Swami Kriyananda

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Swami Kriyananda
Born 19 May 1926
Teleajen, Romania

Swami Kriyananda, born J. Donald Walters, is a direct disciple of the yogi Paramahansa Yogananda and spent many hours with him during the last three years of Yogananda's life (1948 – 1952)[1]. During this time Kriyananda became a minister for Self-Realization Fellowship, founded by Yogananda. Yogananda also asked him to teach Kriya Yoga, which Yogananda called the highest technique of Self-Realization.

Kriyananda is the founder of Ananda, a group of spiritual intentional communities, meditation centers and study groups based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. [2] He is also the author of more than 80 books and the composer of over 400 songs. His books and music have sold over three million copies and have been translated into over 24 languages. In addition to English, he can speak Romanian, Greek, French, and Spanish.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Kriyananda was born in Romania into an American family. Growing up in Romania, France, and England, Kriyananda (then "Donald" Walters) returned to America with his family when he was 13 years old to escape the second World War. Walters attended an American high school, as well as Haverford College and Brown University, leaving the latter with only a semester left before graduation.

During this time his interest in spiritual matters was steadily intensifying. In his autobiography, he describes a particular night, during a long walk, when, as he says, he came to realize his life's calling: that of seeking God.

"I realized now that religion is far more than a system of beliefs, and far more than a formalized effort to wheedle a little pity out of God by offering Him pleading, self-condemning prayers and propitiatory rites. If our link with Him lies in the fact that we manifest Him already, then it is up to us to receive Him ever more perfectly, to express Him ever more fully. And this is what religion is all about! True religion consists of a growing awareness of our deep, spiritual relationship with God!" [3]
Kriyananda offering sweetmeats to Yogananda.
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Kriyananda offering sweetmeats to Yogananda.

Not long afterward, Walters read Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi and traveled to California to become a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. In the years that followed, Walters spent time with Yogananda, digesting his teachings, taking notes, and working on various projects. In 1955, after Yogananda's passing, Walters took the monastic name of "Swami Kriyananda."

In 1960, Kriyananda was made Vice President of Self-Realization Fellowship (the organization that Yogananda founded), but in 1962 he was expelled from SRF. He eventually pursued the task Yogananda imparted to him of "writing, editing, and lecturing" [1] as well as trying to fulfill his guru's mission of creating "world brotherhood colonies."

[edit] World Brotherhood Colonies and other Legacies

"World Brotherhood Colonies" are a lesser-known, yet still important aspect of Yogananda's teaching. Yogananda mentioned these in his autobiography: "'... a project I have long considered is beginning to take definite form. In these beautiful surroundings I have started a miniature world colony. Brotherhood is an ideal better understood by example than precept! A small harmonious group here may inspire other ideal communities over the earth.'" [2] Up through the end of his life, he often promoted the values of living in simplicity with others of like mind.

Ananda Village, Kriyananda's first world brotherhood colony, was founded in 1968 on land acquired when Kriyananda joined with five others, including Richard Baker, Gary Snyder, and Allen Ginsberg, to buy 160 acres in the Sierra foothills near Grass Valley, California. (These others were not involved in the founding of Ananda Village.) Ananda "colonies" or communities have since been established all over the world, and today, over 250 people live at Ananda Village on about 840 acres near the original site. Other colonies are in Assisi, Italy, Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Washington, and Sacramento and Palo Alto, California. Although they exist in a spirit of cooperation, these colonies are legally and financially autonomous. The satellite colonies send 10 percent of their income to Ananda Village, helping to support Ananda's worldwide mission of spreading Yogananda's teachings - which includes the founding of additional colonies. In addition to his work in founding these communities, Kriyananda has also written a book about communities entitled Hope for a Better World.

Kriyananda also started Crystal Clarity Publishers, and the well known East-West Book shops in Sacramento, Seattle, and Mountain View, California. He developed a system for educating children called "Education for Life". Members of Ananda, under the guidance and inspiration of Kriyananda, have also established numerous teaching, retreat and meditation centers. Among these, the best known are The Expanding Light Yoga and Meditation Retreat at Ananda Village and the nearby Ananda Meditation Retreat.

