment.
—John Harricharan, Body, Mind, & Spirit magazine
In 1948 at the age of 22, Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) became a disciple of the Indian yoga master, Paramhansa Yogananda. At Yogananda’s request, Swami Kriyananda devoted his life to lecturing and writing, helping others to experience the living presence of God within. He taught on four continents in seven languages over the course of 65 years.
His talks, his music, and his 150 books have touched the lives of millions. Swami Kriyananda took the ancient teachings of Raja Yoga and made them practical and immediately useful for people in every walk of life.
His books and teachings on spiritualizing nearly every field of human endeavor include business life, leadership, education, marriage, the arts, community, and science. He wrote extensive commentaries on the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita, both based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda.
A monastic almost all of his adult life, Swami Kriyananda was a Swami of the Giri (Mountain) branch of the ancient Swami Order, as was his guru and his guru’s guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar. He was the spiritual guide of Ananda Sangha Worldwide.
Fulfillment of Yogananda’s dream of spiritual communities
This day marks the birth of a new era. My spoken words are registered in the ether, in the Spirit of God, and they shall move the West. We must go on – not only those who are here, but thousands of youths must go North, South, East, and West to cover the earth with little colonies, demonstrating that simplicity of living plus high thinking leads to the greatest happiness!
—Paramhansa Yogananda, Beverly Hills, California, July 1949
Since his youth, Kriyananda had dreamed of cooperative communities. But few shared his enthusiasm, and he gradually put his dreams aside. He was surprised, then, to discover Yogananda speaking often about the need for “World Brotherhood Colonies” as places to foster spiritual attitudes and friendly cooperation.
At a garden party on July 31, 1949 Yogananda gave the talk quoted above that changed the course of Swami Kriyananda’s life. Moved to his core by the tremendous energy with which Yogananda made his pronouncement, Kriyananda later wrote, “Deeply, I vowed that day to do my utmost to make his words a reality.”
The time has come for people to live lives of even higher dedication than that which inspired monks and nuns of the past. It is time to direct our spiritual awareness also into matter, into everything we do: work, education, family life, friendship, communications with strangers, the way we build our homes – to all the most mundane, practical aspects of daily human life. People need to become God-centered from within, and from that center to see God everywhere, in everything.”
—Swami Kriyananda, Cities of Light
Founder of Ananda
The opportunity to do so came in 1967. With the help of a few friends and many miracles, Swami Kriyananda was able to purchase a small piece of land in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Nevada City, California. Thus was started a spiritual community, which is now known as Ananda Village. More than 200 people live in this intentional spiritual community dedicated to Yogananda’s ideals.
A variety of Ananda-owned and private businesses form the economic backbone of the community. The Expanding Light Retreat, the Living Wisdom School, and a grocery store are among the activities on the rolling 900 acres in the rural Sierra foothills. Homes and gardens are well-cared for and there is a palpable feeling of harmony. Visitors are welcome year-round to stay at our guest retreats.
In the decades since 1967, Ananda has become a worldwide movement, with Ananda communities in Palo Alto, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Assisi (Italy), and Pune (India). We have a strong teaching center in Los Angeles and a number of teaching centers in India, as well as meditation groups around the world.
Kriyananda is known as the “father of the intentional communities movement,” which began in the United States in the late 1960s. Inspired by Yogananda’s dream of establishing spiritual communities, in 1969 he founded the first of Ananda communities worldwide. They provide a supportive environment of “simple living and high thinking,” where over 1,000 full-time residents live, work, and worship together.
