April 21, 2014 marks the one-year anniversary of Swami Kriyananda leaving his body. Someone asked us recently what this period has been like, both for Ananda and for us personally. The question gave me pause to reflect on what we’ve experienced in these twelve months since his passing.
The legacy Swamiji left behind has both outer and inner aspects. The outer one was expressed in his spiritual leadership, now reflected in the vibrant, expansive growth of Ananda. In the past year, Jyotish and I have had the opportunity to visit virtually all of our communities—in Assisi, India, Mexico, and throughout the United States. Everywhere we’ve seen a growing spirit of dedication to our Guru and commitment to serving others as reflected in many new creative projects.
But there is also an inner aspect of Swamiji’s legacy: his spiritual magnetism. We’ve spoken with many people over the past year, some of whom never met Swamiji, who’ve had dreams of him filled with blessings. Others have told us they’ve felt his loving presence more strongly in their lives now than when he was still in the body.
We recently heard the story of a woman who had met Swamiji only a few times, but had a very strong premonition that he would pass on April 21. A few days after his passing, she had a medical crisis due to an earlier surgery and was in extreme pain for many hours. At one point as she sat in the emergency room in intense suffering, she thought to try to meditate. As soon as she did, Swamiji’s face appeared to her smiling, and the pain immediately went away. There are many such stories to be told.
For us personally, this year has been like the ripening of divine friendship, a deepening appreciation for his constant concern for our spiritual welfare. Our relationship with him has become paradoxically both more impersonal and personal: more impersonal in that I can feel his love for all of us was never on a human level, and more personal for his continuing effort to help each of us through the tangle of our individual karma to find our freedom in God.
A few weeks ago we were giving Sunday Service at our community in Sacramento. On the wall at the back of the church were two large photos—one of Master and one of Swamiji. As I looked at Swamiji’s photo, a beam of light from a window fell on his face, illuminating it. Then the beam moved on and shone brilliantly on the white wall next to his photo. The thought came to me, ”That’s what you’ve become now, Swamiji—pure light.”
It also seemed that Master was voicing the words of one of Swamiji’s songs: “This is my son, in whom I am well pleased. Naught of himself remains, naught but the true light.” That light is with us now and always, and especially when we reach out for it.
May we all be one in that light someday,
Nayaswami Devi
16 Comments
I have never met Swamiji but he came to me in a dream a week after his passing. In the dream, he showed and told me that he would be there with me through the changes that we’re coming ahead, that he would help me and guide me. Thank you Swamiji for your blessings and presence! Now a year later, I thank you Devi for reminding me to still reach out to him, to his beautiful smiling light. Blessings to all!
Johanne, it is a trult divine experience. I am so glad to read your dream about Swamiji.
Blessings!
It is wonderful to read about people’s experiences with Swamiji since his passing.
Thank you for sharing yours.
With love,
devi
Dear Devi,
Such a beautiful letter!
Many of us miss Swamiji’s physical presence, I do too. But at the same time I am able to feel his loving presence & power ever more deeply. I too have a story connected to Swamiji’s passing last year. I have had many dreams where I have spoken to Swamiji, sat in his company, heard his discourses, received special messages when I needed those & so on. Swamiji was always there in those dreams. The last time he came to Gurgaon, I could not go to receive him at the airport. I just attended his last talk at the ashram B-10/8. There was a deep desire in the my heart to go visit him before he left for Italy but I couldn’t. So on the night of April 19, after I went to bed, I mentally spoke to Swamiji. I told him how sad I was for not being able to visit him & that how much I loved him.
It was the morning of April 20, 2013, around 7 am. I had this strange dream. Its feeling left me very sad & I was not able to understand what it meant. I saw that there was a big event happening in Swamiji’s honor. We had pictures of our Gurus & Swamiji there. Ideally, whenever we had an event for Swamiji, we would always wait for him and then start the program, but in my dream, the event was for him, in his honor, and it was going on. But Swamiji was not there & nobody was even waiting for him. I didnt understand the reason of such a dream and kept thinking about it all day & the next day I got the news of his passing. Swamiji showed me in that dream that he wont be in the body anymore but I could not understand.
And, I never had a dream of Swamiji after his passing….not even a single dream..until last month. I had been suffering from severe cough & chest congestion. It had been bothering me for more than a month. I was missing Swamiji so much one day & I prayed & prayed & prayed. I hadn’t been able to practice my Kriya due to my illness. That night, I felt deeply connected to Swamiji I requested him to come in my dream. And, yes, he came :). I had two dreams of him the same night. In the first one he was in a little formal gathering like we have at Ananda. He was wearing his blue color Swami dress, was talking to people & then giving discourse. And, then I woke up to go to the bathroom. And, after I came to bed, the second dream started immediately. In that dream, Swamiji was sitting very casually on the floor mat with me and Shivani (Gurgaon). He was in white kurta-pajamas, we were talking & laughing as very old & close friends. It went on for long . And in the morning another miracle happened…….my cough & congestion were 90% healed. And I was completely well in another 2- days.
I just wanted to share this with you.
Love & joy!
In Him, manoo
Thank you for sharing your beautiful experience with Swamiji, Manoo. He was truly a gift from God to all of us.
With love,
devi
thank you for these wonderful remarks!
I am so happy to have reconnected with Swamiji shortly before his death! My spiritual life has been fuller since that time and I rejoice in K’s freedom.
Thank you Devi! Your words touched me deeply.
Thank you Devi…I am reminded of Master’s words, “When I am gone, only Love should take my place.” How beautiful of Swamiji to pass on that Love…
You have expressed Swamiji’s presence in our lives so well. When I lived in Nevada City & had a meditation group with Sophia, I never personally met Swamiji, but now that I’m in Walnut Creek & participate in Concord Ananda, I find myself asking him guidance. I’ve read many of his books & know that what he says always fits with what I feel God wants me to do, so I trust him and seek his help and feel he answers me.
Dear Nayaswami Devi,
Thank you for the article :-) Blessed !!!
Devi dear,
Your words and thoughts are a great gift as we move toward 4/21, giving form to thoughts and feelings, bringing new stories and understandings, and bringing all of the heart and soul of Swamiji right into focus. Thank you for being who you are and sharing with such depth and richness, as you always do.
Blessings, Shanti
Dear Devi,
Thankou for sharing your inspiring experiences.
I will always be thankful to Swami Ji for touching my life and changing it for ever. I experienced Master’s blessings, and a few seconds later Swami Ji’s blessings, in my meditation at our Bangalore Centre during our Sunday morning Satsang, the day Swami Ji passed away .
And now he is always there to guide …
Thankyou Swami Ji.
Kamini
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Kamini. We look forward to returning to Bangalore this fall to see all of our friends there.
With love,
devi
AMEN!
Thankyou Devi for your continued messages of spiritual comfort.
Regards
John
You are very welcome, John. It is a joy for us to share in this way.
With love,
devi