[edit] Books and Music

Kriyananda has said that he felt he was meant in part to help bring Yogananda's teachings into practical application. To this end has written on such varied topics as "marriage, education, leadership and success, spiritual communities, yoga, self-healing, art, architecture, astrology, and philosophy, as well as editions of Yogananda's teachings and writings on the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, and other scriptures." [3]

In music, Kriyananda has written chants as well as the music and lyrics for instrumental and choral pieces, including the Christ Lives! oratorio. He also composed the music for Mystic Harp 2, a solo harp CD performed by Derek Bell, member of the Grammy award-winning Irish group The Chieftains. Kriyananda humorously calls his lyrical music "painless philosophy" – that is, the teachings (and vibrations) of his guru made more accessible through song.

[edit] Controversies

Wikisource has original text related to this article:
  • Self-Realization Fellowship spent twelve years, and millions of dollars (estimated by Ananda to be around $50 million), suing Kriyananda and Ananda over various copyright and trademark issues - including the attempt to gain the exclusive and sole right to the name 'Paramahansa Yogananda' and 'self-realization'. Many Hindu, yoga, and meditation groups filed papers supporting Ananda. SRF lost nearly every issue in court, including: their claim to own the trademark to the name 'Paramahansa Yogananda'; their claim to sole publicity rights to 'Paramahansa Yogananda'; their attempted trademark on the term 'Self-Realization', which the court ruled is a generic religious term used for hundreds of years; their claim that Ananda was trying to 'pass itself off' as SRF; their claim that Yogananda's writings were 'work for hire' done as an employee of SRF, and done as part of the SRF 'corporate body', as opposed to Yogananda writing them himself [4]; their claim to own copyrights on certain photos of Yogananda; their claim that Ananda violated SRF's copyrights to magazine articles written by Yogananda (the court ruled that Ananda's use was 'fair use'). The court ruled in SRF's favor on only one issue - their claim that Ananda violated SRF copyrights to sound recordings of Yogananda's voice. As a result of the lawsuit, Ananda began publishing the first edition of Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi. Read Ananda's report on the lawsuit: "Ananda Wins More Than 95% of a 12-Year Lawsuit Filed by Self-Realization Fellowship." Read SRF's report: "Copyright Lawsuit."
  • In 1997-98 lawsuit, a former resident of Ananda filed suit against Ananda, Ananda minister Danny Levin, and Swami Kriyananda. In the course of the trial, eight women testified that Kriyananda had used his power as the leader of Ananda to obtain sexual gratification from them. The jury found the church (Ananda), and Kriyananda liable for "constructive fraud", with a finding of "malice and fraudulent conduct". The church, Kriyananda and Ananda minister Daniel Levin were found liable for "intentional infliction of emotional distress" with a finding of "malice" and a finding of "despicable conduct" against the church. The church was found liable for "negligent supervision" of Kriyananda, with a finding of "malice and fraud" on the part of the church. The jury also found that Levin had made "unwelcome sexual advances". Self-Realization Fellowship's involvement in this lawsuit includes the following: the woman who filed suit against Ananda met with Daya Mata (President of SRF) and SRF Board of Directors before filing the lawsuit; an SRF member served as lead attorney (the same attorney also advised SRF on their copyright lawsuit against Ananda); SRF members served as legal aides. All this is detailed in the article "Does SRF Have Unclean Hands?"
  • In March, 2004, Italian authorities raided the Ananda colony in Assisi, responding to allegations of a disgruntled former resident. The former resident accused Ananda Assisi of fraud, usury and labor law violations. Nine Ananda residents were detained for questioning. They also had a warrant for Kriyananda's detention, but Kriyananda was in India. No charges were ever filed and by mid-year 2006, the local controversy seemed to have died down. [5]

[edit] Recent years

Kriyananda married in 1981. He publicly renounced his monastic vows on the occasion of his second marriage in 1985. He was later divorced. In 1995, he officially resumed his monastic vows and title.

