Before the SRF lawsuit, any advertisement that included Master—his name, picture, even Autobiography of a Yogi—was either from SRF or Ananda. You could tell by the spelling—Paramhansa (Ananda) or Paramahansa (SRF)—who it was. Now, in every new age or yoga magazine, there were advertisements featuring not only Master, but all our line of Gurus. You … Read more
“You don’t need rules, if your self-definition is clear,” Swamiji said. His paper, Ananda’s Directions, settled any confusion that might still linger: There is no Ananda without Swami Kriyananda. The most vocal critics had already left. Now there was another smaller wave of departures by those who couldn’t embrace Swamiji’s role as he defined it. … Read more
The Bertolucci trial started in November 1997 and went on until the end of February 1998, with a few weeks off for Christmas. “It is a grim situation,” Swamiji said at the beginning, “but why be touched by it? We aren’t in this world very long, and when we leave, good and bad are all … Read more
Now that he was in the mood to make existing works better, Swamiji started revising Education for Life, which was about to be reprinted. “I’d been uncomfortable with this book, not for what I’d said, but for what I’d like to add.” It turned into a major rewrite which he finished in February. Then he … Read more
In a recent talk, Swamiji had said we must learn to love heroically. At his open house on New Year’s Day, he was asked to elaborate. “When suffering comes, the temptation is to withdraw from the world, and shrink in on oneself. If, at such a time, you reach out to help others, that … Read more
The doctors wanted Swamiji to take a full year of rest. But he had already committed to two lecture tours—plans had been made, people were counting on him—and to two publishing contracts: a book for Warner called Meditation for Starters, and a twelve-month calendar of daily aphorisms for a company called Workman. Swamiji had already … Read more
“Now that SRF has lost everything in court, is there anything they can do to regain their monopoly?” Swamiji addressed this important question to our attorney, Jon. “Yes, there is one thing,” Jon said, “a legal principle called tarnishment. If SRF can prove that Ananda is, for example, morally reprehensible, and any association in the … Read more
This year was the 100th anniversary of Master’s birth. “SRF will focus on the greatness of Master as a personality, and his importance as a historical figure,” Swamiji said. “So there is no need for us to emphasize that side of him. Let us concentrate on the principles he taught, and the ray of light … Read more
In January, Daya Mata responded, “While we feel no ill will, but only love toward you, that love is not blind to the flaws that have put us in opposite positions.” She describes her position, and that of the other Board members, as “following devoutly the many years of counsel and guidance which Gurudev gave … Read more
In January, we officially launched the Ananda Church of God-Realization—church, not as a place of worship, but as a group of people who embrace the same spiritual path. No mention was made of the lawsuit, but launching the church was closely related to the battle we were fighting in court. Master’s path is not an … Read more