This year marks an anniversary filled with light: the centennial of the birth of Swami Kriyananda. It is an invitation to contemplate a life wholly offered to God—one that made Paramhansa Yogananda’s spiritual vision visible, tangible, and joyful.
Throughout all Ananda communities and centers around the world, this year will be rich with events, celebrations, and inspiring moments.
We have invited Nayaswami Jamuna and others to share a few words about Swami Kriyananda, which we will be publishing in our newsletters throughout the year.
Dear Nayaswami Jamuna,
Can you share some of your experiences with Swami Kriyananda?
There was a power that could be felt in his presence. When he spoke, it was directly to you.
So, kindness and joy were carried on that wave. There was so much energy coming from him, but it was on a completely different level than anything I had experienced before. Later I understood that it was the vibration of impersonal love. Those vibrations made me feel like my best self. Later I was to say to someone who was criticizing him that I found him to be completely trustworthy.
After returning to San Francisco, (I lived 6 months at Ananda Village) I eventually moved into the Ananda House, a rented mansion in Pacific Heights in 1978. Ananda bought the world-renowned East West Bookshop in Menlo Park, Ca in May 1980. When I joined the ashram Jyotish and Swami were talking about opening a little bookshop in San Francisco’s sunset district. When it came time to choose a manager, Swami asked me. I knew that it was God who said “Yes” through me. I was very surprised. A week or so later after I became engaged to Vasudeva, Swami called again to ask if I would instead, manage the East West Bookshop in Menlo Park.
The third yes in a row led to our wedding before moving down the peninsula to join the group working to establish a center in that area. Swami’s guidance was direct and often humorous. He was masterful at saying what was helpful and supportive of my confidence as a leader. He was really my boss. When issues came up, I could call him. I realized later that he spoke to me through my intuition many times.
How did Swami Kriyananda’s life influence your own spiritual path?
Swami was a living example of what it meant to be a disciple. As such he could make the path to God real, showing us how it was done. He placed meditation in its proper place and gave us the keys to introspection- “the inner work”, that pealed away our unhelpful attitudes. Even as he told us that the path was a matter of life and death, he was able to laugh about human foibles. Such a balance. Because he lived with Yogananda our Guru became real to our understanding-a divine incarnation on earth. What a gift Swami was.
What would you recommend to people who come to Ananda today and would like to attune to Swami Kriyananda and his example of discipleship?
He left so much for us. Immerse yourself in his writings, his talks, his music. I was in the choir for many decades which was a magic way to attune to Swamiji. All the ways he expressed himself carried the message of the inevitability of spiritual freedom for us all.
Which experience or insight has had the most lasting impact on you today?
His joy.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Most of us are motivated to seriously engage in a spiritual path because we have done so for many lifetimes. Liberation of our souls is a serious endeavor, it takes time. Having a friend and guide like Sw Kriyananda is a great blessing, He set us straight on how to deal with our many desires and unclear notions of what it took to become free, and then he gave us enormous encouragement that we could make real progress, that we would very soon be liberated from all that is not of God.
