Search results
Kriyananda (born James Donald Walters; May 19, 1926 – April 21, 2013) was an American Hindu religious leader, yoga guru, meditation teacher, musician, and author. He was a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda [1] and founder of the spiritual movement named "Ananda".
Swami Kriyananda (James Donald Walters) was a direct, close, and important disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. He created, in his Guru’s name, a work distinct from that of Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF): the Ananda communities. Some fellow disciples therefore accused him of being a “Judas”.
Ananda is a global movement founded by Swami Kriyananda in 1968, based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, who showed how everyone can realize God in their daily lives as a tangible, loving reality. From his youth, Swami Kriyananda had dreamed of creating small communities based on cooperation and high ideals.
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, the arts, community, and science.
Swami Kriyananda was a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda and the founder of Ananda Sangha. His deep spiritual quest for ‘truth’ led him, in 1948 at the young age of 22, to read Paramhansa Yogananda’s spiritual classic, “ Autobiography of a Yogi .”
Swami Kriyananda — Lightbearer: The Life & Legacy of a Disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. The profoundly inspiring story of Swami Kriyananda’s unswerving dedication to his great Master’s cause, as told by Nayaswami Asha.
Swami Kriyananda is one of the last living direct disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda. He is the author of more than 80 books, and founder of eight communities.