In 1996, Swami Kriyananda began to spend most of his time at the Ananda Italy center. In 2004, he moved to India, where he began an Ananda center near New Delhi, where he currently resides. He appears daily on Aastha TV, a cable station that shows throughout India, Asia, Europe, and now in the U.S. He also appears daily on the Sadhna channel, an Indian cable station. Ananda teachers are now giving classes on meditation and Kriya Yoga in many major Indian cities. [6]

In 2006, because of his service to the spiritual future of humanity, Swami Kriyananda was nominated and accepted as a Creative Member of the prestigious Club of Budapest, joining such world-renowned figures as the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Jane Goodall among others. [7]

[edit] Bibliography

  • Art as a Hidden Message: A Guide to Self-Realization
  • Awaken to Superconsciousness: How to Use Meditation for Inner Peace, Intuitive Guidance, and Greater Awareness
  • Affirmations for Self-Healing
  • The Art of Supportive Leadership: A Practical Guide for People in Positions of Responsibility
  • The Art & Science of Raja Yoga
  • Ananda Yoga for Higher Awareness
  • The Beatitudes: Their Inner Meaning
  • Cities of Light: What Communities Can Accomplish in the New Age
  • Conversations with Yogananda: Stories, Sayings, and Wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda
  • Do It Now
  • The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita: Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda
  • As Remembered by His Disciple, Swami Kriyananda
  • Education for Life: Preparing the Children to Meet the Challenges
  • Expansive Marriage: A Way to Self-Realization
  • The Essence of Self-Realization: The Wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda
  • God is For Everyone: Inspired by Paramhansa Yogananda
  • How to Be a True Channel
  • Hope for a Better World: The Small Communities Solution
  • The Hindu Way of Awakening: Its Revelation, Its Symbols: An Essential View of Religion
  • Intuition for Starters: How to Know and Trust Your Inner Guidance
  • The Land of Golden Sunshine: An Allegory of Soul-Yearning
  • Life's Little Secrets
  • Little Secrets of Friendship
  • Little Secrets of Happiness
  • Little Secrets of Success
  • Money Magnetism: How to Attract What You Need When You Need It
  • Meditation for Starters
  • Meditation for Starters (Book & CD Set)
  • Out of the Labyrinth: For Those Who Want to Believe, But Can't
  • A Place Called Ananda: The Trial by Fire That Forged One of the Most Successful Cooperative * * * * Communities in the World Today
  • The Promise of Immortality: The True Teaching of the Bible and Bhagavad Gita
  • The Path: One Man's Quest on the Only Path There Is
  • The Peace Treaty: A Play in Three Acts
  • Rays of the One Light: Weekly Commentaries on the Bible & Bhagavad Gita
  • Rays of the Same Light: Volume 1
  • Rays of the Same Light: Volume 2
  • Rays of the Same Light: Volume 3
  • Sadhu Beware!: A New Approach to Renunciation
  • Secrets of Bringing Peace on Earth
  • The Story Behind The Story: My Life of Service Through Writing
  • Secrets of Comfort and Joy
  • Secrets of Emotional Healing
  • Secrets of Friendship
  • Secrets of Happiness
  • Secrets of Inner Peace
  • Secrets of Leadership
  • Space, Light, and Harmony: The Story of Crystal Hermitage
  • Secrets of Love
  • Secrets of Meditation
  • Secrets for Men
  • The Singer & The Nightingale
  • Secrets of Prosperity
  • Secrets of Radiant Health
  • Secrets of Success
  • Secrets of Self-Acceptance
  • Secrets for Women
  • Secrets of Winning People
  • Your Sun Sign as a Spiritual Guide

[edit] References

  1. ^ Swami Kriyananda and Walters, Donald J. , Conversations With Yogananda: Stories, Sayings, and Wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda Preface. Crystal Clarity Publishers (2004) ISBN 1-56589-202-X
  2. ^ Annanda online. Retrieved on June 2006.
  3. ^ Annanda online. The Path: One Man's Quest On the Only Path There Is. Retrieved on June 2006.

[edit] External links

[edit] Websites supportive of Ananda

[edit] Websites critical of Ananda

[edit] Other

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