Swami Kriyananda: A Biography

In 1948 at the age of twenty-two, 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 many 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, the arts, community, and science. He wrote extensive commentaries on the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita, both based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. He 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 the 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. "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 #kriyananda #yogananda #ananda Find out more at https://www.swamikriyananda.org/ Like on Facebook:   / nayaswamikriyananda   Follow on Twitter:   / kriyananda   ABOUT ANANDA WORLDWIDE Ananda is a worldwide movement to help individuals realize the joy of their own higher Self. Ananda is based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and was founded by his direct disciple Swami Kriyananda in 1968. Learn more at https://ananda.org. ___ HOW TO STAY IN TOUCH Subscribe to our channel:    / anandaworldwide   Follow on Instagram:   / anandaworldwide   Like on Facebook:   / ananda.org   Follow on Pinterest:   / anandasangha   Follow on Twitter:   / anandaworldwide   Take classes on our virtual spiritual community: https://www.ananda.org/online-classes/ Learn to meditate: https://www.onlinewithananda.org/less... Download the FREE Ananda Meditation app and watch guided meditations https://www.ananda.org/meditation/app/ Visit the beautiful Ananda Meditation Retreat in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas: https://meditationretreat.org/ Visit "The Expanding Light", Ananda's guest retreat: https://www.expandinglight.org/ If you have been touched in your own journey by Ananda and our videos please consider making a donation so that we, as a spiritual family, may all continue to reach and inspire souls everywhere: https://www.ananda.org/support/